Sporting AZ FC

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: Sporting AZ lone UPSL team left after PK upset of Phoenix Rising

May 21, 2018 by Anthony Totri

Players from Sporting AZ celebrate during the club's 2018 US Open Cup match against Phoenix Rising. Photo: Sporting AZ — Players from Sporting AZ celebrate during the club’s 2018 US Open Cup match against Phoenix Rising. Photo: Sporting AZ FC

Sporting AZ FC was anything but favored against USL side Phoenix Rising in the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Wednesday night. However, Sporting AZ found itself on the right side of a 5-4 penalty shootout to continue its Cinderella run through the tournament.

Sporting AZ defender Eijin Kishimoto rifled a shot to the bottom left corner of the goal, causing an eruption of cheers from teammates and fans.

Even so, those same fans were biting their nails throughout the contest as Phoenix Rising hit its opponent with a relentless bombardment of offensive attacks. After the first 15 minutes of the match, Rising pushed Sporting AZ’s defense to a near collapse.

Phoenix Rising’s Kevaughn Frater, Chris Cortez and Alessandro Riggi slowly but surely maneuvered their way through their opponent’s tight defensive formation.

In the 64th minute, Sporting AZ’s defense reached its breaking point when Cortez got behind a couple defenders to find the back of the net.

“We were the underdogs and wanted to fight,” said Sporting AZ midfielder Danny Arrubla. “And have that Cinderella story keep going throughout the Open Cup.”

The only reason that story continues is because Arrubla wasted merely three minutes to even the score.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t a ridiculously heavy push from the midfielders and forwards to carry out the attack. Instead, Sporting AZ kept to its game plan that proved successful for the first 63 minutes – counter attack.

Beat @PHXRisingFC tonight! Here’s the winning PK and @SportingAZFC is on to the 3rd round baby! ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/ETpVZPzATo

— Danny Arellano (@Danny13arellano) May 17, 2018

After finding themselves knotted up at one a piece with less than 25 minutes to play, exhaustion began to set in. Multiple substitutions were made, and neither teams’ coaches appeared too pleased with their squads’ offensive display.

It wasn’t until the allotted 90 minutes of regular time was up till the pace picked up again.

“We just worked 15 by 15,” said Sporting AZ forward Ryan Flood. “We set it out, and we said you know what ‘we’re going to grind for 15 minutes and put ourselves in a good position’.”

The team once known as the Arizona Sahuaros had a chance in the 110th minute when Tony Cascio split two defenders on a run up the middle. Except, his attempt didn’t bear any fruit.

Sporting AZ again had an opportunity to secure an edge in the 112th minute on a free kick from roughly 35 yards out. The ball ended up in the dirt past the far right post.

After Sporting AZ failed to capture a lead, Phoenix Rising got its chance in the 118th minute on a free kick awarded after a handball.

“(Our defenders are) tough guys,” said assistant coach Tom Hurdle. “They will put their heads in there at the last minute, and they’ll do whatever it takes to clear a ball. I wasn’t particularly worried, because I know they’d been doing it for the previous 118 minutes anyways.”

A cross was launched to the back post where it appeared to be headed in by a Rising player. Phoenix’s bench rose to its feet and cheered – a little too early.

The header didn’t connect with the back of the net. Rather, it just missed the bottom left corner.

With neither team able to prove victorious after 120 minutes and change, it was time for a penalty shootout.

Phoenix Rising missed the first and sixth attempt. On the other side, Sporting AZ nailed five of their six shots, all but one finishing in the bottom left corner of the goal.

Sporting AZ will play Fresno FC of the USL next week in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Sporting AZ edges FC Arizona in budding rivalry in the desert

May 16, 2018 by Gilberto Hernandez

Players from Sporting AZ (blue) and FC Arizona challenge for the ball in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Arianna Grainey

Two Phoenix teams separated by fewer than 20 miles squared off in the First Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Sporting AZ FC of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) got the better of the National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) FC Arizona with a 1-0 win in the tournament debut for both clubs.

A single goal in the 72nd minute by Sporting captain Jon Guse sealed the deal for Sporting AZ. The game-winning goal came off a scramble in front of the goal following a corner kick.

It was a physical match between two teams that are not only competing for fans in the same metropolitan area, but for talent on the field. Several players on the Sporting AZ roster played for FC Arizona last year, and Sporting head coach Aidan Davison was on the FC Arizona sideline last year. This added to the drama of the first meeting between these two clubs.

As the match progressed, each side traded possession for some time, and led to numerous chances for both sides. As both teams had shots that hit the post in the first half.

Sporting AZ coach Aidan Davison summed up the match performance as “ugly, but effective,” noting that “…with cup soccer, it’s about getting to the next round.”

In a post-game interview, Guse mentioned that the difference in the second half came from pushing up and pressing on the defense, and it helped create more chances. As the game wore on, that press gave Sporting AZ some notable chances, such as a 3-on-2 counter cut off in the penalty box in the 89th minute.

Aside from the FC Arizona players that defected to Sporting AZ, the NPSL side was also missing six starters due to being cup tied because they took part in the US Open Cup’s open division qualifying tournament. According to the tournament rules that were put in place a few years ago, any player who appears in a qualifying game is cup-tied with that club for the remainder of the tournament, through to the US Open Cup Final.

“It’s tough at this level to be missing six starters,” FC Arizona head coach Maxi Viera. “It’s been a weird year, we deserve to win some games but haven’t. But today I am not going to take anything away from Sporting … They deserve to win.”

Sporting AZ FC will look to balance their schedule with an added home game against Phoenix Rising FC, where the USL side will make a trip across the east valley to Campo Verde High School in Gilbert, to play the Second Round matchup on May 16.

Arianna Grainey also contributed to this report

2018 Meet the Underdogs: Arizona Sahuaros are reborn as Sporting AZ FC

May 8, 2018 by Yvette Sanchez

Sporting AZ FC poses for a team photo before a recent UPSL game. Photo: Sporting AZ FC

Gilbert, Arizona is getting noticed for much more than the heat and scenery. The town is home to Sporting Arizona Football Club, or better known to the local fans as Sporting AZ FC.

The team that traces its roots back to 1989 when they were founded as the Phoenix Hearts in the Southwest Independent Soccer League. The team played under a few different names in the 1990s (Arizona Cotton, Arizona Phoenix) before joining the USL’s D3 Pro League in 1997 as the Arizona Sahuaros. The Sahuaros made six US Open Cup appearances (1998, 1999, 2006, 2008-10), advancing four times in 10 games. After six years in the D3 Pro League, the Sahuaros transitioned into an amateur team where they were a founding member of the NPSL in 2003 (originally called the Men’s Premier Soccer League). The team was an on-again, off-again member of the NPSL until the club when on hiatus in 2011.

The Sahuaros were revived in 2014 when Barry Rybicki and former Sahuaros assistant coach Tim Marchisotto bought the team and the club played an exhibition game schedule from 2014-16 before re-brandeding as Sporting AZ FC and joining the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) at the end of 2016.

Sporting began play in the UPSL in the spring of 2017 and have built some momentum both on and off the field. The team splits their home games between Highland High School and Campo Verde High School, both of them located in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert.

The caliber of this team is not to be taken lightly, with head coach Aidan Davison, who has a strong resume from his playing days. Davison was a goalkeeper who represented Northern Ireland at the international level and played for a number of English clubs such as Bolton Wanderers, Millwall, and Bradford City. With his professional experience, he makes sure that his men are at their best to perform on the field.

On this particular day, practice at Chandler-Gilbert Community College starts promptly at 6:45 a.m. and goes on till 9 a.m. With the scorching Arizona heat, these men are playing at full effort. Sweat dripping from their faces, dives and kicks, not one beat is skipped.

When it comes to Sporting AZ FC and their mission, Davison is clear when he says, “Simply to improve soccer in this area, offer a quality product for the community, spring ball players at the professional level, and provide a really solid professional club so everyone can be proud of it.”

The team has returning players under coach Davison, but they’re new to the Sporting AZ family. With his dynamic coaching style, the team fuses well as if they’ve been a solid unit for years.

Players come from all around the globe to be apart of this team. 27 year-old Costa Rican native, Alejandro Aguilar has been in the United States since 2010 and playing for Sporting AZ for the last two years.

“This team has a good organization and a great mission, that’s what called my attention to them,” said Aguilar, who like other Spanish-speaking players, hasn’t let a language barrier hold him back in blending in with the team.

One player they will be missing from last season is goalkeeper Jake Rybicki, the son of Sporting AZ majority owner Barry Rybicki. Rybicki recently signed with Malta First Division club Hibernians FC, who just advanced to the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifying.

The opening round match between Sporting and FC Arizona has an extra layer of drama, aside from the fact that the two teams are separated by less than 20 miles. Coach Davison used to coach the team and many of the players on the Sporting roster were on the FC Arizona team that finished the regular season with an undefeated record (12-0-4) in their inaugural season in the NPSL. Mo Salama, Jon Guse, Alejandro Aguilar, David Paul, Kenny McAvoy, Paul LaMarca, and Andrew Weber, who was part of the 2015 MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers.

This team has the potential to be a well-oiled machine by the time they make their US Open Cup debut against FC Arizona (NPSL) in the First Round on May 9. With all the right pieces working in unison, coach Davison expects to make a run in the tournament to put Arizona soccer on the map.

2018 US Open Cup qualifying: Kendall Wanderers earn first Open Cup berth with win over Mass United

November 20, 2017 by Michael Preston

Boston’s Kendall Wanderers moved into the First Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time in the Bay State Soccer League club’s long history with a 2-1 win over Mass United.

This season’s BSSL runners-up enjoyed more possession and chances than their United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) opponents in steady rain at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville, Mass. The Wanderers survived a late scare and held on to clinch a spot in the 105th edition of the tournament which is scheduled to begin in May of 2018.

Dave Sheehan broke the deadlock six minutes before halftime as the Wanderers left back ventured down the flank and chipped the advancing United keeper with a finish that was hacked clear in desperation, but had crossed the line. Mass United might have leveled deep into added time with the last kick of the half by Mohamed Saeed saw a chance roll agonizingly across the face of goal.

United had strong penalty claims for handball waved away after 62 minutes but Kendall had begun to take the upper hand with left wing raids through Francis Mulhern twice causing problems. In the 67th minute, Ian Sweeney saw a clear chance parried away and the loose ball fell to Mitch Justice, who was unable to react to the quick rebound, his finish deflected away for a corner.

Kendall Wanderers’ pressing paid off in the 73rd minute when the same three players combined to take a 2-0 lead. Justice picked up a loose ball 40 yards from goal, found Mulhern racing down the left, and his low cross was directed home from close range by Sweeney, formerly of Athlone Town of the League of Ireland.

Two minutes from fulltime, Mass United could have halved the deficit through Majid Saeed but he was unable to capitalize. However, United made the second half’s three minutes of injury time interesting, when a curling finish from Jeff Thomas wide on the left found the back of the net. That late goal would be too little, too late as the Wanderers would clinch a spot in the US Open Cup for the first time.

2018 US Open Cup qualifying: Sporting AZ wins one-sided battle of Arizona to qualify

November 19, 2017 by Yvette Sanchez

Sporting AZ FC earned its spot in the first round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with their 6-1 win over Galati FC.

Alejandro Aguilar scored a pair of goals to lead Sporting, the club formerly known as the Arizona Sahuaros, to their first US Open Cup berth since the new club was launched last January.

At the 4:30 mark Sporting AZ’s Alejandro Aguilar put the ball in the middle with a deflection from Galati, and it went in for the early lead, setting the tone for the entire night.

It was 15 minutes later that teammate Jose Ramos would kick it in with an assist from Robert Paul. Galati would remain scoreless through out the rest of the first half.

Sporting head coach Aiden Davison said, “We were effective, that’s about it, we’ve got a lot of work to do,” when it came to his teams performance throughout the night.

Andrew Weber Sporting AZ goalkeeper, said, “First half was a little sloppy on our part,” but they would quickly change the tempo, “I think we cleaned it up and got one right away in the second half.”

Sporting AZ, with a goal kicked in by Alejandro Aguilar, made the score 3-0 46 minutes into the game.

The goals would keep on coming, the 78-minute mark of the game would finally prove effective for Galati, making the score 4-1.

The deficit would quickly go to 5-1 at the 79-minute mark with a goal by Aguilar once again, with an assist from Jaime Olabarria.

In the closing minutes Galati’s Pablo Ramirez was red carded for throwing the ball at a member of Sporting AZ, in not the best of areas.

Weber said, “I just think defensively we were really solid.” The team is now going to regroup and focus on the 2018 tournament.

Davison said about their performance, “We’ve just got to do a lot of work on the training ground, which we will be doing because there some huge improvements to be made.”

Weber agreed with his coach saying, “Just regroup and get things tighter you know, as the rounds go on it get tougher and tougher and I think this group can definitely make a run at it if we get things tighter.”

Sporting AZ would finish the game with a score of 6-1 and will see their next opponents in 2018 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2: Sporting AZ defeats Inter EmpireWorks behind second half rally

October 25, 2017 by Adam Uthe

MORE: 2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Results/Schedule

Inter EmpireWorks FC took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but it wasn’t enough as Sporting AZ stormed back with goals from Cesar Mexia, David Alton, and Jose Ramos in the second half and advanced to the third round of US Open Cup qualifying with a 3-1 victory.

Inter came out of the gate strong, registering a shot on target within the first 60 seconds of the game. They finally broke Sporting’s defense down in the 32nd minute when William Arechiga received a quick pass from Daniel Frias and buried a low, driven shot into the back of the net. Inter kept the pressure up and had it not been for a stellar performance from Sporting goalkeeper Andrew Weber, the margin might have been wider at halftime.

Sporting, however, regrouped at the break and their second half rally got started in the 56th minute when they were awarded a questionable penalty that Cesar Mexia calmly converted past Inter goalkeeper Christopher Salado. Seven minutes later, Jose Ramos found David Alton at the top of the box and Alton finished his chance to give the hosts a 2-1 lead. Ramos went on to score one himself to seal the win for Sporting in the 83rd minute.

WATCH: Sporting AZ FC vs. Inter Empireworks FC (Video Highlights)

The score line may not have accurately reflected Inter’s efforts, especially in the first half. Weber, a former MLS journeyman who has a handful of appearances to his name for five different MLS teams, finished the night with eight saves and had it not been for his efforts the outcome may have been different. He said as much after the game.

“We weathered the storm at the end and got the result. I’m very pleased about that.”

His coach, Aidan Davison, added that Sporting always had a chance to win; they just needed to take it.

“I think we were unfortunate to go down one-nil. We weren’t doing too much wrong. So it was a case of just sticking to the gameplan and believing in what we can do, and be effective, and we did that.”

Sporting won the Arizona Conference title during their inaugural season in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) this past spring, but Davison and nearly the entire roster were not part of that team. Regardless, after a solid opening win, they have momentum heading into their third round qualifier against Galati SC from the Arizona Champions League.

Sporting also has a solid Open Cup resume in it’s club history as they are a re-brand of the old Arizona Sahuaros, a club that has qualified for the tournament six times, twice as a D-3 Pro club (1998, 1999) and four times (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010) as an amateur side.

That next match will take place on Nov. 18 with the winner becoming the sixth open division amateur team to make the tournament from Arizona. In addition to the Sahuaros’ four trips to the In fact, four of the five previous teams to qualify were the Arizona Sahuaros (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010), the club that has ties to Sporting AZ.