SMITHFIELD, Rhode Island (Friday, April 26) – Phoenix Rising FC improved to 3-4-1 on the season with a 3-1 win tonight against Rhode Island FC at Bernie Stadium.
Remi Cabral picked up two goals in the win, while Fede Varela scored his first of the season to make it a two-goal victory. Panos Armenakas, Gabi Torres and Emil Cuello all had assists in the win.
Rising returns home next Saturday, May 4 to face Sacramento Republic at 7:30 p.m.
Tonight, Rising took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute of the match when Emil Cuello turned the ball over himself with a solid defensive position, then beat his defender down the left side. Cuello gained a split second to pick up his head and he found a streaking Remi Cabral with a curling, left-footed pass the avoided another defender and required just the simplest of touches from Cabral to end up in the back of the net.
Phoenix dominated the first half and took a 2-0 advantage in the 34th minute when Panos Armenakas grabbed the ball on the right flank and centered a pass for Cabral. Renzo Zambrano nearly got to the ball, but let it run on to Cabral and the striker finished off his second of the half with a right-footed shot with his first touch.
Referee Sergil Demianchuk pointed to the spot, awarding Rhode Island a penalty kick against the run of play in the 39th minute, when he judged Zambrano to have handled the ball in the box. Defending USL Championship Golden Boot Winner Albert Dikwa stepped up to take the kick, but goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, the defending USL Championship Final MVP made a save reminiscent of the stop that earned him the award. Novo jumped back and forth as Dikwa approached the ball, then guessed correctly and made a diving save to his right side before smothering the rebound.
Rhode Island was awarded a free kick in the 89th minute and Clay Holsted took advantage, burying a pass from a set piece in the top corner to make it 2-1, but Rising roared back seconds later, boosting the lead to 3-1 after Gabi Torres tore down the left flank and delivered a perfect pass to Fede Varela to finish off the match with his first goal of the season.
Scoring:
PHX – Remi Cabral (Emil Cuello) 7
PHX – Remi Cabral (Panos Armenakas) 34
RI – Clay Holsted (Noah Fuson) 89
PHX – Fede Varela (Gabi Torres) 90
Discipline:
PHX – Mohamad Traore (caution) 12
PHX – Alejandro Fuenmayor (caution) 23
RI – Karifa Yao (caution) 35
RI – Clay Holstad (caution) 43
RI – Fuson (caution) 68
PHX – John Stenberg (caution) 80
PHX – Dariusz Formella (caution) 88
Lineups:
Phoenix Rising FC – Rocco Rios Novo, Alejandro Fuenmayor (Pape Mar Boye 79), John Stenberg, Mohamad Traore, JC Azocar (Gabi Torres 78), Edguardo Rito, Panos Armenakas (Fede Varela 78), Renzo Zambrano, Gulio Doratiotto, Remi Cabral (JP Scearce 90), Emil Cuello (Dariusz Formella 66).
Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Rakovsky, Erickson Gallardo.
Rhode Island –Jackson Lee, Stephen Turnbull (Smith), Frank Nodarse (Vang), Gabriel Alves (Messer 90), Karifa Yao, Noah Fuson, Clay Holsted, Jojea Kwizera, Joe Brito (Doyle 59), Marc Ybarra, Albert Dikwa (Prince Saydee 58).
Substitutes Not Used: Vegas, Saydee, Twumasi, Orduy.
