Written by Zoë Lam
Phoenix Rising FC closed its two-match homestand unbeaten, building momentum before heading on the road to face Las Vegas Lights FC next week. After picking up four points at home, Rising continues to trend in the right direction as the squad regains key contributors and inches closer to full strength. The club is also set to welcome head coach Pa-Modou Kah back to the sideline, providing another boost as Rising looks to carry its recent form into another tight Western Conference matchup.
“I think we created enough chances but we have to be better in our final third,” assistant coach Vikram Virk said. “If we finish off our chances, I think it’s a different story for sure.”
STILL ATTACKING
Phoenix Rising once again established itself as the more dominant attacking side, controlling the match from start to finish with 63.1% possession and consistently pushing the pace in the final third. The club outshot its opponent 20-9 while generating 70 entries into the attacking third, creating sustained pressure that limited opportunities for the opposition to build possession.
Rising also recorded six shots on target which is well above its season average of 4.7 in USL Championship play and closed out the match by controlling 72% of possession over the final 15 minutes, highlighting its ability to dictate the tempo and remain on the front foot until the final whistle.
“We are a bit frustrated with the result because we were by far the better team today,” Scearce said. “I think we played their game and they wanted to slow the game down and at times we were just too slow and didn’t put our chances away.”
RISING STANDOUTS
Phoenix Rising received contributions across the pitch in another well-rounded team performance to go two games unbeaten before heading on the road next weekend. Goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky recorded his fifth clean sheet of the USL Championship season, anchoring a defense that kept the opposition off the scoresheet.
On the attacking end, Ihsan Sacko led the charge with six shot attempts which was the most by a Phoenix Rising player in a league match this season. While Kelvin Arase made the most of his first USL Championship start of the campaign, providing creativity in Rising’s attack with three shots and eight touches in the opponents 18-yard box.
“We have a lot of different options and threats,” Virk said. “Charlie is a set piece threat. He is a guy that can shoot from distance and unlock a defense with a pass so him getting healthier – he could make a difference for sure.”
NOTES
- Rising is a perfect 2-0-0 in the all-time series.
- Kelvin Arase earned his first league start of the season.
- Ihsan Sacko attempted 6 shots in this game, the highest total for a Phoenix Rising player in the USL Championship this season.
- Patrick Rakovsky recorded his fifth clean sheet of the season.
Phoenix Rising (5-6-5, 20 pts) vs. Hartford Athletic (4-7-7, 19 pts)
Goals by Half 0 0 FT
Phoenix Rising 0 0 0
Monterey Bay FC 0 0 0
Lineups:
PHX: GK Rakovsky, D Biasi, D Mar Boye, D Scearce, D Flores (Smith, 63) M Gomez, M Moursou, M Avayevu (Studenhofft, 83), F Sacko, F Badji (Ambursley, 63) F Arase (Dennis, 54)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Odunze, D Pelayo, M Irwin, M Rivera, M Ping
TOTAL SHOTS: 20; SHOTS ON GOAL: 6; FOULS: 9; OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 1
HARTFORD ATHLETIC: GK Siaha Ngnepi, D Nije, D Fischer, D Scarlett, D Presthus, M Moreira, M Hadjipaschalis (Adedokun, 59), M Coffey, F Flynn (Hernandez, 59), F Williams, F Taofeek (Anaku, 74)
Substitutes Not Used: F Adedokun, F Gordon, GK Carvalho, D Miranda, F Obalola
TOTAL SHOTS: 9; SHOTS ON GOAL: 1; FOULS: 8; OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 0; SAVES: 6
Referee: Corbyn May
Assistant Referees: Clarence Clark, Joshua Mills
Fourth Official: Jorge Medina
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
