Phoenix’s trip to Colorado Springs in the first of 4 in the next 6 games against teams they tied early in the season.

Phoenix Rising (18-5-2, 59pts, 1st in West) vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks (6-4-16, 22pts, 16th in West)

5:00pm, Weidner Stadium, Colorado Springs, Colorado

TV: Your Phoenix CW

Stream: ESPN+

Radio: ArizonaSports.com

Matchcenter: #COSvPHX

Last Match
It was a comeback to remember for Phoenix Rising this past Tuesday night when they put 3 goals into the back of the net in a matter of minutes to defeat the Tacoma Defiance. The win was Rising’s 16th in a row and their 7th in a row on the road. Adam Jahn got on the scoresheet early thanks to a Defiance turnover in the third minute. The young Tacoma played better than most would expect given their record and tied the match up in the 26th on a penalty. Tacoma continued to push, as Phoenix appeared to have heavy legs set in, and that push would pay off in the 72nd minute. A botched offside trap gave the Defiance a 2v1 and Seattle Sounders Justin Dhillon tapped an easy pass over to Handwana Bwana for the tap-in. Phoenix woke up however, starting in the 81st minutes with a header(!) from Solomon Asante tied the match up. 2 minutes later, Kevon Lambert won a duel near the Tacoma corner flag, dribble along the end before pushing a shot that found its way to Adam Jahn. Jahn’s first shot didn’t reach the back of the net, but his second one did to give Phoenix the lead. Junior Flemmings secured the three points moments later with one of his trademark curlers to the far post. 

Team News
Again, not team news with the short week. Corey Whelan made his first appearance on the Rising bench Tuesday and could see time tonight. Jason Johnson also made the trip, but it is still likely too early to see his return. James Musa will be unavailable after picking up his 5th yellow card of the season, earning a one-game ban. 

Colorado Springs Switchbacks
It hasn’t been an easy season for the hybrid squad from “Little London” (seriously that’s a nickname for Colorado Springs). A quick start to the season (3-1-1 in their first five, including the 2-2 draw with Phoenix) soured quickly (1 point in their next 6) and saw the firing of the only coach in team history, Steve Trittschuh on July 1st. Wolde Harris stepped in to take over the squad but the results have not changed. Since the change in head coach, the Switchbacks are 2-2-5 and find themselves in 16th place. Like most teams, the Switchbacks are a much better team at home, averaging 1.31 points per home match, compared to .38 points a game on the road. The team has struggled to score this year, averaging only .92 goals a game. Jordan Burt and Ishmaila Jome lead the team offensively, with 6 goals and 4 assists respectively while our old friend (young?) Abraham Rodriguez has continued to split time with Andre Rawls at the back. The team does have the benefit, although not every fan thinks so, of being an affiliate of MLS’s Colorado Rapids and have seen multiple players brought down to get some playing time. These players include Matt Hundley, Sebastian Anderson, Cole Bassett, Sam Raben, and the aforementioned Rawls. Hey, they at least went farther than Phoenix in the US Open Cup, so there’s that. 

What’s At Stake?
– Phoenix’s magic number for a playoff spot is 1. A win over Colorado Springs or losses by El Paso, loss/tie by Portland, or loss/tie from Los Dos clinches a playoff spot.  Welp, never mind! Phoenix has clinched a playoff spot for the third straight year!
– Even more incredible (hat tip Sam Doerr), Phoenix can clinch a home playoff match with a win and Sacramento loss, as well as an Austin draw/loss
– Solomon Asante needs one more goal to break the single-season team record for Phoenix, set last year by Chris Cortez

Record Watch
Below are some of the possible records Phoenix Rising and their players (okay, just Solomon Asante) are close to breaking:

USL Goals Scored (Player, Season)
Record: Cameron Lancaster- 25
Solomon Asante- 19

USL Assist Record (Player, Season)
Record: Emmanual Ledezma- 16
Solomon Asante- 13

USL Goals Scored (Team, Season)
Record: Reno 1868 FC (2017)- 75
Phoenix Rising FC- 68

USL Points Record (Season)
Record: FC Cincinnati (2018)- 77
Phoenix Rising FC- 59

Projected Lineup After less than expected rotation against Tacoma, we shouldn’t be too surprised if only a couple of changes are made for tonight’s match. One of those changes might be Doueugui Mala, who served his red card suspension on Tuesday. The trio of Jon Bakero, Kevon Lambert, and Junior Flemmings made huge impacts in the comeback win over the Defiance and should be inserted back into the lineup. Of Tuesday’s starting lineup, only James Musa will miss out for sure, serving his one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation.

What do you think? Is a 17th straight victory in the cards for Phoenix Rising or will the altitude get to them? Let us know below!