Arizona United Proves It Can Play With League's Best

One of the newest members of Arizona United SC, Schillo Tshuma (right), pushes past Orlando City Defender Luke Boden during Saturday's USL PRO contest at Peoria Sports Complex. Orland City won the game 1-0.

Arizona United Soccer Club continued to impress by playing a surprisingly even match against Orlando City in a USL PRO League soccer game played at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday night.

Orlando City was atop the USL PRO league table coming into the game with an unbeaten 6-0-3 record and a league-leading 21 points while Arizona was fourth on the table with 10 points.

Save an own goal scored in Orlando City's favor during the game's eighth minute, both teams had a nearly equal number of shots taken during the game - 11 for Orlando City and 10 for Arizona United.

Orlando City won the game 1-0.

The own goal came when Orlando City's Adama Mbengue tried to send a cross in low across the goal box. Arizona United's Bryan Gallego took a lunging kick at the ball in an attempt to clear but the ball was steered toward net instead and looped over Arizona United goalkeeper Evan Newton who had no chance to deflect the ball.

Arizona United goalkeeper Evan Newton makes a leaping save to deflect a shot over the net during Saturday's USL PRO League match at Peoria Sports Complex.

"The first half we gave them a little too much respect," Newton said after the game.  "We got punished on a lucky goal.

"I think the rest of the game it was more in favor of us, especially in the second half."

This game was yet another test of Arizona United, the newest playing franchise in USL PRO.  The team was playing its fourth match in nine days including three games on the road which had the team criss-crossing the country.

Arizona United split two league games in the East, losing to Richmond 4-0 and beating Harrisburg 1-0. Both games were played back-to-back in an inclement weather.

The team then traveled to Portland to play a second round game in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup where they faced Major League Soccer's Portland Timbers U-23 team.  Arizona United overcame a 2-0 deficit starting in the 84th minute and scored three goals in 10 minutes to win the game 3-2.

As for Saturday's game, this is yet another learning experience for the young Arizona United team.

"We'll learn from it," said head coach Mike Dellorusso after the game. "It was a good effort. I thought our boys deserved better. 

"But at the end of the day we didn't come out. We played a little bit scared in the first half. This teams got to build on some confidence. We'll learn from it and we'll get better."