Arizona United Inches Toward League Playoffs

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.

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. 

Arizona United’s Kadeem Dacres (13) is congratulated by teammates after scoring the teams third goal in the 90th minute.

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.

Arizona United goal keeper Evan Newton (right) stands his ground against Orange County Blues’ Joshua Suggs attempts to score.

Arizona United Gets Much Needed Victory on the Road

Arizona United SC came a way with a 2-1 victory in a road game played against the Orange County Blues in Irvine, Calif., this past Saturday.

Arizona United, with the newly added attack threat of Chinese-national player Long Tan, was able to pressure and threaten the Blues often during the game.

Arizona struck first in the game and scored during the 37th minute with excellent movement with the ball on a series of passes from Tan to Daniel Antunez to Schillo Tshuma and ultimately to Brad Stisser.  Stisser scored directly on the volley on a crossing pass from Schillo and beat Blue goal keeper Patrick McLain, who had no opportunity to stop the goal during the 37th minute.

It was Stisser’s first goal in his first start with the team. Prior to Saturday’s game, Stisser had played very sparingly for United.

Arizona United’s Brad Stisser, seen here heading the ball away from two Rochester Rhino players, scored the first goal for Arizona United in their 2-1 victory over the Orange County Blue last Saturday. 

The game went to halftime with United leading 1-0.

The next goal was not scored until the 74th minute when substitute Jon Okafor was able to score on a header following a Scott Morrison corner kick which was actually Arizona United’s first corner kick of the game.

Orange Count was able to counter with a goal of its own just three minutes later; however, United was able to hold on for the much needed win.

The victory moved United out of the USL PRO standings cellar and the team now has 16 points. Two points shy of where they would be had the team not been handed a two-point penalty following a player eligibility issue earlier in the season.

Nevertheless, the victory and the team’s performance during the Orange County game showed signs of life in the team that has suffered from frustrating draws and losses.

The team will play one more game on the road this Thursday against Energy FC of Oklahoma City and return home to play the OC Blues in a game at Peoria Sports Complex this Saturday. Game time has been moved to 7:30 p.m. and plenty of seats are available.

Arizona United Finds Goals But Victories Still Elusive

After going scoreless for most of May the Arizona United Soccer Club has had much better luck finding the net, managing to score seven goals in six games during June.

Despite the uptick in tallies United finished June with just one win, two draws and three losses in USL PRO League play.

A second win for the team was within reach during the teams most recent game—a 3-2 loss to the Orange County Blues. The game was played in Peoria.

Arizona found itself in rare territory having jumped out to a two goal lead in the first half off of goals by Jon Okafor and Kadeem Dacres.

Members of the Arizona United Soccer Club celebrat after Jon Okafor (second from left) scored during the first half of a game against the Orange County Blues. Pictured from left to right are: Paolo DelPiccolo, Okafor, Joseph Toby, Joey Dillon, Kadeem Dacres and London Woodberry.

For most of the first half Arizona dominated Orange County with a style of play that eluded the team in their prior game-a 1-0 loss to Sacramento Republic on the road just two days before.

In the Sacramento game  Arizona United seemed to lack rhythm and cohesiveness and struggled to gain any type of momentum or threat.

That struggles was made even more difficult when Widner Saint-Cyr received two yellow cards followed by a red card, leading to an ejection at the 58th minute of the game.

The energy and tenacity United brought to the first 40 minutes of the Orange County game was a welcome site to all in attendance.

However, during the games 41st minute the momentum started to shift when a foul was called against Arizona goal keeper Evan Newton in the penalty area and a penalty kick was awarded to Orange County.

The Blues’ Allan Russell stepped in and fired a rocket to the right post just past Newton to make the score 2-1.

Arizona United Goal Keeper Evan Newton stretches to try to save a penalty kick by Orange County Blues' Allan Russell. The ball got past Newton for OC Blues first goal of the game. The goal came during the 41st minute

Much of the momentum Arizona hoped to take into the locker room at halftime was diminished.

During the second half the teams traded possession, but Orange County was able to tie the game during th 66th minute when midfielder Joshua Suggs chipped a ball over the head of Newton who had come out to try to cut down the angle outside the right post. After clearing Newton the ball hit the side netting for the score.

Arizona appeared to take the lead just as four minutes of extra time were added to the game. A corner kick ricocheted off a group of players in front of the net. Arizona’s Tyler Ruthven was able to redirect the ball toward goal and Dacres headed the ball into the net; however, the assistant referred deemed Dacres offside and the goal was disallowed.  A review of the play appeared to show that Dacres was actually onside, having been pushed forward by Blue keeper Patrick McLain.

The dagger in the heart of Arizona United came a few moments later when Blues forward Andrew Hoxie took a pass from just outside the 18-yard box, dribbled toward goal and put the shot past Newton.

Following the game Arizona Head Coach Michael Dellorusso said the turning point came on simple mistakes.

“We give a team one chance and they make us pay,” Dellorusso said. “It’s the mental moments of the game that we’ve got to get better at.”

Mistakes aside, Dellorusso felt his team played well.

“You look down our team individually our guys had good games,” He said, Adding, “We don’t make teams pay.”

Arizona now heads to the road for three games.

“We need nine points. That’s it,” Dellorusso said.

Arizona United Slowly Earning Points in USL PRO Standings

Arizona United's Scott Morrison bends a ball around the LA Galaxy II wall to kick the equalizing goal in the 75th minute.  

Arizona United Soccer Club is slowing getting back into the points. After a strong start to the season for an expansion club that saw them accumulating 10 points in their first six games, the team experienced a drought following its first road trip that saw the team playing three games in five days—two games in the East and a U.S. Open Cup game in the West.

  After a three-game scoreless streak, Arizona finally got back on the board in a regular season game against Sacramento Republic. While they did not win the game, winning just one point in the soccer table scoring system that grants three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss, a sense of relief was felt when London Woodberry scored a goal in the 67th minute. Sacramento went on to tie the score late in the game, but Arizona gained a point in the victory.

  United let an opportunity slip through their fingers when the Dayton Dutch Lions came to town on June 11. Dayton was a team on the skids and a game Arizona should have won, but Arizona let Dayton build their confidence during the game and Arizona fell to Dayton 2-1.  More points lost.

  Arizona rebounded a few days later when the Rochester Rhinos came to town. Unlike Dayton, Rochester had found a winning way in their previous games.  Though not a stunning offensive performance, Arizona received the benefit of a handball by a Rochester player and Jonathan Top converted the subsequent penalty kick for the only score of the game and three points added to the Arizona United table.

  One more point was added this past week as Arizona tied LA Galaxy II 1-1 in a game played at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday.

  Arizona fell behind early when former Phoenix FC player Travis Bowen score for ‘Los Dos’ following a nifty back heel pass from Jack McBean.

  United struggled to find the net in open play getting just one shot on goal early that was saved by LA goal keeper Cody Laurendi.

  Arizona’s luck changed late in the game a handball was called against Galaxy II just outside the 18-yard box.  Scott Morrison set up to take the free kick and curled a shot in to the far post just past the outstretched hand of Laurendi.

LA Galaxy II goal keeper Cody Laurendi reaches for a ball kicked by Arizona United's Scott Morrison. Arizona was awarded a free kick after a handball was called against a Galaxy II player just outside the penalty area.

  The draw gave Arizona five points in the last four games.  The team now has 15 points and are 13 games into the 28 game regular season.

  Ten of the teams 15 remaining games are road games with the team needing to take two more trips to the East to play Wilmington, Charleston and Pittsburgh.

  Only one team in Arizona’s remaining schedule sit below United in the standings—Pittsburgh.

Below is a list of Arizona’s remaining home games:

June 28 vs Orange County

July 19 vs Orange County

August 2 vs Sacramento

August 16 vs Pittsburgh

August 22 vs OKC Energy FC

  Tickets are available at ArizonaUnited.com.

  All games are also streamed live on the team’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/ArizonaUnitedSoccer.

LA Galaxy Escapes With Win Over Arizona United

 

LA Galaxy's Gyasi Zardes, Rob Friend and Juninho prepare to kick off against Arizona United on June 18.

Arizona United Soccer Club’s opportunity to extend it’s history-making run came to an end Wednesday evening after a 2-1 loss to the LA Galaxy in a game played at Peoria Sports Complex.

  Arizona United hosted LA in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a national tournament open to varying levels American soccer teams with the winner claiming the right to a national championship.

  LA came out fast and Arizona was on its heels for the first several minutes of the game, but United found their bearings and countered and attacked against the Galaxy and keeping possession a fair amount of time during the first half.

  Arizona’s persistent attacks paid off in the 36th minute of the game when forward Kadeem Dacres was able to strike a ball to the feet of Arizona captain and midfielder Matt Kassel who was able to deflect the ball past LA goalkeeper Jaime Penedo and into the net.

  “It was a decent buildup in the midfield,” Kassel said following the game. “(Danny) Antunez swung the ball out to Kadeem and I saw him pick his head up and made run to the middle of the goal. The ball got by and it was just and easy tap in for me”

  Arizona kept LA scoreless for the first half, but, as has been an issue this year the team came out a little slow in the second half.

  Early in the second half the Galaxy scored twice on goals by Gyasi Zardes. In each case, Zardes was able to drift into space between the Arizona defense and deflected headers into the net during the 51st and 53rd minutes.

  “That’s what a big-time striker does,” Arizona head coach Michael Dellorusso said following the game. “It makes you pay when you’re not on.”

  Dellorusso went on to say Arizona United “had a couple of mental lapses and they now it.”

  Nevertheless, consider the fact that Arizona United did not exist 100 days ago, Dellorusso was extremely happy with his team’s performance.

  Arizona United’s game against the LA Galaxy drew the largest crowd of the year to see the game with an announced attendance of 4,016.

  “I was extremely happy with the crowd-their support,” Dellorusso said. “They’re there to the last minute. I can ‘t express how I feel about the fans. They’re great. 

  “Hopefully we keep moving in the fright direction so they’ll have something to cheer for.”

Arizona United SC's Winless Streak Ends With 1-0 Victory Over Rochester

It's been a long time coming, but Arizona United SC's winless streak in USL PRO competition finally ended after 1-0 victory over the Rochester Rhinos in a game played at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday.

The game was scoreless for 75 minutes before a handball in the penalty area by Rhino defender Patrick Slogic drew a yellow card and a trip to the penalty mark for Jonathan Top.

Top sized up the shot and kicked a low shot to the right post. Rhino keeper Luis Soffner managed to lay a glove on the ball but was not able to parry the ball away and it ricocheted into the back of the net.

The goal was Top's second goal of the season and was scored in his last game on loan from FC Dallas.

Arizona United's Jonathan Top kicks the winning goal on a penalty kick during the 75th minute versus Rochester.

Prior to the win United had not won game since a May 10 game played at Harrisburg.The team had gone 0-3-2 in league play since that time with two victories coming in U.S. Open Cup matches.

Following the game Top talked about the momentum the win will give Arizona United as the prepare to face LA Galaxy in round four of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday.

"Any type of win anywhere gives you a boost," Top said. "Going into the game against Galaxy we not just going to show up. We're showing up to try to win the game.

"I'm just happy my team a little bit of confidence going into that game."

Arizona United goal keeper Evan Newton watches as a shot hits the crossbar late in the game versus Rochester.

Arizona United goal keeper Evan Newton earned his second clean sheet of the season, facing six shots and making two saves.

Arizona United SC Head Coach Mike Dellorusso

United head coach Mike Dellorusso credited Newton for keeping the back four organized during the game which limited Rochester's shooting opportunities.

"If he organizes people in front of him he realizes that makes his job easier," Dellorusso said. "He did a great job with that."

Dellorusso also added that the victory over Rochester will put Arizona's players in the right mindset leading to the LA Galaxy game.

"Obviously going in with a win hopefully these guys have a little bit of confidence," he said.

"Everybody's excited for that."

Arizona United’s Winless Streak Extended With Loss to Dayton

Arizona United SC’s winless streak was extended to five games following a surprising 2-1 loss to the visiting Dayton Dutch Lions in a game played Wednesday at Peoria Sports Complex.

It was a cruel loss, made even more unbearable because of a referee decision to reverse a tying goal by Arizona near the end of the game.

Arizona (3-6-2) started sluggish and had to defend their own goal aggressively for the first several minutes of the game. Dayton’s attack was finding its way through the Arizona back four defenders and challenging United goalkeeper Evan Newton often.

Dayton struck first during the fifth minute with a goal by forward Aaron Schoenfeld during a confusing defensive sequence which allowed Schoenfeld to penetrate the Arizona back line. Schoenfeld’s initial shot hit the right post and ricocheted right back to his feet and he was able to tap the ball in for the score.

Arizona did not stay down for long as a newcomer - Rodney Wallace, on a two-game loan from the Portland Timbers - quickly scored an equalizer on a throw in by Arizona’s Bradlee Baladez that was missed by a Dayton defender.  Wallace settled the ball near the edge of the 18-yard box and drove toward the goal unimpeded and finished with a massive strike that Dayton goal keeper Matt Williams had no opportunity to save, making the score 1-1 in the 18th minute.

“I made the run but the defender got in front of me,” Wallace said after the game. “It looked like I fouled him, but I made a good run and it was a good look by Bradlee and I was able to finish for the goal.”

Rodney Wallace scored a goal during the first game of
his two-game loan from the MLS Portland Timbers side.

Dayton regained the lead 18 minutes later on a second goal by Schoenfeld.  Schoenfeld had a ball kicked away from a United player fall at his feet and he quickly turned and after a few brief touches fired a shot from 25 yards out. Despite a sprawling attempt by Newton to bat the ball away it still found the back of the net and gave Dayton a 2-1 lead.

Arizona appeared to score the equalizer near the end of regulation play when Kadeem Dacres kicked ball into a tangle of bodies in the goal area and the ball was deflected into the net by Baladez. The goal was initially awarded to Arizona, but after much protest from Dayton players and discussion among the head referee and linesman the goal was reversed, leaving Arizona with a 2-1 deficit.

A late game goal by Arizona United's Bradlee Baladez was disallowed on a delayed off side call. 

Following the game Arizona head coach Michael Dellorusso said he was told the linesman thought Bradlee didn’t touch the ball. “So that’s why he didn’t call offsides,” Dellorusso said. “But then when (the referees) discussed it then the center referee said Bradlee had touched the ball.”

The touch by Baladez resulted in a delayed offside and the goal was erased from the board, leaving Arizona with a 2-1 deficit.

As for the game overall, Dellorusso said, “We lost the game. We didn’t deserve to win.

“We did the one thing we didn’t want to do. We gave them confidence. We knew they were a tired team. We came out flat.

“A couple individuals just didn’t step up their game tonight . We’ll learn from it and the guys who want to play will play.”

Arizona United, currently playing with several players on loan, will lose those players soon as MLS teams begin Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play. The departure of some more experienced players is going to leave some gaps.

When asked who is going to have to step up to fill those gaps Dellorusso said, “Everybody. A lot of young guys need to learn what the professional world is all about.”

Next up Arizona United faces the Rochester Rhinos in a game played at Peoria Sports Complex this Saturday.

On Wednesday, June 18, Arizona United will face Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy in round four of the Open Cup.

Arizona United's Jonathan Top attempts to deflect Dayton goal keeper Matt Williams' clearance.

Arizona United's Jalen Robinson (27) has seen limited playing time but played the full 90 minutes against Dayton.

Arizona United goal keeper Evan Newton tracks a crossing ball by Dayton's Cameron Vickers. The ball landed on the roof of the net resulting in a goal kick for Arizona.