With stoppage time winding down and Phoenix Rising FC headed for a disappointing draw, midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips received a pass near the top of the box, took a light touch to his right, and then fired the final shot of the match into the back of the net to give Rising FC a much-needed 2-1 victory over OKC Energy Saturday night in front of a 6,295 fans.
“I was so fortunate to be where I was sitting because I could see (the shot) perfect and I’ve seen him do that many times in training and many times in the EPL,” sad Interim Head Coach Rick Schantz.
Phoenix Rising FC appeared headed for a deflating draw. Clinging to a 1-0 lead, defender JJ Greer Jr was called for a penalty, extending a much-needed life line for Energy FC. Kyle Hyland buried the shot from the spot to equalize at 1-1. One minute later, Wright-Phillips sent the capacity crowd home with smiles on their faces
“Since I was a kid, Kevin Keegan…always said to me shoot across the face of the goal because if the keeper saves it he parries it into someone’s path so when I’m when that side I always go back across,” Wright-Phillips said. “I don’t think he saw it which benefited me, so he just stood still which is perfect for us in the dying seconds.”
