May 1, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Phoenix Rising FC News Release
CARSON, California – Phoenix Rising FC fell, 3-0, to LA Galaxy II tonight at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Phoenix returns to Wild Horse Pass to face San Antonio FC on Saturday, May 7 (7:30 p.m.).
Rising gave up its first goal of the match in just the second minute, when Los Dos’ Jonathan Perez sent the ball high and wide to Remi Cabral. Cabral popped the ball up in the air with his first touch before volleying a shot high over the head of goalkeeper Ben Lundt. The ball settled just inside the back post, giving the home side the 1-0 lead.
Just over 10 minutes later Perez notched his second assist of the day with a perfectly weighted pass that cut through the middle of Rising’s defense. Cameron Dunbar made his run off the back shoulder of his marker and the pass caught up to him in-alone on goal. Dunbar tapped a shot past Lundt to make it 2-0 in the 13th minute.
Things only got worse for Rising in the 36th minute when Darnell King was ejected for an elbow, reducing Phoenix to 10-men for the remainder of the match.
Perez took the initiative himself in the 43rd minute. The midfielder stepped past a defender and fired a shot into the back of the net to make it a 3-0 game just before halftime.
Santi Moar came on for Claudio Repetto in the 56th minute and injected some life into the squad. Marcus Epps found Moar open the back post in the 67th minute and Phoenix’s 2021 golden boot winner was in position to net his first of the year before being absolutely robbed by LA Galaxy II goalkeeper Eric Lopez. Moar skillfully struck the ball with his first touch but Lopez, who was coming across his line, reached back towards his post and touched the ball just wide of the post.
That’s a close as Phoenix would come to breaking through against a Los Dos side with a man advantage and the game finished 3-0.
• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board…
The opinions…