Rising will face El Paso Locomotive FC in the Western Conference Quarterfinals
Phoenix Rising did what it needed to do to secure its spot in the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs, keeping a 0-0 clean sheet against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on October 25 at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to close its 2025 regular-season campaign.
“It was a playoff-type match,” Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “Very direct. Both teams hit the post. We did secure a playoff spot, which we needed to do. Obviously, we wanted to play and win, but you’ll take what the game gives you.”
The result sees Rising enter the postseason on the back of a three-match unbeaten run and with just one loss in its final 11 matches dating back to August 9. Kah’s side officially finished the 34-match regular season 5th in the Western Conference, which will send it on the road to face El Paso Locomotive FC on the weekend of November 1/2.
“It was exactly what we spoke about during the week,” midfielder JP Scearce said. “It was going to be an ugly game with fifty-fifties. We had to win a lot of our duels and for the most part we took care of that. We did just enough to secure our spot in the playoffs.”
BACK IN WEST TEXAS
Saturday’s Decision Day results set the stage for a fourth matchup of 2025 between Rising and El Paso Locomotive FC in all competitions. The three previous matches have all ended in draws, with a combined 18 goals scored between the two sides.
The playoff match will mark the third game played in El Paso, Texas. The last time Rising traveled to West Texas, the match went to penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw in USL Jägermeister Cup play.
“We’re looking forward to (the match),” Scearce said. “We wanted to secure the home playoff match, but we couldn’t achieve that. Now we’re looking forward to our game against El Paso. We have been in two very close games against them and we’re looking forward to it.”
LOCK-DOWN DEFENSE
With Saturday night’s draw, Rising has now played 270 minutes without conceding a goal, it’s longest stretch of the season. It marked a third straight clean sheet for goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky, and his sixth of the season.
“That has been one of the biggest changes in the last few games,” Scearce said. “We have been locked in defensively, relentless and working a lot on the defensive end. I think that has shown a lot over the last few games.”
Notably, it has now been 428 minutes since Rising last conceded a goal from open play, which came against Oakland Roots SC on September 27.
“The players are working hard,” Kah said. “They’re doing the job required defensively as well as offensively. For us, it’s just about continuing this trend. Once you keep a clean sheet, we know we can score goals. This will just help the team to continue to grow in its confidence.”
GOAL-SCORING PLAYS
None
NOTES
-Saturday’s match in Pittsburgh marked Rising’s final regular season match of 2025.
-The club finished its first regular season under Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah 9-8-13 (40 pts).
-Notably, it closed the season on a three-match unbeaten run.
-Rising has lost just once in its last 11 matches dating back to August 9.
-Goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky secured a third straight clean sheet Saturday night.
-The shutout marks Rising’s sixth of the season.
-The club has now gone 270 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal, and 428 minutes since allowing a goal in open play (22’ v. OAK, 9/27).
-With the draw, Rising will finish the regular season 5th in the West.
-Notably, Rising was a 6th seed in 2023 when it won the USL Championship crown.
NEXT GAME
Rising will begin its 2025 postseason campaign in the conference quarterfinals on the road against El Paso Locomotive FC at Southwest University Park.
Phoenix Rising (9-8-13, 40pts) at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (12-10-8, 38pts)
October 25, 2025 – Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, PA.)
Goals by Half 1 2 FT
Phoenix Rising 0 0 0
Pitt. Riverhounds SC 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
None
Misconduct Summary:
None
Lineups:
PHX: GK Rakovsky, D Essengue, D Sainté, D Czichos, D Boye ©, D Flood, M Scearce, M Moursou, M Avayevu (Sacko, 77), F Johnson (Cabral, 77), F Dennis
Substitutes Not Used: GK Henry, D Rizzo, M Emmers, M Okello, F Formella
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Multiple players, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 1 (Scearce, 1); FOULS: 7 (Dennis, 3); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 0; SAVES: 3
PIT: GK Dick, D Vacter, D Suber, D Ydrach, D Etou, D Biasi (Barnes, 79), M Mertz, M Griffin, M Sample, M Ahl (Wälti, 73), F Williams (Jacquesson, 79)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Randolph, D Osumanu, F Larsen, F Boone
TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Sample, 4) SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Multiple players, 1); FOULS: 6 (Etou, 2) OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 10; SAVES: 1
Referee: Matthew Corrigan
Assistant Referees: Zeno Cho, Ricardo Ocampo
Fourth Official: Alex Beehler
Attendance: 5,067
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
