Phoenix Rising welcomed Orange County on Saturday night for a USL Cup game at Phoenix Rising Stadium FC.
The last time these two teams met was in the league, where Orange County grabbed a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw.
Rising lost their opening USL Cup game to Colorado 1-0, while New Mexico lost 2-1 to El Paso in their opener.
Both teams were looking for a win to try and stay afloat, as one more loss would all but put a dagger into the teams’ chances of winning the USL Cup.
Gilberto Rivera, who the team loaned in from Houston Dynamo 2, made his first start for Phoenix Rising.
“I think he was very dominant,” Rising head coach Pa-Modou Kah said of Rivera. “On and off the ball, we saw today what he can bring for us in that midfield. On the ball, calm, finding passes, look to play forward. Off the ball, very intelligent in his defending so I’m very happy with what he gave us today.”
Rising started on the front foot with heavy pressure from the get-go, especially with forward Gunnar Studenthofft, who was called for two fouls in three minutes but wasn’t booked.
“We wanted to go man mark,” Rising midfielder Eziah Ramirez said. “I think it’s a really good thing that we go high press; it doesn’t give the team much time to be on the ball and it’s really good for our play.”
Both teams traded golden chances in the early minutes, but neither team broke the ice.
Rising was playing tough, and it showed, as they were creating chances, making solid passes and controlling the possession.
Seven minutes in, Rising defender Pape Mar Boye got on the end of a cross which seemingly made it 1-0 to Rising, but the goal was called off due to what seemed to be a foul on an Orange County player.
Orange County got a good free kick in the 13th minute, but Phoenix goalkeeper Chituru Odunze kept it out.
In the 21st minute, Studenthofft was through after a perfect long ball, and as Orange County goalkeeper Tetsuya Kadono came to meet him, Studenthofft chipped him.
Despite getting it over Kadono, the ball also went above the bar, having put a little too much on it, keeping the game scoreless.
But not even one minute later, Orange County made it 1-0, as midfielder Jamir Johnson found himself one-on-one against Odunze, in which he calmly slotted it past Odunze to make it 1-0 in favor of Orange County.
“I think it was a dominant performance,” Kah said. “The first goal, I’ll take it on me but overall, I think they were fantastic. You can’t do nothing but smile when you see the way that they play.
However, Phoenix didn’t take it lying down, and in the 28th minute, they got their equalizer.
Studenthofft found Jean Eric Moursou after a solid run, who took a shot that was deflected by an Orange County defender, before it found the back of the net to make it 1-1.
“We always keep our heads up,” Ramirez said. “Every time we go down, we know that we could fight back and that’s what we did today.”
The goal sparked a lot of momentum in Phoenix’s favor, as they created many solid chances, but couldn’t finish any to make it 2-1.
“It means a lot,” Kah said. “He’s been terrific for us through the whole season. He’s taken his opportunity, and it always means extra to have one of our players to score goals. That’s what football is about, I live for those moments.”
Orange County began playing a possession-based game, while Rising continued with their relentless pressure.
While Rising looked like the better team, the game remained 1-1 entering the half.
Entering the second half, it didn’t seem like things had changed, as Phoenix kept up with the pressure that had been working.
Even then, Orange County were making chances of their own, forcing Phoenix to focus on the defensive side as well.
In the 68th minute, a corner was given to Rising, and after the cross was swung in, it was pinged around the box, before Ramirez took a shot that went past Kadono to give Rising a 2-1 lead.
Even then, Rising looked to bury the game by making it three.
As for Orange County, they were getting desperate, pressing on all fronts as they looked for an equalizer.
In the 82nd minute, Orange County had a golden chance, but Odunze made a big save to prevent the goal, to which he rallied the fans after the save.
“We’re happy with everything we get,” Kah said. “Hopefully we bring the community, and they love what they see from our players. We’re going to need that, make this a fortress where people fear to be here.”
Phoenix switched to a possession-based game, looking to bleed out the clock, while Orange County pushed players forward.
After 90 minutes of football, the fourth official only added three minutes, leaving Orange County with little time to work with.
In the final moments of the game, Orange County got a corner, and Kadono went up top for it, and while Orange County didn’t score, they believed they were denied a penalty after a lot of contact in the box, while Rising tried to score a third with no keeper in the net, but couldn’t.
In the end though, Rising hung on and won 2-1.
“For us, it’s just that mindset,” Kah said. “It’s been in the culture, in the spirit and they’re creating winning habits, doing the basics very well. I’m very happy of where we are, we are now on a good stretch of a run and now it’s to maintain it.”
Rising will visit the Tampa Bay Rowdies next Saturday in the USL Championship at Al Lang Stadium.
