With defense settled, Rising needs to look beyond just clean sheets

On a streak of five straight clean sheets, it’s clear that Phoenix Rising has resolved some of its defensive issues.

That’s something that previously troubled the club this year, and it wasn’t a focus until a disappointing home draw against Orange County.

“That’s when it started, the whole focus on the defending,” Rising coach Rick Schantz said. “We were dominating the game, and then they could easily get out of any sort of a counter press. They were finding [Erick] Torres or [Milan] Iloski and kind of killing us.”

Since drawing 2-2 at home to Orange County, Rising has conceded in just one of six games. Stability in the defensive lineup has proven key in the five Rising clean sheets, with Joe Farrell, James Musa and Darnell King starting at the back in each of those matches, and Joey Calistri featuring at right-back in four of them.

Yet, there’s still a chance for change in the back line. Center-back Marcus Ferkranus is seeking his debut with the club after arriving on loan from MLS side LA Galaxy. The 19-year-old represented the U.S. at under 20s level in the recent continental tournament.

“I remember having a conversation with Didier [Drogba] years back, and he talked about when the team is doing well, the best coaches can still make changes and make them for the right reason,” Schantz said. “As long as he’s training well and competing, and he’s one of the best center-backs on the field, he’ll earn it. He’s just getting accustomed to the way we play.

“He’s come off of a little bit of an ankle sprain that he got at the CONCACAF Championships, but I think he looks great. He looks so powerful, so strong. I’m really excited to give him an opportunity, and hopefully we’re winning and maybe have to go to three defenders, and that’s a chance to get him out there.”

While the team may be looking more defensively solid, it stil has issues to resolve in the attack. In four of the last five games, Rising’s opponent has also recorded a clean sheet.

Each game presents a different scenario,” Schantz said. “All 0-0 ties are not the same.”

In Louisville, Schantz explains, Rising enjoyed multiple chances against a serious title contender, but didn’t truly control the match. That story has been different in other recent games.

“The games at home, we’ve been somewhat dominant and we haven’t scored,” Schantz said. “I think a lot of that has to do with too much stationary attack. We play the ball to one guy, and everyone watches him dribble. That’s not OK. At this level, that does not work any more. The defenders are too good. The league has improved.

“There has to be more movement off the ball. There has to be more decoy runs, and there has to be more one- and two-touch passing and we have to shoot the ball. I mean, you can’t score if you don’t shoot, and I feel like we’re not even getting into positions where we want to take the shot.”

Now, Rising faces that critical clash against Orange County. The hosts are currently languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference.

“I think that the guys understand how close they are,” Schantz said. “That’s been a topic over the last few days, is no one’s really running away. Even at the top, it’s really competitive. Again, we’re not eliminated and we know we have an opportunity. While this game looks easy in standings, Orange County’s difficult, and it’s at their place, so we’re going to have to be exceptional.”

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