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USL Phoenix Rising FC

Preview: Slowly But Surely

February 24, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release


The skinny: Arizona United comes off a 0-0 draw with Swope Park Rangers KC on Saturday. Since then, the team will have had just three training sessions more experience heading into its second preseason match of 2016.

"It's been a good week of training so far," said forward Sam Garza. "We've been looking pretty good in training and have been putting some passes together and getting on the same page. It's going to take a little bit of time but it will come."

During training on Tuesday, the players looked even more comfortable playing alongside each other and getting on the front foot on the attack. Forward Jose 'Chiva' Cuevas said that the team is not only getting along on the pitch, but growing closer off the pitch as well.

Goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski added that the team is also slowly but surely beginning to implement the style of play head coach Frank Yallop wants to see.

"As we go on, we talk more and more about how we want to play," Woszczynski said. "Last game, we only had a couple of training sessions, so it was tough to (implement a style of play). So we were free to go play. So, I think as we keep playing, we'll see more of that; playing the formation and the style we want to play during the season.

Possible pipeline?

One player on the pitch will be a connective thread between Arizona United and FC Tucson: Peter Kelly.

Kelly appeared in six matches with FC Tucson in 2014 and his time with the club that summer helped him jumpstart a soccer career that had been on pause.

"It's been a long road for me personally," Kelly said. "The first two years after college I couldn't find a pro team. So it was just a lot of grinding. And that's when FC Tucson came in and I played a summer there and they helped me a lot along my way."

From Tucson, Kelly signed with St. Louis FC for the 2015 season. Then, with another assist from FC Tucson, Kelly found his way back in Arizona.

"We picked him up in the camp that FC Tucson put on for us," Frank Yallop told the site How Flair Is Punished. "He's a great find. Thanks to (FC Tucson head coach Rick Schantz and general manager Jon Pearlman)."

Wherever Kelly's soccer journey ends, he'll always have a soft spot for Tucson.

"I always feel at home in Tucson," Kelly said. "I know Pearlman and Rick are watching me and I want to play well in front of them."

Previous meeting: This will be the first time the two clubs meet.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from February 24, 2016


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