MATCH DETAILS

#3 Phoenix Rising FC vs. #6 Portland Timbers 2

7:30 PM (MST), Friday, Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex, Phoenix, AZ

TV: Cox 4 (SD) and 1004 (HD) in Phoenix, Cox 7 (SD) and 1007 (HD) in Tucson

Live Stream: ESPN+ (subscription required)

Radio: El Patron 97.3 FM (Spanish)

MatchCenter: PHXvPOR

Phoenix Rising prepares for its first ever home playoff game as it welcomes back familiar foe Portland Timbers 2 as well as Major League Soccer to the Valley.

Phoenix comes into the playoffs with the worst form of any playoff team, earning only a single point from the last three matches of the regular season. Rising’s consecutive losses to Las Vegas and Portland was only the second time all year than Phoenix suffered back-to-back defeats, the only other occuring in May with losses to Swope Park and Sacramento, both potential second round opponents. Phoenix will look to bounce back at the right moment in order to capture the first playoff win in the club’s history.

Keys to the Match

Health

While not the be all end all, the health of two particular players will go a long way in increasing the odds Phoenix has of pulling a result Friday night. Chris Cortez went off early with an unknown injury in the match against Las Vegas and did not dress in last Saturday’s match. The striker, off a record-breaking 17 goal season, is vital in the Phoenix attack as his ability to both hold-up play while Solomon Asante, Jason Johnson, and Gladson Awako join the attack. Cortez is scoring threat whenever he is on the field, regardless of where he is on the field. His ability to get his head on the ball in dangerous areas has been lacking while sidelined and it is vital that he is ready for Friday night. The second player is James Musa. Musa went down late in the 0-0 draw with Reno and was wearing a boot on his right foot post-game Saturday. The defensive midfielder’s importance, while not flashy, cannot be overstated for this Rising team. His presence in the lineup allows Kevon Lambert to move up in the midfield, freeing him to be the box-to-box player that has excelled this season. Musa’s presence and ability to drop into defense also allows the outside backs, usually Dia and Abdul-Salaam, to get up the field to provide width in the attack.

Attack

We all know the stats from Saturday night’s 1-0 loss to T2, 22 shots with only 2 on target. While these number sound bad, and they are, there is reason to think that Phoenix will, (a) not repeat those types of numbers, and (b) perform better than than numbers. Some of this hinges on what was discussed above, the health of Chris Cortez. If Cortez is ready to go, his hold-up ability can allow Phoenix to stretch the field a little more than they could last week. That will give Asante and whoever plays on the left wing the chance to roam in the open field and set up better scoring opportunities in the box. The important point for the team to remember is to not get frustrated early in the match if things are not falling their way. Frustration can often lead to rushed shots and we have seen evidence in the last three matches that suggest this could be just of the thing hampering the team at the moment. It is likely Portland will set up the exact same way they did last week, sitting back and waiting for a chance to counter. Phoenix must stress patience in the attacking end to break such a team down.

Set Pieces

Phoenix is filled to the brim when it comes to set piece talent, both on the sending and receiving ends. Guys like Cortez, Asante, Drogba, and Awako can all deliver a promising ball from a set piece opportunity, while Farrell, Da Fonte, Lambert, and Abdul-Salaam all have the qualities of strong finishing in the box. In a playoff game like the one taking place tomorrow night, set pieces can be the difference between advancing and going home. Just look at last year’s playoff match. While Phoenix was unable to grab the victory over Swope Park, it was Drogba who opened the scoring in extra time off a set piece. Phoenix has lacked the necessary accuracy on corner and free kicks lately so it will be interesting to see how they play out on Friday night.

What are your thoughts? What do you see as vital in order for Rising to win Friday night?  Have a take in the comment section below!