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MURRAY: With High Expectations, Is Phoenix Ready to Rise to Occasion?

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/27/21, 3:18PM EDT

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Preseason concludes with eye-opening results for Western Conference Title holder


Phoenix Rising FC's close to the preseason hasn't gone smoothly on the field, but that does't mean the side isn't ready for its regular season debut on Friday night against San Diego Loyal SC. | Photo courtesy Phoenix Rising FC

Take a look at these two quotes, coming on back-to-back weekends to wrap up preseason.

“We were out-worked, out-hustled and didn’t feel like playing [in the first game]. We played a young, aggressive, hungry team and we got spanked.” – Phoenix Rising FC Head Coach Rick Schantz following a 3-1 loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in a 75-minute scrimmage, April 17.

“We’re still not sharp. You hope that, under the lights next week, it’ll be different, but we didn’t compete as well as I would have liked. We have seven days to fix it.” Schantz following a 4-0 defeat to New Mexico United in a 90-minute exhibition, April 24.

Are those alarm bells I hear, ringing in the distance?

For all the preseason plaudits Phoenix Rising FC has been earning off its past performance, it does make you wonder how things are shaping up in the Valley this year as the club begins the hunt for the final trophy to complete its USL Championship set in November against San Diego Loyal SC on Friday night (10 p.m. ET | ESPN2).

Because, let’s be blunt, words questioning the competitive hunger of what’s expected to be your first-tier lineup six days before your season starts will rarely come lightly from a Head Coach. 

Certainly, there has been turnover to account for. From what we can gather from these preseason scrimmages, it’s going to be Andre Rawls – on loan from the Colorado Rapids – that will be between the sticks to start the season instead of last year’s postseason hero Zac Lubin. Only two members of the club’s back four – Joe Farrell and Darnell King – are also back, with Tobi Adewole and Deklan Wynne shaping up to join them after the offseason departures of Corey Whelan, AJ Cochran and Damion Lowe.

“There’s been a lot of change,” said Schantz after the New Mexico game. “New staff, new players, new facility, it takes time. You don’t just snap your players and replace 12 players.”

As the new back line meshes and the additional players that have arrived – including standout midfielder Aodhan Quinn and 2019 USL League One MVP Arturo Rodriguez – start to find their rhythm and understanding, this could all look like a minor bump in the road pretty soon. The quality in this side both in a presumptive starting lineup and its depth is still arguably the best in the Championship.

But the ethos that has made Phoenix Rising FC what it has become over the past four seasons has always been the club’s willingness to battle as well as pummel teams into submission with its attack. Since the start of the 2018 Championship regular season, no team has held a higher duel success rate than Phoenix (53.1%) and the side has also held a significant edge in aerial duels (57.6%) over that span. A downturn in those numbers doesn’t automatically signify doom, but a Phoenix side lacking that competitive edge would feel very uncharacteristic from that which has come before.


Phoenix Rising FC's success has been accompanied by an edge of the field that has made it one of the best ball-winning sides in the Championship in recent years. | Photo courtesy Phoenix Rising FC

Now, before we get too carried away, let’s also recognize that this is still preseason. As the saying goes, form is temporary, class is permanent, and what Phoenix looks like on Friday night against one of its biggest rivals for Pacific Division supremacy will count a lot more toward where this team is to start the season than anything that’s preceded it.

“We’ve been able to be consistent here at Phoenix Rising,” said Schantz on Saturday. “We work hard at maintaining that level. I’ll continue to work hard and make sure we get it right before the start of the season.”

But as high as expectations are for Rising FC at its beautiful new home at Wild Horse Pass, Friday night’s first test against a team in SD Loyal keen to claim its throne is one the club’s players need to pass.

Otherwise, those alarm bells will only start to chime a little more loudly.

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Tag(s): Features  Phoenix Rising FC  Editorial 

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