Rising hosted the Oakland Roots on Saturday night at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium.
Rising was coming off a 1-1 draw against Orange County, while Oakland was coming off a 2-1 win over New Mexico.
Rising was looking for their first win of the season, while Oakland was looking to continue their perfect start to the season, as they had two wins in two matches.
The first six minutes saw a lot of possession for Rising, while Oakland sat back, focusing more defensively.
Phoenix kept up with the possession, especially with the backline, trying to find a chance, but nothing was being made in that final third.
The game continued to be possession based, and it switched into the midfield, as players rushed for loose balls or find the open man.
“I think the first 20 minutes, we started well,” Rising head coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “Then after the 20 minutes, we didn’t control the game. Then we gave away two goals; I think it was very simple to avoid those goals. We didn’t press together after the first 20 minutes.”
In the 20th minute, Rising’s JP Scearce made a crucial error at the back, and Oakland had a chance, but Phoenix goalie Chituru Odunze kept it out, and as it rebounded, Oakland skied the ball, keeping the game scoreless.
In the 26th minute, Oakland shot a rocket from close range, but Rising was able to keep it out and deflect it for a corner.
Despite starting strong, Rising found themselves overwhelmed as Oakland began putting pressure alongside Oakland’s strong counter attacks, which forced errors in the midfield and backline for Rising.
Despite that, the first thirty minutes didn’t see much action, but Oakland was picking up the pieces to break the deadlock.
In the 42nd minute Oakland had another chance, and while it went past Odunze, Rising defender Adrian Pelayo headered it away, but one minute later, Oakland found the opener.
Oakland got the ball into the box, and as they got close to the near post, Bobosi Byaruhanga snuck the ball to Wolfgang Prentice, who sent it near the far post, with no chance for Odunze to save it, making it 1-0 Oakland.
Just a few minutes later though, Oakland made it two, as a ball was swung in from the left-hand side, before Julian Bravo leaped to meet it, and sent it bouncing into the top right to make it 2-0.
Those two quick fire goals made it 2-0 to Oakland entering the second half, and Rising had a mountain to climb, as Oakland had all the chances and momentum.
“Pa (Modou-Kah) was very annoyed for obvious reasons,” Rising midfielder Diego Gomez said. “He has that energy and he told us that we could give more and in the second half, it reflected. It’s a matter of learning as well that we can’t give one minute away. We can’t give away anything. We have to keep working for what’s coming.”
Three minutes into the second half, Oakland nearly made it 3-0, but Odunze kept a header out.
Rising put pressure on Oakland, as Oakland was glad to waste time and keep the ball.
Rising’s pressure eventually led to some chances, but it also allowed a few counter attacks that Oakland had made.
“I think we handled it well,” Kah said. “But this team, still, no excuses. Our job is to make sure that we get points. I think it was a good game for the fans in terms of the excitement, but I think we can give them more excitement by doing a job and being ahead.”
Rising played with more width, allowing for more options for players to find.
Rising subbed on Gunnar Studenthofft for Hope Avayevu in an attempt to make more chances.
“I was very happy with Gunnar (Studenthofft),” Kah said. “He did what we asked of him, he was aggressive, he got in the box, he created an opportunity for himself. This is what he always wanted, and I believe in him. He’s far from being a finished product but with what he has, he’s a handful. I’m very happy with him.”
With only 25 minutes to go, Phoenix was looking to salvage the game, but Oakland was on the front foot.
In the 74th minute, Phoenix’s Darius Johnson shot one from range, but Oakland goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel kept it out.
Rising tried pressing, crossing it into the box, but Oakland read every move.
In the 85th minute, Ihsan Sacko for Rising ran down the right-hand side before cutting inside and finding an open Gomez, who found the top right corner to make it 2-1.
“I feel happy,” Gomez said regarding his goal. “Get my first goal with this shirt, with this club. And then the confidence that we can get the result because it was a big moment for the whole team, and I think the second half was ours and I felt that we could equalize.”
Rising was now looking to salvage a point as five minutes plus stoppage time remained.
Rising began pushing for that equalizer desperately, while Oakland was looking to hang onto all three points.
“That set the standard,” Studenthofft said about the team’s pressing. “That set the momentum. We want to win the ball; we want to get there and score goals.”
After about 90 minutes, the fourth official indicated seven minutes of extra time. More than enough for Rising to equalize.
Rising kept getting chances via corners and free kicks, as Oakland kept fouling Rising players, but Phoenix couldn’t equalize.
“That’s what you want as a coach,” Kah said. “You want a headache, to make a decision as to who’s going to play, and I got a lot of answers today. So next week there will be some decision that I will have to make, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Rising kept pushing, and in ninety-fifth minute, they were rewarded, as Charlie Dennis cut in from the left-hand side and crossed it in. Studenthofft headered it home past Spiegel, making it 2-2.
“I stayed calm,” Studenthofft said. “I waited for my chance, and if one chance didn’t go, I waited for the second one. Once that opportunity came again, I knew I’d put it away.”
Rising wasn’t done, as in the dying moments of the game, Dennis took a shot, but Spiegel forced a corner, keeping it 2-2.
Phoenix got one more chance, but the cross was cleared, and the referee signaled full time, as Phoenix salvaged a point against Oakland, just like last year.
Phoenix will visit Tulsa at ONEOK Field Saturday.