Phoenix Finding Thier Wings in USL
By Ian Thomson
Retiring Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson drove hundreds of miles every week during his time at Aberdeen to watch games in Scotland’s lower divisions, the Highland League and even amateur and youth levels.
“I knew all about it because I had to wash his car,” recalled former Dons defender David Robertson. “He had a silver Mercedes that would be caked in flies.”
Today’s sophisticated and extensive scouting networks negate the need for Robertson to spend hours behind the wheel in managerial role at Phoenix F.C. The 44-year-old Aberdonian and his players are instead required to rack up thousands of air miles to fulfil their fixtures in America’s third tier United Soccer Leagues. It is a new challenge for Robertson and Scott Morrison, another former Dons’ left-back who is now playing for the Arizona-based side.
First-year team Phoenix began life with five of their first seven games on home soil at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Soccer Stadium. Two wins, two draws and three defeats saw The Wolves sitting respectably in mid-table despite Darren Mackie, the club’s first and most experienced signing, being limited to 29 minutes of action after sustaining a groin injury in the final pre-season training session. Phoenix’s home comforts ended last week when they embarked on a 4,000-mile round trip to Pennsylvania and Ohio for back-to-back games within 48 hours.
“You’ve got to travel pretty light with all the flights,” said Robertson before his team’s 2-1 defeat at Pittsburgh Riverhounds on May 9. “So we’ve bought kiddie pools for ice baths. Everyone will be in there for five or 10 minutes after the game.”
Robertson’s squad gathered at 5 a.m. on the eve of the Pittsburgh clash to begin their journey through three time zones that involved a two-and-a-half-hour stopover in Houston. The players loosened off with stretching exercises after reaching their hotel at 9 p.m. and Robertson arranged a training session on the morning of the match to practice on the Riverhounds’ artificial turf.
“Personally I felt great,” said Morrison after the Pittsburgh loss. “Mentally, you can’t let yourself feel tired. Being a footballer, you have that adrenaline as well that gets you through it.”
Day Two of the former Ross County defender’s adventure still had a long way to run as Morrison headed for his makeshift regeneration session shortly before 10 p.m. with a 260-mile bus trek from Pittsburgh to Dayton ahead. It was a daunting journey for some Phoenix players, but not Morrison – a veteran of midweek trips from Dingwall to Dumfries and back in wintery conditions.
“This seems great to me,” Morrison said. “I’m just looking forward to seeing a new stadium and a new city in America.”
Robertson never encountered such tribulations during his playing career with Aberdeen, Rangers and Leeds United. The hefty travel schedule presents a further challenge to his fledgling team whose players met for the first time just weeks before the season began on March 23. Language difficulties have posed an issue with three talented Brazilians not speaking a word of English, and a lack of quality opponents in Arizona saw Phoenix preparing for their professional bow against local amateur and college teams. Consistency has been the biggest problem pinpointed by Robertson during the team’s first two months.
“We’ve outplayed teams for long spells in every game, but we haven’t been able to score,” Robertson said. “And every mistake we make we seem to get punished.”
The manager’s words rang true in Pittsburgh. Phoenix struck the post and bar during a first half in which they seemed in little danger of conceding, yet they trailed at the interval when the Riverhounds seized on a turnover in the visitors’ half to set up former New York Red Bulls striker Jos? Angulo for the opening goal.
Morrison’s dangerously curled free kick three minutes after the break saw the unmarked Cyprian Hedrick steer his half-volley high and wide from six yards. It was a crucial miss. Another turnover inside The Wolves’ half two minutes later ended with Angulo heading the hosts into an unassailable lead despite Phoenix’s late surge.
“It’s another game where we can take plenty of positives out of it,” Morrison said.
Phoenix’s two strikers and two central midfielders displayed good understanding of each others’ movement despite their limited experience together, and Morrison served a number of testing crosses into Pittsburgh’s penalty box from both wings. Ultimately the outcome rested on two strikers – the clinical finishing of Angulo and the absence of Mackie.
“He’s not travelled with us yet,” said Morrison of his former Pittodrie teammate. “It’s good for team bonding spending a little bit more time with everyone. We’re all looking forward to having him back.”
Mackie’s contribution will be vital in the coming weeks when Phoenix faces a gruelling four-game road trip that takes them to Virginia, North Carolina and Florida within a 10-day stretch.
Ian Thomson is a journalist and exiled Dons fan living in West Virginia. Follow him on Twitter at @SoccerObserver.
