Phoenix Rising hosts Monterey Bay in its second to last game of the season at home and its final Dollar Beer Night of the year.
Phoenix Rising FC Match Preview Presented by Mayo Clinic
Phoenix Rising (9-9-11) hosts Monterey Bay (7-9-14) in its penultimate home match of the 2024 regular season in Central Phoenix. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m., and it’s Dollar Beer Night! Fans can enjoy $1 Modelo beers at concession stands throughout the stadium. Tickets are available now at phxrisingfc.com/tickets. Fans can also watch the game live on Arizona’s Family Sports or the CBS Sports GOLAZO channel.
Week 30 of the USL Championship was disappointing for Phoenix Rising. After gaining three points and significant momentum with a four-goal performance against San Antonio in Week 29, the team went on to lose both a home and an away match. Six points would have lifted the team to 6th place in the Western Conference standings, just one point away from hosting a playoff match. Instead, Rising now sits in 7th place, just two points above the playoff line.
“The results [last week] were not what we intended, but now the only way to progress is to look forward, we have a very important game on Friday, and this is what we’re looking toward,” said Interim Head Coach Diego Gomez. “It was a difficult week — it started well against Orange County and then we had a setback, and we had a good game against Las Vegas given the conditions, a very tough game with hot weather and tired legs, and then to lose it in the 96th and 98th minute, there is frustration when you lose that way. Now, it’s about waking up and moving past the last game. We need three points against Monterrey.”
The two matches Phoenix Rising played in Week 30 were vastly different. In their away match, Rising dominated possession, fired off ten shots, and maintained consistent pressure in the opponent’s final third. Despite the control, they managed only one shot on target and conceded twice in a 2-0 loss. Back at home, Rising registered just six shots—its lowest total in a USL Championship match in 2024—while holding only 41% possession, but did manage to score.
“The team is focused on the next game, with just five games left in the competition we need to lock in to make the playoffs, so above all we are focused on that goal,” said Gomez. “We continue to look at things one game at a time, now more than ever, because the reality is that every game is key right now and in order to move up the table and to be successful or make the playoffs, we need to win this game and after this game we need to think about winning in New Mexico.”
This Friday night, Rising welcomes a Monterey Bay team that has struggled to find the back of the net. The California side has failed to score in its last six USL Championship matches, the longest scoreless streak in franchise history, and is winless in its last 11 games, also a franchise record. Monterey Bay has been held scoreless in 14 of its 30 games—more than any other team in the USL Championship.
“Monterey is a team that is struggling to find goals, but it’s playing good soccer, creating chances, but it’s a situation where they aren’t scoring and we know that’s a tough spot to be in — when it looks like the goal is never going to come,” said Gomez. “It’s important for us to play our game and respect the opponent because even though they haven’t scored a lot of goals, they aren’t a team that has conceded a ton of goals.”
In a 0-0 draw against Orange County and again last weekend, Monterey Bay created chances in the final third, but like Phoenix Rising, struggled with the finishing touch. Last weekend, they had a goal disallowed due to a foul in the box before conceding twice and losing all three points at home to Detroit City FC.
“[Monterey] has quality, they can move the ball well and they are dangerous even in attacking from defense — they have very good footballers that can join in the attack and become dangerous in those situations,” said Gomez. “To make sure we don’t concede and to keep the clean sheet again, to be smart with the ball, dominate the game, create chances the pull them apart, start fast and with a lot of intensity from minute one, that will be key for us.”
Phoenix Rising traveled to Monterey Bay for its second match of the 2024 season, where they struggled early. Rising conceded a half-dozen shots on target in the first 30 minutes and ultimately gave up a goal in the 22nd minute after a turnover was capitalized on by Rafael Barca. Although Rising improved late in the first half and created several dangerous chances in the second, they couldn’t find the back of the net, and the match ended in a 1-0 loss to Monterey.
Tickets for this Friday’s match are available today starting at just $15. It’s the final Dollar Beer Night of the 2024 season! Secure your seat or tune in to Arizona’s Family Sports or the CBS Sports GOLAZO channel.