Phoenix Rising Match Preview Presented by Mayo Clinic
Phoenix Rising FC embarked on its longest road trip of the season yesterday, traveling the 2,500 miles from the hot Southwest desert to the Northeast, where gametime kickoff is expected to be in the mid 70’s.
“The team is hungry,” said Rising Interim Head Coach Diego Gomez, who picked up his first win last weekend, 2-0 vs. El Paso. “We want more. We want to win tomorrow.”
Looking to quickly add a second USL Championship victory to his resume, Gomez is hesitant to explain the differences in this Rising side and the one coached by former head coach Danny Stone during the first 17 games of this season.
“Every coach is different,” said Gomez. “They have their own way. I am happy with what I am seeing but I don’t want to compare to the team before.”
One difference last weekend was the addition of Charlie Dennis, who joined the team midweek in a trade with Tampa Bay. Dennis made his debut, coming on for Alejandro Fuenmayor in the 53rd minute, which shifted goal scorer JP Scearce into a defensive role for the remainder of the match.
“He had a good performance last week with few days to adjust,” Gomez said. “His attitude has been great. He is asking questions. He wants to fully understand what his role is on the field.”
He wasn’t the only addition last week. Damien Barker John joined Phoenix on loan from MLS Next side Real Monarchs. John played the final six minutes of the game in relief of Juan Azocar.
“Damien had a good week of training,” said Gomez. “He gelled with his teammates very well. We’ll see. He is a young player. I know very well what he can do. He understands his role and what I want from him. The expectation is that he is feeling more comfortable with his teammates. Let’s see how he does in the game. That will dictate at the end of the day what relevance he has and whether he has more of less minutes.”
“He has a special quality in one-on-one situations,” added Gomez. “He is good with both feet and can go either way effectively. That is what makes him different for me.”
Gomez’s opposition this week, Hartford Athletic has faced some of the top teams in the league in recent weeks, going 1-4-1 vs. Pittsburgh (2x), Charleston, Louisville, Sacramento and Tampa Bay.
“Hartford is very dangerous on top,” said Gomez. “They have great players, very fast players in the counterattack. We don’t want to put the turf or the travel or the size of the field as excuses. They have dangerous attacking players that can create something and change a game in a moment when you felt like you had things under control.”
PREVIEW: Rising in Hartford, Tomorrow at 4:30
