Written by Zoë Lam
Phoenix Rising returns home Wednesday to face the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the first of two matches this week before traveling to take on Sacramento Republic. The matchup marks Rising’s first nationally televised game of the season, providing another opportunity for the club to showcase itself on a national stage.
Notably, Rising has drawn significant audiences in previous nationally televised matchups, including its April 2025 meeting with San Antonio FC, which attracted a league-record 776,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Big Data (Live + SD).
“I know we are dealing with a lot of growing pains, but again, we’re gonna peak at the right moment,” Kah said. “Now is the time for us to start peaking and get ourselves to the position that we need to finish the season strong.”
GAMEDAY INFORMATION –
WHAT: Phoenix Rising v Colorado Springs Switchbacks
WHEN: Wednesday, August 19 (7:00 p.m. PT)
WHERE: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium
HOW TO WATCH: CBSSN, TUDN (Spanish), AZFS, ESPN+, Rising Radio (English), 90MasRising (Spanish)
The Matchup
These two teams are certainly no strangers to one another, with Wednesday’s matchup marking their third meeting already this season. After facing off on April 25 and again on July 4, Rising and the Switchbacks will meet for what has become a familiar matchup between the two Western Conference opponents. The history between the clubs has been closely contested, with Phoenix holding an 8-9-3 record across all competitions.
Rising’s most recent win in the series came at 38th & Washington in August 2025, when Phoenix earned a dominant 4-1 victory over Colorado Springs. With the teams set to meet for the third time in just four months, both sides will have plenty of familiarity heading into Wednesday night’s contest.
“There’s 11 games to go, so for us, it’s still just continuing to fight because it’s not over until it’s over, and we believe that we’re going to make playoffs,” Kah said.
Rising Returns Home
After two matches on the road, Phoenix Rising returns to 38th & Washington, where the club has consistently captured results this season. Rising has lost just two of its nine home matches in USL Championship play, making its home stadium a difficult place for opponents to visit.
The club’s last two matches at home highlighted that home-field advantage. Rising opened a two-game unbeaten stretch with a 3-2 victory over Monterey Bay FC on July 18 before playing Hartford Athletic to a scoreless draw on July 25. With a return home on Wednesday, Rising will look to once again take advantage of playing in front of its home crowd.
“We will put the pressure on because we are at home,” Sacko said. “So now that we are at home, we’re going to put pressure on them at the beginning. Then our goal is the three points.”
Switchbacks Strong
Colorado Springs comes to Phoenix riding the momentum of a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Birmingham Legion FC, one of three wins in its last five regular-season matches. The Switchbacks have compiled an 8-7-4 record this season but have found less success away from home, posting a 2-5-2 mark on the road.
Leading the attack for the Switchbacks is Khori Bennett, whose 11 goals are second-most in the USL Championship this season. Colorado Springs is also still competing for hardware in the Prinx Tires USL Cup, where it has advanced to the semifinals and will take on Hartford Athletic on September 8 at Trinity Health Stadium.
“We focus on that, and we’re gonna prove to everybody who doesn’t believe in us that we can do it,” Sacko said. “We have had some good moments, so I think in the heads of everybody, we want to do better for the next game at home.”
