Rivalry Renewed: One team’s season ends Sunday as Phoenix Rising and New Mexico United battle for playoff survival
Phoenix Rising FC Match Preview Presented by Mayo Clinic
Phoenix Rising begins its title defense on the road this Sunday at 6:00 p.m. against the Western Conference champions, New Mexico United. Catch the action live on CBS Sports.
“We know it’s the playoffs and the start of a new season,” said Interim Head Coach Diego Gomez. “Everyone is motivated and focused on Sunday’s game because we know really it’s one game — there is nothing after — we need to win it to earn the next week.”
It was a tumultuous season for Phoenix Rising, beginning on a high note with memories of its recent championship run still fresh for both fans and players and dipped quickly with a slow start rebounding from tenth to sixth place in the Western Conference before a coaching change hit at the end of June and Phoenix Rising made a late push to capture the last available playoff spot.
“The vibe is good between the boys,” said Midfielder Charlie Dennis. “We have a lot of experienced players, the players that were here last year and won it, they’re going to take that experience into the playoffs. There’s a different feeling in the air when it’s playoff time.”
As the club proved last season, anything is possible once a playoff spot is secured. In that sense, step one accomplished. Rising enters the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs as the eighth seed. The path ahead is clear: four road wins are needed to bring the trophy back to Phoenix. Last year’s squad achieved this in dramatic fashion, with road victories at the last moment, in overtime, and ultimately in a penalty shootout to claim the championship in Charleston. Can lightning strike twice?
“Last year, they won it going every game on the road and they have an extra confidence,” said Gomez. “Our players know how it’s done and know that they can do it again.”
There are some stark differences between this season’s Phoenix Rising and last season’s. In 2023, Phoenix Rising scored 63 goals, led by Danny Trejo and Manuel Arteaga, both of whom left in the off-season, along with Head Coach Juan Guerra, who departed this past winter. That team had a balanced attack but a less efficient back line. The 2024 team, while struggling in the final third and finishing the regular season with just 33 goals, has been one of the stronger defensive teams all year — second best in the Western Conference in goals conceded.
“In playoff games, it’s important firstly that you don’t concede. If you don’t concede a goal, you’re into the next round,” said Gomez. “So that’s the mentality. We had parts of the season where we were very good, achieving clean sheet after clean sheet and being very difficult to score on, and that’s what we know. In the playoffs if you don’t concede you go through to the next round.”
To return to the USL Championship Final, Phoenix Rising will first need to face its Southwestern rival, New Mexico United. It’s been a dream season for New Mexico. After finishing last season in eighth place and bowing out of the playoffs in the first round to top-seeded Sacramento Republic, United used the long offseason to rebuild and came back strong, maintaining impressive form through to the final month of the regular season. After essentially clinching the top spot in the Western Conference in early September, however, New Mexico hit a late-season slump, picking up just two points from its final five games.
“They were the first in our conference, they had an amazing season and played well all year, dominating games with the ball and intense on the press,” said Gomez. “Right now, they are in a moment where they have not won in the last five games, but it’s the same thing for them as us, now this is a new season so I’m sure they’ll approach it that way the same as us.”
These two clubs know each other well, having faced off in numerous critical matches throughout their histories. Phoenix Rising clinched its regular-season title on the road in New Mexico in 2029, coming from behind to secure a 2-2 draw. The celebrations in New Mexico’s locker room still resonate in the minds of United’s faithful. This rivalry is heightened by the contrast in accolades: while Rising boasts several trophies, New Mexico is still chasing its first piece of hardware.
“We’re working hard and training to see where we can exploit New Mexico and also where we can sort of improve against them — areas that we suffered in the last game and trying to clean that up, but no game is the same, so we won’t put too much focus on that,” said Dennis. “We are preparing for a new game, a new environment, the playoffs.”
Finishing atop the Western Conference for the first time in its history is a strong foundation for New Mexico. Though this marks the first playoff meeting between these teams, their regular-season record is relatively even. Rising holds the overall edge with five wins to New Mexico’s three, and the teams split the 2024 season series, each taking three points on the road. In their early October matchup, Rising overcame an early 1-0 deficit, equalizing with a goal from Tomas Angel and pulling ahead in the 59th minute when a Charlie Dennis deflection sent a Giulio Doratiotto shot into the top of the net.
“We know it’s going to be a different came and both teams know what they want to do. The pressure on the players is not the same, so we know it’s going to be a different game than the one we just played,” said Gomez. “But we know that if we concede first, we can come back and win the game. That’s going to be the mentality, and we know when we are winning, we can lock the score and not concede chances. So, we come into that game with a good positive mentality.”
This Sunday, one of these two teams’ seasons will officially end—90 minutes of intense soccer await. Tune in at 6:00 p.m. on CBS Sports to catch all the action or join Phoenix Rising staff and fans at Walter Station Brewery for the official watch party.