Reno 1868 FC (6-5-3, 23 Points, 5th in West) vs. Phoenix Rising FC (7-5-2, 26 Points, 1st in West)
7:30 pm, Greater Nevada Field, Reno, NV
TV: Your Phoenix CW 6 & 61.1
Live Stream: ESPN3
Radio: AZSports.com
MatchCenter: #RNOvPHX
Series History: Series is tied 1-1-2

Rising’s Last Match
Less than 72 hours ago Phoenix Rising took care of business at home against Orange County SC in a 3-0 win. Early goals from the other guys (Kevin Alston) and Joey Calistri set the tone for Rising on their way to a fifth straight win and third shutout in their last four. Solomon Asante provided the fireworks in the second half, chipping the keeper from 35+ yards out to secure what should be a second straight Goal of the Week for Phoenix. You can out the rest of our recap here.

Reno 1868 FC
Reno currently sits in 5th place in the West, as close to 1st Place as they are 9th place Austin. They are defeated at home, including a win over New Mexico United. Brian Brown leads the team with 8 goals, but he will miss this matchup while with the Jamaican National Team. Brown is not the only threat, however, as Corey Hertzog has 7 goals and Seth Casiple in second in the league in Chances Created with 47. Former Lights midfielder Raul Mendiola is with Reno now and has chipped in 3 goals and 3 assists. Meanwhile, Zach Carroll leads the team in defensive actions while playing every minute of the season so far. Matt Bersano leads the team with 29 saves while San Jose Earthquakes loanee JT Marcinkowski has also seen time between the posts. After playing two of the most penalized teams in the last three weeks, Phoenix will play a team second to last in fouls conceded with 147.

Tale of The Tape

Player to Watch
Jose Aguinaga
If Aguinaga starts, his performance will go a long way in determining the success of Rising on Tuesday night. With a game being played on short rest and at altitude, the midfield will be a huge factor. Like the rest of the team, Aguinaga has improved with each match. The stats might not show how vital Jose is, his ability to carry the ball in attack allows the front three to stay high in dangerous positions. Phoenix should be able to overload the midfield and Aguinaga should provide a link through it.

Projected Lineup

Did You Know?
– Solomon Asante is one of only two players (Jared Stoud) in the Top 10 of both Shots and Chances Created
– Phoenix lost their previous midweek match, away to Austin on April 17th

Does Phoenix get over their midweek struggles? Will Schantz rotate? Give us your predictions below!