PHOENIX, Arizona (Friday, May 26) – Phoenix Rising FC (4-3-4) dropped a 1-0 decision to Las Vegas Lights tonight at 38th St/Washington.
The team is back in action next Saturday, June 3 in Pittsburgh. The game will air live on 3TV, channel 44 and ESPN+ at 4 p.m. Rising returns to 38th St/Washington on June 10 for its annual Pride Night celebration. Tickets for that game are available here.
Fede Varela had Rising buzzing in the 24th minute when he received the ball at the top of the six-yard box, turned and hit a shot through a crowd of players. Somehow, Vegas goalkeeper Leo Diaz was able to track the ball despite the traffic out in front and make a right-footed kick save to keep the match scoreless early.
Danny Trejo beat his defender on Rising’s left flank and drove towards goal in the 32nd minute. The forward used a stepover move to buy space and get off a cross that came within inches of connecting with Carlos Harvey’s boot after the Panamanian made a darting run through the center of the box.
Eddie Munjoma beat three Vegas defenders at the beginning of the second half and nearly poked a shot past Diaz, but the goalkeeper made his second outstanding kick save of the evening to keep the score tied, 0-0, in the 52nd minute.
Baboucarr Njie sent a ball into the box from the left side and the ball skipped around the area before finding Trejo in the 72nd minute. The loose ball popped up into the air and Trejo struck it well, only to see the ball ricochet off the crossbar and fly back into play. The packed supporters’ section behind the South goal erupted at that point in the match, pushing the home side to find the back of the net in the final 15 minutes.
But it was Vegas who found a goal in the 78th minute, just seven minutes after entering the match. The play came from Vegas’ right flank, against the run of play, but Torres took the chance well. The forward outjumped his marker to nod a header down into the ground. The ball took a bounce to the left of Rising goalkeeper, Rocco Rios Novo and settled into the far side netting to give Vegas the win.
Scoring:
LV – Erick Torres (Lucas Stauffer) 78
Discipline:
LV – Tim Zali (caution) 67
PHX – Alejandro Fuenmayor (caution) 68
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Daniel Krutzen, Kevon Lambert, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Danny Trejo, Renzo Zambrano (Jackson Conway 80), Carlos Harvey, Manuel Arteaga, Fede Varela (Baboucar Njie 60), Jose Andres Hernandez, Eddie Munjoma (Uzo 88).
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky, Darnell King, Gabi Torres, Carlos Anguiano.
Las Vegas – Leo Díaz, Lucas Stauffer, Tyler Bagley, Zach Carroll, Tim Zali, Jimenez, Tabort Etaka (Eric Oteng 62), Daniel Rios (Justin Ingram 62), Bushue, Andrew Carleton, Pato Botello Faz (Erick Torres 71).
Substitutes Not Used: Andre Zuluaga-Silva, Jordan Ayimbila, Marcelo Lage, Emmanuel Ledesma.
