Phoenix Rising FC extended its unbeaten streak to four matches Saturday night, earning a point on the road with a 1-1 draw against Monterey Bay FC. Danny Flores continued his strong run of form, finding the back of the net for the second consecutive match to give Rising the lead. Rising held the lead until Monterey Bay found a late equalizer with just two minutes remaining, but the club remained unbeaten and secured a valuable point on the road.
“A very tough match against Tulsa at home is coming up, and we have our fans’ support,” Torres said. “It’s a great opportunity for us since we have two consecutive home games…a nice chance to secure six points and put ourselves in a good position in the standings for the final remaining matches.”
Rising returns to 38th & Washington next weekend for First Responders Night, hosting FC Tulsa at 7 p.m. Rising has been dominant on home soil this season, posting a 5-2-4 record at home, which they will try to stack upon in one of its last four home matches.
UNBEATEN THROUGH FOUR
Rising continues to find results, extending its unbeaten streak to four matches following a 1-1 draw with Monterey Bay. Danny Flores has been at the forefront of the recent run, finding the back of the net in consecutive matches, while Patrick Rakovsky reached 250 career regular-season saves. Pape Mar Boye also picked up his first goal contribution of the season, adding to a growing list of contributors as Rising pushes toward the playoffs.
“We wanted to build off the momentum that you have by winning today,” Kah said. “But, you know, it is what it is, we have to win all our home games and this is an important game to start our winning streak again.”
FRESH FACES
Phoenix Rising’s newest additions are quickly making their presence felt as the club continues its push down the stretch. JuanDavid Torres made his first start for Rising against Monterey Bay, leading the team with three shots, while Ascel Essengue made his first appearance of the 2026 season in a Rising uniform. Tate Schmitt has also continued to provide creativity in the attack, giving Rising another dynamic option in the final third.
“I felt very good playing. I played much more time than what we had discussed with the coaching staff, but I’m very happy to make my first start,” Torres said. “Now, it’s just about continuing to improve and achieving the goals we want.”
GOAL-SCORING PLAYS
PHX- DANIEL FLORES, 79th minute: A strong left footed shot from well outside the center of the box to the bottom right corner, assisted by Pape Mar Boye.
MB- Ryuga Nakamura, 88th minute: Clearance to the right foot of Nakamura into a one time hit from well outside the center of the box to the bottom right corner.
NOTES
- Phoenix holds a 3-3-2 all-time record against Monterey Bay.
- During the last meeting, Phoenix walked away with a 3-2 comeback win in Phoenix.
- JuanDavid Torres made his first start for Phoenix Rising.
- Ascel Essengue made his first appearance of the 2026 season in a Rising uniform.
- Goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky hit 250 regular season saves.
- Danny Flores has scored in back-to-back matches for Rising.
- Pape Mar Boye earned his first goal contribution for the season.
- Rising have scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches.
Phoenix Rising (5-6-6, 21 pts) vs. Monterey Bay FC (4-14-5, 17 pts)
Goals by Half: 1st: 0; 2nd: 2; FT: 2
Phoenix Rising: 1st: 0; 2nd: 1; FT: 1
Monterey Bay FC: 1st: 0; 2nd: 1; FT: 1
Scoring Summary:
PHX: FLORES, 79
MB: NAKAMURA, 88
Misconduct Summary:
MB: Barajas, (caution); 55
Lineups:
PHX: GK Rakovsky, D Flores (Rivera 91), D Czichos (Essengue, 68), D Mar Boye, D Smith, M Scearce, M Moursou, M Gómez (Schmitt, 68), F Torres, F Sacko (Biasi, 86), F Badji (Studenhofft, 68)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Odunze, M Irwin, F Ambursley
TOTAL SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 FOULS: 7; OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 2
MB: GK Jackson, D Ritchie, D Egwu, D Gordon, D Garcia (Elliot, 69), M Nakamura, M Ross (Montes, 80) M Lletget (Canete, 80), F Glasgow, F Barajas, F Paul (Otoya, 82)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Delgado, D Farnsworth, D Judson
TOTAL SHOTS: SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 17; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 3
Referee: Elton Garcia
Assistant Referees: Hunter Zachwieja, Conrado Garcia
Fourth Official: Eduardo Hernandez Garcia
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
