Phoenix Rising extends unbeaten streak with draw against Indy Eleven

Phoenix Rising FC salvaged a point Wednesday night with a draw against Indy Eleven, but the club was seconds from securing more, which could've helped in a tight USL playoff race with just four games remaining.

Carlos Harvey's goal looked like it might be enough to gain a win and 2 points in the standings for the Rising. But just before the final whistle in extra time, Indy Eleven was awarded one final corner kick opportunity. Cam Lindley delivered an immaculately curved cross from the right flag, finding Adrian Diz for a header into the Rising goal for a 95th minute equalizer.

The 1-1 draw extended Phoenix's unbeaten streak to six matches, with four games left in the regular season. The Rising dropped to fifth place in the Western Conference standings, with 46 points, which is six points ahead of the sixth through eighth teams, which each have 40 points. The top eight in the USL Western Conference make the playoffs.

"We have to be better at home," Rising coach Juan Guerra said after the match. "Teams cannot come over here and we cannot waste 45 minutes. That's what we did tonight."

The club took time Wednesday to celebrate the return for form Rising two-time USL MVP, Solomon Asante, now with Indy. But, as Guerra referenced, the club struggled in the first half.

Throughout the first half, Indy Eleven primarily occupied the Rising's side of the field as Phoenix struggled to retain possession and establish any scoring opportunities. Center-back John Stenberg worked to advance Phoenix's play from the backline, trying to deliver long balls ahead into space, but the connections weren't coming together. The Rising's shot tally was limited to three compared to Indy's seven in the half.

The Rising adjusted its strategy in the second half. Instead of their usual 3-4-3 setup, Guerra elected for a 4-2-3-1 formation. This saw Danny Trejo shifting his position from from the right flank to the left side side of the pitch. Also, midfielder Panos Armenakas, who netted his first home goal in the previous game, was subbed in during the 58th minute.

During the 75th minute, midfielder Dariusz Formella located Armenakas in unguarded area with ample room to advance. Armenakas' got off a solid, left-footed shot from outside the box but it curbed directly at the goalkeeper. Overall, the club had eleven more shot attempts in the second half.

Harvey knocked the ball out wide to Trejo in the 80th minute. With just one defender to beat, Trejo executed a step-over scissor move with finesse, leading to a left-footed cross and a Harvey header to the back of the net for Rising's only goal.

"We are versatile, we can transform really quickly and adapt very quickly to different scenarios," Guerra said. "The thing was, we were not clean in the first half. Even in the second half, we were better, but we were not up to the standards that we have to hold."

When the referee indicated five minutes of stoppage time during the 90th minute, which is tacked on to the clock at the end, disgruntled Rising fans expressed their disapproval, believing it was to much time added, which allowed Indy to secure the goal that tied the match.

Despite the poor first-half, Guerra was optimistic after the match.

"Now, the reality is the team is in a good run, the team is doing things well, the team is defending well, the team is attacking well. We are in a good run of form, we now have to carry on from this and learn from this so it doesn't happen later on where it can really cost us. It's very good that we play again Saturday."

Phoenix plays on the road at El Paso Locomotive FC Saturday at 6:30 p.m..

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Rising extends unbeaten streak with draw against Indy Eleven