There is one team that Phoenix Rising has faced multiple times on the road and has never beaten: San Antonio FC.<\/p>\n
So what about the Texan club makes them such a hard side to face on the road?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re always up for the game,\u201d San Antonio\u2019s Matt Cardone said. \u201cNot that we\u2019re not up for every game, but I think against Phoenix, we always maybe even turn it up a little extra notch. It\u2019s been a really tough battle when they\u2019ve come here, and they\u2019ve been good matches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dating back to 2016 when the club was known as Arizona United, Rising has visited San Antonio on five occasions. The hosts have won three of those games, with two ending in draws.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a tough stadium,\u201d Rising winger Santi Moar said. \u201cI haven\u2019t been there with Phoenix, but I\u2019ve been there when I was playing with New Mexico. It\u2019s a really, really tough place to play. A good organization with great players every year, so they make the most out of their home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rising coach Rick Schantz believes that factors beyond just the field have contributed to his team\u2019s record over the years. Phoenix may enjoy its summer advantage of temperatures other clubs aren\u2019t used to, but San Antonio enjoys a similar advantage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019ve only been there once when the weather wasn\u2019t like 90 percent humidity, so that might have something to do with it,\u201d Schantz said. \u201cUp until a couple of years ago, we had never won at RGV and we won a game there when it was least expected. Maybe now\u2019s the time to break it. It would be nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, his counterpart in Texas said another off-field factor might be at play.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur fans make Toyota Field a fortress, and we\u2019re incredibly appreciative to our fans, supporter groups,\u201d San Antonio coach Alen Marcina said. \u201cIt\u2019s a difficult place to play in. You know our players feed of our fans\u2019 passion and energy and we\u2019re extremely thankful to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The difficulty of tonight\u2019s game goes beyond just past failures. SAFC has started the season with a perfect nine points from three games. Rising has picked up only three points over that same spell.<\/p>\n
In particular, San Antonio\u2019s style could prove problematic for a Rising side that has struggled with counter attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey play a 3-4-3 which transitions into a back five at times,\u201d Schantz said. \u201cThey\u2019re very good, willing to play direct. They\u2019re willing to just hit long balls and defend, and a team that\u2019s willing to fight and defend is difficult at times to break down. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can get them pinned back in their own half at all, it\u2019s going to require some long range shooting, which I think that we need to shoot more often. It\u2019s also going to require a tremendous amount of desire to win every long ball and when they do play long, can we get them spread out a little bit and counter? I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Based on talk from the San Antonio camp, Rising\u2019s coach could be correct that the opponents will come out defensive-minded.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Rising is] going to push a lot of numbers forward,\u201d San Antonio\u2019s Jordan Farr said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, if we can stay structurally sound defensively with our back three, wing-backs and our sixes, and with our forwards obviously pressing and doing their job defensively as well, we\u2019ll be able to combat that and hopefully absorb the pressure and then go on the counter and break lines and do what we do so well which is score goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely do need to tighten things up in the back. Mistakes, ball in the air, balls into the box. It\u2019s going to be things that you\u2019ll see some adjustments on as a core, so it should be good.\u201d<\/p>\n