The Route Here

• Swope took 7^th seed in the West, with 53 points (15 wins, 8 draws, 11 losses). Rising finished 3^rd with 63 points (19 wins, 6 draws, 9 losses).
• Despite their positioning, Swope are one of the best teams in USL with the ball at their feet. They made the most passes in the league (17,514), have the second-best passing accuracy (82%), and have averaged 56% possession to date.
• The good news for Rising is that Swope are a mixed bag on the road. They won only two regular season away matches since the start of July, although their playoff victory will give them confidence coming into this game.

• Before the playoffs, Swope had failed to win any of their last five games against playoff sides. In fact, they’d only managed three victories against playoff teams in 15 meetings.
• In the Western Conference Quarterfinals, Swope upset #2 seed Sacramento Republic in California. The hosts took the lead first through Villyan Bijev, but two quick goals from Wan Kuzain and Barry ensured Swope visit the Valley tonight.  Uncharacteristically, Swope maintained only 41% possession, were sloppier than usual with the ball, and sat back at Papa Murphy’s Park.
• Meanwhile, Rising cruised to a 3-0 victory over Portland Timbers 2. Despite their prowess in attack, Phoenix failed to complete a single cross in that match. For the rest of the season, they’ve connected with just over 1 in 4 crosses.

Previous Meetings

• This is the third meeting between these two sides this season – but the first for five months.  It’s also the first meeting between the two teams since Rick Schantz took over from Patrice Carteron.
• The first clash was in Phoenix back in April. Billy Forbes gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 66^th minute, but a brace from Kharlton Belmar had reversed the lead with only two minutes of regular time remaining. Solomon Asante leveled it in the 90^th minute, and Rising held on for a point despite Kevon Lambert’s stoppage time dismissal.
• Swope hosted the return four weeks later, and it was a much simpler affair. Barry netted just four minutes in, and there were no further goals.
• Swope has an impressive possession record this season, and completely dominated their games against Rising. Over the two matches, they averaged 68.4% of the ball.
• If previous meetings are anything to go by, Rising can expect Swope to pass the ball about a lot – in fact, Rising made less than half the number of passes Swope recorded in those two games.
• Two of Swope’s goals against Rising this season came from a tight angle inside the six yard area. For one of them, which proved decisive in Kansas City, Barry pounced upon a ball spilled by Lubin to tuck it away.

• This game is a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Quarterfinal. Played over two days thanks to freak weather at half-time, Swope ultimately took the tie with a 4-2 win on penalties.

Three Stars

• Hadji Barry is the top scorer for Swope. With 18 goals, including the winner last Saturday, he’s a constant threat from the wing. The 25-year-old from Guinea joined SPR in January, having previously featured for Orlando City.
• Felipe Hernandez is a young, dangerous playmaker in the middle of the park. Finishing 5^th in USL’s 20 under 20, he’s definitely one to watch for the future, and currently leads Swope in chances created. With caps at U-19 level for the U.S., Rising cannot afford to ignore him.
• Graham Smith reads the game pretty well from the centre of defense. He leads the team in interceptions, having cut off 62 passes in 26 appearances. Smith is a first year USL player, and was drafted by Sporting Kansas City out of the University of Denver back in January. He’s made the Team of the Week on more than one occasion.

Final Facts

• In their last five away games (four in the regular season, and one in the playoffs), Swope scored all seven of their goals before the half-time break.
• Swope played in a 4-3-3 formation for 11 of their first 12 games this season. Since then, in all but one match, they’ve lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation. With Belmar and Barry usually in the starting XI, it’s unclear if their lineup is playing more conservatively or if the league has simply reclassified the wingers as midfielders.
• Former Arizona United forward Tyler Blackwood will likely feature for the visitors tonight. He’s scored seven times this season in 33 appearances. Blackwood was part of the 2016 United team, and scored eight league goals for the club.

From the Ashes Prediction:  Rising to edge through in Extra Time.