On March 31, Phoenix Rising edged Reno 1868 FC 1-0. Solomon Asante saved the match with his 92nd minute PK goal. Phoenix . But how did everyone else play? Read our weekly player ratings to find out.
Note: All players are rated on a 1-10 scale, with 6 being average.
GK Carl Woszczynski- 8.5 Carl only saved two shots in this match, but each save denied Reno a glorious scoring chance. In particular, his 76th minute kick stop to deny Mohamed Thiaw should be a USL Save of the Week candidate. Woz should also be credited for communicating with his defenders and ensuring they dealt with shots and set pieces.
LB Amadou Dia- 7 Dia narrowly missed a game-winning header in the 81st minute. He made the right passes in the back and marked well on centering balls. Reno attacked his side of the field often, but Dia generally held his own.
CB Doueugui Mala- 8 For the second straight week, Mala was immense. The Ivorian defender blocked several shots, headed balls away on corner kicks and set pieces. He frequently had difficult match-ups against Brian Brown, but kept Brown largely in check.
CB Mike da Fonte- 6 Mike da Fonte always plays hard and gives his all. But for the second straight week, the opposing team generated quality scoring opportunities because of his lapses. The center back missed Antoine Hoppenot’s dangerous central pass in the 2nd minute, forced Mala to bail him out in the 29th minute, and was fooled by Eric Calvillo’s chip pass for Thiaw in the 76th. He will be significantly tested against Real Monarchs next week
RB Devante Dubose- 7 Dubose rewarded Carteron’s faith with another strong performance. He blocked multiple shots, passed the ball well, and marked his men effectively. The former OKC player appears to be a fixture at right back.
MF Kevon Lambert- 7.5 Kevon Lambert is incredible in the air. He cleared balls out with conviction, and nearly scored in the 78th minute off Asante’s cross. Lambert has a knack for breaking attacks up, and he made a couple key interventions against Reno. Certainly one of the brighter spots.
MF Solomon Asante- 9 In a ragged match, Asante was easily the best player on the pitch. He completed over 82% of his passes, earned multiple fouls, created Phoenix’s best two scoring chances of the match, and coolly drilled the winning penalty. Asante is the undisputed Team MVP so far. Big things come in small packages.
MF Collin Fernandez- 6.5 Like most of Phoenix’s midfield, Fernandez struggled to make an impact. Fernandez has a strong rapport with Asante, and was one of the better passers against Reno. It was simply difficult to get any offense going against Reno. He was subbed out in the 67th minute for Evan Waldrep.
MF/F Jason Johnson- 7 Johnson had to play a wing role again, but he did a great job moving into dangerous positions. The Jamaican did not receive proper service from Chris Cortez or other teammates in situations where he had space. Johnson’s biggest contributions came from tracking back on defense, winning headers, and creating space for other attackers. Surely he will get chances to score soon.
MF/F Gladson Awako- 5.5 After last week’s strong effort, Awako’s underwhelming performance on Saturday came as a surprise. The attacking midfielder was barely seen in the attacking third, and his distribution was not at its usual standard. He was subbed off for Billy Forbes at halftime, and many fans wondered why Forbes didn’t play the full 90 minutes over Awako. Not sure if he will start again on Saturday.
F Chris Cortez- 4.5 Unfortunately for Cortez, this week’s performance was one to forget. The veteran striker seemed to have heavy legs in Reno’s altitude. Cortez missed several opportunities to pass the ball to open teammates, and never tested Reno keeper Kyle Ihn. Most frustrating was a 73rd minute backheel effort that rolled meekly into Ihn’s hands. But we’ll always have last-week’s hat trick.
MF/F Billy Forbes- 7.5 After Forbes replaced Awako for the second half, the Phoenix attack improved significantly. Forbes played a sizzling ball through the middle in the 52nd minute, and set Cortez up in the 73rd for what should have been a strong shot. Forbes was thwarted by James Kiffe on several 1-v-1 matchups, but his energy and pace cannot be duplicated. Surely he will play the full 90 against Real Monarchs on Saturday.
MF Evan Waldrep- 7 Fans were not sure what to expect when Waldrep made his regular-season debut. The Arizona native rewarded Carteron’s faith with 25 outstanding minutes off the bench. He drew several fouls, passed the ball perfectly, and had one dazzling run where he slalomed past three Reno defenders to earn a free kick. Waldrep was caught ball-watching in the 76th minute on Reno’s goal-scoring chance, but Thiaw may not have been his man. In any case, Waldrep looked comfortable at the USL level.
