Early Lead Gets Squandered in 4-1 Preseason Defeat to Real Salt Lake
Tempe, AZ – The temperature was in the chilly 50’s at the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex, but both teams started with fiery attacking intent. Real Salt Lake finished stronger, and got out of town with a deserved 4-1 win.
Adam Jahn scored his debut goal for the home side in the second minute after Solomon Asante played a perfect ball through for him to RSL legend Nick Rimando.
The MLS visitors started to effectively pressure Phoenix Rising after the early goal, and the pressure paid off in the 11th minute. Corey Baird ran past several Rising defenders before setting up Damir Kreilach for the close-range equalizer.
Seconds later, Jason Johnson forced Rimando into a brave save. Yet the visitors looked more likely to score next, and were unlucky not to go ahead on near misses from Sebastian Salcedo, Corey Baird and Jefferson Savarino. As the half progressed, the hosts came into the match. In the 34th minute, Amadou Dia was denied a strong penalty shout, and expressed his frustration moments later in picking up a yellow card.
Real Salt Lake won several free kicks in dangerous areas, and Kreilach made Phoenix pay in the 42nd minute with a vicious hit into the bottom right corner. The visitors ended the half ahead 2-1, and showed that Phoenix’s commitment to building out of the back still needs some refinement.
Phoenix Rising made mass subs to start the second half while the visitors kept everyone but Rimando in. The pace slowed a bit as new Rising signings Ben Spencer and Logan Gdula looked solid.
Kyle Beckerman won a questionable penalty out of nothing in the 62nd minute for the visitors, and Arizona native Brooks Lennon banged it in off the left post. Lennon nearly netted a brace in the 73rd minute, but his effort rolled inches wide.
RSL put the match on ice moments later when Savarino rounded Carl Woszczynski and slotted home to make it 4-1. Phoenix nearly doubled its tally when a set piece forced Andrew Putna to snag the ball on the goalline.
But RSL was in no mood to concede, even after several Monarchs’ players subbed in late. Putna got big to deny Joey Calistri his first tally for Phoenix in the 80th minute. FC Tucson’s Austin Ledbetter made a late cameo as the match petered out. It finished 4-1 to RSL, although Junior Flemmings forced Putna into another dynamic save late.
Phoenix Rising will conclude its preseason in Tucson against Portland Timbers on 2/20 and Oklahoma City Energy FC on 2/23.
