Late drama sees Rising denied an offside goal, but favorable league results ensure a postseason berth ahead of the regular season finale
Phoenix Rising (11-9-13) fell 1-0 at home in front of a 2024 regular season best crowd of 8,620, to Memphis in a hard-fought match, but despite the defeat, they secured a spot in the USL Championship playoffs, thanks to favorable results around the league and a tiebreaker advantage over San Antonio.
The match had a playoff atmosphere, with both teams in desperate need of three points with only two games remaining. For Memphis, a win would edge them closer to hosting a first-round match in the USL Championship postseason. For Phoenix Rising, a victory would secure a playoff spot.
With so much on the line, the match began cautiously. The first shot came in the 16th minute when Tomas Angel received the ball in midfield and pushed it forward, finding Darius Johnson on the wing. Johnson took on his defender, driving into the box before pulling the ball back to Fede Varela at the top of the box. Varela took a touch before firing a shot just wide of the far post.
Johnson threatened again a few minutes later, once more beating his defender. This time, he attempted to score himself but sent the ball high over the net after trying to beat Memphis goalkeeper Tyler Deric at the near post.
Memphis created a few chances of their own in the first half, the first coming just before the 30-minute mark. Akeem Ward crossed the ball into the box, where Dylan Borczak flicked a shot toward Phoenix goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo’s left. Rios Novo reacted quickly, diving to collect the ball without giving up a rebound. Ten minutes later, Jon Bakero had space at the top of the box, but his shot went well wide of the target.
Just before halftime, Memphis found the breakthrough. Bakero, with time to pick out a teammate, delivered a well-weighted pass that beat Phoenix defender Pape Mar Boye and found Borczak, who calmly slotted it into the left side of the net.
Taking a lead into halftime has been favorable for Memphis. In its last ten USL Championship matches, the team has remained unbeaten after leading at the break. Phoenix Rising looked to end that trend with a great chance when Jearl Margaritha, who had just entered the game, played a long diagonal pass to Darius Johnson. Johnson took a touch and chipped the goalkeeper, finding the back of the net. However, as the stadium erupted in celebration, the assistant referee raised the flag for offside, and the goal was disallowed.
Things seemed to be going from bad to worse for Rising in the 73rd minute when Bruno Lapa went down over Laurence Wyke’s extended foot, and the center official awarded a penalty. But after a brief consultation with her assistant referees, the official reversed the decision, giving Lapa a yellow card for simulation instead of a penalty.
Energized by the overturned penalty, Memphis pressed forward. Lapa had a one-touch chance in the Phoenix penalty box after a cross found him in space. He aimed low to Rocco Rios Novo’s left, but the goalkeeper reacted quickly, diving to palm the ball away.
In the final ten minutes, it was Phoenix Rising who dominated the match. Desperate for an equalizer, Rising attacked relentlessly. Charlie Dennis nearly leveled the score with a free kick that struck the crossbar, and Pape Mar Boye’s side-footed shot from the top of the box was deflected, almost sneaking into the bottom right corner. Despite their efforts, Rising fell 1-0 at home.
Though the result wasn’t what Rising had hoped for, the day ended on a positive note. Thanks to results around the league and their tiebreaker over San Antonio, Rising clinched a playoff berth. With one game left, the worst they can finish is 8th place. Phoenix heads on the road next week to face league-leaders Louisville in the final match of the regular season, kicking off on Saturday, October 26, at 4:30 p.m. Fans can follow the action on Arizona’s Family Sports or stream it on ESPN+.
Scoring:
MEM – 44′ Dylan Borczak (Jon Bakero)
Discipline:
PHX – 10′ Pape Mar Boye (Caution)
PHX – 23′ Charlie Dennis (Caution)
MEM – 35′ Zach Duncan (Caution)
PHX – 40′ Darius Johnson (Caution)
PHX – 55′ Dariusz Formella (Caution)
PHX – 56′ Emil Cuello (Caution)
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Ríos Novo, Emil Cuello (81′ Juan Carlos Azócar), Alejandro Fuenmayor, Pape Mar Boye, Laurence Wyke (81′ Edgardo Rito), Renzo Zambrano, Dariusz Formella (59′ Jearl Margaritha), Fede Varela (59′ Rémi Cabral), Charlie Dennis, Darius Johnson (89′ Mohamed Traore), Tomás Ángel
Substitutes Not Used – Braxton Montgomery, Jamison Ping, Patrick Rakovsky, John Scearce
Memphis 901 FC – Tyler Deric, Akeem Ward, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Tulu, Oscar Jiménez (60′ Álvaro Quezada), Zach Duncan (80′ Lucas Turci), Samuel Careaga, Dylan Borczak (80′ Leston Paul), Bruno Lapa, Noe Meza (69′ Luiz Fernando), Jon Bakero
Substitutes Not Used – Triston Henry, Panos Armenakas, Nighte Pickering
