The Swope Park Rangers season came to a close at Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex with a 4-2 defeat versus Phoenix Rising FC on Friday. The back-to-back Western Conference champions' playoff run ended in the Western Conference Semifinal, where four goals were scored in the span of 14 minutes.
Hadji Barry would take a ball from Sporting KC Academy product Felipe Hernandez, but it would be a difficult angle and he would miss to the left of the post in the eighth minute. In the 13th minute, Sporting KC loanee Eric Dick would save an attempt put forth by Didier Drogba. Dick would have another great save in the 21st minute from a Jason Johnson header.
The next 14 minutes of the match would be a flurry of goals. Phoenix would take the lead in the 22nd minute when Johnson would take a shot from the left side of the box and put it away in the bottom right corner. Tyler Blackwood would equalize the match in the 26th minute with a right-footed shot. In the 33rd minute, Sporting KC loanee Kharlton Belmar would send a cross to Barry and Barry would find the bottom right corner of the net with a spectacular volley, putting the Rangers ahead 2-1. Phoenix’s Chris Cortez would then equalize in the 36th minute from a Drogba pass.
Hernandez would send a through ball from Blackwood to the goal in the 44th minute, but Carl Woszczynski would make the save. Phoenix would score in the opening minutes of the second half. Kevon Lambert would net one past Dick in the 48th minute to put the Rising up 3-2.
Dick would save an attempt in the 64th minute from Solomon Asante. In the 78th minute, Sporting KC loanee and SKC Academy product Wan Kuzain would take a ball from Hernandez and send it toward the goal, but it would be saved by Woszczynski.
Belmar would send a cross to Barry in the 89th minute, but Barry’s touch would be saved by the Phoenix goalkeeper. In the fourth minute of second half stoppage time, Phoenix would solidify their victory when Drogba would put one past Dick putting the 4-2 stamp on the match.
Notable Moment
The Rangers held 70 percent possession with 644 passes in the defeat. Nine Rangers had a passing accuracy over 80 percent.
Swope Park Rangers at Phoenix Rising FC
October 26, 2018 – Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex
Swope Park Rangers 2, Phoenix Rising FC 4
Scoring Summary:
PHX - Jason Johnson 9 (unassisted) 22'
SPR - Tyler Blackwood 8 (unassisted) 26'
SPR - Hadji Barry 19 (Kharlton Belmar 6) 33'
PHX - Chris Cortez 18 (Didier Drogba 2) 36'
PHX - Kevon Lambert 3 (unassisted) 48'
PHX - Didier Drogba 6 (Solomon Asante 9) 94+
Misconduct Summary:
PHX – Didier Drogba (Yellow Card) – 29’
SPR – Rassambek Akhmatov (Yellow Card) – 49’
Swope Park Rangers: Eric Dick; Amer Didic, Graham Smith ©, Justin Bilyeu, Colton Storm; Wan Kuzain, Rassambek Akhmatov (Wilson Harris 82), Felipe Hernandez (Sebastian Cruz 90); Kharlton Belmar, Hadji Barry, Tyler Blackwood
