Phoenix Rising welcomed San Antonio to Phoenix Rising FC Stadium on Saturday night.
San Antonio was coming off a 3-2 win over El Paso in the league, while Rising had won three straight games in the league leading into the match.
The two had already met each other for both team’s season opener, where San Antonio won 2-1.
Despite being early into the season, San Antonio sat second in Group West, while Rising’s red-hot form saw them sat in sixth in Group West.
A notable name for Rising was forward Ihsan Sacko, who had scored five goals in three league matches, and was looking to carry his goal-scoring form into tonight’s game.
Regardless, Rising was looking to make four wins in a row in front of their fans.
San Antonio started the game with a high press, but kept a defensive shape, while Rising turned towards the possession game.
Despite both teams making solid chances, neither were able to break the ice.
16 minutes in, San Antonio midfielder Cristian Parano went down with an injury, and was subbed off for Dmitri Erofeev.
Rising won a free kick in the 24th minute, with Charlie Dennis as the taker, but Dennis put it just over the bar, keeping the game scoreless.
“I think we were the dominant team,” Rising head coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “Obviously, it’s never good when you get a red card, but I cannot ask for anything better. We came back and that is a testament to the group and how much they hate losing.”
In the 29th minute, Sacko was through on goal, but San Antonio goalkeeper Joseph Batrouni met him with impact.
“I think it was about fine tuning our last ball,” Kah said. “I would say if Sacko got early to it, maybe it’s a red card, maybe it’s not, I don’t know, but I don’t think he came out much. But overall, I think it’s more about fine tuning the past.”
Sacko went down, and surprisingly, the ref deemed it San Antonio ball, which led to a chorus of boos around the stadium, and while Sacko was sidelined for a bit, he eventually came back on a minute later.
Batrouni was booed relentlessly every time he got the ball by the fans after the play.
Four minutes later, Sacko got a shot off, but Batrouni got a hand to it to keep it scoreless.
Both teams were making chances, but neither could convert or find the last pass.
In the 44th minute, Dennis went for the ball, but he was called for a high kick foul as his leg was high, alongside striking a San Antonio player.
The referee blew his whistle and showed Dennis a straight red card, as Phoenix were reduced to 10 men.
Things went from bad to worse as just before halftime for Phoenix, as a long ball was sent to Erofeev, and after the ball was pinged around, he found himself one-on-one with Rising goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky.
Erofeev slotted it past Rakovsky, and made it 1-0 to San Antonio entering the second half.
San Antonio entered the second half with a high press, knowing that Phoenix’s red card was something they could exploit.
Despite that, Rising held firm at the back to keep the game 1-0.
“The team stayed composed,” Rising defender Adrian Pelayo said. “Super hard, especially since we went down a man early, but the team stayed in the game. We just stick to our gameplan.”
Rising also made chance after chance, but couldn’t find the back of the net, and with 20 minutes left, they got desperate.
“It’s the testament of their characters,” Kah said. “The testament of their mentality and the testament of this team. We never give up, regardless of what we’re facing, and adversity is part of life, so to see us go down, and a man, to comeback, I don’t look at it as a result that would’ve been unfair.”
Rising subbed on Gilberto Rivera and Gunnar Studenthofft for Diego Gomez and Hope Avayevu.
This was Rivera’s debut for Phoenix Rising, having been loaned in from Houston Dynamo 2.
Entering the final few minutes, San Antonio switched to a possession-based game.
In the 80th minute, Phoenix got their equalizer.
After a long throw in, Adrian Pelayo got the ball after a deflection, and shot a rocket into the bottom right, leaving San Antonio in the dust to make it 1-1.
“Amazing feeling,” Pelayo said. “My first professional goal, so I’m super happy.”
This marked Pelayo’s first goal of the season, and his first goal for the club.
After being down one-goal and a man the entire half, Rising got a big-time breakthrough, and they used that to chase the win.
San Antonio wanted the win just as bad as Phoenix, as they had a solid chance in the 87th minute, but Rakovsky made a crucial save after a lethal counterattack.
The referee added six minutes of stoppage time, and despite the team’s trading blows, it ended as a 1-1 draw.
While the winless run ends for Phoenix, the unbeaten streak continues, as they make it four in a row where they haven’t lost in the league.
“Doing the boring stuff we do every single day,” Kah said on how to keep the streak going. “That is the only way that you keep progressing in this game. That’s the only way, keep doing the boring stuff, because that’s what creates streaks and sustainable winning mentalities.”
Phoenix will host Orange County for a USL Cup Group Stage game at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium Saturday.
