Arizona United SC Play OC Blues FC to 0-0 Tie
March 10, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release
Arizona United SC in Preseason Action
(Phoenix Rising FC)
Defensive organization, smart possession, correct runs and offensive chances: it was all there for Arizona United Soccer Club. But the team couldn't find the back of the net in a 0-0 draw with fellow USL side OC Blues FC.
"We can always work on finishing," said head coach Frank Yallop. "Game situations are different. ... We could've scored four goals. We made the good runs. But the last little bit, the sharpness in front of goal is probably the last thing to come."
The first real chance of the match, for either team, came in the third minute. After Orange County got a deep throw in, a loose ball fell in front of one of their forwards. He quickly pounced on a ball and fired a point-blank shot. But goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski kicked the ball away.
It was the last great opportunity the Blues would have for much of the match.
"Everything was a lot more organized today," Woszczynski said "From the defense, up to the midfield, up to the strikers. How we pressured the ball, when we decided to pressure the ball. I thought our back line was more together today, more flat, and moved together well. So, I think defensively we were a lot more organized this week."
The defensive pressure created a lot of turnovers, and eventually chances, for United.
In the sixth minute, a long diagonal from Miguel Timm found Chris Cortez on the right side of the top of the box. His shot went high.
Two minutes later, midfielder Gibson Bardsley received a nearly identical diagonal pass that freed him down the right side. His shot was on target, but blocked.
Four minutes later it was Bardsley again wrecking havoc. He first beat the defense to the end line, then sent a cross to an open Sam Garza before it was intercepted at the last moment. Moments later, he sent a low, right-to-left cross into the box for Cortez, who deflected it to the near post. But the shot was denied.
Arizona wouldn't scare the keeper again until the second half. At the 50th minute, Garza was free off a counter, but his shot from the top of the box missed the target.
Two minutes later Rudi Skacel ran under an arching ball behind the defense and eventually brought the ball down and took a shot, but he went high above the near right post.
Then, near the hour mark, United earned a penalty after Bardsley drew hard contact in the box. But Garza's low drive to the left corner was blocked.
"We're got to be difficult to play against and I thought we were today," Yallop said. "I thought we created some great chances to score.
Arizona United is now 1-2-2 in preseason play. They will play their final preseason match of the season on Tuesday, March 15, at 10 am against Grand Canyon University. That match will be on the campus of Grand Canyon University.
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 Arizona United SC in Preseason Action |
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