Rising extends its unbeaten run to four as it kicks off another busy week
Phoenix Rising returned to the road, extending its unbeaten streak to four matches with a 1-1 draw against FC Tulsa on March 28 at ONEOK Field. Forward Juan Carvajal’s late goal was enough to help Rising secure a point, while forward Ihsan Sacko put his name back on the score sheet with an assist.
“I thought it was a very competitive, hard-fought match against a rival,” Carvajal said in Spanish. “At the end, we were able to get back into the match and come away with a draw, but now with a greater desire to come away with a win next time.”
Carvajal ensured Rising left Tulsa with at least a point for a fourth straight meeting. Notably, the club has yet to lose away to FC Tulsa in all competitions (1-1-4). Rising continues its road-heavy week away to Orange County SC in the Second Round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, at Championship Soccer Stadium.
“That’s the beauty of football,” Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “You better be ready to go again. We don’t have any time to waste. The focus is now on (Orange County) and trying to get through to the next round of the (U.S. Open Cup).”
MAKING AN INSTANT IMPACT
For a second straight week, Rising found a late goal to cap a comeback effort. Once again, that goal came through a player who entered in the second half.
Against Tulsa, it was Carvajal who came in at the 62nd minute and played 13 minutes before he found the back of the net. Against Oakland Roots SC on March 21, it was forward Gunnar Studenhofft who entered in the 63rd minute and scored in the 90+6th.
“We know deep down what our players have in terms of character, will and the desire to always perform for Phoenix Rising,” Kah said. “For us as a coaching staff, what we’re looking at now is whether we can be the team on the front foot. Taking the leads, not giving away simple mistakes that – not now, but later on – will be costly.”
RISING’S COMMON DENOMINATOR
With his assist on Carvajal’s late goal, Sacko tacked on his fourth goal contribution (1G, 3A) of the young season in all competitions. Notably, the Frenchman has assisted each of Rising’s last two game-equalizing goals.
“I’m grateful for my teammates,” Carvajal said. “Without the cross from (Sacko), I wouldn’t have been able to have that moment.”
Sacko, who finished with six assists in all of 2025, is already halfway to that tally in the opening month of the 2026 season.
GOAL-SCORING PLAYS
TUL – Bailey Sparks, 50th minute: A deflected shot found its way in the box to the right foot of Bailey Sparks, who took advantage of the redirected ball and sent it across in at the far post.
PHX – Juan Carvajal (Ihsan Sacko), 74th minute: After attacking with the ball down the right, forward Ihsan Sacko served a cross into the box that forward Juan Carvajal leapt up and met to head back across and into the right side of the net.
NOTES
-Saturday kicked off a stretch of three road matches in seven days for Rising.
-Notably, it is the club’s second three-match week of the first month of the 2026 USL Championship season.
-The match in Tulsa marked a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Semifinal match, where Rising’s 2025 season came to an end.
-Juan Carvajal netted his second Rising goal in all competitions.
-The goal was his first in regular-season play.
-With his assist on the goal, Ihsan Sacko now has a goal contribution in each of Rising’s last four matches across all competitions (1G, 3A).
-Notably, his last two assists have serviced the game-equalizing goal.
-Rising extended its unbeaten run to four matches (1-0-3).
-It has come from behind to earn a point in each of its last two matches.
-Both equalizers have come from a second-half substitution.
-With the result, Rising is yet to lose a regular season match away to FC Tulsa.
Phoenix Rising (0-1-3, 3pts) at FC Tulsa (1-1-2, 5pts)
March 28, 2026 – ONEOK Field (Tulsa, Okla.)
Goals by Half 1 2 FT
Phoenix Rising 0 1 1
FC Tulsa 0 1 1
Scoring Summary:
TUL: Sparks, 50
PHX: Carvajal (Sacko), 74
Misconduct Summary:
TUL: Damm (caution), 6
PHX: Studenhofft (caution), 32
TUL: Webber (caution), 43
TUL: Batista (caution), 48
PHX: Czichos (caution), 54
TUL: St Clair (caution), 83
PHX: Pelayo (caution), 85
PHX: Carvajal (caution), 89
Lineups:
PHX: GK Odunze, D Vukovic (Biasi, 79), D Czichos, D Pelayo, D Scearce ©, D Smith, M Gómez (Sacko, 63), M Moursou, F Johnson, F Dennis, F Studenhofft (Carvajal, 62)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Rakovsky, D Ramirez, M Ping, F Capetillo
TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Johnson, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Multiple Players, 1); FOULS: 24 (Scearce, 4); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 1
TUL: GK Jacobs, D Batista ©, D Ian, D St Clair, M Damm, M Webber (Lukic, 79), M Kocevski, M Sommersall, F Lapa (Stauffer, 79), F ElMedkhar (Cabral, 79), F Sparks
Substitutes Not Used: GK Tambakis, D Clarke, M Siranga, F Pierre
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Sparks, 3) SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Multiple Players, 1); FOULS: 20 (Ian, 4) OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 2
Referee: Calin Radosav
Assistant Referees: Ricardo Ocampo, Eric Aplis
Fourth Official: Alex Beehler
Attendance: N/A
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
