HARTFORD, CT (Friday, July 26) – Phoenix Rising FC (6-7-7) earned a point on the road and picked up its seventh shutout of the season tonight at Trinity Health Stadium.
Much like last match, Emil Cuello created a free kick opportunity for Rising in the first half to give Phoenix its best scoring chance of the first half. The opportunity came late in the first 45 after the two teams opened the match cautiously, but Cuello did well to bring the ball down with his chest with his back to goal, 25-yards out.
The Argentine turned his defender, then ran towards the top of the box when he was pulled down by a Hartford defender. Cuello opted to take the free kick himself, attempting to curl a shot over the wall and get it back down and under the crossbar, but the attempt sailed high.
Rising controlled possession throughout the opening 10 minutes of the second half before Renzo Zambrano found Juan Azocar with a ball over the top. Azocar caught up to the bouncing ball and struck a shot with his first touch, but Hartford goalkeeper Renan Riberio made the save at the near post.
Phoenix contained Hartford’s counter-attack style until the 80th minute but Michee Ngalina grabbed the ball near midfield and sprinted towards goal. Near the top of the box, he cracked a hard shot towards goal but goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo was in perfect position to pluck the ball out of the air and preserve his clean sheet.
That was all that was required out of Rios Novo to pick up the team’s seventh shutout of the season. A mark it took Rising until September 16 of last season to reach.
Scoring:
NONE
Discipline:
PHX – Laurence Wyke (caution) 9
PHX – Gabi Torres (caution) 45+2
PHX – Damien Barker John (caution) 69
HFD – Mamadou Dieng (caution) 74
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Laurence Wyke, Pape Mar Boye, JP Scearce, JC Azocar (Edguardo Rito 63), Gabi Torres (Damien Barker John 63), Fede Varela, Renzo Zambrano (Jose Andres Hernandez 75), Charlie Dennis (Giulio Doratiotto 84), Emil Cuello (Alejandro Fuenmayor 74), Dariusz Formella.
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky, Jamison Ping, Jose Andres Hernandez.
Hartford Athletic – Renan Ribeiro, Younes Boudadi, Emmanuel Samadia, Joey Akpunonu, Jordan Scarlett, Thomas Vancaeyezeele (Marlon Hairston 86), Michee Ngalina, Beverly Makangila, Anderson Asiedu (Danny Barrera 62), Marcus Epps (Deshane Beckford 62), Mamadou Dieng (Kyle Edwards 80).
Substitutes Not Used: Justin DiCarlo, Greg Monroe, Joey Farrell, Triston Hodge.
