Rising’s run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ends in the Round of 32
Phoenix Rising’s 2025 run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup came to an end in the Round of 32 against MLS side Houston Dynamo FC. Forward Dariusz Formella scored his first goal of 2025 and Rising held on to send the match to extra time before the Dynamo scored three unanswered goals in the added 30 minutes to win 4-1 on May 7 at Phoenix Rising Stadium.
“It’s painful,” Formella said after the match. “It’s difficult to swallow because all the effort goes for nothing.”
Despite the defeat, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah took plenty of positives away from a match in which his team, short-handed in many ways due to injuries and other absences, fought to force the match into extra time.
“When you look at the game plan and you look at (Houston), I don’t think many can say there was a difference between us in those 90 minutes,” Kah said. “That’s something I’m really proud of.”
RISING IN THE 2025 U.S. OPEN CUP
Rising’s 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign ended in the Round of 32. It marks the second time Rising won a match in the competition and advanced past the Third Round. Additionally, Rising has not been eliminated by a non-MLS side since 2023.
“One of the targets we had was to win the U.S. Open Cup,” Formella said. “We are out now and we still have a lot of things to play for. We have to stay focused now on the league.”
RAKOVSKY IN NET
Named the Player of the Round after saving multiple penalty kicks against FC Tulsa in Round Three, goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky followed his performance up with a season-high seven saves in the Round of 32.
Rakovsky made a number of acrobatic stops to keep the Dynamo to one goal, only undone by a perfectly-placed wondergoal by midfielder Jack McGlynn in the 99th minute. The German shot-stopper has now made a team-high 23 saves across seven starts in all competitions.
Goal-Scoring Plays
HOU – Felipe Andrade (Nico Lodeiro), 17th minute: Nico Lodeiro’s free kick from outside the right side of the box found the head of Felipe Andrade, who headed the ball into the bottom-right corner of the net.
PHX – Darius Formella (Penalty Kick), 45+4 minute: At the penalty spot, Dariusz Formella used his right foot to slot the ball into the left side of the net.
HOU – Jack McGlynn (Brooklyn Raines), 99th minute: After receiving the ball on the right side of the box, Jack McGlynn dribbled centrally before unleashing a curling left-footed effort that picked out the top-left corner of the net.
HOU – Ezequiel Ponce (Ondrej Lingr), 112th minute: Receiving the ball on the left from a feed from Ondrej Lingr, Ezequiel Ponce used his left foot to slam the ball into the back of the net.
HOU – Sebastian Kowalczyk (Ondrej Lingr), 115th minute: On the right side of the box, Lingr sent a low cross to the far post that Sebastian Kowalczyk guided home with his left foot.
Notes
-Tonight marked Rising’s first time hosting a match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup since 2023 (vs. Greenville).
-It was the second time Rising has hosted an MLS team in competitive play (2014 vs. LAG).
-Additionally, 2025 is a second straight season Rising has faced MLS opposition (@SEA).
-Forward Dariusz Formella netted his first goal of the 2025 season in all competitions, scoring from the penalty spot in the 45+4 minute.
-The goal was Formella’s first since he scored against Monterey Bay FC in league play on Oct. 4, 2024.
-With seven saves tonight, goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky has now made a team-high 23 across seven starts.
Next Game
Rising next head to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to face rivals New Mexico United for the first time this season. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm (PT) May 10 at RGCU Field at Isotopes Park. Broadcast coverage will be available on AZFS and ESPN+. Radio coverage will be provided on Rising Radio (team socials).
Phoenix Rising (USLC) vs Houston Dynamo FC (MLS)
May 7, 2025 – Phoenix Rising Stadium (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Goals by Half 1 2 ET FT
Phoenix Rising 1 0 0 1
Houston Dynamo 1 0 3 4
Scoring Summary:
HOU: Andrade (Lodeiro), 17
PHX: Formella (Penalty), 45+4
HOU: McGlynn (Raines), 99
HOU: Ponce (Lingr), 112
HOU: Kowalczyk (Lingr), 115
Misconduct Summary:
PHX: Johnson (caution), 24
HOU: Gillingham (caution), 45+2
PHX: Smith (caution), 50
HOU: Kowalczyk (caution), 52
HOU: Dueñas (caution), 56
PHX: Cuello (caution), 65
PHX: Okello (caution), 70
PHX: Ping (caution), 106
Lineups:
PHX: GK Rakovsky, D Cuello (Flood, 90) D Sainté © (Kowall, 116), D Montgomery (Araneda, 116), D Smith, M Avayevu, M Scearce, M Okello (Ping, 105+1), F Formella, F Sacko, F Johnson (Rivera, 69)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Henry, M Rizzo
TOTAL SHOTS: 5 (Five players, 1); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Four players, 4); FOULS: 24 (Avayevu, 5); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 7
HOU: GK Gillingham, D Escobar, D Ortíz (Awodesu, 45), D Bartlow, D Andrade (Steres, 90), M Urso, M Artur © (Ponce, 63), M Lodeiro (Lingr, 81), F Kowalczyk, F Segal (Raines, 63), F Dueñas (McGlynn, 63)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Bond
TOTAL SHOTS: 21 (Three players, 3) SHOTS ON GOAL: 11 (Segal, 2); FOULS: 19 (Lodeiro, 4) OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 14; SAVES: 3
Referee: Abdou Ndiaye
Assistant Referees: Noah Kenyawani, Clarence Clark
Fourth Official: Cristian Campo Hernandez
Attendance: 4,346
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
