PHOENIX RISING FC

Phoenix Rising gets 1st win over New Mexico, reclaims 1st place in Group B

Aug 8, 2020, 11:02 PM | Updated: Aug 9, 2020, 2:08 am

Phoenix Rising FC forward Junior Flemmings. (Arizona Sports/Ashley Orellana)...

Phoenix Rising FC forward Junior Flemmings. (Arizona Sports/Ashley Orellana)

(Arizona Sports/Ashley Orellana)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — There’s a first time for everything is the old saying, especially in the year 2020.

Phoenix Rising FC defeated New Mexico United 5-2 on Saturday night at Casino Arizona Field.

The win not only marks Phoenix Rising’s first win over New Mexico, but also the first match between the two sides that didn’t end on level pegging. In the three games prior to Saturday night’s contest, PRFC and NMU had drawn 3-3, 2-2 and 2-2 (a.e.t.).

“Very, very good team again,” manager Rick Schantz said after the game.

“They posed some different challenges for us — their movement, their rotation up front. We knew from the very beginning that how much they move off the ball would be very dangerous.”

And due to San Diego Loyal SC’s match against Las Vegas Lights FC being postponed, Phoenix now reclaims first place in Group B.

It was the Junior Flemmings show for Phoenix Rising.

The Jamaican international netted a hat trick on the night to bring his goal-scoring tally up to seven on the 2020 campaign.

“I thought Junior Flemmings was outstanding,” Schantz said after the game.

“If you disagree, you might have seen a different game.”

Flemmings is now tied with Indy Eleven’s Tyler Pasher for the Golden Boot. However, Indy has played eight matches while Phoenix Rising has only played six.

“We have a long way to go,” Flemmings said. “We just have to take it one game at a time and see where we go from here.”

For the second consecutive match, Phoenix couldn’t get going until the opposing team had taken a lead.

“We were a little bit asleep early on and made an early mistake again,” Schantz said.

“I’m a little frustrated because once we get scored upon, you see the anger and the tenacity come out of our team. Their response was fantastic again and the second half was even better.”

New Mexico opened the scoring five minutes into the match on a Romeo Parkes header from the edge of the box that caught Zac Lubin off his line to give NMU a 1-0 lead.

Flemmings was able to capture the equalizer in the 17th minute via Jon Bakero’s ball over the top that the Jamaican was able to use his pace to get to and finish to bring the game level at 1-1.

Five minutes later, Phoenix Rising would take the lead thanks to forward Rufat Dadashov. Following a blocked shot, captain Solomon Asante found himself on the edge of the box and picked out the Azerbaijani international to give PRFC a 2-1 lead in the 22nd minute.

Dadashov’s goal-scoring tally is now up to five on the year — the second-most on the team.

But Phoenix wasn’t content with only a one-goal lead at halftime.

“I told them this game has nothing to do with tactics,” Flemmings said.

“It’s just that we have to compete and I think we did that today winning the first tackle, the first header, everything. It just comes down to that — we have to compete.”

In the 52nd minute, a short corner resulted in an A.J. Cochran goal off a header from an Asante cross to give Phoenix a 3-1 lead.

The goal also marks Asante’s fifth assist on the 2020 campaign — the most of any PRFC player.

New Mexico managed to flash its scoring ability off corners just seven minutes later, but not in the most traditional of ways.

After the ball was whipped in, NMU’s Andrew Tinari found himself with the ball at his feet and his back to goal inside Rising’s six-yard box. The midfielder then was able to backheel the ball into the back of the net to cut PRFC’s lead to 3-2 in the 59th minute.

But that’s when Flemmings would stamp his footprint on the match.

The winger was able to sneak in behind the New Mexico defense and finish a sublime ball across the box from Bakero in the 73rd minute to give Phoenix a 4-2 lead.

“Great vision,” Flemmings said of Bakero’s assist.

“He recognized that the fullback had to turn and what a ball in behind. I just had to get to it and put it away. Great vision by Bakero.”

Flemmings would get his hat trick in the 86th minute after moving centrally due to Santi Moar coming on for Dadashov. Moar — who was facing his former side — assisted the Jamaican on his goal, his second assist of the season.

“I can play on the left, right, as a No. 9, as a No. 10,” Flemmings said.

“Wherever the coach wants me to get the job done, I’m willing to go there. Sacrifice for the team and as you can see, it’s working out.”

UP NEXT

Phoenix Rising returns to action on Aug. 15 as the club hosts San Diego Loyal SC at Casino Arizona Field.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be audio broadcasted live on ArizonaSports.com and on the new Arizona Sports app.

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