Evan Conway wasn’t the only exultant Loyal as the team broke a long Phoenix home winning streak. Photo credit: @SanDiegoLoyal, via Twitter
Alejandro Guido broke up the celebration after a Phoenix Rising FC goal Saturday with one of his own, a second-half score that gave the San Diego Loyal a 3-2 win.
Guido’s first goal of the USL Championship season, at a raucous Phoenix Rising Stadium, helped break Phoenix’s 22-match unbeaten home streak.
The Rising hadn’t lost at home since a win by the Loyal (3-1-0, 9 points) on Sept. 19, 2020.
Guido, a Chula Vista native, blasted a right-footed shot in the 76th minute. He dribbled up field to fire his shot before defenders closed in, blasting it into the left wall of the Phoenix net, past goalkeeper Ben Lundt.
The Loyal’s third goal came after Phoenix came back from a 2-0 deficit.
Evan Conway (38th minute) and Kyle Vassell (45+2) had scored for coach Landon Donovan’s squad in the first half. Conway, who came on for an injured Jack Metcalf six minutes into the match, scored after shaking off defenders and firing a low-rolling shot off the lower part of the post and into the net.
Vassell scored his first goal with San Diego when he tapped in a Thomas Amang low cross despite having a defender on his back.
Phoenix Rising (1-2-0, 3 points) scored both of its goals in a span of four minutes. James Musa scored in the 66th minute, heading in a cross by Aodhan Quinn after he out jumped Loyal defender Elijah Martin.
Luis Seijas scored the other goal to tie the match 2-2.
San Diego went 1-1 on its first road trip of the season, with three points after a 1-0 loss at FC Tulsa Wednesday.
The Loyal return home to face the El Paso Locomotive at 2 p.m. April 3 at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium.