Rising coach Rick Schantz was not entirely confident in his side’s chances heading into its home opener, he told reporters in a press conference on Tuesday.
“Usually, I have a good feeling going into games a day or two before,” he said, “but until that referee blew the whistle, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.”
Rising went on to dominate the match 4-1, but most of the team’s starters had failed to impress in a string of friendlies running up to the San Diego game.
“All of preseason, I had this feeling that our veterans were taking the long road,” Schantz said. “We weren’t really putting together a lot of significantly strong minutes, but you watched us when we played the MLS teams down in Tucson and it looked like a team with a lot of desire and a lot of passion. So I knew it was there, it’s just a matter of trusting them that they are going to turn it on.”
“When you walk into that stadium and there’s 5,000 fans, the lights are on, the music’s playing, as I watched our players walk through that tunnel, they looked like giants. Their shoulders were back. Their heads were held high. That was the time I knew O.K., we’re fine.”
Rising’s Santi Moar and Kevon Lambert were both named to the Team of the Week after their performances, with Jon Bakero given an honorable mention. All three scored in the victory.
Fellow midfielder Aodhan Quinn – the only member of the central trio not to be recognized in the League’s weekly awards – also found the net on the night. However, if Rising had approached the offseason differently, his manager revealed that Quinn could have been lining up in the opposition strip.
“I know San Diego and everyone else in the league was bidding for him this offseason, and I am sure glad we won that bidding war,” Schantz said.
Rising is now set to sign an additional goalkeeper on loan from an MLS side, although Schantz declined to reveal the player’s name “because I think paperwork has to be processed.” The loan signing is needed after Andre Rawls suffered a grade-one groin strain that could keep him out of the side for two weeks. Zac Lubin is expected to be months away from playing after undergoing back surgery last week.
Next, Rising looks ahead to its second test of the season: against an Oakland side yet to play a match in the second tier. Instead of past experience, Schantz is having to rely on contacts at clubs who have played against Roots in preseason.
“I’ve spoken to coaches and players from teams that they’ve played against,” the Rising coach said. “We’ve done our homework. We’ve got an idea of what their shape is and how they like to build out.”
The hosts’ preparation has been complicated by the departure of Dario Pot as Oakland head coach, casting some doubt on how the side will line up. However, Schantz says that regardless of their advanced scouting, his players will have to be at their best to succeed on the weekend.
“We have this saying around here that every time we play, when you watch film and we try to look at their strengths and weaknesses, when they come to Phoenix, it’s going to be 10 percent better,” he said. “You better be prepared for it, because we always get our opponents’ best.”
Rising will face Oakland Roots on Saturday at 7:30 p.m at Wild Horse Pass.
Need more buildup to Saturday’s match? Catch Rising Matchday on Saturday morning at 9, streaming on YouTube and Facebook.