There are less than two weeks to go until the playoffs start, and Phoenix Rising is gearing up for a month-long run at the league title.
“We talked about it before training today that this is the time where whatever issues you have as an individual player, whether it’s disappointed with playing time, whether it’s social media, whether it’s girlfriends or work or money, all that stuff has to be put aside,” Rising coach Rick Schantz said. “The most important thing is to come together as a team.”
Following a players’ meeting after training on Tuesday, defender Joe Farrell revealed that the more veteran voices on the team have been reminding their younger counterparts that the coming weeks are about “survival mode.”
“You have to play every game like it could be your last, like you’re playing for your contract, like you’re playing for your bonus,” Farrell said. “This is the moment that everyone remembers. You can have a great, great season, and then if you bow out in an early round in the playoffs, people won’t remember you. People remember the people who win trophies. This club is known for winning trophies and we’re still chasing the big one, and that’s our main focus now.”
Yet one match remains on the schedule for Rising before that time: a clash with Tacoma Defiance. For Schantz, keeping the players focused on that can be a challenge.
“I hope that they’re not paying attention to [the first playoff game],” he said. “I’m sure that they are because of social media, but it is difficult. It’s a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes, but the reality is, it’s who we are. It’s what we do here, and our expectations are to be competing for trophies and that’s what we want.”
That kind of a lapse in concentration could be seen last weekend, where Rising started slowly against a Sacramento Republic side that needed a win to retain any hope of playoff qualification.
The hosts rescued a draw late, but after the match, club captain Solomon Asante took center stage off the field.
“He got all the team in the locker room and he said ‘it starts with me. I didn’t play well in the first half, and I didn’t perform at the level that I’m capable of but we all have to pick it up’,” Schantz said. “When you know that your captain is saying exactly what you want to say to the team, I don’t even go in there after that. When I heard about that, I was ‘OK, the job is done. We have to move on to the next game.'”
Now, Rising faces yet another opponent that needs a result, with a win or draw potentially seeing Tacoma Defiance claim a spot in the postseason, subject to results elsewhere.
“We didn’t start particularly great this past weekend, or play in the first half with that same mentality,” Schantz said. “Now we have a chance to do it again against a team that has to win. I think it’ll be exciting. It’ll be fun, and Wade [Weber], their coach has done an amazing job with their team. Very, very young, but man, they’ve been fantastic this year, super exciting to watch. We have to be prepared, because it’s not going to be easy.”
Rising faces Defiance at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Wild Horse Pass.
Want to hear more? Preview Saturday’s game with Rising Matchday – streaming at 9 a.m. Saturday morning on YouTube and Facebook, and available on demand shortly after.