Phoenix Rising welcomed Sacramento Republic to Phoenix Rising FC Stadium on Saturday night.
Sacramento was coming off a 2-1 defeat to San Antonio, while Rising was coming off a 3-0 defeat to Tampa Bay.
With a third of the season being in the books, both teams sat in a playoff position, as Phoenix sat in eighth in Group West, while Sacramento sat a spot above them.
With Rising having played an extra game than most other clubs, points were already beginning to matter.
Rising entered the game undefeated at home and were looking to continue their run entering tonight’s game.
Both teams began with good chances, and it looked like Gunanr Studenthofft scored early on, but was called for offsides, keeping the game scoreless.
Regardless, both teams looked lively, as Rising utilized the wings, while Sacramento counter attacked.
In the 19th minute, Studenthofft found himself one-on-one against Sacramento goalkeeper Daniel Vitiello, but hit the post, just missing out on the icebreaker.
Rising began playing with pressure and possession, while Sacramento stuck to counter attacking.
Even then, Rising’s new method was suffocating Sacramento, as they made chance after chance, but none found the back of the net.
“It was a great performance from the boys,” Rising head coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “I think it was a great response. I think the whole week, the focus, the concentration, was exceptional. I think how we responded was the most important.”
In the 38th minute, Studenthofft got the ball in the box after a counter, before Sacramento defender Lee Desmond pushed him to the ground.
The referee pointed to the spot, giving Rising a penalty.
Ihsan Sacko stepped forward to take it against Vitiello.
Sacko shot right, while Vitiello dove left.
Sacko made it 1-0, before celebrating right in front of Vitiello, prompting the referee to give Sacko a yellow card.
“He made eye contact with me,” Sacko said regarding his celebration. “He made this, like ‘I’m home’. I take the yellow, but it’s fine. I’m showing you that I’m home.”
Regardless, Rising was up 1-0, and they didn’t take their foot off the pedal.
Rising continued to fluster Sacramento, making all sorts of chances, before lightning struck again.
“I’ll be happy with the three points,” Sacko said. “I think last week was a terrible game for us. We were sloppy. That’s why we wanted to give the answer today against Sacramento at home.”
Right before the end of the half, Sacko beat his man before being brought down in the box, with the referee pointing to the spot again.
Another penalty for Rising, with a chance to give themselves a cushion.
Sacko was the taker again, and just like his first penalty, he shot right and scored, giving Rising a 2-0 lead, which would be the score entering the second half.
“We fight together,” Sacko said. “Happy with the three points, everybody’s happy.”
In the second half, Sacramento immediately began making chances, as they looked to get a goal back.
Sacramento added pressure, but Rising adapted by switching to a counter attacking method that led to a lot of chances as they looked to make it three.
In the 52nd minute, Studenthofft was one-on-one, and while he got a good shot off, Vitiello got a hand to it to prevent a three-goal lead.
A minute later, Sacramento went on the attack before Rising goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky made a big time save to keep it 2-0.
The two teams were trading blow after blow, as one looked to salvage the game, while the other looked to finish it.
Entering the final 15 minutes, Sacramento was desperate to salvage a point, flinging themselves forward any chance they got.
“We grinded it out,” Kah said. “Which is also necessary because you know that they’re going to come in full and understanding that 2-0 is the hardest lead to contain in football but the maturity I saw was brilliant.”
Rising began soaking up the pressure by having many players in the defensive half, as they looked to control possession.
In the 80th minute, Rising forward Damien Rivera nearly made it 3-0, but Vitiello got a hand to it once again.
Sacramento made chance after chance, looking to salvage a point as time was running out.
In the end, Rising ran away with a 2-0 win and all three points, as their unbeaten home run continues.
“I don’t think about those things,” Kah said. “But it’s a great thing to have, it’s a great thing to carry, and it’s something not to take lightly. That was one of our things, to make this place a fortress, right now we’re doing it but we got to keep doing it.”
Rising had 23 total shots, with 10 being on target, while Sacramento had seven shots, with two being on target.
“It’s been one of our forces,” Kah said. “We want to dominate with or without the ball. To get shots, that was one of the things that we wanted to do in this game. We owed it to ourselves after the last game.”
Phoenix Rising will visit New Mexico in the USL Cup at Isotopes Park.
