Written by Zoë Lam
Phoenix Rising will return home this weekend and look to turn the momentum in its favor as it hosts Monterey Bay FC this Saturday. Coming off the conclusion of its Prinx Tires USL Cup campaign against AV Alta FC, Rising is searching for a positive result after a challenging stretch and will look to get back on track with three points in league play.
“This is football… it goes up and down,” Kah said. “What I say to the guys is, tough times don’t last but tough people do. For us, it is to continue to do what we believe in and the work that we can do. Everybody wants to win. They want to win badly more than anybody.”
GAMEDAY INFORMATION –
WHAT: Phoenix Rising vs. Monterey Bay FC
WHEN: Saturday, July 18 (7:30 p.m. PT)
WHERE: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium (Phoenix, AZ)
HOW TO WATCH: 3TV, AZFS, GOLAZO, Rising Radio (English)
THE HISTORY
Rising enters Saturday’s matchup with a 2-3-2 all-time record against Monterey Bay FC, with the Union holding the advantage in recent meetings. Phoenix has dropped each of the last three matchups between the two clubs and will look to end that stretch as the sides meet again. The last time Rising earned a victory over Monterey Bay came in 2023, when Phoenix secured a road win at Cardinale Stadium.
Since then, the Union have found success in the series, making Saturday’s contest another opportunity for Rising to change that narrative. However, home-field advantage could play a key role, as Phoenix holds a 1-1-1 record against Monterey Bay at home. With three points on the line, Rising will look to use its home crowd as encouragement to shift the balance of the series and continue its push up the Western Conference table.
“That’s just the reality of football. You want results,” Kah said. “That’s why we’re in a result-oriented business, so for me, it’s just keep injecting belief in our players, keep injecting belief in the club, keep injecting that into them and we will be just fine.”
RISING RECORDS
Phoenix Rising enters Saturday’s matchup with a chance to make club history. With 99 home regular season victories in franchise history, Rising is one win away from becoming just the fifth team in USL Championship history to reach the milestone of 100 regular season home wins.
Achieving that mark would add another accomplishment to Phoenix’s history in the league and highlight the strength of its home-field advantage over the years. With three points on the line, Rising will look to capitalize on playing in front of its home crowd on dollar beer night while continuing to build momentum during the second half of the season.
“We need points at home,” forward Dominique Badji said. “On the road you never know it’s unpredictable but home games we’ve got a lot of factors going our way and that’s when we need to get the most points possible. We need to win. That’s all our mindset is, is to win.”
BAY AT THE BOTTOM
Monterey Bay FC enters the match at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with 15 points and a 4-8-3 record. Despite their place in the table, the Union have shown signs of improvement, posting a 3-1-1 record over their last five matches. Their biggest hurdle has been finding results away from home, where they are still searching for their first road win at 0-5-2.
Riley Bidois leads the team’s attack with four goals, while Paul Gindiri and Wesley Leggett have each found the back of the net three times. Looking to build on their recent momentum, Monterey Bay also added veteran forward Simon Dawkins, formerly of the San Jose Earthquakes, to strengthen its attacking options.
“There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, I believe that,” Kah said. “And I know that we’re going to achieve the objective that we set out to be. But right now, we’re going to continue to work, stay calm and just keep going.”
