EDINBURG, Texas – Two red cards in the final five minutes of the match cost Phoenix Rising FC two points as Rio Grande Valley FC rallied to earn a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at H-E-B Park. Amadou Dia and Doueugui Mala were sent off for separate incidents in the final five minutes, opening the door after a first-half penalty saw Jason Johnson open the scoring for Rising FC. Phoenix conceded most of the possession in the match, but RGVFC just could not get enough chances, not managing a single shot on goal until the 75th minute. But come the fifth minute of stoppage time, with a two-man advantage, RGV finally found the net as Ivan Magalhaes headed home Todd Wharton’s cross thanks to the extra space afforded by the two missing Phoenix players.

Scoring:
41’ – PHX – Jason Johnson (penalty)
90+5’ – RGV – Ivan Magalhaes (Todd Wharton)

• #RGVvPHX: Full Match and Opta Box Score

Three Things That Matter:

• 1. Rising FC completely lost their discipline late in the match and it cost them two points, beyond that they will now be without two vital players for at least the next week. This could well cost them even more than these two points.

• 2. Despite conceding, it was a phenomenal performance from Borja Angoitia in goal, especially on the strong corners swung in by Shaun Wright-Phillips. Angoitia is proving difficult to break down and will be looking to continue that form against Vancouver next week.

• 3. Phoenix absolutely dominated RGVFC in the air, winning a sizable majority in the aerial duels, it reflected in the style they played, and many more teams will struggle to defend the aerial play from Phoenix.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match

Borja Angoitia, Rio Grande Valley FC – Angoitia had an impressive night in goal for RGVFC as he made three impressive saves, two one after the other, to keep the match tight. His distribution was also top class, finding a team mate with every single pass made.

Upcoming Games:
Rio Grande Valley FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 – August 19, 8:30 p.m. ET, H-E-B Park
Charlotte Independence at Orange County SC – August 18, 10:30 p.m. ET, Orange County Great Park