Fresno (15 wins, 8 draws, 5 losses) currently sits in third place in the Western Conference, with 53 points from 28 games. That’s 18 points behind Rising (22 wins 5 draws, 2 losses) , who have played a game more. Fresno has the same points as Reno, in second place, but trail on games won.
Fresno hasn’t lost a home match in its last ten – a run that stretches all the way back to May. The last team to defeat them at Chukchansi Park was Sacramento (1-0) on May 8.
Fresno is most lethal during the second half of play, scoring just over 60 percent of its home goals after the break.
They concede on average just under a goal a game at home. Their weakest periods are at the end of each half.
LAST MEETING
In an early season encounter on April 6, Rising and Fresno played out a 0-0 draw in the desert. That marked the second draw in three encounters between the two sides.
Phoenix proved unable to make the most of its advantage in possession (63.4% ) and in the air (70.7%). The hosts also failed to capitalize on Seth Moses’ 40th minute red card.
Overall, Rising outshot Fresno 23-4, but managed only two on target to Fresno’s three.
Arun Basuljevic, who played that night, will be unavailable for selection after suffering a season-ending broken fibula last month.
LAST XI
Fresno lined up in a 4-4-2 formation as it defeated Rio Grande Valley 5-0 in midweek.
C.J. Cochran has been ever-present in the Fresno goal. In those 28 games, he’s conceded 31 goals, and kept seven clean sheets. That gives him a 68.7% save success rate. This is Cochran’s second spell with Fresno, after spending time with the club last year on loan from Nashville.
Zach Ellis-Hayden played at full-back against RGV, and is a key part of the Fresno defense. He’s easily won more duels than anybody else on the team (202). Ellis-Hayden has also managed to win the team’s most fouls (59), concede the most fouls (42), and pick up the most yellow cards (6). This is full-back’s second season at Chukchansi Park. He was previously part of the setup at Orlando City.
On the opposite touchline in midweek was Alex Cooper. The Scottish left-back is a solid tackler (73.7% success rate) and is credible in the air (61.1%). When he was younger, Cooper attracted interest from both Old Firm clubs, as well as Chelsea. He signed for Liverpool, but found his development stifled by injuries. He joined Fresno last year on a free after being released by Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Scotland).
Mickey Daly featured at center-back against RGV, and has missed just one game all season. He can be beaten, winning less than half of all duels (46.5%) and aerial duels (45.9%). That’s a significant drop off from his past two seasons, when he averaged much closer to the 60% mark in both. Daly is originally from California, and is something of a USL journeyman. He’s featured for Sacramento Republic, Bethlehem Steel, the Carolina RailHawks and Oklahoma City Energy during his career.
Ramon del Campo is arguably the stronger of the center-half pairing. He hasn’t missed a minute of play this season, and leads the team in clearances (106) and blocks (26). He also boasts impressive numbers in the tackle (78.3%), in duels on the ground (62.3%), and duels in the air (66.7%). The center-half has also found the net three times, two of them being headers. Originally from Hermosillo, del Campo attended college at UC Davis. This is his second year with Fresno.
Emir Alihodzic played in central midfield in midweek. Relative to the rest of his team, he passes the ball a lot each match (47.2 per 90 mins), so is a crucial part of the Fresno midfield. A new signing for the Foxes this season, Alihodzic joined from Mladost Doboj Kakanj (Bosnia). He previously played in USL with Saint Louis and Sounders 2, and was the first Omaha Maverick to ever be picked in the MLS draft. He scored from the penalty spot in the 30th minute against RGV.
Hiroki Kurimoto boasts the best passing accuracy of any player with significant minutes on the team (87.2). He is, however, yet to set up a goal. Kurimoto was previously a feature for Honda FC, who compete in Japan’s fourth tier. The team is a perennial champion at its level, but always declines promotion to the J.League.
Fresno native Elijah Martin has been a regular in the team’s midfield this season. He previously played with Los Dos in USL, but left them after two years. Instead, he’s spent the last three years with Tampa Bay’s reserves and Fresno’s PDL side. Martin boasts a respectable 83.3% passing accuracy, and creates a chance every game on average.
Jackson can be dangerous from the wing. The Brazilian currently has three goals for Fresno, and leads the team with six assists. His career began with São Paulo, but after failing to establish himself, he moved to MLS with FC Dallas and Toronto. This is Jackson’s first season with Fresno.
Jamie Chavez leads the team with 11 goals. He’s on incredible form at the moment, bagging eight in his last nine games, including two against RGV in midweek. This has arguably been the finest season of his career, with the only competition coming in fall 2017 when he scored nine goals with seven assists over 15 games for Miami FC. Chavez moved to Fresno from the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the close season.
Qudus Lawal is currently the team’s second-highest scorer with nine goals. Like Chavez, he picked up two against RGV. He’s pretty versatile up top, scoring three with his left and five with his right, plus a header. This is Lawal’s first season with Fresno, but he has previous USL experience with Sounders 2 and the Wilmington Hammerheads.
NEW ACQUISITIONS
There’s been three new additions since Rising and Fresno met back in April.
Jems Geffrard signed for Fresno on a free transfer in mid-May. The central defender has made only four appearances since moving to Chukchansi Park, in part because he missed a large chunk of the season playing at the Gold Cup with Haiti. Geffrard came through Montreal’s academy setup, and made his professional debut with FC Montreal in USL in 2015. He also spent two seasons playing in Finland. Geffrard was left out of the squad against RGV in midweek, and at best will probably sit on the bench tonight.
Goalkeeper Matias Fernandez came through the ranks locally. He played in college at Fresno Pacific University, and also featured in the city’s PDL side. Fernandez is the sixth former Fresno Fuego on the 2019 roster, but he hasn’t managed to establish himself in the side yet. The 26-year-old is Fresno’s third-choice goalkeeper.
Suleiman Samura also previously featured for Fresno’s PDL side, but has had more of an impact since joining the club in late July. He’s played five matches, and his 81.7% passing accuracy suggests that he’s comfortable enough on the ball. However, the midfielder is yet to record either a goal or an assist.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Tonight’s referee is Elton Garcia. This is his second full season in the second-tier, and Garcia has taken charge of the most USL games this season (20). He’s had Rising twice this season – away to both RGV and Sacramento. Garcia is not quick to his back pocket: over his 33 career games at USL level, he’s only sent off two players, and those both came in the same game.
From the Ashes Prediction: It has to come to an end at some point. Fresno and Rising to share the spoils.