PHOENIX, Arizona (Saturday, February 24) – Phoenix Rising FC drew Las Vegas Lights FC, 0-0, in a preseason friendly tonight at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium.
Rising opens its regular season at home in two weeks, a Saturday, March 9 matchup against Birmingham Legion FC (7:30 p.m.).
Tonight, Head coach Danny Stone sent out a mix of six returning players and five offseason additions to start the match. Defending NCAA Champion Pape Mar Boye showed athleticism and composure during his first half in front of goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, who recently returned from international duty with Argentina’s Olympic squad. The duo, along with returning center midfielders Renzo Zambrano and Jose Andres Hernandez and reinforcement defenders Laurence Wyke and JP Scearce held Vegas scoreless through the first 45 minutes of play, in large part due to a full-extension diving save by Rios Novo near the 40th minute.
Rising increased its time of possession and created more offensive opportunities in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, but once again, the story was Rios Novo. The goalkeeper made a diving save to his left side and then absorbed a hard shot from distance in a 30-second span around the 55th minute.
John Stenberg made his return to live action in the 65th minute, subbing on for JP Scearce.
The starters all exited the match in the 80th minute as the squad continues to build towards 90 minutes of fitness.
“It was a tough game but a good preseason friendly,” said Rising Head Coach Danny Stone following the match. “A competitive game, I thought we improved in the second half. I was pleased with the adaptations we made at halftime. Credit to Vegas, they played well in the first half. We got stronger as the game went forward. It’s another really good preseason test for us. It was exactly the kind of test we needed heading into the final weeks of preseason.”
Scoring:
NONE
Discipline:
NONE
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Wyke, Pape Mar Boye, JP Scearce (John Stenberg 65), Edguardo Rito, Gabi Torres, Jose Andres Hernandez, Renzo Zambrano, Emil Cuello, Darius Formella, Remi Cabral.
Match Recap
Preseason Friendly Finishes, 1-0, Timbers
PHOENIX, Arizona (Saturday, January 27) – Phoenix Rising FC fell, 1-0, to Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in its first preseason match of the year today.
Just six days into its preseason, the result is promising for Phoenix, which won the league just 76 days ago. Head Coach Danny Stone’s lineup featured more than 10 trialists and Phoenix Rising FC Academy players.
The lone goal Rising allowed came in just the fifth minute, when a turnover in the back was pushed forward up the left side. Portland’s Anthony Alves collected the pass and immediately smacked a hard shot over the shoulder of Hunter Sulte, who was filling in at goalkeeper for Phoenix while Rocco Rios Novo is away on international duty and Patrick Rakovsky recovers from a knock he picked up in training.
Phoenix earned a free kick just outside the corner of the area in the 11th minute. Erickson sent in the cross and JP Scearce got a head to the ball, but the play was stopped short for offsides.
Erickson and Gabi Torres combined on Rising’s left side in the 21st minute. The play produced a long shot attempt from Torres that Portland goalkeeper Max Crepeau handled easily.
Rising Head Coach Danny Stone made wholesale changes in the 34th minute, bringing on 10 field players to relieve the team in just its sixth day of preseason training.
The mix of trialists and academy players earned a free kick in a similar position as the first team in the 42nd minute. The ensuring shot was aimed at the post to Crepeau’s right side but sailed high and wide of its mark.
After the break, Stone brought on Pape Mar Boye, Mo Traore, Edguardo Rito, Jose Hernandez, Juan Carlos Azocar, Emil Cuello and Fede Varela, mixed with a group of trialists.
Portland nearly made it 2-0 in the 64th minute with a nice through ball played in-behind, but Phoenix’s goalkeeper (Dallas, trialist) came off his line to take away the angle before blocking the attempt from a Timbers forward.
At the opposite end, Juan Carlos Azocar ripped a low shot towards the near post in the 70th minute, but once again, Crepeau was in position to make the save and smother the rebound.
Rising nearly pulled level in the 78th minute when a line-drive cross was sent into the area, but the header that followed skipped just wide of the post to Crepeau’s right side.
Portland had a free kick opportunity from just outside the box in the 80th minute but the attempt went directly to the goalkeeper, who was called upon a moment later to make a third save on a breakaway attempt. Once again, he (Dallas, trialist) was up to the task, stepping off his line to block away the attempt with his chest and preserve the 1-0 scoreline.
Scoring:
POR – Anthony Alves 5
Discipline:
POR- Dario Zaparic (caution) 23
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Hunter Sulte, Isaiah Kaakoush, Nicholas Paige, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Eddie Munjoma, JP Scearce, Panos Armenakas, Renzo Zambrano, Gabi Torres, Erickson Gallardo, Remi Cabral.
Second Half Lineup: Dallas (Trialist), Chris (Trialist), Pape Mar Boye, Mo Traore, Edguardo Rito, Jose Hernandez, Martin (Trialist), Juan Carlos Azocar, Emil Cuello, Fede Varela, Mark (Trialist).
Portland Timbers FC – Max Crepeau, Kamal Miller, Dario Zuparic, Jaden Jones-Riley, Zac McGraw, Marvin Loria, Diego Chara, Eryk Williamson, Anthony Alves, Santiago Moreno, Felipe Mora.
RECAP: Phoenix Rising FC are USL Champions
CHARLESTON, SC (Saturday, November 12) – Phoenix Rising FC are USL Champions after defeating the Charleston Battery, 3-2, in kicks from the mark after 120 minutes could not separate the sides from a 1-1 draw at Patriots Point.
Rising and Charleston traded glancing blows and corner kicks in the opening 20 minutes of the match, but neither team could put a shot on goal until the Battery’s Nick Markanich sent in a cross from the right flank in the 22nd minute. Phoenix goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo was alert and made an easy first save of the match the keep the match scoreless early.
The match settled down for the next 15 minutes, drawing Phoenix into a false sense of confidence before Charleston’s Mark Segbers came free down the left flank. Segbers collected the pass in-behind the Rising defense and centered the ball for Nick Markanich, who cracked a first touch shot hard into the far corner of the net to make it 1-0 Battery.
Rising came out of halftime looking more like itself. Daruisz Formella broke free down the left flank in the 54th minute and nearly found Danny Trejo with a centering pass, but the two were just a step off. Moments later, Rising earned a corner kick and set piece 40-yards from goal, but once again could not get on the same page to complete a series of passes with a shot on goal.
Referee Elton García pointed to the spot, awarding Phoenix a penalty kick in the 66th minute, but the spot kick disappeared after a lengthy delay and long conversation with the assistant referee.
Two clutch saves from Rios Novo in the 84th and 85th minutes kept Rising in the match and hopes alive for a late equalizer.
It came late, and not too late.
Defender Mo Traore recycled the ball from an earlier cross and lined a ball back into the area, where center back John Stenberg rose above the crowd to smash a header past Battery goalkeeper Trey Muse to make it 1-1 just before the final whistle.
Erickson smashed a shot from distance on target in the 99th minute of the match, but Muse was alert and made an outstanding save, diving to his right side to keep the match locked at 1-1.
Emil Cuello let a shot rip in the 105th minute. It nearly snuck past Muse at the near post but the goalkeeper bodied the ball to the ground and smothered it. That’s as close as either team would come and the match was ushered into penalty kicks.
Charleston put away their first two kicks from the spot while Muse saved attempts from Cuello and Daniel Krutzen. Renzo Zambrano buried Phoenix’s third kick to make it 2-1, but Rising needed a save from Rios Novo desperately. They didn’t get it, but Charleston’s Leland Archer missed wide to the left side.
Erickson stepped up next for Phoenix and made it 2-2 with the Battery’s fourth kick coming. Rios Novo saved it, diving to his right side to block a shot by Chris Allen. Manuel Arteaga came up next for Phoenix and made it 3-2, beating Muse to the post to the goalkeeper’s left side. The final attempt came from Charleston’s Derek Dodson, who went to Novo’s right side. Rising’s goalkeeper guessed correctly and pushed Dodson wider than he intended. The ball skipped off the post and away from goal to give Rising its first USL Championship, 3-2, in penalty kicks.
Scoring:
CHR – Nick Markanich (Mark Segbers) 36
PHX – John Stenberg (Mo Traore) 90
Discipline:
PHX – Mo Traore (caution) 11
PHX – Carlos Harvey (caution) 72
CHL – Roberto Avila (caution) 72
PHX – Alejandro Fuenmayor (caution) 73
PHX – Emil Cuello (caution) 80
PHX – Renzo Zambrano (caution) 115
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Alejandro Fuenmayor, John Stenberg (Daniel Krutzen 91), Mo Traore, Eddie Munjoma (Henry Uzochukwu 83), Darnell King (Erickson 58), Jose Andres Hernandez (Renzo Zambrano 58), Carlos Harvey, Panos Armenakas (Emil Cuello 71), Danny Trejo, Dariusz Formella (Manuel Arteaga 71).
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky.
Charleston Battery – Trey Muse, Tristan Trager (Beto Avila 63), Derek Dodson, Leland Archer, Juan Palma, Emilo Ycaza, Chris Allen, Augustine Williams, Nick Markanich, Mark Segbers (AJ Paterson 119), Arturo Rodriguez (Robbie Crawford 90).
Substitutes Not Used: Daniel Kuzemka, AJ Cochran, Andrew Booth, Piere Reedy.
RECAP: Rising Advances to USL Championship Final
SACRAMENTO, California (Saturday, November 4) – Phoenix Rising FC advanced to the USL Championship Final after coming from behind to defeat Sacramento Republic, 2-1, tonight at Heart Health Park.
The team will travel to Charleston to face the Battery Sunday, November 12 at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.
Despite playing on the road, Phoenix held a ridiculous, 70-30 advantage in possession through the 25th minute of the match as both teams cautiously defended and produced zero shots on goal in the opening stanza.
Sacramento found the back of the net with its first shot, following a turnover in midfield. Two passes got the ball to Republic striker, Russell Cicerone, who spun one direction, then the other before hitting a hopeful shot towards the back post. The quick transition crossed up Phoenix goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo and the shot eluded the left hand of the goalkeeper before settling into the far side netting to make it 1-0 in the 31st minute.
Rising nearly got one back in the 38th minute when Panos Armenakas ran at a defender on Phoenix’s right flank. Entering the box, Armenakas faked right, then went left before trying to beat Sacramento goalkeeper Daniel Vitiello to his right side but a defender stepped in at the last second to block the shot. The resulting attempt trickled to the feet of the goalkeeper for an easy save.
Rising began to apply pressure in search of an equalizer near the 64th minute, when Dariusz Formella got a look at goal. Phoenix earned another corner moments later and head coach Juan Guerra brought on attacking substitutes Renzo Zambrano and Uzo.
Phoenix equalized in the 80th minute when Rising earned a free kick on the left flank. Zambrano curled a cross to the back post where a slew of players converged, but it was Carlos Harvey who steered the ball into the back of the net any way possible to make it 1-1.
Riding the momentum of that goal, Rising continued to press, never allowing a second shot on goal defensively and former Sacramento Republic midfielder Emil Cuello ripped the hearts of his former team out in the second minute of stoppage time. Cuello won the ball back 30 yards from goal and never hesitated, cutting slightly to his left before smashing a knuckling shot that zipped past the goalkeeper’s ear and bulged the net to make it a 2-1, Western Conference Final.
Scoring:
SR – Russell Cicerone (Nick Ross) 31
PHX – Carlos Harvey 80
PHX – Emil Cuello 90+2
Discipline:
PHX – Mo Traore (caution) 17
PHX – Darnell King (caution) 40
PHX – Eddie Munjoma (caution) 69
SR – Keko (caution) 71
PHX – John Stenberg (caution) 88
PHX – Carlos Harvey (caution) 90+5
PHX – Dariusz Formella (caution) 90+6
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Alejandro Fuenmayor, John Stenberg, Mo Traore, Darnell King (Uzo 67) Eddie Munjoma (Manuel Arteaga 74), Jose Andres Hernandez (Renzo Zambrano 67), Panos Armenakas (Emil Cuello 74), Carlos Harvey, Danny Trejo, Dariusz Formella (Erickson 80).
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky, Daniel Krutzen.
Sacramento Republic – Daniel Vitiello, Jared Timmer, Shane Wiedt, Jack Gurr, Conor Donovan, Damia Viader (Lee Desmond 72), Arnold López (Matt LaGrassa 77), Russell Cicerone, Luis Felipe (Rodrigo Lopez 59), Nick Ross, Keko Lewis (Cristian Parano 77).
Substitutes not Used: Carlos Saldaña, Aldair Sanchez, Luther Archimède.
RECAP: Rising Headed To Western Conference Final after 2-1 Win in Orange County
IRVINE, California (Saturday, October 28) – Phoenix Rising FC has advanced to the Western Conference Final with a 2-1 victory vs. Orange County SC tonight at Championship Soccer Stadium.
Danny Trejo and Emil Cuello scored goals 109 minutes apart to send Rising to its third conference final in the last six seasons. Having knocked out the second and third seeds, Phoenix now travels to Sacramento for a date with the first-seeded Republic on Saturday, November 4.
Tonight, Rising grabbed a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute when Carlos Harvey lobbed a ball forward from midfield, splitting Orange County’s center backs. Trejo latched onto the ball at the top of the area, touching the ball away from a defender and then tapping a short volley around the goalkeeper to give the visitors the early lead.
OC fired back in the 16th minute when Seth Casiple set up Milan Iloski. The 2022 USL Championship Golden Boot Winner cracked a line-drive towards the back post but the rising shot caught just enough of the crossbar to keep it out of the back of the net.
The home side continued to press for an equalizer and converted in the 24th minute when a quick cross found Ryan Doghman alone on the end line, off to the left side of goal. Doghman hit a sharp pass low to the opposite post, where Thomas Amang finished of the chance from close range to make it 1-1.
Rising held a 61-39 edge in possession through the 80th minute of the match but could not trouble OC goalkeeper Colin Shutler outside a pair of goals that were called back for offsides rulings by the official.
In extra time, Rising continued to control the match in the first stanza. Harvey forced a save out of Shutler in the 97th minute and Uzo broke though moments later but could not keep his shot from close range on target.
Cuello hammered home the game winner in the 116th minute after Gallardo beat his man on the left side and slipped a pass inside. Cuello took a touch to get the ball on his left foot, then crushed the golden goal past Shutler to send Phoenix to Sacramento next week for the Western Conference Final.
Scoring:
PHX – Danny Trejo (Carlos Harvey) 7
OC – Thomas Amang (Ryan Doghman) 24
PHX – Emil Cuello (Erickson Gallardo) 116
Discipline:
OC – Kyle Scott (caution) 51
PHX – Alejandro Fuenmayor (caution) 103
PHX – Uzo (caution) 106
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Mo Traore, Alejandro Fuenmayor, John Stenberg, Darnell King (Uzo 70), Jose Andres Hernandez (Renzo Zambrano 90+2), Carlos Harvey (Emil Cuello 106), Eddie Munjoma (Erickson Gallardo 91), Panos Armenakas (Manuel Arteaga 101), Danny Trejo (Daniel Krutzen 118), Dariusz Formella.
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky.
Orange County SC – Colin Shutler, Owen Lambe (Richard Richards 117), Dillon Powers, Marcus Nakkim, Ryan Doghman (Alex Villanueva 118), Seth Casiple (Bryce Jamison 105), Kyle Scott (Kevin Lankford 63), Kevin Partida (Andrew Fox 90+3), Brian Iloski, Milan Iloski, Thomas Amang (Marc McNulty 91).
Substitutes Not Used: Eric Lopez.
Rising Fall, 4-3, on Penalty Kicks
PHOENIX, Arizona (Saturday, November 6) – Phoenix Rising FC fell, 4-3, in penalty kicks following a 3-3 draw against Rio Grande Valley FC tonight at Wild Horse Pass.
Rising escaped a disastrous start in the sixth minute when Rio Grande Valley earned a free kick 25-yards from goal in the center of the pitch. Rodrigo López stepped up to take the free kick, firing a line-drive shot that caught the outside of the post.
Phoenix countered in the 15th minute when Darnell King came free at the back post. King collected the pass and tried to beat Toros’ goalkeeper Collin Miller low to the far post, but his pass was cut out. The loose ball fell to Aodhan Quinn at the top of the box and the midfielder cracked a volley that skimmed the crossbar on its way onto the top of the net.
RGV took a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute when Baboucarr Njie sprinted through the center of Phoenix’s defense and smacked a crisp shot that slid under the arm of Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls and settled into the back of the net.
The wide-open game continued in the 21st minute, when Njie brought down King at the top of the area, giving Phoenix a free kick from a dangerous spot. Solomon Asante stepped in and bent a curling shot around the wall, beating Miller to the near post by an inch. The goalkeeper got his left hand on the shot but couldn’t keep it out, redirecting the ball into the side netting to level the score, 1-1.
Rising lost Kevon Lambert to an injury in the 32nd minute. He was replaced by veteran Luis Seijas in defensive midfield. Three minutes later, Rising nearly went ahead when a goal-mouth scramble fell to the feet of Darren Mattocks. Phoenix’s No. 9 tried to knock it over the goal line from close range but a sliding RGV defender got a boot to the ball to redirect it off the near post and out for a corner kick.
Phoenix’s high press produced a turnover in the 54th minute, when Seijas picked off a pass in RGV’s third of the pitch. Seijas drove towards goal before dishing a short pass to his right. Rodriguez was there to strike a low shot with his first touch, beating Miller to the corner of the net to make it 2-1.
Mattocks nearly added a third goal for Rising in the 62nd minute after Asante and Santi Moar combined at the top of the box to create a shot for the forward at the back post, but Miller was up to the task and make a diving save at the front post to keep it close.
Rodrigo Lopez converted a free kick chance from the top of the box in the 71st minute to tie the game, 2-2 heading into the final 20 minutes of play.
Rodriguez spun three RGV defenders and earned a free kick for Phoenix in the 78th minute. Asante lined up for his second strike of the match, but Miller made a diving save to his left side to knock the ball out for a corner.
The match continued into extra time, where Phoenix took a 3-2 lead on Asante’s second of the match. Rising’s captain brought down a pass from Jon Bakero in the center of the six-yard box and finished off the chance with a blast into the back of the net in the 101st minute.
But referee Brandon Stevis pointed to the spot in the 109th minute, handing RGV’s Elvis Amoh a penalty kick, which he converted to tie the game, 3-3.
Bakero netted his shot to start the shootout, but Miller made back-to-back saves to deny Rodriguez and Quinn. Rawls pulled one back for Phoenix with a save on Rodrigo Lopez in the fourth round, but Amoh ended the match with his second penalty-kick conversion of the night.
Scoring:
RGV – Baboucarr Njie 19
PHX – Solomon Asante 23
PHX – Arturo Rodriguez (Luis Seijas) 54
RGV – Rodrigo Lopez 71
PHX – Solomon Asante (Jon Bakero) 101
Discipline:
RGV – Baboucarr Njie (caution) 21
RGV – Juan Cabezas (caution) 37
PHX – Arturo Rodriguez (caution) 39
RGV – Erik Pimentel (caution) 66
RGV – Rodrigo Lopez (caution) 72
PHX – Solomon Asante (caution) 73
PHX – Santi Moar (caution) 121+1
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Andre Rawls, Tate Schmitt, James Musa, Joey Farrell, Darnell King (Joey Calistri 72), Aodhan Quinn, Kevon Lambert (Luis Seijas 32), Santi Moar, Solomon Asante (Prince Saydee 119), Arturo Rodriguez, Darren Mattocks (Jon Bakero 72).
Substitutes Not Used: Lalo Delgado, Joey Calistri, David Egbo, Jon Bakero, Manuel Madrid.
Rio Grande Valley – Collin Miller, Carter Manley, Juan Cabezas, Erik Pimentel, Juan Carlos Azocar, Andres Florez (Vicente Sanchez 100, Ronald Cerritos 120), Rodrigo Lopez, Baboucarr Njie, Emilo Yeaza, Christian Sorto (Adrian Diz Pe 112), Kyle Edwards (Elvis Amoh 88).
Substitutes Not Used: Javier Garcia, Roberto Albuquerque, Adrian Vera.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz
On his overall thoughts on the game…
Very good game, it was exciting as hell. Our fans were unbelievable tonight. Man, this place was rocking. When we scored that third goal to go up, 3-2, I thought we were going to be able to get it done, but a little mistake here or there cost us. You can't score three goals and not win at home. I love these guys. They fight hard, they fight very hard.
On what he told his players after the game…
This is going to be a tough one. It'll be hard this week for them. Some of the guys won't be back. Some of them will. I know I will start tomorrow thinking about next year and how to keep moving forward. We have to grow as an organization. We have to learn. Unfortunately, we had some injuries, we made some moves here or there, but still, we did enough to win. Fair play to Wilmer and RGV, they changed that team tremendously. They were very, very physical, very aggressive, very tenacious. They're going to be a tough team to beat.
On what he wants to tell the fans…
It was a season of ups and downs. We had some difficult moments, but the adversity really helped us. Don't take anything away from these boys. And the guys that don't come back, they'll always be remembered, and the guys that do, they're going to fight for you. They're going to give everything they can to bring a trophy here. We've won a lot of games here at Phoenix Rising. They should be very, very proud of the reputation they built here.
PHOENIX, Arizona (Saturday, November 6) – Phoenix Rising FC fell, 4-3, in penalty kicks following a 3-3 draw against Rio Grande Valley FC tonight at Wild Horse Pass.
Rising escaped a disastrous start in the sixth minute when Rio Grande Valley earned a free kick 25-yards from goal in the center of the pitch. Rodrigo López stepped up to take the free kick, firing a line-drive shot that caught the outside of the post.
Phoenix countered in the 15th minute when Darnell King came free at the back post. King collected the pass and tried to beat Toros’ goalkeeper Collin Miller low to the far post, but his pass was cut out. The loose ball fell to Aodhan Quinn at the top of the box and the midfielder cracked a volley that skimmed the crossbar on its way onto the top of the net.
RGV took a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute when Baboucarr Njie sprinted through the center of Phoenix’s defense and smacked a crisp shot that slid under the arm of Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls and settled into the back of the net.
The wide-open game continued in the 21st minute, when Njie brought down King at the top of the area, giving Phoenix a free kick from a dangerous spot. Solomon Asante stepped in and bent a curling shot around the wall, beating Miller to the near post by an inch. The goalkeeper got his left hand on the shot but couldn’t keep it out, redirecting the ball into the side netting to level the score, 1-1.
Rising lost Kevon Lambert to an injury in the 32nd minute. He was replaced by veteran Luis Seijas in defensive midfield. Three minutes later, Rising nearly went ahead when a goal-mouth scramble fell to the feet of Darren Mattocks. Phoenix’s No. 9 tried to knock it over the goal line from close range but a sliding RGV defender got a boot to the ball to redirect it off the near post and out for a corner kick.
Phoenix’s high press produced a turnover in the 54th minute, when Seijas picked off a pass in RGV’s third of the pitch. Seijas drove towards goal before dishing a short pass to his right. Rodriguez was there to strike a low shot with his first touch, beating Miller to the corner of the net to make it 2-1.
Mattocks nearly added a third goal for Rising in the 62nd minute after Asante and Santi Moar combined at the top of the box to create a shot for the forward at the back post, but Miller was up to the task and make a diving save at the front post to keep it close.
Rodrigo Lopez converted a free kick chance from the top of the box in the 71st minute to tie the game, 2-2 heading into the final 20 minutes of play.
Rodriguez spun three RGV defenders and earned a free kick for Phoenix in the 78th minute. Asante lined up for his second strike of the match, but Miller made a diving save to his left side to knock the ball out for a corner.
The match continued into extra time, where Phoenix took a 3-2 lead on Asante’s second of the match. Rising’s captain brought down a pass from Jon Bakero in the center of the six-yard box and finished off the chance with a blast into the back of the net in the 101st minute.
But referee Brandon Stevis pointed to the spot in the 109th minute, handing RGV’s Elvis Amoh a penalty kick, which he converted to tie the game, 3-3.
Bakero netted his shot to start the shootout, but Miller made back-to-back saves to deny Rodriguez and Quinn. Rawls pulled one back for Phoenix with a save on Rodrigo Lopez in the fourth round, but Amoh ended the match with his second penalty-kick conversion of the night.
Scoring:
RGV – Baboucarr Njie 19
PHX – Solomon Asante 23
PHX – Arturo Rodriguez (Luis Seijas) 54
RGV – Rodrigo Lopez 71
PHX – Solomon Asante (Jon Bakero) 101
Discipline:
RGV – Baboucarr Njie (caution) 21
RGV – Juan Cabezas (caution) 37
PHX – Arturo Rodriguez (caution) 39
RGV – Erik Pimentel (caution) 66
RGV – Rodrigo Lopez (caution) 72
PHX – Solomon Asante (caution) 73
PHX – Santi Moar (caution) 121+1
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Andre Rawls, Tate Schmitt, James Musa, Joey Farrell, Darnell King (Joey Calistri 72), Aodhan Quinn, Kevon Lambert (Luis Seijas 32), Santi Moar, Solomon Asante (Prince Saydee 119), Arturo Rodriguez, Darren Mattocks (Jon Bakero 72).
Substitutes Not Used: Lalo Delgado, Joey Calistri, David Egbo, Jon Bakero, Manuel Madrid.
Rio Grande Valley – Collin Miller, Carter Manley, Juan Cabezas, Erik Pimentel, Juan Carlos Azocar, Andres Florez (Vicente Sanchez 100, Ronald Cerritos 120), Rodrigo Lopez, Baboucarr Njie, Emilo Yeaza, Christian Sorto (Adrian Diz Pe 112), Kyle Edwards (Elvis Amoh 88).
Substitutes Not Used: Javier Garcia, Roberto Albuquerque, Adrian Vera.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz
On his overall thoughts on the game…
Very good game, it was exciting as hell. Our fans were unbelievable tonight. Man, this place was rocking. When we scored that third goal to go up, 3-2, I thought we were going to be able to get it done, but a little mistake here or there cost us. You can’t score three goals and not win at home. I love these guys. They fight hard, they fight very hard.
On what he told his players after the game…
This is going to be a tough one. It’ll be hard this week for them. Some of the guys won’t be back. Some of them will. I know I will start tomorrow thinking about next year and how to keep moving forward. We have to grow as an organization. We have to learn. Unfortunately, we had some injuries, we made some moves here or there, but still, we did enough to win. Fair play to Wilmer and RGV, they changed that team tremendously. They were very, very physical, very aggressive, very tenacious. They’re going to be a tough team to beat.
On what he wants to tell the fans…
It was a season of ups and downs. We had some difficult moments, but the adversity really helped us. Don’t take anything away from these boys. And the guys that don’t come back, they’ll always be remembered, and the guys that do, they’re going to fight for you. They’re going to give everything they can to bring a trophy here. We’ve won a lot of games here at Phoenix Rising. They should be very, very proud of the reputation they built here.
Rising Finishes Regular Season Unbeaten at Wild Horse Pass
Phoenix Rising FC (20-5-7) finished the 2021 regular season unbeaten at Wild Horse Pass (11-0-5), earning the top spot in the Western Conference via a 1-1 draw against Tacoma Defiance tonight.
Rising begins playoffs next Saturday, Nov. 6 (7:30 p.m.), at Wild Horse Pass vs. RGV Toros, which finished fourth in the Mountain Division. Based on its regular-season record, Phoenix would host home matches in the conference semifinal (Nov. 13) and final (Nov. 20) should it advance.
Tonight, Rising held a 60-40 edge in possession through the first 20 minutes of play, but it was Tacoma that produced the most-dangerous chance early in the match when Jose Carlos Anguiano came free down Phoenix’s right side and crossed a ball to the back post. The high cross was won in the center of the box by Danny Leyva. The forward redirected a header on goal but Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls dove to his right side to make a save in the bottom corner of the net.
Tacoma took a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute of the match when Samuel Adeniran put a ball into the area that was partially blocked by Rising center back James Musa. Rising defenders swarmed to the ball to attempt to clear the ball off the line but Adeniran was first to react, hammering a hard shot high into the far corner of the goal.
Tate Schmitt nearly beat Tacoma goalkeeper Christian Herrera from distance with a low shot in the 35th minute. The ball took a deflection on its way through the area and looked to be headed into the back of the net before the goalkeeper stuck out his right arm and made a diving save to preserve the 1-0 lead for the Defiance.
Adeniran nearly made it 2-0 in the 54th minute, when he hit a turning shot from the center of the area with his first touch. Fortunately for Rising, Rawls was in position and made an outstanding save, slapping the shot over the bar to keep it a one-goal game.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz made four changes in the 57th minute. One of the players he brought on, Luis Seijas came free on Phoenix’s left side and crossed a ball into the area with his first touch. The pass was spot-on, finding Jon Bakero in the center of the area. Rising’s No. 10 got off a glancing header that just missed catching the back post in the 62nd minute.
Bakero released another one of Schantz’s substitutions, Arturo Rodriguez, in-alone on goal with a perfectly weighted ball in the 70th minute. Rodriguez darted straight at goal, slipped between a pair of recovering defenders and poked a shot past Herrera to tie the score, 1-1.
Scoring:
TAC: Samuel Adeniran 30
PHX: Arturo Rodriguez (Jon Bakero) 70
Discipline:
TAC: Marlon Vargas (caution) 38
TAC: Tom Brewitt (caution) 71
TAC: Samuel Adeniran (caution) 80
PHX: Tate Schmitt (caution) 88
PHX: Kevon Lambert (caution) 89
TAC: Taylor Mueller (caution) 90+3
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Andre Rawls, Joey Calistri, James Musa, Joe Farrell, Tate Schmitt, Aodhan Quinn (David Loera 58, Jonathan Levin 76), Kevon Lambert, Santi Moar (Luis Seijas 58), Solomon Asante (David Egbo 57), Jon Bakero, Darren Mattocks (Arturo Rodriguez 58).
Substitutes Not Used – Lalo Delgado, Manuel Madrid.
Tacoma Defiance – Christian Herrera, Taylor Mueller, Obed Vargas, Danny Leyva, Obed Vargas, Carlos Anguiano (Juan Alvarez 72), Samuel Adeniran, Marlon Vargas (Danny Robles 82), Ray Serrano, Cody Baker (Rayyan 82), Jackson Ragen.
Substitutes Not Used – Alec Diaz, Cole Kulhanek, Eric Kinzner, Joe Haferty.
Head Coach Rick Schantz
Thoughts on the regular-season…
We just went undefeated at home through the whole season. We had the most points in the West. We finished with 68 goals and 67 points. Not a bad season. We scored more goals than any team in the U.S., even MLS. I’m proud of this team and they’re pretty confident.
At the end of the day, being the best team in the West is massive for us. Tacoma had a lot to play for tonight. They played very narrow. We could have been better in wide areas. We had some players in different spots. Our subs were unbelievable. They made a huge impact and brought a lot of energy.
That’s what we’re looking forward to heading into the playoffs. We have a lot of guys that can come in and change the game.
Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls
Thoughts on the match…
It was a battle from minute one. Tacoma needed to win to get into a playoff spot. They came in hungry but so were we. The energy was loud in the locker room going into the match. They played how we expected. They sat in a bit, gave us more of the possession and were looking for counter attacks. We started slower than I would have liked to… The last regular season game of the year. We would have liked to have finished with a statement win but still credit the effort. It’s not easy coming from behind after going down a goal.
Phoenix Rising FC (20-5-7) finished the 2021 regular season unbeaten at Wild Horse Pass (11-0-5), earning the top spot in the Western Conference via a 1-1 draw against Tacoma Defiance tonight.
Rising begins playoffs next Saturday, Nov. 6 (7:30 p.m.), at Wild Horse Pass vs. RGV Toros, which finished fourth in the Mountain Division. Based on its regular-season record, Phoenix would host home matches in the conference semifinal (Nov. 13) and final (Nov. 20) should it advance.
Tonight, Rising held a 60-40 edge in possession through the first 20 minutes of play, but it was Tacoma that produced the most-dangerous chance early in the match when Jose Carlos Anguiano came free down Phoenix’s right side and crossed a ball to the back post. The high cross was won in the center of the box by Danny Leyva. The forward redirected a header on goal but Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls dove to his right side to make a save in the bottom corner of the net.
Tacoma took a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute of the match when Samuel Adeniran put a ball into the area that was partially blocked by Rising center back James Musa. Rising defenders swarmed to the ball to attempt to clear the ball off the line but Adeniran was first to react, hammering a hard shot high into the far corner of the goal.
Tate Schmitt nearly beat Tacoma goalkeeper Christian Herrera from distance with a low shot in the 35th minute. The ball took a deflection on its way through the area and looked to be headed into the back of the net before the goalkeeper stuck out his right arm and made a diving save to preserve the 1-0 lead for the Defiance.
Adeniran nearly made it 2-0 in the 54th minute, when he hit a turning shot from the center of the area with his first touch. Fortunately for Rising, Rawls was in position and made an outstanding save, slapping the shot over the bar to keep it a one-goal game.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz made four changes in the 57th minute. One of the players he brought on, Luis Seijas came free on Phoenix’s left side and crossed a ball into the area with his first touch. The pass was spot-on, finding Jon Bakero in the center of the area. Rising’s No. 10 got off a glancing header that just missed catching the back post in the 62nd minute.
Bakero released another one of Schantz’s substitutions, Arturo Rodriguez, in-alone on goal with a perfectly weighted ball in the 70th minute. Rodriguez darted straight at goal, slipped between a pair of recovering defenders and poked a shot past Herrera to tie the score, 1-1.
Scoring:
TAC: Samuel Adeniran 30
PHX: Arturo Rodriguez (Jon Bakero) 70
Discipline:
TAC: Marlon Vargas (caution) 38
TAC: Tom Brewitt (caution) 71
TAC: Samuel Adeniran (caution) 80
PHX: Tate Schmitt (caution) 88
PHX: Kevon Lambert (caution) 89
TAC: Taylor Mueller (caution) 90+3
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Andre Rawls, Joey Calistri, James Musa, Joe Farrell, Tate Schmitt, Aodhan Quinn (David Loera 58, Jonathan Levin 76), Kevon Lambert, Santi Moar (Luis Seijas 58), Solomon Asante (David Egbo 57), Jon Bakero, Darren Mattocks (Arturo Rodriguez 58).
Substitutes Not Used – Lalo Delgado, Manuel Madrid.
Tacoma Defiance – Christian Herrera, Taylor Mueller, Obed Vargas, Danny Leyva, Obed Vargas, Carlos Anguiano (Juan Alvarez 72), Samuel Adeniran, Marlon Vargas (Danny Robles 82), Ray Serrano, Cody Baker (Rayyan 82), Jackson Ragen.
Substitutes Not Used – Alec Diaz, Cole Kulhanek, Eric Kinzner, Joe Haferty.
Head Coach Rick Schantz
Thoughts on the regular-season…
We just went undefeated at home through the whole season. We had the most points in the West. We finished with 68 goals and 67 points. Not a bad season. We scored more goals than any team in the U.S., even MLS. I’m proud of this team and they’re pretty confident.
At the end of the day, being the best team in the West is massive for us. Tacoma had a lot to play for tonight. They played very narrow. We could have been better in wide areas. We had some players in different spots. Our subs were unbelievable. They made a huge impact and brought a lot of energy.
That’s what we’re looking forward to heading into the playoffs. We have a lot of guys that can come in and change the game.
Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls
Thoughts on the match…
It was a battle from minute one. Tacoma needed to win to get into a playoff spot. They came in hungry but so were we. The energy was loud in the locker room going into the match. They played how we expected. They sat in a bit, gave us more of the possession and were looking for counter attacks. We started slower than I would have liked to… The last regular season game of the year. We would have liked to have finished with a statement win but still credit the effort. It’s not easy coming from behind after going down a goal.
Rising Sets New Franchise Attendance Record, Draws Sacramento, 1-1
Phoenix Rising FC (20-5-6) set a new franchise record for attendance (9,236) and remained unbeaten at Wild Horse (11-0-4) Pass by drawing Sacramento, 1-1, tonight at Wild Horse Pass.
Kevon Lambert scored the lone goal for Rising in the 84th minute of the match, but it was officially ruled an own goal by Sacramento defender Nabi Kibunguchy. Rising closes out its regular season next Saturday, October 30, vs. Tacoma at home. That match will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Tonight, Rising held a slight edge in possession and shots through the first 15 minutes of the match but gave up a quality scoring opportunity in that same minute, when Shannon Gomez came free, wide to the left side and smacked a low cross into the area. The pass slipped through the area to Cameron Iwasa at the back post, but the forward was unable to keep his shot on frame.
Sacramento went ahead 1-0 n the 23rd minute when a long-range shot took a deflection off a Phoenix defender, sending Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls the wrong direction. The goalkeeper was unable to recover, and the shot skipped into the back of the net to give the visitors an early advantage.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz made one change at halftime, bringing on Jon Bakero at forward in place of Darren Mattocks.
Phoenix earned its best chance of the match in the 59th minute after Solomon Asante earned a corner kick. The ensuing free kick was played to the back post, where Santi Moar collected the loose ball, moved past a defender, and cracked a hard shot to the near post. Unfortunately for Rising the attempt caught the wrong side of the post and went out for a goal kick.
Moar earned a free kick in the 75th minute and Arturo Rodriguez curled a dangerous cross to the near post for Manuel Madrid. The center back did well to redirect a header on goal, but Sacramento goalkeeper Carlos Saldana jumped backwards and tapped the ball over the bar to preserve the 1-0 lead.
Rising finally broke through to even the match, 1-1, when Lambert got on the end of a cross played in by Aodhan Quinn. The Jamaican ripped a low shot across the face of goal and it caught the foot of Sacramento defender Nabi Kibunguchy, who was standing on the goal line and tricked into the back of the net.
Scoring:
SAC – Emil Cuello 23
PHX – Nabi Kibunguchy (own goal) 84
Discipline:
SAC – Jordan McCrary (caution) 32
PHX – Santi Moar (caution) 60
SAC – Andrew Wheeler (caution) 74
SAC – Nabi Kibunguchy (caution) 82
PHX – Aodhan Quinn (caution) 83
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Andre Rawls, Tate Schmitt, James Musa, Manuel Madrid, Joey Calistri, Aodhan Quinn, Kevon Lambert, Santi Moar, Solomon Asante, David Loera (Arturo Rodriguez 65), Darren Mattocks (Jon Bakero 45).
Substitutes Not Used: Lalo Delgado, , Prince Saydee, Luis Seijas, Joe Farrell, David Egbo.
Sacramento Republic – Carlos Saldana, Jordan McCrary, Cameron Iwasa, Duke Lacroix (Patrick Weah 89), Andrew Wheeler, Nabi Kibunguchy, Hayden Sargis, Shannon Gomez, Luis Rodrigues, Jamie Villrreal (Maalique Foster 88), Emil Cuello.
Substitutes Not Used: Petteri Pennanen, Kharlton Belmar, Julian Chavez, Rafeal Diaz, Mario Penagos.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz
General thoughts on the match…
Sacramento came here and made it very difficult on us. We bored our fans in the first half. We were too slow. We were not sharp. We tried a few different player combinations this game and we got a lot of answers. Had we lost, I would have been upset but they showed a lot of heart and emotion. What you saw was a team that didn’t feel desperation. This is the hard part. When you clinch your division and things are going really well for you, you forget what it feels like to be desperate to have to win a game.
Rising midfielder Kevon Lambert
General thoughts on the match…
We didn’t get the start we wanted but we came out in the second half and showed what we’re capable of doing. That will be key for us going into the playoffs. We know we have to start faster. Most of the teams that come here are going to play a lot like Sacramento did tonight.
On his goal…
We’ve been practicing a lot of set pieces. If we make the correct runs and the delivery is good, we should be scoring a set-piece goal every game. Tonight, the delivery was right and I made the right run. It ended up in the goal.
Phoenix Rising FC (20-5-6) set a new franchise record for attendance (9,236) and remained unbeaten at Wild Horse (11-0-4) Pass by drawing Sacramento, 1-1, tonight at Wild Horse Pass.
Kevon Lambert scored the lone goal for Rising in the 84th minute of the match, but it was officially ruled an own goal by Sacramento defender Nabi Kibunguchy. Rising closes out its regular season next Saturday, October 30, vs. Tacoma at home. That match will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Tonight, Rising held a slight edge in possession and shots through the first 15 minutes of the match but gave up a quality scoring opportunity in that same minute, when Shannon Gomez came free, wide to the left side and smacked a low cross into the area. The pass slipped through the area to Cameron Iwasa at the back post, but the forward was unable to keep his shot on frame.
Sacramento went ahead 1-0 n the 23rd minute when a long-range shot took a deflection off a Phoenix defender, sending Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls the wrong direction. The goalkeeper was unable to recover, and the shot skipped into the back of the net to give the visitors an early advantage.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz made one change at halftime, bringing on Jon Bakero at forward in place of Darren Mattocks.
Phoenix earned its best chance of the match in the 59th minute after Solomon Asante earned a corner kick. The ensuing free kick was played to the back post, where Santi Moar collected the loose ball, moved past a defender, and cracked a hard shot to the near post. Unfortunately for Rising the attempt caught the wrong side of the post and went out for a goal kick.
Moar earned a free kick in the 75th minute and Arturo Rodriguez curled a dangerous cross to the near post for Manuel Madrid. The center back did well to redirect a header on goal, but Sacramento goalkeeper Carlos Saldana jumped backwards and tapped the ball over the bar to preserve the 1-0 lead.
Rising finally broke through to even the match, 1-1, when Lambert got on the end of a cross played in by Aodhan Quinn. The Jamaican ripped a low shot across the face of goal and it caught the foot of Sacramento defender Nabi Kibunguchy, who was standing on the goal line and tricked into the back of the net.
Scoring:
SAC – Emil Cuello 23
PHX – Nabi Kibunguchy (own goal) 84
Discipline:
SAC – Jordan McCrary (caution) 32
PHX – Santi Moar (caution) 60
SAC – Andrew Wheeler (caution) 74
SAC – Nabi Kibunguchy (caution) 82
PHX – Aodhan Quinn (caution) 83
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Andre Rawls, Tate Schmitt, James Musa, Manuel Madrid, Joey Calistri, Aodhan Quinn, Kevon Lambert, Santi Moar, Solomon Asante, David Loera (Arturo Rodriguez 65), Darren Mattocks (Jon Bakero 45).
Substitutes Not Used: Lalo Delgado, , Prince Saydee, Luis Seijas, Joe Farrell, David Egbo.
Sacramento Republic – Carlos Saldana, Jordan McCrary, Cameron Iwasa, Duke Lacroix (Patrick Weah 89), Andrew Wheeler, Nabi Kibunguchy, Hayden Sargis, Shannon Gomez, Luis Rodrigues, Jamie Villrreal (Maalique Foster 88), Emil Cuello.
Substitutes Not Used: Petteri Pennanen, Kharlton Belmar, Julian Chavez, Rafeal Diaz, Mario Penagos.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz
General thoughts on the match…
Sacramento came here and made it very difficult on us. We bored our fans in the first half. We were too slow. We were not sharp. We tried a few different player combinations this game and we got a lot of answers. Had we lost, I would have been upset but they showed a lot of heart and emotion. What you saw was a team that didn’t feel desperation. This is the hard part. When you clinch your division and things are going really well for you, you forget what it feels like to be desperate to have to win a game.
Rising midfielder Kevon Lambert
General thoughts on the match…
We didn’t get the start we wanted but we came out in the second half and showed what we’re capable of doing. That will be key for us going into the playoffs. We know we have to start faster. Most of the teams that come here are going to play a lot like Sacramento did tonight.
On his goal…
We’ve been practicing a lot of set pieces. If we make the correct runs and the delivery is good, we should be scoring a set-piece goal every game. Tonight, the delivery was right and I made the right run. It ended up in the goal.
Rising Back on Top of League Table with 6-3 Win in Vegas
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Saturday, Oct. 16) – Phoenix Rising FC (20-5-5) earned three points in a 6-3 win at Cashman Field this afternoon to climb back on top of the USL Championship table with 65 points.
David Egbo, Joey Calistri, Santi Moar, Darnell King and Luis Seijas all scored for Rising, while Aodhan Quinn picked up three assists. Rising’s youngest player, Niall Dunn made his professional debut at age 16, playing the full 90 minutes at center back.
Egbo scored first for Rising in just the fourth minute of the match. Making his first start since Aug. 28, the forward made a back-post run when David Loera switched the point of attack from Rising’s right side to the left. Quinn picked up his head and found Egbo with a low pass into the area and he finished by smacking a shot off a defender that trickled into the back of the net.
Calistri made it 2-0 in the 16th minute when Quinn played a ball in-behind Lights SC’s back line. Playing as a right-sided forward today, Calistri outran his marker and slipped a low shot past Lights SC goalkeeper Alex Rando.
Moar scored his first less than a minute later, beating two players on the dribble on the left flank before cutting in and finishing off a beautiful goal with another shot to Rando’s left side to make it 3-0.
Las Vegas took a goal back in the 18th minute when Cal Jennings got on the end of a pass from Daniel Trejo inside the six-yard box. Jennings finished the chance from very close range with his first touch to make it 3-1.
Lights SC made it 3-2 in the 41st minute when Bruce El Mesmari came free on Vegas’ right side. The forward cut into the center, avoided a pair of slide tackles by Rising defenders and slipped a pass over to Jennings on the back post. Once again, Jennings finished easily with his first touch to make it a one-goal game.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz brought on two subs at halftime. Arturo Rodriguez entered the match in place of David Loera while Jon Bakero came on for Egbo. Despite the changes, it was still Quinn delivering the mail. He came open on the left flank and sent a cross into the area that was redirected into the back of the net with a header by Darnell King to make it 4-2 in the 52nd minute. Quinn’s third assist of the match put him on top the USL Championship with 11 on the season.
Moar scored his second of the match in the 69th minute after Luis Seijas started a quick counterattack with a pass down the left side. Moar cut inside near the top of the box and fired a shot high towards Rando. The goalkeeper looked to have made the save, but instead bobbled the ball backwards into his own net to make it 5-2
Jennings completed his hat trick to make it 5-3 with seven minutes remaining, but Arturo Rodriguez found Luiz Seijas in the 85thminute to make it a 6-3 final.
Seijas’ goal was the first for the veteran in a Rising uniform. It extended Phoenix’s (66) lead in the goal-scoring race to nine clear of Louisville, who has scored 57 goals this season.
Scoring:
PHX –David Egbo (Aodhan Quinn) 4
PHX – Joey Calistri 16
PHX – Santi Moar 17
LV – Cal Jenings (Daniel Trejo) 18
LV – Cal Jennings (Bruce El Mesmari) 41
PHX – Darnell King (Aodhan Quinn) 52
PHX – Santi Moar (Luis Seijas) 69
LV – Cal Jennings 83
PHX – Luis Seijas (Arturo Rodriguez) 85
Discipline:
PHX – David Loera (caution) 25
LV – Frank Daroma (caution) 33
PHX – Joe Farrell (caution) 75
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Lalo Delgado, Ryan Flood Joey Farrell, Niall Dunn, Darnell King, Kevon Lambert (Jonathan Levin 87), Aodhan Quinn (Luis Seijas 62), David Egbo (Jon Bakero 45), David Loera (Arturo Rodriguez 45), Santi Moar, Joey Calistri (Ivan Rodriguez 76).
Substitutes Not Used: Andre Rawls, Manuel Madrid.
Las Vegas Lights FC – Alex Rando, CC Uche, Eric Iloski, Roberto Molina (Mohamed Traore 45), Frank Daroma, Cal Jennings, Bruce El Mesmari (Christopher Jamie 65), Daniel Trejo, Tristan Weber, Dekel Keinan (Julián Vazquez 65), Dylan Presto (Tony Leone 45).
Substitutes Not Used: Nathan Sepulveda, Donovan Palomares, Amando Avila.
Rising midfielder Joey Calistri
General thoughts on the match…
They’re a good, young team. We knew after lat match we needed to come out and get that first goal. We got the second goal, tried to score as many as we could. We kind of lost our focus for a little bit there but we started the second half strong, and we were able to see it out.
Anytime you can go on the road and get a good, commanding victory, it’s a good day. There were a lot of good performances. A lot of guys played really well. We’ll look to carry that into next weekend.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Saturday, Oct. 16) – Phoenix Rising FC (20-5-5) earned three points in a 6-3 win at Cashman Field this afternoon to climb back on top of the USL Championship table with 65 points.
David Egbo, Joey Calistri, Santi Moar, Darnell King and Luis Seijas all scored for Rising, while Aodhan Quinn picked up three assists. Rising’s youngest player, Niall Dunn made his professional debut at age 16, playing the full 90 minutes at center back.
Egbo scored first for Rising in just the fourth minute of the match. Making his first start since Aug. 28, the forward made a back-post run when David Loera switched the point of attack from Rising’s right side to the left. Quinn picked up his head and found Egbo with a low pass into the area and he finished by smacking a shot off a defender that trickled into the back of the net.
Calistri made it 2-0 in the 16th minute when Quinn played a ball in-behind Lights SC’s back line. Playing as a right-sided forward today, Calistri outran his marker and slipped a low shot past Lights SC goalkeeper Alex Rando.
Moar scored his first less than a minute later, beating two players on the dribble on the left flank before cutting in and finishing off a beautiful goal with another shot to Rando’s left side to make it 3-0.
Las Vegas took a goal back in the 18th minute when Cal Jennings got on the end of a pass from Daniel Trejo inside the six-yard box. Jennings finished the chance from very close range with his first touch to make it 3-1.
Lights SC made it 3-2 in the 41st minute when Bruce El Mesmari came free on Vegas’ right side. The forward cut into the center, avoided a pair of slide tackles by Rising defenders and slipped a pass over to Jennings on the back post. Once again, Jennings finished easily with his first touch to make it a one-goal game.
Rising head coach Rick Schantz brought on two subs at halftime. Arturo Rodriguez entered the match in place of David Loera while Jon Bakero came on for Egbo. Despite the changes, it was still Quinn delivering the mail. He came open on the left flank and sent a cross into the area that was redirected into the back of the net with a header by Darnell King to make it 4-2 in the 52nd minute. Quinn’s third assist of the match put him on top the USL Championship with 11 on the season.
Moar scored his second of the match in the 69th minute after Luis Seijas started a quick counterattack with a pass down the left side. Moar cut inside near the top of the box and fired a shot high towards Rando. The goalkeeper looked to have made the save, but instead bobbled the ball backwards into his own net to make it 5-2
Jennings completed his hat trick to make it 5-3 with seven minutes remaining, but Arturo Rodriguez found Luiz Seijas in the 85thminute to make it a 6-3 final.
Seijas’ goal was the first for the veteran in a Rising uniform. It extended Phoenix’s (66) lead in the goal-scoring race to nine clear of Louisville, who has scored 57 goals this season.
Scoring:
PHX –David Egbo (Aodhan Quinn) 4
PHX – Joey Calistri 16
PHX – Santi Moar 17
LV – Cal Jenings (Daniel Trejo) 18
LV – Cal Jennings (Bruce El Mesmari) 41
PHX – Darnell King (Aodhan Quinn) 52
PHX – Santi Moar (Luis Seijas) 69
LV – Cal Jennings 83
PHX – Luis Seijas (Arturo Rodriguez) 85
Discipline:
PHX – David Loera (caution) 25
LV – Frank Daroma (caution) 33
PHX – Joe Farrell (caution) 75
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Lalo Delgado, Ryan Flood Joey Farrell, Niall Dunn, Darnell King, Kevon Lambert (Jonathan Levin 87), Aodhan Quinn (Luis Seijas 62), David Egbo (Jon Bakero 45), David Loera (Arturo Rodriguez 45), Santi Moar, Joey Calistri (Ivan Rodriguez 76).
Substitutes Not Used: Andre Rawls, Manuel Madrid.
Las Vegas Lights FC – Alex Rando, CC Uche, Eric Iloski, Roberto Molina (Mohamed Traore 45), Frank Daroma, Cal Jennings, Bruce El Mesmari (Christopher Jamie 65), Daniel Trejo, Tristan Weber, Dekel Keinan (Julián Vazquez 65), Dylan Presto (Tony Leone 45).
Substitutes Not Used: Nathan Sepulveda, Donovan Palomares, Amando Avila.
Rising midfielder Joey Calistri
General thoughts on the match…
They’re a good, young team. We knew after lat match we needed to come out and get that first goal. We got the second goal, tried to score as many as we could. We kind of lost our focus for a little bit there but we started the second half strong, and we were able to see it out.
Anytime you can go on the road and get a good, commanding victory, it’s a good day. There were a lot of good performances. A lot of guys played really well. We’ll look to carry that into next weekend.
Rising Drops 1-0 Decision in Orange County
IRVINE, California (Wednesday, October 13) – Phoenix Rising FC (19-5-5) dropped a 1-0 decision to Orange County tonight at Championship Soccer Stadium.
The defending Western Conference Champions are back in action this Saturday, October 16, at Las Vegas at 2 p.m.
Starting at center back in place of Joe Farrell tonight, Manuel Madrid came up huge defensively in just the third minute of the match. Orange County’s Eric Calvillo had a free look at goal without Andre Rawls in it after Rising’s goalkeeper charged off his line to stop an initial shot to his left side. The rebound fell to Calvillo in the center of the area. He attempted to pick out the top corner of the goal, but Madrid read the attacker and made a diving save with his head, knocking the ball clear of the post to push Rising’s shutout streak to 183 minutes.
That streak ended at 198 minutes when Orange County took a 1-0 lead after a ball was slipped into the area from the left flank to Sean Okoli. The striker turned and got off a half-shot that tricked towards the back post. Ben Mines was first to react for OC. He grabbed the loose ball, cut around Rawls and deposited the ball in the back of the net to give the home side a lead in the 18th minute.
Rawls made a key save on Okoli from close range to keep it a 1-0 game in the 58th minute. The goalkeeper stood his ground at the near post and got his hands up in time to send a high-powered shot out for a corner kick.
Santi Moar came off the bench to create some offense for the visitors in the second half. Phoenix’s leader in goals cracked a hard shot on net from distance in the 85th minute but Orange County goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky was able to punch the chance away before his defense ushered the rebound away from danger.
Darnell King nodded a pass to Aodhan Quinn, a few steps in front of goal in stoppage time. Quinn redirected the shot on goal but Rakovsky made a stellar save to push the shot wide of the goal and give the home side the full three points.
Scoring:
OC – Ben Mines (Sean Okoli) 18
Discipline:
OC – Ben Mines (caution) 45+3
PHX – Prince Saydee (caution) 49
OC – Nathan Smith (caution) 71
PHX – Arturo Rodriguez (caution) 82
OC – Tommy McCabe (caution) 90
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Andre Rawls, Tate Schmitt, James Musa, Manuel Madrid, Joey Calistri, Kevon Lambert (Aodhan Quinn 45), Luis Seijas (Darnell King 71), Arturo Rodriguez, David Loera, Prince Saydee (Santi Moar 52), Jon Bakero (David Egbo 81).
Substitutes Not Used – Lalo Delgado, Jonathan Levin, Joe Farrell.
Orange County SC – Patrick Rakovsky, Kevin Alston (Nathan Smith 45), Michael Orozco, Ronaldo Damus (Aidan Apodaca 89), Sean Okoli (Mikko Kuningas 81), Dillon Powers, Eric Calvillo, Tommy McCabe, Ben Mines (Brian Iloski 67), Kobi Henry, Rob Kiernan.
Substitutes Not Used: Abaraham Romero, Thomas Enevoldsen, Darwin Jones.
IRVINE, California (Wednesday, October 13) – Phoenix Rising FC (19-5-5) dropped a 1-0 decision to Orange County tonight at Championship Soccer Stadium.
The defending Western Conference Champions are back in action this Saturday, October 16, at Las Vegas at 2 p.m.
Starting at center back in place of Joe Farrell tonight, Manuel Madrid came up huge defensively in just the third minute of the match. Orange County’s Eric Calvillo had a free look at goal without Andre Rawls in it after Rising’s goalkeeper charged off his line to stop an initial shot to his left side. The rebound fell to Calvillo in the center of the area. He attempted to pick out the top corner of the goal, but Madrid read the attacker and made a diving save with his head, knocking the ball clear of the post to push Rising’s shutout streak to 183 minutes.
That streak ended at 198 minutes when Orange County took a 1-0 lead after a ball was slipped into the area from the left flank to Sean Okoli. The striker turned and got off a half-shot that tricked towards the back post. Ben Mines was first to react for OC. He grabbed the loose ball, cut around Rawls and deposited the ball in the back of the net to give the home side a lead in the 18th minute.
Rawls made a key save on Okoli from close range to keep it a 1-0 game in the 58th minute. The goalkeeper stood his ground at the near post and got his hands up in time to send a high-powered shot out for a corner kick.
Santi Moar came off the bench to create some offense for the visitors in the second half. Phoenix’s leader in goals cracked a hard shot on net from distance in the 85th minute but Orange County goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky was able to punch the chance away before his defense ushered the rebound away from danger.
Darnell King nodded a pass to Aodhan Quinn, a few steps in front of goal in stoppage time. Quinn redirected the shot on goal but Rakovsky made a stellar save to push the shot wide of the goal and give the home side the full three points.
Scoring:
OC – Ben Mines (Sean Okoli) 18
Discipline:
OC – Ben Mines (caution) 45+3
PHX – Prince Saydee (caution) 49
OC – Nathan Smith (caution) 71
PHX – Arturo Rodriguez (caution) 82
OC – Tommy McCabe (caution) 90
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Andre Rawls, Tate Schmitt, James Musa, Manuel Madrid, Joey Calistri, Kevon Lambert (Aodhan Quinn 45), Luis Seijas (Darnell King 71), Arturo Rodriguez, David Loera, Prince Saydee (Santi Moar 52), Jon Bakero (David Egbo 81).
Substitutes Not Used – Lalo Delgado, Jonathan Levin, Joe Farrell.
Orange County SC – Patrick Rakovsky, Kevin Alston (Nathan Smith 45), Michael Orozco, Ronaldo Damus (Aidan Apodaca 89), Sean Okoli (Mikko Kuningas 81), Dillon Powers, Eric Calvillo, Tommy McCabe, Ben Mines (Brian Iloski 67), Kobi Henry, Rob Kiernan.
Substitutes Not Used: Abaraham Romero, Thomas Enevoldsen, Darwin Jones.
