TULSA, Oklahoma (Saturday, September 9) – Phoenix Rising FC (11-8-9) earned a point via a 0-0 draw on the road at ONEOK Field tonight to remain unbeaten in four consecutive matches.
Rising goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo made two saves on the evening to pick up his sixth clean sheet of the season. Phoenix has now earned five clean sheets since July 1. The team is back in action at 38th St/Washington next Saturday, Sept. 16 for Hispanic Heritage Night (7:30 p.m.). Tickets for that match are available here.
Tonight, neither side could test the opposing goalkeeper through the first 36 minutes of the match. Then the teams combined for three shots on goal in the next two minutes. It started with Rising goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo playing a long ball forward to Manuel Arteaga. With his back to goal, Arteaga held off his defender, brought down the ball and found Danny Trejo with a though ball off to the right side of Tulsa goalkeeper Michael Nelson. Trejo attempted to slip a shot by the trailing foot of the goalkeeper, who came charging off his line to take away the chance, but the attempt caught enough of Nelson to keep it out of the net.
Tulsa headed the other direction and Eric Bird set up Phillip Goodrum inside the box but the forward was unable to get enough on his right-footed shot to trouble Rios Novo.
A few seconds later, Mo Traore curled a pass into the box for Arteaga. Phoenix’s No. 9 cut back onto his right foot to avoid a slide tackle from a defender but also could not get a lot of power on his right-footed attempt, allowing Nelson to make his second save in short order.
Rios Novo worked with Arteaga to unlock the Tulsa defense again in the 56th minute. Arteaga turned and hit Gabi Torres in stride, in-behind the defense, 45-yards from the goal. Torres sprinted at Nelson but just as he was about to pull the trigger, Tulsa’s Keegan Hughes caught him from behind to send the ball out for a corner kick.
Scoring:
NONE
Discipline:
FCT – Milo Yosef (caution) 50
FCT – Collin Fernandez (caution) 72
PHX – Henry Uzochukwu (caution) 90+4
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Mo Traore, Alejandro Fuenmayor, John Stenberg, Eddie Munjoma, Gabi Torres (Henry Uzochukwu 77), Renzo Zambrano (Carlos Harvey 84), Jose Andres Hernandez, Panos Armenakas (Dariusz Formella 84), Danny Trejo, Manuel Arteaga (Fede Varela 90+2).
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky, Daniel Krutzen, Erickson Gallardo.
FC Tulsa – Michael Nelson, Roger Bonet, Rashid Tetteh, Keegan Hughes, Milo Yosef, Patrick Seagrist, Eric Bird, Nathan Worth, Blaine Ferri (Collin Fernandez 68), Phillip Goodrum, Marcus Epps.
Substitutes Not Used: Austin Wormell, Angel Bernal, Justin Malou, Tommy McCabe, Siad Haji, Patrick Weah.
