PHOENIX, Arizona (Saturday, June 10) – Phoenix Rising FC (4-4-5) came from behind twice to earn a point in a 2-2 draw with Oakland Roots tonight at 38th St/Washington.
Fede Varela and Manuel Arteaga scored the goals for Phoenix, which is back at home again next Saturday, June 17 vs. Louisville City. Tickets for that match are available here or by calling 623-594-9606.
Tonight, Uzo earned Phoenix a corner kick in the fifth minute of the match. Varela opted to play a short one-two pass from the flag before delivering a dangerous cross to the top of the six-yard box. There, Kevon Lambert leaned back and volleyed a line-drive shot past Roots goalkeeper Paul Blanchette. Unfortunately for Rising, the shot deflected off the top of the crossbar and was quickly cleared away from danger.
Oakland hit Phoenix on the counterattack four minutes later. The play began with Blanchette launching a long ball forward to start the break. It ended with a half shot that fell to the laces of Joseph Nane in the center of the area. Nane took a touch and pushed the ball wide for a late-arriving run by Dariusz Formella. The winger picked up his head and picked out the inside of the far post to make it 1-0 Roots in the ninth minute.
Rising made it 1-1 in the 58th minute when Danny Trejo dribbled through several would be Oakland defenders in the area. After cutting around the final defender, Trejo poked the ball to Varela, who finished into the bottom corner of the goal for his first of the season.
After an outstanding defensive effort from Kevon Lambert deep in Rising’s third of the pitch, a turnover exposed Phoenix’s back line. Two quick passes found Oakland’s Lindo Mfeka one-on-one with Rising goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo. The forward feinted right and went low to the near post to make it 2-1 in the 66th minute.
Rising did not quit and leveled the score, 2-2, in the 89th minute on a corner kick swung in by Erickson Gallardo. The pass skipped through the six-yard box where Baboucarr Njie nearly connected with the ball, but Arteaga cleaned up the chance with his back-post run. The forward scored his sixth of the season with a tap in past Blanchette.
Scoring:
OAK – Dariusz Formella (Joseph Nane) 9
PHX – Fede Varela (Danny Trejo) 58
OAK – Lindo Mfeka (Napo Matsoso) 66
PHX – Manuel Arteaga (Erickson Gallardo) 89
Discipline:
OAK – Memo Diaz (caution) 21
OAK – Lindo Mfeka (caution) 31
OAK – Danny Barbir (caution) 31
PHX – Alejandro Fuenmayor (caution) 45+1
OAK – Bryan Tamacas (caution) 60
OAK – Napo Matsoso (caution) 74
PHX – Renzo Zambrano (caution) 84
PHX – Jose Andres Hernandez (caution) 90+4
PHX – Baboucarr Njie (caution) 90+4
OAK – Jaciel Cedeno (caution) 90+6
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Daniel Krutzen, Kevon Lambert (Darnell King 90+3), Alejandro Fuenmayor (Gabi Torres 78), Danny Trejo, Renzo Zambrano, Carlos Harvey, Panos Armenakas (Erickson Gallardo 68), Fede Varela (Manuel Arteaga 67), Eddie Munjoma, Uzo (Baboucarr Njie 46).
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky, Gabi Torres, Jose Andres Hernandez.
Oakland Roots – Paul Blanchette, Danny Barbir, Neveal Hackshaw, Emrah Klimenta (Jaciel Cedeno 78), Memo Diaz, Napo Matsoso (Trayvone Reid 90+2), Joseph Nane (Tarek Morad 72), Bryan Tamacas, Dariusz Formella, Johnny Rodriguez, Lindo Mfeka (Anuar Pelaez 72).
Substitutes Not Used: Taylor Bailey, Kevin Wright, Ryan Her.
