Dariusz Formella’s three-goal-contribution night leads Rising to fifth straight result
Forward Dariusz Formella, midfielder Charlie Dennis and defender Ascel Essengue all scored their first regular season goals of 2025, leading Phoenix Rising to a 3-1 win over Orange County SC on June 7 at Phoenix Rising Stadium. The win marked the clubs’ fifth consecutive result in all competitions and second straight victory at home in league play.
“To be honest, there’s no taking your foot off the pedal,” Dennis said following the match. “(Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah) is someone who makes sure the attitude is right every day. The way we prepare for games will set us up and give us that advantage when we play on the weekend.”
Dennis found himself in the limelight Saturday night, scoring the assurance goal to put Rising up 3-1 late in the second half. The goal was his first in regular-season play after recently returning to action following a long-term injury that has kept him sidelined since Week 1.
“I’ve been injured for 12 weeks and I’m just staying present at the moment,” Dennis said. “I’m doing what I need to do to get back to being healthy, and when my time comes, I’ll be ready for the moment.”
Dennis became the 14th Rising player to score a goal this season as the club netted three goals in a second straight match and extended its goal total to 27 in all competitions. Kah’s squad will look for its fifth consecutive win when it travels to face FC Tulsa on June 14 at ONEOK Field.
PLAYING THE KIDS
With his start on Saturday, forward Cyrus Kowall became the youngest Rising player to start a regular season match in club history. Notably, he became the third PRFC Academy player to start this season, joining defender Braxton Montgomery and midfielder Jamison Ping. Under Kah, Rising has seen four players make their professional debuts, with midfielder Pierce Rizzo coming in late in the second half against Monterey Bay FC on March 29.
“This is who we are as a club,” Kah said. “We give opportunities to players when they deserve to play. You have to earn that right and (Kowall) did. Not only because he is young, but because he has worked hard every day for that opportunity.”
FIRST GOAL(S), FIRST ASSIST, FIRST APPEARANCE
Formella, Dennis and Essengue all notched their first goals of the regular season against Orange County SC on Saturday night. Formella played a role in all three goals, putting Rising in front early with a perfectly taken first-time effort at the top of the box. He was also the one in tight spaces to find his teammates and facilitate their goals. Dennis and Essengue marked the 13th and 14th players to score for Rising in all competitions so far this season.
“For every offensive player, that long break since scoring your last goal is something you don’t like,” Formella said. “I was trying to focus only on the simple things and it worked. It was a big game for me, a crucial moment and I’m going to enjoy it.”
Additionally, midfielder Noble Okello logged his first assist of the season, as well as his first assist in Rising red, on the club’s opening goal. The final first of the night came in the form of a debut. Days after his signing was announced, Belgian international Xian Emmers stepped onto the pitch for the first time in the 76th minute, receiving his first bit of USL Championship experience.
GOAL-SCORING PLAYS
PHX – Dariusz Formella (Noble Okello), 21st minute: After receiving the ball in the right half-space, midfielder Noble Okello picked out forward Dariusz Formella alone in the middle of the box, who used his right foot to lash home a one-time finish to the far corner of the goal.
OC – Vuk Latinovich (Christopher Hegardt), 58th minute: Christopher Hegardt’s lifted cross from the left side of the box found the head of Vuk Latinovich standing at the far post. The defender then nodded the ball down and into the back of the net.
PHX – Ascel Essengue (Dariusz Formella), 68th minute: After receiving the ball from Formella inside the box in tight quarters, Ascel Essengue took a touch to turn and settle the ball before sending a low-driven ball with his right foot into the left corner of the net.
PHX – Charlie Dennis (Dariusz Formella), 72nd minute: On a counterattack, Formella found Charlie Dennis with a perfectly-weighted ball. The midfielder then took a touch to set up a left-footed, low-curling effort that perferctly nestled into the bottom-left corner of goal.
NOTES
-Saturday marked the 33rd regular-season matchup between Rising and Orange County SC, the most meetings between two teams in the modern era of the USL.
-With his start, Cyrus Kowall (16 yrs, 51 days) became the youngest-ever starter in club history.
-Additionally, the forward is one of three PRFC Academy players to start a in a regular season match so far this season (Braxton Montgomery, Jamison Ping), and fourth academy player to make his debut (Pierce Rizzo).
-Forward Dariusz Formella netted his second goal of the season in all competitions, scoring for the first time since netting a PK in Rising’s match against Houston Dynamo FC in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play (5/7).
-The goal marked Formella’s 10th for the club in all competitions.
-Additionally, midfielder Noble Okello notched his first assist with the club on Formella’s goal.
-He now has three goal contributions in all competitions (2G, 1A).
-Formella picked up his first two assists of the season, assisting on the club’s second and third goals.
-Defender Ascel Essengue and midfielder Charlie Dennis scored their first regulation goals of the season in the second half.
-Notably, Essengue’s goal marked his first-ever for Rising.
-Rising has now scored 27 goals in all competitions, with 14 separate goal scorers.
-It marked a second consecutive match of three or more goals for the club and third of the regular season overall.
-The club is now 5-1-1 when scoring first.
-Midfielder Xian Emmers made his club debut in the second half.
-Rising has now taken a result in four consecutive home matches in all competitions and hasn’t lost in regular season play since April 12.
-With the win, Rising ends the night at 5th in the Western Conference (5-3-4, 19pts) and is three points out of first.
NEXT GAME
Rising next begins a three-game road trip away against FC Tulsa on June 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (PT) and the match will air on AZFS and ESPN+.
Phoenix Rising (5-3-4, 19pts) vs Orange County SC (4-6-1, 13pts)
June 7, 2025 – Phoenix Rising Stadium (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Goals by Half 1 2 FT
Phoenix Rising 1 2 3
Orange County SC 0 1 1
Scoring Summary:
PHX: Formella (Okello), 21
OC: Latinovich (Hegardt), 58
PHX: Essengue (Formella), 67
PHX: Dennis (Formella), 72
Misconduct Summary:
PHX: Okello (caution), 6
PHX: Smith (caution), 35
OC: Sylla (caution), 45+3
OC: Hegardt (caution), 50
OC: Scott (caution), 53
PHX: Avayevu (caution), 56
PHX: Essengue (caution), 60
PHX: Traore (caution), 70
PHX: Scearce (caution) 87
Lineups:
PHX: GK Rakovsky, D Montgomery, D Traore, D Essengue, D Smith, M Scearce, M Okello (Sainté, 76), M Avayevu (Cuello, 87), F Kowall (Dennis, 63), F Formella, F Sacko (Emmers, 76)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Villegas, GK Henry, D Flood, M Ping, M Emmers, M Rizzo
TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Formella, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Formella, 2); FOULS: 19 (Montgomery, 3); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 2
OC: GK Shutler, D Doghman, D Latinovich, D Brewitt, D Benalcázar, M Partida (Ciotta, 75), M War (Sylla, 45), M Scott, M Hegardt (Kone, 75), M Dunbar (Barjolo, 81), F MacKinnon (Zubak, 45)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Kadono, D Miles, D Santos, M Karam,
TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Hegardt, 3) SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Hegardt, 2); FOULS: 13 (Partida, Scott, 3) OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 2
Referee: Thomas Snyder
Assistant Referees: Matthew Schwartz, Devon Dieckman
Fourth Official: William Hale
Attendance: 4,193
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
