Phoenix Rising FC broke an opening-day record, drawing 8,409 fans into Wild Horse Pass for tonight’s 4-2 win against Monterey Bay FC.
Manuel Madrid, Greg Hurst, Arturo Rodriguez and Aodhan Quinn all scored for Rising, which travels to Las Vegas next weekend before returning home to face San Diego Loyal on Saturday, March 26 (7:30 p.m.). Tickets for that match are available at PHXRisingFC.com or for more information call 623-594-9606 for more information.
Phoenix Rising took a 1-0 lead in the second minute on a free kick from just outside the box. Quinn sent in the left-footed curler that struck defender Joey Farrell in the back. The ball ended up on the foot of froward, Hurst, who cracked a shot on goal instantly. Monterey Bay FC, just two minutes into its franchise’s history, managed to block the initial shot but Rising defender, Madrid reacted first to the rebound and dove over the goal line to head the ball past goalkeeper Rafael Diaz.
Hurst made it 2-0 in the 27th minute after combining with several players in the middle of the pitch. Rodriguez had won the ball back to initiate the chance. He played a central ball to a cutting Captain, Darnell King. The right back slipped a pass to Quinn who picked out Hurst in-behind the defense. Hurst looked left but fired right, into the low corner of the net.
Rodriguez made it 3-0 in the 34th minute when Hurst intercepted a pass near the end line and played the ball backwards into the path of the Mexican midfielder. Rodriguez wasted no time cracking a shot on goal that blew by Diaz and into the top corner of the goal.
Quinn added a fourth just before the break when defender Joe Farrell launched a pass from his own half across the pitch and into the path of the midfielder. Quinn looked up and chipped Diaz with a shot that caught the inside of the far post to make it 4-0.
Monterey’s Seku Conneh scored the first goal in Monterey Bay FC history in the 78th minute to make it a 4-1 final. Morey Doner set up the chance, beating his defender on the right flank and sending in a cross for Conneh. The six-foot-four striker redirected the ball perfectly, pinging a header off the inside of the far post and into the back of the net.
Monterey’s Adrian Rebollar added a second goal just before the final whistle to make it a 4-2 final.
Scoring:
PHX – Manuel Madrid 2
PHX – Greg Hurst (Aodhan Quinn) 27
PHX – Arturo Rodriguez (Greg Hurst) 34
PHX – Aodhan Quinn (Joe Farrell) 40
MB – Seku Conneh (Morey Doner) 78
MB – Adrian Rebollar 87
Discipline:
MB– James Murphy (caution) 51
PHX – Darnell King (caution) 60
PHX – Kevon Lambert (caution) 90+1
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Ben Lundt, Baboucarr Njie, Manuel Madrid, Joe Farrell, Darnell King (Channing Chasten 85), Kevon Lambert, Aodhan Quinn, Arturo Rodriguez (Luis Seijas 75), Santi Moar (Ryan Flood 84), Marcus Epps (Joey Calistri 62), Greg Hurst (Claudio Repetto 62).
Substitutes Not Used: Carlos Aguinano, Lalo Delgado.
Monterey Bay – Rafael Diaz, Hugh Roberts, Morey Doner, Grant Robinson, Kai Greene, James Murphy, Sam Gleadle (Adrian Rebollar 59), Mobi Fehr (Jesse Maldonado 85), Arun Basuljevic, Chase Boone (Martinez 71), Chris Cortez (Seku Conneh 59).
Substitutes not used: Dallas Jaye, Sam Strong.
