The Phoenix Rising drew 0-0, tonight in a match-up with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Rising had recently fired head coach Danny Stone, and the new coach, Diego Gomez, was  looking for back-to-back wins. 

Tampa Bay was no cakewalk, as they sat third in Group East, while Phoenix sat at ninth, playoff aspirations looking grim. 

Rising, looking to defend last years epic championship run, would fight for those playoffs, as the top eight teams of each group move on.

With top goal scorer Remi Cabral injured, things were even tougher. 

However, it didn’t stop Rising, as they scored what was thought to be the breakthrough just nine minutes in, only for it to be deemed offside by the linesmen. 

Then again, later in the first half, Rising would pounce, but it was deemed that it was  offside and possibly didn’t cross the line. 

Further inspection deemed  the offside a missed call as well. 

Head Coach Diego Gomez told media after the game “My staff couldn’t see it, I couldn’t see it, but they said the first one was offside but the second wasn’t.”

“It bounces off a defender of Tampa and  not ours but the linesmen thought it bounced off our player.” Gomez said. 

Fans booed the referee, furious that a possible opener wasn’t given. 

Tampa Bay was sloppy, but Rising didn’t capitalize. 

It was a chippy game as well, as things were very feisty between Rising forward Edgardo  Rito and Tampa Bay defender Aaron Guillen, with multiple instances of shoving or physical  contact between the two. 

Tampa Bay responded in the second half, putting more pressure, but they couldn’t find a  breakthrough. 

In the final minute of the match, a Rising attempt went off the crossbar and out for the  corner. Unfortunately, the final chance ended on a dud, as the game ended with no goal,  and one point for both sides. 

Diego Gomez himself felt disappointed with the draw. 

“We just missing the goal.” said Gomez. “I think we had more than enough chances, two  goals taken off, but today the ball did not want to…did not want to go inside. We are playing  against a really good opponent but everyone who was on the pitch, it felt like three points 

lost, because we were the better team today, in our opinions so that’s two (points)-that’s  how it felt today. 

Phoenix will welcome North Carolina FC at 38th/Washington St on August 24th.