Phoenix FC’s road trip moves on to Florida
Jun 6, 2013, 11:09 PM | Updated: 11:51 pm
Playing on the road has proven to be a tough task for Phoenix FC this season, but this week offers another chance to pick up at least three points away from home with matches at Orlando City SC on Friday, June 7, and VSI Tampa Bay on Sunday, June 9. The Orlando City match is set for 4:30 p.m. Arizona time, while the VSI Tampa Bay match kicks off at 4:00 p.m.
The Wolves are 2-7-3 heading into the Orlando match. Phoenix FC has not earned three points from a match since April 28, raising its winless streak to six league matches. With six matches left to play on the road in the regular season, it’s a situation the club hopes to change quickly.
The team’s play on the road appears to have improved, as Phoenix FC trailed by multiple goals at Pittsburgh and Dayton during a May road trip. At Richmond and Wilmington last week, the Wolves fell 1-0 and 2-1, respectively, in a pair of tightly-played matches.
Defender Donny Toia has the only goal in the first two matches of the current road swing, scored against Wilmington last Saturday. Toia’s three goals in USL PRO play lead the club, though midfielder Diego Faria also has three goals across league and U.S. Open Cup play.
Phoenix FC fell 3-1 to Orlando City in Tempe on April 7, the third match of the season. Diego Faria scored the team’s lone goal. This will be the final regular-season meeting of 2013 for the two teams.
The Lions, at 8-1-2 and 26 points, are atop the USL PRO standings and are undefeated in nine straight league matches. Orlando City has also advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup, where it plays its MLS partner club, Sporting Kansas City, on June 12.
The Lions boast the top scorer in the league in Dom Dwyer, who has 13 goals. That already ties him for the league single-season record in goals with the season not even halfway through.
Phoenix FC’s first-ever win as a franchise came against VSI Tampa Bay FC on March 30 in Tempe. Netinho [[ Ne-TEEN-yo ]] scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory, the first official goal in franchise history.
At 5-3-1, VSI Tampa Bay is in sixth place in the 13-team USL PRO with 16 standings points. Andriy Budnyy’s four goals lead his club in that category.
Both matches will be streamed on live at http://www.uslnation.com.
At the conclusion of the road trip, Phoenix FC returns home for its next two matches, the first of which is on June 15 against MLS club Real Salt Lake’s reserves.
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