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USL Phoenix Rising FC

Phoenix Rising Stuns San Diego Loyal SC with Two Stoppage-Time Goals to Draw, 2-2 at Wild Horse Pass

June 6, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release


Joey Calistri of Phoenix Rising FC celebrates the tying goal against San Diego Loyal SC
Joey Calistri of Phoenix Rising FC celebrates the tying goal against San Diego Loyal SC
(Phoenix Rising FC)

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - Phoenix Rising FC roared back in epic fashion, scoring two goals in stoppage-time to pull level with San Diego Loyal SC just before the final whistle tonight at Wild Horse Pass.

The match was played in front of a club record crowd of 8,058 fans, eclipsing the previous record of 7,707 from October 2018. Santi Moar extended his goalscoring streak to six matches, one off the club record of teammate Solomon Asante from 2019. Joey Calistri scored the game-tying goal at the death, his first of the season in his first start.

The match began with Asante earning a free kick at the top of the box in the 15th minute. Asante stepped up to take the ensuing set piece and tried to pick out the top corner of the goal behind San Diego goalkeeper Trey Muse, but his attempt floated just wide of the post.

San Diego went ahead 1-0 in the 19th minute of the match when Miguel Berry outmuscled his defender and won the ball back at the top of the area. The Loyal SC striker went straight at goal and drilled a line-drive shot past Rising goalkeeper Andre Rawls and into the far side netting.

Rising nearly got back on level terms in the 66th minute when Jon Bakero popped a pass backwards to Santi Moar at the top of the area. On a five-game-scoring streak, Moar cut inside, across the top of the box and ripped a hard shot high towards the back post. Unfortunately for Rising the attempt whizzed just over the bar. Less than a minute later, second-half substitute Seyi Adekoya cracked a hard shot that had Muse beat but rattled off the near post and skipped away from danger.

San Diego took a 2-0 lead in the 71st minute when a ball played in from the right flank by Collin Martin found the feet of Jack Blake at the top of the box. Blake cut to his right side before firing a hard shot into the top corner of the net behind Rawls.

Arturo Rodriguez had a shot deflect into the path of Moar in the 91st minute. The league's leading goal scorer jumped on the rebound, firing a hard shot past Muse to make it 2-1 with six minute of stoppage time left.

Rising threw everything forward in search of an equalizer, nearly getting a goal out of goalkeeper Andre Rawls, who attempted a volley at the back post seconds prior to Calistri sending the 8,053 fans in attendance into a frenzy. On the sixth corner Rising produced after Moar's goal, Rodriguez lobbed a ball to the back post, where Calistri wound up and waited for the ball to fall into his full-volley strike, that beat Muse to the back post, making it a 2-2 final.

Scoring:

SD - Miguel Berry 19

SD - Jack Blake (Collin Martin) 71

PHX - Santi Moar 90+1

PHX - Joey Calistri (Arturo Rodriguez) 90+7

Discipline:

PHX - Jeremy Kelly (caution) 24

SD - Elijah Martin (caution) 65

SD - Corey Hertzog (caution) 68

PHX - Joey Calistri (caution) 76

PHX - Arturo Rodriguez (caution) 78

PHX - Ryan Flood (caution) 86

Lineups:

Phoenix Rising FC - Andre Rawls, Ryan Flood, James Musa, Tobi Adewole (Prince Saydee 88), Darnell King, Joseph Calistri, Jeremy Kelly (Joe Farrell 88), Jon Bakero (Arturo Rodriguez 72), Santi Moar, Rufat Dadashov (Seyi Adekoya 61), Solomon Asante.

Substitutes Not Used - Ben Lundt, Deklyn Wynne, Ivan Gutierrez.

San Diego Loyal SC - Trey Muse, Josh Yaro, Elijah Martin, Jack Maher, Jack Metcalf, Charlie Adams, Collin Martin (Tumi Moshobane 75), Jack Blake (Sal Zizzo 90), Corey Hertzog (Thomas Vancaeyezelle 68), Miguel Ibarra (Morgan Hackworth 75), Miguel Berry (Ben Spencer 75).

Substitutes Not Used - Niki Jackson, Austin Guerrero.

Rising head coach Rick Schantz

Overall thoughts on the game and the comeback:

"We didn't get a goal early enough I thought. We gave up a second goal on some passive defending and then I think you saw the Phoenix Rising heart. They refuse to lose here. They're not willing to give up. They will never stop. I told them if there's any characteristic about me, it's that I am a hard worker. I will never quit. I'll never give up on anything. I'm so proud of them for that. But, I learned a valuable lesson as a coach today. You cannot take any opponents in this league lightly. You can't think that it's ever going to be easy. You have to push the boys from start to finish."

On whether the draw felt like a win:

"Yeah, I wish we had another minute or so. I felt like the substitutes were unbelievable. Arturo [Rodriguez] was fantastic, Seyi [Adekoya] ran as hard as he could. I thought he was going to die, Prince's [Saydee] quickness. That's what you expect here and these players when they come in, they have to be able to perform. I'm very, very proud of them."

On why Aodhan Quinn didn't play:

"Aodhan was a last-minute scratch. Yesterday he had some tightness in his hamstring. We couldn't get it on the injury report. It's nothing that serious, but with Kev [Kevon Lambert] gone, I couldn't risk losing Aodhan for six weeks. He should be alright in a few days."

On how Jeremy Kelly played in place of Kevon Lambert:

"He was fantastic. We've been training him as a 10 all week, because Aodhan was going to play in the holding mid. Jeremy found out yesterday at training, at the end of training, that he was going to play as a holding mid. He was very good. With the ball, he was spectacular, and defensively, a lot of good interceptions. I'm very pleased with him."

On Santi Moar keeping his consecutive goal-scoring streak going:

"This guy. Every time I say I think we should sub him out and put Ivan Gutierez in or Prince, he gets a goal. So maybe I'm going to say it earlier. Look, Santi is one of those guys where his heart is huge. He cares about the club so much. He wants them to be successful. He's going to be one of the guys I would take off the field, so for him to score, I'm happy. I think that's six in a row now. That's great, we just got to keep going."

On Joey Calistri's goal and what went into starting him:

"I saw it. Right when he hit it, I said "that's in." If there's any player that you want to a hit a volley on our team, it's Joey Calistri. Calistri and Joe Farrell are the heart and soul of this locker room. They will do anything for the team. Calistri stepped up and got it done. I'm very proud of him as well. I told the guys in the huddle, every player will be needed at some point and every player will have a big moment for us, and tonight it was Joey Calistri.

Rising midfielder Joey Calistri

On how tonight's stoppage time game-tying goal compared to his stoppage time game-tying goal against New Mexico in 2019:

"Well this was in front of the home crowd, so this one was special. They're both special. Anytime you can get a last-minute goal to save a point, it's special."

On Coach Schantz saying he and Joey Farrell are the heart and soul of the locker room and on fueling the comeback:

"It's everybody. It's everybody. Everybody is the heart and soul of this team. That's why it's so special. Over the years, how many times have we come back from a goal or two goals down. It's just a testament to the staff, the players, everybody. "

On what was different about San Diego tonight:

"Anytime you play a team the second time, they adapt. They adjust certain things. They came out and were definitely ready for this game. They were a tough opponent. Luckily we were able to wear them down a little bit and get in there at the end."

Rising defender Darnell King

On the emotions of the comeback win:

"We kept our heads. We knew what we needed to do. We just tried to get that first goal and we did. And then we had the crowd behind us, these are probably the best fans in the league. They pushed us to get that second goal. The guys that came on changed the dynamic. Arturo [Rodriguez] came on, running at guys. Seyi [Adekoya] came on, running at guys. It just put us in the best position possible to be in their end the last six minutes. We had three corners, scored one, tied the game, so we get out with a point. Obviously we want to win at home all the time, but we'll take the point with that kind of finish."

On how they did defensively:

"In the beginning I just think there were a couple mishaps. They went to two forwards, and it's a little different than they did last time, so we had to just fix it in the back. I think we could have been a little bit more aggressive throughout the game. That's why we all have to fall back on each other and rely on each other. And offense did their job, and toward the end we held our own."

On what it was like playing in front of 8,000+ fans tonight:

"It was amazing. It was a great turnout and this is why we love our fans. What a night for us to end like that, for everybody to be here. It would have been devastating to lose, but we battled because we had them behind us and they pushed us to get the tie."

On playing San Diego again in a few weeks:

"Expecting it to be another intense game. We're going to get our game plan together and come out even more intense, because we don't want to be in the position we were today. We want to be ahead and make them chase us, like we did in the past."

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Images from this story

Joey Calistri of Phoenix Rising FC celebrates the tying goal against San Diego Loyal SC
Joey Calistri of Phoenix Rising FC celebrates the tying goal against San Diego Loyal SC
   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 6, 2021


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