• Matches Phoenix Rising FC Recap

    Rising Advances with Revenge Win Over Swope Park 4-2

    Mark Murray

    It wasn’t easy, but the playoffs never are as Phoenix came back from a first-half deficit in their 4-2 win over Swope Park Friday night.

    In our game preview we mentioned how important it was that the first 20 minutes of the match was clean from Phoenix Rising and despite ceding the possession battle, Rising did just that. After battling a wave of heavy, but not quite threatening Swope Park attack, Phoenix opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through Jason Johnson. The goal started with Solomon Asante finding space down the right side and lifting a cross that missed everyone. That allowed Amadou Dia to collect and find JJ at the edge of the box. Johnson nutmegged a SPR defender, maybe unintentional maybe not, and suddenly found himself with enough space to take a left footed shot. That shot froze Eric Dick and found the bottom right corner to give Rising the 1-0 lead.

    Swope Park answered right back just three minutes later thanks to an unlucky deflection. Kharlton Belmar, in one of his few bright moments, slid a cross in from the edge of the box. Joe Farrell missed a potential clearance and the ball bounced off an unprepared Saad Abdul-Salaam, deflecting right to former Arizona United attacker Tyler Blackwood. He stuck his foot out and the ball redirected into the back of the net. Swope Park was not finished though and just like their win last week, they added a second just minutes later. This time it was a simpler headed finished from Hadji Barry off an another Belmar cross. Didier Drogba immediately huddled the team together after that second goal, calming the team down. It would pay off in the 36th minute when Drogba, toeing the offside line, received a pass from Asante and took a couple of touches before lifting a cross that found the boot of Chris Cortez on the 6-yard line. Cortez didn’t miss and Phoenix was tied again 2-2. The goal was Cortez’s 30th goal in his time for the club, breaking the club record held by Long Tan.

    After 4 goals in 14 minutes, both sides seemed to want to slow down the pace and halftime beckoned soon after. It didn’t take long for the smoke to be released again. This time it was Kevon Lambert from the top of the box, looking to place a shot on the bottom corner. The ball took a brutal deflection before hitting the post and going in, leaving the SPR keeper with no chance. The game-winning goal was Lambert’s third of the season and sent the record crowd of 7,707 into a frenzy, capped of by an impressive backflip celebration from the Jamaican.

    Coach Schantz decided to hold off on any subs as Swope Park tried to get back into the match. Despite the talent of Belmar, Blackwood, and Barry, Phoenix held Swope Park to only 2 shots from inside the box in the last 40 minutes. Billy Forbes was the first and only Rising sub, coming in for Johnson in the 92nd minute. Moments later, Phoenix clinched the match when Chris Cortez chased down a SPR defender, tackled the ball away into the path of Asante who sprung free. Asante’s pass to Drogba is probably the easiest assist he’ll get all year as Didier placed his shot perfectly to send PRFC Soccer Complex into celebration.   

    Phoenix will now wait to see where and when they will play in their first ever Western Conference final. An Orange County win tomorrow night will mean a trip to OC is in the books for next Saturday, while a Reno win will bring the 1868s back to Phoenix Friday night.   

     

    Phoenix Rising FC: Woszczynski, Dia, Farrell, Blackmon, Abdul-Salaam, Lambert, Fernandez, Johnson (Forbes 92’), Drogba, Asante, Cortez

    Swope Park Rangers: Dick, Storm, Bilyeu, Smith, Didic, Wan Kuzain, Belmar, Akhmatov (Harris 82’), Hernandez (Cruz 90’), Barry, Blackwood

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