Fresno FC stays hot with heated victory over Phoenix Rising

Fresno FC beat Phoenix Rising FC 4-0 Saturday night at Chukchansi Park, the Foxes’ third straight United Soccer League victory.

A little more than halfway through its inaugural season, Fresno sits eighth in the USL Western Conference standings, the final playoff spot. But the Foxes (7-7-7, 28 points) are three points ahead of ninth-place Colorado Springs and embark on an Oklahoma road trip against teams behind them in the standings, giving Fresno a golden opportunity to put itself solidly in the playoff picture.

Fresno native Christian Chaney scored in the 25th minute on an assist from Juan Pablo Caffa, and the Foxes scored three goals in the first nine minutes of the second half after Phoenix went a man down in the 43rd minute on a red card. There were five yellow cards and another red when the Foxes’ Zach Ellis-Hayden picked up his second yellow in the 84th minute.

Fresno’s next home match is Aug. 18 against St. Louis.

This story was originally published July 15, 2018 at 11:33 AM.