In what has become the most fervent rivalry in the USL Championship, San Diego Loyal came out with a dramatic 3-2 win over Phoenix Rising on Saturday night at Wild Horse Pass Stadium in Chandler, Ariz.
San Diego had to make an early adjustment after midfielder Jack Metcalf left the game due to a leg injury just five minutes into the game with forward Evan Conway being subbed in to take his place. Conway would immediately make his presence felt by creating a couple of scoring chances with the third one being the charm in the 38th minute thanks to his left-footed strike from just inside the box that got by the outstretched arm of Phoenix goalkeeper Ben Lundt.
San Diego would continue to create chances before halftime, tacking on another score in the first minute of added time after forwards Thomas Amang and Kyle Vassell hooked up on a beautiful give and go that the 29-year-old Englishman ended up placing in the back of the net.
“We believe that we can come here and win,” said San Diego Loyal head coach Landon Donovan. “I think most teams come here intimidated and we don’t, we come here with the intention to score and beat them. We probably should have scored five or six goals.”
The second half started off with Phoenix Rising gaining more possession and pushing lines forward in order to get back in the game with their efforts paying off in the 66th minute when midfielder Aodhan Quinn sent a 30-yard cross into the box that found teammate James Musa who headed the ball past San Diego goalkeeper Koke Vegas.
The home team continued to feed off the crowd after gaining momentum taking advantage quickly courtesy of a long-distance strike by midfielder Luis Manuel Seijas in the 71st minute. At this point, San Diego Loyal players and fans must have been having flashbacks to the June 5, 2021 match against Phoenix where San Diego also had a 2-0 lead in the second half but saw it slip away having to settle for a draw after giving up two late goals.
This did not come to be though after forward Alejandro Guido put on the afterburners and ran by the Phoenix defense shooting an absolute rocket into the top right corner of the net for the 3-2 lead that they did not relinquish.
“After going up two goals, conceding two goals, and to still keep going and win, it was an unbelievable performance,” Donovan added. “It’s easy to collapse when you give up two goals like that when you feel you should be up three or four to zero. They mustered up the energy, the emotional energy, to just grind.”
San Diego Loyal has now won three of its first four matches to start the regular season, which is a far cry from last year when it lost its first four. The team now heads back home to play El Paso Locomotive on April 3 at Torero Stadium followed by the long-awaited San Diego Derby on Wednesday, April 6 against Albion San Diego at Canyon Crest Academy Stadium in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
