IN THIS ISSUE 3 Match Day Prevew 4 Stadium Map 7-8 Matchday Roster 9-10 Conference Standings 12-14 Scouting The Opposition 16-23 Reno 1868 FC Roster 25-26 What’s New at GNF 28-29 Technical Staff 25 Team Shop Scouting Phoenix (page 12) 2 MATCHDAY PREVIEW SUPERSTARS CLASH AS RENO 1868 FC HOSTS HOT PHOENIX RISING FC RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC plays host to USL Western Conference power Phoenix Rising FC Satur- day at 4 p.m. as the club aims to secure its first three points of the season. Two of the most stacked lineups in the USL will meet for the third time in the all-time series, a series Reno has a one-win advantage in. Reno (0-1-1) returns to Greater Nevada Field after a road match at rival Las Vegas Light FC which resulted in a 1-1 draw. Reno was due to play Rio Grande Valley FC early on the road on Wednesday but the match was postponed to May 2 due to logistical reasons. Entering Saturday’s match against Phoenix, Reno once again brings a potent attack that has already produced four goals through the first two matches. Forward Brian Brown leads Reno’s attack with a goal and assist to his name in 2018. Through the first two matches, Brown has found himself playing at both the attacking forward and attacking midfielder roles due to Reno’s depth at attacker. Brown said he’ll have to play at the top of his game Saturday no matter where he’s placed in head coach Ian Russell’s Starting XI. “They’re a really good team, coming off a win,” Brown said “So we will have to play our best game ear- ly on this season. I am looking forward to it, I think I played my best game against them last season.” Led by international soccer legend and superstar Didier Drogba, Phoenix (1-0-1) has become one of the most dangerous threats in the West after making the playoffs last season. Phoenix is coming off a 4-1 win which featured a hat trick by USL Player of the Week, forward Chris Cortez. Despite fellow international superstars Omar Bravo and Shaun Wright-Phillips not returning to Phoenix, Rising FC reloaded from front to back already becoming one of the top offensive teams of 2018. “Phoenix is a good team,” Reno head coach Ian Russell said. “They have Drogba and some other really solid players. “We just need to prepare properly, which we’ve been doing all week.” Gates for Saturday’s match are slated to open at 3 p.m. Tickets for Saturday’s showdown can be purchased at Reno1868FC.com/tickets or at the Greater Nevada Field box office. Follow along live on Twitter (@Reno1868FC) and watch the match stream at Reno1868FC.com. What: Reno 1868 FC v. Phoenix Rising FC Where: Greater Nevada Field Gates Open: 3 p.m. Kickoff: 4 p.m. Tickets: Reno1868FC.com/Tickets 3 STADIUM MAP FRONT OFFICE Eric Edelstein Doug Raftery President Sr. Director of Corporate Partner- ships Andy Smith General Manager Regan Hahesy Corporate Partnerships Samantha Hicks Services Manager Chief Revenue Officer Robert Ritchie Aldo Amato Ticket Sales Manager Digital Media & PR Manager Zoe Harmon Audrey Hill Account Specialist - Member Director of Marketing Services Vince Ruffino Stefan Bray Marketing Manager Account Executive Jared Longland Creative Manager GREATER NEVADA FIELD 250 EVANS AVE RENO, NEVADA 89501 RENO1868FC.COM MATCHDAY ROSTERS RenO 1868 FC Phoenix Rising FC ROSTER ROSTER # NAME POS HT WT Country # NAME POS HT WT Country 1 Russ Klabough GK 6-5 215 USA 1 Carl Woszczynski GK 2-6 209 USA 2 Doueugui Mala D 6-0 170 Ivory Coast 3 Connor Johnson D 6-0 180 USA 3 Kody Wakasa D 6-0 170 USA 4 Jordan Murrell D 5-11 185 Canada 4 Mike Da Fonte D 6-1 170 USA 5 Zach Carroll D 6’3 185 USA 6 Evan Waldrep D 5-11 170 USA 7 Dembakwi Yomba D 5-9 160 USA 7 Billy Forbes M 5-9 161 USA 8 Guy Abend M 6-0 181 Israel 8 Collin Fernadez M 5-8 150 USA 9 Mark Gonzalez F 6-0 177 Canada 9 Chris Cortez F 6-4 185 USA 10 Gladson Awako M 5-7 161 Ghana 10 Lindo Mfeka M 5-5 155 South Africa 11 Didier Drogba F 6-2 201 Ivory Coast 12 Danny Musovski F 6-0 160 USA 12 John Berner GK 6-3 207 USA 13 Darwin Espinal M 5-11 163 Honduras 14 Jason Johnson F 6-0 181 Jamaica 16 Brent Richards D 5-10 167 USA 15 Joseph Farrell D 6-2 181 USA 17 Sam Gleadle M 5-10 155 USA 17 Alessandro Riggi M 5-5 161 Canada 19 Amadou Dia D 5-10 154 France 20 Christian Thierjung F 5-11 165 USA 20 Solomon Asante M 5-2 132 Ghana 22 Jerry van Ewijk M 5-8 160 Netherlands 21 Luca Ricci M 5-9 160 Canada 23 Brenton Griths D 6-2 175 Jamaica 22 Dallas Jaye GK 6-0 174 USA 24 Sean Bieker GK 6-0 175 USA 23 Devin Vega M 5-6 137 USA 28 Mo Thiaw F 6-2 178 USA 25 Victor Vasquez D 5-10 170 USA 27 Kevon Lambert M 6-2 165 Jamaica 29 Antoine Hoppenot F 5-8 170 USA 28 Zac Lubin GK 6-5 214 USA 30 Christo Michaelson M 5-10 155 USA 32 Devante Dubose D 5-10 165 USA 84 Seth Casiple M 5-9 165 USA 41 James Musa D 6-3 170 New Zealand 99 Brian Brown F 5-11 165 Jamaica 51 Kevaughn Frater F 6-0 174 Jamaica 3.31.18 • RenO 1868 FC v Phoenix Rising FC • 4:00 p.m. 7 8 GK: Goalkeeper D: Defender M: Midfielder F : Forward GK: Goalkeeper D: Defender M: Midfielder F : Forward 7 8 WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS 9 10 11 SCOUTING PHOENIX RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC will likely face one of its toughest challenges Saturday as the club welcomes a Phoenix Rising FC team led by soccer legend Didier Drogba. Phoenix returns one of the greatest soccer players of this generation along with a newly stacked lineup that just posted a 4-1 win over Western Conference power, OKC Energy FC.. The 4-1 win was due in large part of another name, USL Player of the Week and Phoenix forward Chris Cortez who scored a hat trick to carry Phoenix to its first win of the season. Cortez joined Reno goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski on the USL’s Team of the Week. Cortez, Drogba and other names are sure to test a Reno squad that is quickly gelling and finding depth. Here are a few opponent names you need to know ahead of Saturday’s epic Western Conference showdown: Didier Drogba Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 201 pounds Position: Forward Why He’s Important: Legend. That’s all you really have to know about Drogba. One of the most recognizable faces from his days as a Champions League winner with Chelsea to his inspiring captainship of his native Ivory Coast’s national team. Drogba has made a name for himself across the world and is a player for the history books. Last year, Drogba didn’t get started until around midseason but he did make the trip to Reno where 1868 FC shut down one of the most prolific goal scorers in recent memory. Drogba ended up picking up the pace with 10 goals in 2017 and is sure to be a force in this, his final season of professional soccer. 12 SCOUTING PHOENIX Billy Forbes Height: 5-foot-7 Weight: 161 pounds Position: Forward Why He’s Important: Sound familiar? Forbes is one of the fastest players in the USL and was one of the biggest signings of the 2017-18 offseason. Forbes terrorized Reno in the first meeting with his former team, San Antonio FC last season. Forbes scored the first goal in the 4-0 loss at San Antonio. His speed and instinct for goal makes him one of the top threats Saturday. Chris Cortez Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 185 pounds Position: Forward Why He’s Important: Cortez already made a name for himself early on in the season with his recent hat trick. Cortez is a strong, tall striker who is an aerial threat due to his height. A true No. 9 (striker), Cortez scored five goals for Phoenix last year and has 15 over the past three seasons (including 2018). Reno’s back four and Marcinkowski held off aerial attempts by Las Vegas over the weekend but this will be a completely different test as Cortez is in top form. 13 SCOUTING PHOENIX Soloman Asante Height: 5-foot-2 Weight: 132 pounds Position: Midfielder Why He’s Important: Asante is small in stature but extremely dangerous from his position. The crafty Ghanian midfielder has already etched his name in the scoresheet this season with a golazo that was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 over the weekend. His agility will be a test for both Reno’s back four and defensive midfielder. Not only does Asante have the ability to score himself, he’s able to create chances for other dangerous Phoenix attackers. Carl Woszczynski Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 209 pounds Position: Goalkeeper Why He’s Important: Woszczynski will face Reno for the first time in goal for Phoenix.