Rising concludes the Group Stage of the USL Jägermeister Cup against El Paso Locomotive FC
Written by Emma Dinnan
Phoenix Rising hits the road again this Saturday when it travels to El Paso, Texas, to face El Paso Locomotive FC. It will be the 11th time both teams square off and second matchup of the 2025 season, after they played to a 4-4 draw on March 15.
Rising and El Paso sit neck and neck in both the USL Jägermeister Cup table (PHX 3rd, ELP 5th) as well as in league play (4th place, 23 points). Looking to pick up consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time since May, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah’s side will be plenty motivated in West Texas.
“We’re going to play our game,” forward Ihsan Sacko said. “We’re going to make (El Paso) work and go out there and try and win three points.”
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
WHAT: Phoenix Rising FC at El Paso Locomotive FC
WHEN: Saturday, July 19 (6:00 p.m. PT)
WHERE: Southwest University Park (El Paso, Tex.)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: AZFS, ESPN+, Rising Radio (team socials)
LAST CHANCE TO ADVANCE
Saturday’s match against El Paso Locomotive FC will be Rising’s final match of the four-game Group Stage. The club currently sits third in Group 2 with five points, with New Mexico United (6 pts) and San Antonio FC (9 pts) directly ahead.
Rising recently won its first-ever Jägermeister Cup match 5-4 against Texoma FC on June 28. The win brought the club’s record to 1-1-1 after it dropped the first match by a score of 1-0 against San Antonio FC on April 26 and tied its second match 3-3, winning in penalty kicks against New Mexico United on May 31st to take home two points. With the top teams from each group and the highest-performing second-place squads advancing, Rising need a win and several results to fall their way.
“You have to win (on Saturday),” Kah said. “When you look at the (Jägermeister) Cup, you look at two games where you should have won against New Mexico at home and you created nothing against San Antonio. That’s where we left our points. We’re still in it, but the only thing we can control is what we do Saturday.”
GAME CHANGERS OFF THE BENCH
Five different players have scored goals for Rising coming off the bench this season. Midfielder Charlie Dennis leads the squad with two goals as a substitute, while Sacko, Damián Rivera, Darius Johnson and Ryan Flood have also netted in the second half. Notably, only Louisville City FC (7 goals) have more goals off the bench than Rising’s six.
Flood scored the latest of Rising’s goals, netting in the 88th minute to secure the club’s 2-0 win over Monterey Bay on May 28. The six players contributions have played a large role in Rising’s 16 goals scored in the 61st minute or later of matches.
When asked about Dennis’ recent contributions as an impact player, Kah took the opportunity to discuss the important role players coming off the bench have in his setup.
“The beauty of this team is that we know we have difference makers on the bench,” Kah said. “We have starters and finishers. Today Charlie was a finisher, which was fantastic and a credit to him. He came into the game, did his job and was wonderful on offense and defense. Also, the game meant a lot to him, coming back here and wanting to win. We saw him changing the game for us, which was vital and important for us.”
UP AGAINST A POTENT, YET STRUGGLING SQUAD
After a strong start to the 2025 season, El Paso has struggled in recent weeks. After going 4-2-4 in its first 10 matches, Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera’s side has won just once in its last six. It’s last win came over Monterey Bay FC on June 21, and the club hasn’t secured consecutive results since it went 2-0-2 between May 10 and June 7.
What El Paso doesn’t lack is a marquee goal-scorer: Wilmer Cabrera Jr. The forward is a USL Championship MVP candidate with 12 goal contributions (10G, 2A) in 15 matches. Forward Amando Moreno follows with eight goal contributions (5G, 3A), while midfielder Gabriel Torres has four assists.
Still, every trip to El Paso has proven difficult for Rising, which is in search of its first win at Southwest University Park since 2019. With a perfect road trip still a possibility, the club has plenty of motivation to pursue a positive result in Texas.
