A late goal by Manuel Arteaga enabled Phoenix Rising to escape with a 2-2 draw with the visiting Oakland Roots on Saturday.
The match marked the first time that former Roots Coach Juan Guerra has faced off with his successor, Noah Delgado. Guerra left the club in midseason last year to take the Phoenix job and has since added two former Roots players to his roster, Alejandro Fuenmayor and José Hernández.
Phoenix had the first chance of the match in the 4th minute, when Federico Varela’s cross found Kevon Lambert just outside the six-yard box. Lambert took a half-step and fired a one-timer that bounced off the crossbar and went high up in the air. Oakland’s Neveal Hackshaw headed it to safety.
Oakland’s Darek Formella scored the first goal of the match five minutes later. The Roots used a chain of seven passes to bring the ball the length of the field, beginning with a clearance by goalkeeper Paul Blanchette. Joseph Nane dribbled it into the penalty area, then dished it off to Formella as he made his run along the left side. Formella’s left-footed shot scooted along the turf and settled just inside the far post.
Blanchette preserved Oakland’s lead in the 23rd minute, sprawling out to get his left hand on Federico Varela’s shot from the edge of the six-yard box.
But Phoenix got the equalizer in the 58th minute. Danny Trejo weaved through a group of Oakland defenders and slipped the ball over to Varela for the right-footed finish.
Oakland grabbed the lead again seven minutes later. Napo Matsoso stole an errant pass from Panos Armenakas and passed it over to Lindo Mfeka, who took a couple of dribbles and calmly deposited the ball into the back of the net. Mfeka also scored both goals in the Roots’ 2-0 win at Phoenix last season.
But the hosts salvaged a point in the 89th minute, when Erickson Gallardo’s low, bending corner kick squirted past Tarek Morad and Formella, giving Arteaga an easy tap-in at the far post.
The two clubs will have another chance to renew their burgeoning rivalry when they square off again in two weeks at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward.
