After jumping down Monterey's throat on opening day, Phoenix Rising swiftly lost form amidst a slew of defensive mistakes and lacking connection in build. From the second half of that Monterey match through week three's loss versus San Diego, the side shipped seven goals and was roundly outplayed. A big matchup against San Antonio loomed, and Rick Schantz adjusted to meet the moment. Kevon Lambert moved into defense and Aodhan Quinn slid into his holding role, thus leaving one spot open in the midfield. Enter the breakout player of the 2022 USL campaign: Luis Manuel Seijas.
Thirty-five years old, the Venezuelan midfielder was a stalwart presence for Santa Fe in Colombia for much of the last decade-and-a-half. He has more than 50 caps for his national side, and that veteran leadership completely settled Phoenix down. Traditionally, Rising was a side that dominated possession, pinned opponents back with pressure and a high line, and gradually picked you apart. In 2022, that no longer holds true. This team often loses the possession battle while contesting more of an end-to-end game. They can break through Greg Hurst or Claudio Repetto hold-up while engaging Marcus Epps and Santi Moar on the counter, but they also give up similar transition chances. Early on, that open style bred turnovers in the middle, causing fullback overreactions in the counterpress that left the defense in shambles. Seijas, sporting the number 18 kit for Phoenix, changed that dynamic.
The recent Miami match highlighted Seijas' impact. High wing pressure and hard-closing central midfielders define the Floridians' approach in the 4-4-2, and #18 knew exactly when to come low as a pressure release valve. He drops in next to Quinn here to do that while also dragging Miami subtly out of shape, allowing play to progress. Seijas lags behind the move with great intentionality from there, letting Phoenix recycle when the one-on-one fizzles. His steady hands grease the attacking wheels and prevent a break-inducing turnover.
Seijas is the type of cerebral mover who leaves an impact without taking a touch. In this sequence, he comes deep again, dragging Speedy Williams with him. Quinn sits between the centerbacks here, and the double-drop of the Phoenix centermen forces Miami to respond. The hole in Miami's half-space arises from there, and Joey Calistri deftly takes advantage. Seijas' run lets his club enter the attacking zone.
#18's quality extends into the final third; if it isn't clear, he leaves a mark in every phase of the game. This time, the Rising are firmly ensconced in possession. As they work into the middle, Seijas slinks into the box, thus setting off a chain of events that draws San Antonio subtly out of shape. Justin Dhillon man-marks Seijas from behind, opening the hole for Calistri to advance into; his foray goes wanting. Still, the run gradually shifts the opponent over and lets Epps find the ball in ample space. Out of the Seijas-forged one-on-one, the winger is able to get a look on goal.
The Venezuelan has also added a degree of defensive steel and box-to-box energy for Phoenix. In general, Rising are less inclined to counterpress or intervene this season; successful tackles by central midfielders (think Jon Bakero, Arturo Rodriguez, and Seijas) are down from 1.9 to 1.2 per match. Still, Seijas knows how to pick his spots. In this sequence, Quinn bursts up the pitch from his deeper holding role to close on the San Antonio man. Phoenix is compromised as a result, and the opponent advances into the hole. However, #18 has already reacted and moved to meet the foe; he puts in a no-nonsense tackle to put out the fire and regain possession.
The headliner for Seijas to the untrained eye is his penchant for thunderbolt goals from distance. Such an example from the Miami match, a last-minute winner, is seen above. I don't have any tactical commentary here: that shit just bangs. Still, if you're an opponent facing #18, you're more likely to close high and break shape against such a sniper. His four goals this season have a knock-on effect beyond their immediate scoreboard value.
Those two-and-a-half matches of strife for Phoenix were likely nothing more than an apparition, an adjustment period as the side integrated new players and adjusted to tactical shifts in the new year. However, if that bit of ugliness in which Seijas never featured for more than half an hour or so resulted in the Venezuelan becoming a nailed starter, then it has to be a paradoxical win for Phoenix in the long run. #18 adds calm and intelligence to the midfield trio. His movement is as good as anyone's in the USL, his penchant for clutch tallies from range changes games, and his presence lets Rising alter their lineup to assure defensive solidity. In ways both direct and indirect, Luis Seijas changes the game for Phoenix Rising.
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