Arizona United Soccer Club has gained seven points in the USL PRO 2014 season standings by virtue of two wins and one draw in the teams last three games.
The team climbed out of the cellar in league standings after its 3-0 victory at home against the Orange County Blues in the fourth match between the two teams this season. Prior to that game the team was one of four teams with 17 points at the bottom of the standings.
Arizona’s points results could have been higher this season had the team not been penalized two points for inadvertently using an ineligible player earlier in the season.
The team was also set back by a last second goal by Energy FC of Oklahoma City in a rain-soaked and confusing game on the road last Thursday. Arizona seemed sure to have that game in hand, but a series of plays and penalties at game’s end awarded a penalty kick for Energy FC. The kick was converted and the game finished with a score of 1-1. As a result, Arizona United walked away with two fewer points in the standings.
Arizona United rebounded nicely in a their game two days later against the OC Blues. Dominant throughout, United won the game 3-0 on goals by Matt Kassel, newly acquired striker Long Tan and late-game substitute Kadeem Dacres who scored only three minutes after he came into the game. It was Arizona’s second win over OC Blues in two games; having previously winning 2-1 at a game played in Irvine, Calif., one week earlier.
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Arizona United’s Long Tan plays the ball forward as Brad Stisser looks on. Long scored a goal in the 22nd minute to give Arizona a 1-0 lead over the Orange County Blues.
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Arizona United’s Kadeem Dacres (13) is congratulated by teammates after scoring the teams third goal in the 90th minute.
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Long has proven to be a formidable and distracting source to opponent defenses. He scored two goals in the last two games. His presence has allow play to open up providing more space into which teammates can drift.
Long is also a threat to shoot from anywhere in the attacking third of the field. He has taken 10 shots total in the three games he has played for Arizona United thus far.
Arizona United has added another forward to its arsenal just this week with the signing of Sam Garza, who most recently has played for Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes and the North American Soccer League’s San Antonio Scorpions.
“Sam is a dynamic, explosive attacking player who will bring a good energy to our group,” said Arizona United Soccer Club head coach Michael Dellorusso.
This weekend Arizona United travels east to North Carolina to take on Wilmington on Friday and Charleston on Saturday.
The team return home on August 2 to play Sacramento Republic. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available at ArizonaUnited.com.
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Arizona United goal keeper Evan Newton (right) stands his ground against Orange County Blues’ Joshua Suggs attempts to score.
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