PHOENIX, Arizona (Saturday, June 17) – Phoenix Rising FC (4-4-6) drew Louisville City (6-4-4), 2-2, tonight at 38th St/Washington.
Carlos Harvey and Manuel Arteaga both scored for Rising in the draw. The team travels to Albuquerque (Wednesday, June 21 at 6 p.m.) and Oakland (Saturday, June 24 at 7 p.m.) next week before returning to 38th St/Washington for Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, July 1. Tickets for that match are available here or by calling 623-594-9606.
Tonight, Rising took a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute of the match when Erickson Gallardo sent in a corner from Phoenix’s left flank. The cross cleared everyone from both teams except Carlos Harvey, who seemed to know where the ball was going and timed his run perfectly. Harvey met the pass with a textbook header, knocking the ball into the ground in front of Louisville goalkeeper Oliver Semmle. The shot rebounded up past the hands of Semmle and into the top of the goal to give Phoenix an early lead.
Louisville responded by producing two shots on goal and pressing high for the next 10 minutes, but Phoenix regained its trademark possession and held a 64-36 edge in that category by the 33rd minute.
Louisville City made it 1-1 just before halftime when a turnover in the back led to a chance for the visitors. Former Rising star Amadou Dia ran at goal, cut inside, and was tripped up in the box, prompting referee Sergii Demianchuk to point to the spot. Sean Totsch converted the penalty kick for Louisville, sending Rising goalkeeper the wrong direction to tie the score.
Phoenix came out of halftime on fire, producing two chances and two corner kicks in the first four minutes, but were unable to convert. Louisville took advantage in the 57th minute when Tyler Gibson got the ball to Dylan Mares on the left side. Mares cut inside, then back before sending a low, left-footed shot from just outside the box into the bottom right corner of the net to make it 2-1.
Rising made it a 1-1 game in the 74th minute after Arteaga converted a penalty kick after Dia was whistled for a hand ball in his own box, setting up a frantic finish to the match.
The chance came in the 79th minute when Danny Trejo ran at a defender in the box before dishing the ball to his left for Eddie Munjoma. Just as Munjoma rounded the corner, he was tripped up by a Louisville City defender, prompting Demianchuk to point to the spot for the third time. Trejo opted to take the penalty, striking a hard shot, low to the goalkeeper’s right side, but Semmle dove and got both hands to the shot, pushing it wide and away from danger.
Scoring:
PHX – Carlos Harvey (Erickson Gallardo) 5
LC – Sean Totsch (PK) 42
LC – Dylan Mares (Tyler Gibson) 57
PHX – Manuel Arteaga (PK) 74
Discipline:
PHX – Daniel Krutzen (caution) 45+2
PHX – Panos Armenakas (caution) 53
LC – Amadou Dia (caution) 73
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Daniel Krutzen, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Gabi Torres (Uzo 64), Renzo Zambrano, Carlos Harvey (Jose Andres Hernandez 90+3), Eddie Munjoma, Panos Armenakas, Erickson Gallardo, Manuel Arteaga, Danny Trejo.
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky, Darnell King, Baboucarr Njie, Fede Varela, Carlos Anguiano.
Louisville City – Oliver Semmle, Amadou Dia, Wes Charpie, Sean Totsch, Oscar Jimenez (Owen Damm 88), Tyler Gibson, Rasmus Thellufsen, Elijah Wynder, Enoch Mushagalusa (Carlos Moguel Jr. 82), Ray Serrano, Wilson Harris (Cameron Lancaster 82).
Substitutes Not Used: Danny Faundez, Paolo DelPiccolo, Dylan Mares, Maarten Pouwels.
