Rising Tactics Recap

What was going on in the press box as Saturday night faded into Sunday morning? Here is the behind the scenes recap you never knew you wanted.

Phoenix Rising didn’t put together a particularly complete performance on Saturday against San Antonio FC, but they still walked off the field with three points. I break down the game and more in this week’s RTR.

“I thought that first half was some of the best football I’ve seen in USL in a long, long time,” Rick Schantz said after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Colorado Springs. Read up on that win and more in this week’s RTR.

After beating Sacramento Republic 2-1 on Friday night and securing their 15th straight win, Phoenix Rising now hold the American soccer record for consecutive wins in a single season. Read about that win and more in this week’s RTR.

Phoenix Rising must have felt like they were looking in a mirror during Friday night’s game. Though Phoenix won 4-2, Reno’s aggressive play gave them trouble. This week’s RTR analyzes one of the things Reno does best, how Phoenix responded, and much more.

Though Saturday’s 2-1 win over El Paso Locomotive wasn’t the prettiest game, there are still plenty of bits of tactical nuance to dive into. Read about Phoenix Rising’s battle against 10 men and much more in this week’s RTR.

It looked like Phoenix’s win streak was about to end on Saturday against Los Dos, but thanks to Asante’s leadership and a pair of substitutions from Schantz, they completed an epic comeback. Read about the win and more in this week’s RTR.

In this last paragraph of last week’s Rising Tactics Recap, I wrote that it was “way past time” for me to give Phoenix Rising’s defensive unit their dues. Now it’s time to give the defense credit. Read about that and more in this week’s RTR.

After a truly bizarre first half filled with fouls, injuries, and goal-line clearances, Phoenix Rising opened floodgates in the second half of Friday’s Dollar Beer Night. Read about those goals and much more in this week’s RTR.

This week’s Rising Tactics Recap looks at one of the most influential tactical battles from Phoenix Rising’s 1-0 win over Rio Grande Valley on Saturday. Then, Solomon Asante, Kevon Lambert, and José Aguinaga get some love in The Final Third.