Round 1
Phoenix Rising needed a helping hand to secure a playoff spot following a dramatic 3-3 draw with Lexington SC on the final day of the regular season. However, the attacking form the squad has displayed over the past three weeks could provide a foundation for a postseason run. Ihsan Sacko headlined Saturday’s performance with a goal and an assist on Gunnar Studenhofft’s goal, helping Rising extend its streak to three consecutive matches with three goals scored. Rising will now look to carry that momentum into rival territory as it opens the playoffs against Western Conference No. 1 seed New Mexico United in the quarterfinals.
“We have belief in who we are. We have belief in what we can do. And for me, that’s the most important thing,” Kah said.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION:
WHAT: Phoenix Rising FC vs New Mexico United
WHEN: Sunday, November 1 (4:00 p.m. PT)
WHERE: Isotopes Park (Albuquerque, NM)
HOW TO WATCH: CBS Sports Network, Rising Radio (English), 90MasRising (Spanish)
ALL-TIME SERIES
Rising holds a 7-6-2 record in the USL Championship against New Mexico United across the regular season and playoffs, but New Mexico claimed victory in two of three meetings across the 2026 regular season and Prinx Tires USL Cup this season and claimed a 2-1 win when the sides met at this stage in the playoffs two years ago.
RECENT RISING RECOGNITION
Phoenix Rising’s recent success has been matched by a wave of individual and team recognition, earning league honors across three consecutive weeks. In Week 32, Ihsan Sacko was named Player of the Week, earned Team of the Week honors and won Goal of the Week, while head coach Pa-Modou Kah was named Coach of the Week following Rising’s win over Las Vegas. Sacko returned to Team of the Week in Week 33 alongside center back Pape Mar Boye.
In Week 34, Sacko earned his third consecutive Team of the Week selection and second Player of the Week honor while also securing the league’s Golden Boot with 17 goals. Goalkeeper Chituru Odunze is also in contention for Save of the Week. Adding to the recognition, JP Scearce was named an Ironman after playing every minute of the regular season, totaling 2,700 minutes. He was the only field player in the league to accomplish the feat, joining a select group otherwise made up exclusively of goalkeepers.
“What’s crazy about the story is that months ago, I was injured. I didn’t know if I was going to finish the season, so I’m really happy that I did it,” Sacko said. “A lot of people don’t know what I’ve been going through outside of football, so I’m really happy because of that. But at the same time, I know the job isn’t done. I still have games, and I definitely want to do better than last year. So that’s going to start against New Mexico next week.”
MEMORY LANE
Phoenix Rising FC has experienced its greatest postseason success on the road, most notably during its 2023 championship run. After reaching the USL Championship Final in 2018, where it fell 1-0 to Louisville City FC, Rising captured its first league title in 2023 as the No. 6 seed, winning all four playoff matches away from home. The historic run included victories over San Diego Loyal, Orange County SC and Sacramento Republic before defeating Charleston Battery on penalties in the final. Phoenix also demonstrated its strength away from home during the 2019 regular season, recording 11 road wins while setting league records with 24 wins and 78 points overall.
“We know we could have done better during the season. We know what we didn’t do, but it’s fine because football is like that. We can finish eighth and become champions,” Sacko said. “That’s the chance we have on Saturday. We’re just going to take it one game at a time and go through the finals.”
BEST OF THE WEST
New Mexico United secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs in dramatic fashion, defeating rival El Paso Locomotive FC, 1-0, with a 94th-minute long-range strike from Valentin Noël. United finished the regular season with a 15-8-7 record and 52 points, claiming first place in the Western Conference for the second time in three seasons.
New Mexico went 9-3-3 at home and 3-2-0 across its last five matches. Offensively, Greg Hurst led the team with 12 goals as United scored 45 during the regular season. Defensively, the squad conceded just 34 goals, backed by goalkeeper Kris Shakes, who led the league with 117 saves. After reaching the Western Conference Final as the No. 1 seed two seasons ago, New Mexico brings a lot to the table for 2026.
“For me, it’s just another game against a team that’s in our way. You just have to focus on what we need to do and do it to the best of our ability,” Kah said. “And yes, it’s a derby game but we don’t play the occasion, we play the game.”
