Postgame Quotes

Sacko nets third goal in all competitions, while Avayevu crosses double-digit goal contributions

Phoenix Rising continue to click on the road, most recently taking home a point following a 1-1 draw against FC Tulsa on June 14 at ONEOK Field. Following the match, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and forward Ihsan Sacko discussed the club’s “road warrior” mentality, its recent winning run and more.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match… 
“The game could have ended either way. I thought could have gone 2-0 up in the first half with (Ihsan Sacko’s) second chance, JP (Scearce) on his header that we thought was in. Patrick (Rakovsky) kept us in the game, he kept us safe. We could have won the match at the end with (Xian) Emmers. Overall, when you look at the overall game, a draw is a fair result.”

On his message to the team following the match… 
“The message is to regroup. When you play in humidity, I know how it is, I’m so proud of the boys for the hard work they give us every single day. We’re very happy with it and we’re unbeaten in six, so for us we have to continue our streak and that shows the mentality and resilience we have.”

On the club’s success on the road…
“You need to have a road warrior mentality, which we have. We refuse to lose games and keep fighting. We knew it was a tough environment. Today we did not play the football that we wanted to play. But you find different ways as a team to get results, and we showed it today.” 

On where the team can improve going forward… 
“We know we can play better. Sometimes it’s not about playing better, sometimes it’s about grinding out results and we did that.”

On how the team compares now to where it was in the first months of the season…
“In the beginning (of the season) we were a team still seeking connections together and an understanding of what (the coaching staff) is asking of them. Now you are seeing the connection developing and growing. We’re still not a finished product, but we’re working toward it.”

FORWARD IHSAN SACKO

On his overall thoughts on the match… 
“I feel the team is disappointed because we didn’t take the three points, but it was a tough game. We’re happy with the point, but we just have to improve our mindset to be ready for the next game.”

On playing away from home…  
“It’s always hard to play away because we don’t have our supporters. Away from home we have to be more focused on ourselves to win the three points.

On where the team can improve going forward… 
“We have to work harder at practice and be more killer, because I think we could have killed the game off in the first half. We need to be more killer because that will make the game easier for us in the second half.

On his goal and chemistry with Hope Avayevu…
“It was a good goal. I just made eye contact with (Avayevu). I was thinking about going behind the defender, so the pass was good and my first touch inside killed the first defender, I felt him on my back. It was just another touch to be in position to shoot and I felt it was a good finish.”

Dariusz Formella, Charlie Dennis, Ascel Essengue score first goals of 2025 as Rising climb to three points out of first in the West

Phoenix Rising continue to find ways to pick up results, extending its league unbeaten streak to six with a 3-1 win over Orange County SC on May 31 at Phoenix Rising Stadium. Following the match Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah, forward Dariusz Formella and midfielder Charlie Dennis spoke with local media about the result, building momentum and taking the club’s winning ways back on the road.

Phoenix Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah  

General thoughts on the match… 
“Very good first half. We started the second half a little slow, allowed them to come into the game, but then from that moment, we responded well, and I think it was a well deserved victory. Football is a very simple sport, right? It’s when you have new players, they take a little bit of time to gel with one another, you know, and we’ve had our misfortunes on both ends. Today I’m not very happy we conceded a set-play goal. I think we could have done better, but again, going attacking, I think we’ve done a great job.

For us, we’re happy, but we’re not satisfied. You know, when you’re winning, sometimes it’s very easy to forget everything. For me and for my staff and the players, we have one goal in mind, and that goal never changes, whether we’re winning or losing. Right now we have good momentum, and we want to carry it by doing the little things right.”

On hitting the road for the rest of the month… 
“That was one of the messages I left with (the players). This is your last home game for a month. You need to send the fans away with a smile, but also a smile on your face, because you’re going to be on the road. We’re picking up the wins at home, which is important, but we go for a month away, which we’re going to embrace. We’re road warriors, you know, we always look ahead. We’re going to enjoy this today and tomorrow. But from Monday, we have only one thing in our mind, that is Tulsa moving forward. And for us home, away, doesn’t matter. We have the same mindset with the same goal.”

Thoughts on academy players being pulled up… 
“We’re not afraid to throw players in because if you’re old enough, you’re good enough. That’s the mentality that we have…This is who we are as a club. We give opportunities to players when they deserve to play, but you gotta earn that right to play…We have a core group of academy players that are with us on a daily basis. And today you saw Cyrus (Kowall), you know, another day it could be Pierce Rizzo. Another day could be Zach Da Silva. Another day, could be Bimbo, you know, Alex (Balanzar de la Cruz). Another day, it could be Tony (Capetillo) or even Jan (Villegas). We have a bunch of academy players that we believe in, that we are working with every day and making sure that they see and trust the work that they’re doing every day in this pathway.”

Phoenix Rising Forward Dariusz Formella 

General emotions coming out of the match… 
“Great day. Good game. The most important, fourth win in a row, I think. Yeah, big step forward, and we have the day off tomorrow, and then Monday, we work again to win the fifth.”

Thoughts on his first goal since October… 
“For every offensive player, the long break from the goal is something you don’t like…after the last Jägermeister game, when I had the PK and I chipped it and missed it, I had to talk with one of the coaches because I saw it’s not going in a good direction, and I’m not myself…I had a very good week of training. I was trying to focus only on all simple things, and it worked. So I’m very, very, very happy. Big game for me and a crucial moment. And yeah, I’m gonna enjoy today.”

On his chemistry with Hope Avayevu… 
“I feel a very good connection with (Avayevu), like playing just one-two touches in training. We sometimes have very nice combinations. Today, we showed a little bit, but I’m telling you it was not even 20%. I hope we’re gonna have more chances to do it, and we’re gonna be able to show it, because we have much more to show…I like to play with Hope, he’s a good, intelligent player. It is very good for me, I played as a striker today, to have somebody like him behind me who can combine and play one-two touches”

Phoenix Rising Midfielder Charlie Dennis

On his overall thoughts on the match… 
“There’s a lot of preparation that goes into it. I’ve been injured for 12 weeks and I’m just staying present at the moment. Doing what I need to do to get back to being healthy, and when my time comes, I’ll be ready for the moment.

Spells throughout the game… 
“We did have a few spells there where we kept the ball well, but there were moments where we gave it away cheaply. If we clean that up, that’s if you look at the top teams that go on and win trophies, they don’t make those mistakes.”

Thoughts on playing high-ranked teams… 
“That’s our identity, and that’s how we want to play moving forward, and that’s to play with confidence and dominate the whole game. We keep pushing, especially in the middle of the season, since there’s a lot of points to be made in more games this year.”

With the result, Rising move up to fourth in Group 2 of the USL Jägermeister Cup

Phoenix Rising picked up a second consecutive result against rivals New Mexico United, this time in USL Jägermeister Cup competition, with a 3-3 draw and subsequent 3-2 win in penalties to take two points from the clash. Following the match, Rising forward Jearl Margaritha, goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky and Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah spoke with media members about the match, recent success in penalties and the team’s hunger for results moving forward.

Phoenix Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah  

General thoughts on the match… 
“I think was a great game from two great teams, right? [I’m] very proud of my boys. I think we should have killed it off with a couple of chances that we had. We didn’t need to go to penalty. So it’s a little bit bittersweet… but again, we’re getting better, and you see resilience as well, when you see the character, you know still, but these are the moments…that’s going to define us from being a good team to a very good team and a great team.” 

On DJ parting ways from the team for international play… 
“I’m very pleased with, you know, we’re very pleased for him, and hopefully he [keeps] this…transaction of going upwards, upwards, because he’s a very important player for us,[and] for the group.” 

On Patrick’s penalty performance… 
“Don’t Jinx him. Next question… I don’t want to talk about him and Cory, but I’ll give him credit unbelievable. He’s unbelievable. But also I give Corey Robertson, our goalkeeper coach, a lot of credit [too], but we’re not going to jinx him. I’m sorry.” 

Phoenix Rising Forward Jearl Margaritha 

General emotions coming out of the match… 
“It has a good feeling. Of course, I think we really fought, and it showed the way we fought back from the [one down], where we fought back from two, three down. I think it shows us as a group, what we can do and what we’re capable of.” 

On his thought process during his assist to Hope… 
“I don’t really remember, but I just remember, when I got the ball, I saw one of their guys wanted to attack me… I just faked him. I think he made a tackle… he’s still sitting there, but that’s fine. And then it was just like a chip to hope I saw him…before the guy came to me, and, yeah, I just needed to make sure he was out of the way first so I [could] give a clear ball. And he did what he needed to do.” 

Thoughts on parting ways with the team (international break)… 
“It’s hard, of course, because you want to be with them all the way. We’ve been together from the start, been through the hard times [when] we were losing. Now we’re winning, and everybody is just in a good vibe. And of course, it’s hard to step away from that, but I think they’re also happy for me, and I’m also happy for myself, because it’s my first time playing Gold Cup, and also the World Cup qualifiers. It’s a big thing for me, and yeah, I’m just looking forward to it, and I know as soon as I leave, the guys are going to do well, and they’re going to keep winning. So I don’t think something’s going to change, except for my for the energy that I bring, because I start screaming in the morning already when I come in. So they’re going to miss that, the loudness of me.” 

Phoenix Rising Goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky 

On his overall thoughts on the match… 
“I don’t think we started well in the game. I feel like the first 20-25, minutes, we were not good… I feel like we picked up the momentum just before halftime. Lucky, we scored that goal. Great in individual work, great pressure from the team… I feel like we can be lucky that we tied the game.” 

On his three penalty kick saves…
“Penalty shootout is not easy, but I feel like today was a great lesson that we that we cannot stop, when we’re up… I’m hoping that we don’t get to the penalty and that we win before that. But yeah, right now we have luck a little bit on our side that they don’t shoot well, and I’m lucky that I go to the right way.” 

Thoughts on playing high-ranked teams… 
“I think we have the quality to beat everyone in this league. Also, that league is really tight, right? You have someone on the bottom who can beat someone up on the top. That was us, when we launched a few weeks ago… we’ve got to take every game super serious, go 100 percent, then we can beat everybody.” 

Kah, Scearce and Flood talk with local media following Rising’s first home win of the 2025 season

Phoenix Rising secured back-to-back victories for the first time this season, dispatching Monterey Bay FC by a score of 2-0 on May 17 at Phoenix Rising Stadium. JP Scearce and Ryan Flood scored the goals, while Jamison Ping picked up an assist as the Arizona trio led Rising to a signiture home result.

Following the match, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah, Scearce and Flood discussed the victory, building off the positive result, the impact of homegrown talent on the roster and more.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match… 
“I think it was a great performance. I was very happy. The only thing you can nitpick is you have more opportunity, maybe, to score goals, but again, we’re moving in the right direction. I think it was an overall very good 90-minute performance.”  

On the mood in the locker room… 
“The mood is crazy, because they work so hard for it. We’ve been a little bit unlucky at home. I’m very proud of the boys. We’ve gotten some unlucky results at home, but they keep grinding and they keep working. That’s why I was saying trust the process. Never lose sight of the process, because wins or results should never change what you’re trying to achieve. Football is a long season, so you got to keep going. This is a start. We have the momentum, and to keep the momentum is by doing the small things right every single day.”  

On not allowing a shot on target… 
“Overall, a great 90 minutes of performance. But also, it’s wonderful to have the confidence that you’re not giving shots away, which in the beginning of the season we were doing a lot. It takes time to form a team to play the way that you want to play, but the biggest thing is always to have the belief and confidence in them. And every single day since we started, they’ve come in and given us their all.” 

On how important JP Scearce has been… 
“I call (Scearce) my silent leader, because he bleeds this club. He’s from here and this club means a lot to him. Every time he steps on the pitch, he’s grateful to represent this club and the community. Players like him are very rare because they go about their business, they’re not looking for the limelight or anything. He’s been very important on the field, but also off the field with his voice.” 

MIDFIELDER JP SCEARCE

On his goal… 
“Not how we drew up the set piece, but I saw the ball pop up and it wasn’t going out or staying in and in my head, I was like, ‘I have to go win this.’ Luckily, I did. I jumped the keeper. I think they were calling for a foul; I didn’t touch him. I saw the ball go into the back of the net and ran to the corner to celebrate.” 

On putting pressure on Monterey throughout the game… 
“Even before the game, the team talk was to get an early goal in the first 15 minutes, put pressure on them. I think we could have generated some chances. Maybe they weren’t the cleanest chances, but we were going for the early goal. At halftime, we came in and we felt good. We felt we were in control of the game. And in the second half, we had to raise the level a bit, put them under more pressure and get that goal. Thankfully, we were able to get it.” 

On if sitting deeper on the field was an intentional gameplan… 
“No, definitely not. We wanted to be on the front foot. We wanted to high press them. Sometimes that gets a little bit tiring, and naturally they find gaps and we drop off. In the second half, they had a little bit of momentum early on, which is why we dropped off a little bit, but eventually, after the goal we pushed on a little more and were back to the way we were in the first half.” 

On the controversy surrounding his goal… 
“In my head, I was telling myself I had to win this ball, and I went for the ball. I jumped, headed it, and I don’t think I made contact with the goalkeeper. That’s what they were asking about, but I just went for the ball, and it went in.” 

On how it feels being in the starting lineup for a consecutive number of games… 
“It feels great getting back-to-back wins. Even before the New Mexico game, we put in some decent performances. We’re playing a bit better even though the results weren’t showing. After last weekend, you could feel a shift in momentum, some belief within the team. After today’s game, I think it’ll only grow more for us.” 

On if he feels he’s getting into a rhythm… 
“I would say so. Obviously, last year was a difficult year for me, and this year, coach has put a lot of trust in me. Getting a lot of minutes playing games consistently, I get a lot of confidence.”  

On the best part of today’s game… 
“The best part, I think, was how we closed out the match. Sometimes in previous matches when we’re winning, we let it go and let the opposing team come back into the match. Today, we got a second goal and closed out the match and gave it a serious go.” 

On the team’s mentality after recent injuries and suspensions… 
“It’s normal. Facing these situations is part of football. Obviously, it’s not ideal, but it’s part of football, and we have to stay strong as a team, and believe in our ability and that we’re a good team. That’s all there is to it. We know the talent we have on the team.” 

On if they knew how Monterey was going to play… 
“We knew from the previous game how they played. We knew the sort of players they had, but honestly, we focused on ourselves. The first game against them in Monterey wasn’t a great game for us, and we had to react to that and respond, and I think we did.  

On the upcoming week of rest… 
“I think it’ll help. We still have some players out injured, and hopefully the extra days will give some time for them to get back healthy.”  

On what it’s been like playing with Ascel Essengue… 
“He’s been excellent. Since his first game, you see the quality he has, and he’s been a solid center back. He’s helped us a lot in the last few games that he’s been a part of.  

DEFENDER RYAN FLOOD

Thoughts on his goal… 
“I was in a lot of space because they were in a low block, [the ball] came to me, I took a touch, and I saw the whole world open. It was ideal. I hit it perfect, and next thing you know we’re all celebrating together.”  

On if the coaching staff has encouraged him to take more shots… 
“Absolutely. He always wants to see us succeed. You get into a position like that where you can affect the game by taking one strike, he’s always going to say yes. He always recommends that we try to put shots on target. Test the keeper…Sometimes you have to take chances.” 

On the team’s first home win… 
“It makes us feel like we lifted a big weight off our shoulders. We gave the fans what they’ve been waiting for all season, and as a group, it brought us a lot closer together. Especially dealing with the injuries that we have, we can get our group back together, push on to the next game, and build off the two wins in a row.”  

On how the team has matured throughout the season… 
“We’re a young team, so you notice a lot of people are getting put into a situation where it’s a lot more fast-paced football. It’s been a bit of a test, and I think we’re finally catching our bearings. We’re moving forward, and we’re only going forward. That’s our goal.” 

On the legacy he wants to leave as an Arizona native… 
“There’s been huge names in this club. To put myself in a situation where I can build that as well and have my name be in those headlines too, it feels really good.” 

Rising become first USL team to win away against New Mexico United in 2025

Phoenix Rising picked up its second regular-season win of 2025, dispatching New Mexico United by a score of 2-1 on May 10 at RGCU Field at Isotopes Park. Midfielder Hope Avayevu finished with a goal and assist, while forward Darius Johnson scored his first goal with the club as Rising finished its three-match week with a win.

Following the victory, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and Avayevu discussed the result, away success, building momentum and more.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“I think we controlled the game. I think we were the better team. We should not have made it a thriller; we’re going to get better at (not doing that). If you look at the week, you go to Colorado Springs, the home of the champions, and you have an opportunity to win. You come back at home, go 120 minutes in the U.S. Open Cup against an MLS team. You come here in a derby game and you show what you are capable of. I’m so proud of my boys. Yes, we could have been better, but these are the steps you need to take to get to where you need to be.”

On the team’s game plan defensively…
“Defensively, we know New Mexico is a team that likes a lot of movement, so you want to be compact in the middle and force them to go out wide. I don’t think they created a lot of chances. We were the better team with the more dangerous opportunities. We should have scored more in the first half, but then we go 2-0 up and from that moment we did not control the game well. We allowed it to become a transitional game when we had a man up. That’s where we have to be calmer, find a free man and kill the match.”

On Avayevu’s goal…
“With him, everything is possible. Nothing surprises me with him because I know what he is capable of.”

On his message to Darius Johnson before he came into the match…
“We know what Johnson can be. He’s a huge piece for this team with his speed, with his energy and quality on the ball. We knew what he could do, and this was the right moment after he gave us 60-70 minutes on Wednesday. We needed him to come off the bench and he answered the call. We’re very happy with him and he deserved his goal.”

On the team picking up a result at the end of a busy week…
“Credit goes out to Devon (Manifold) and Greg (Spence) because they do a wonderful job to get the boys prepared. But the boys also did a good job mentally staying ready, knowing this is a derby. It means a lot to our fans, and this was an absolute must-win for our fans given we haven’t had the best of starts to the season. This group is growing, and you can see the growth every single day. To come out here and put out this performance is something to be proud of and I hope this will spur the team to use this momentum to move forward.”

MIDFIELDER HOPE AVAYEVU

On his overall thoughts on the match…
“It was a good game. We put in a lot of effort. We came here to win, and we had a win.”

On the message from the coaching staff before the match…
“After the midweek game, everybody was down, but that was something in our minds. We’ve learned from a lot of stuff over the past couple of weeks and we came back with that in mind today.”

On what was going through his mind on the goal…
“It’s always up to us to finish our chances. At that moment right there I just wanted to finish my chance and I did. It was a tight angle, but I managed to squeeze the ball in there.”

Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and forward Dariusz Formella adressed media members following Rising’s U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match

Phoenix Rising bowed out of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32, falling to Houston Dynamo FC by a score of 4-1 on May 7 at Phoenix Rising Stadium. Rising fought for 90 minutes to send the game into extra time, where it ran out of gas in the final 30 minutes. Following the match, Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and forward Dariusz Formella discussed the team’s Open Cup run, the fight the team showed, moving forward and more.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General emotions about the players playing against MLS opposition…
“I mean, they gave it their all, and that’s the only thing that you hope to see, that they fight. They played toe-to-toe with them, to be fair, you know.”

Team’s personal progression as a whole…
“You see it as a missed opportunity, because we created many chances to win that game, and maybe then you could have that opportunity to rest someplace. If you look at the whole 90 minutes, I think it’s something that we’re going to build on and be very proud of.”

Team’s performance carrying into the rest of the season…
“The performance that these players are making, and how they’re growing every day is the best thing that is about football since growth is going to carry us for the rest of the season. I do not doubt that once we get fully healthy, we’ll get to see these players in the positions that we all need them to be.”

FORWARD DARIUSZ FORMELLA

On his overall thoughts on the match…
“We lost after extra time, it’s painful, it’s difficult to swallow, because all the effort goes for nothing. We didn’t deserve to lose four, one, I think, but [in] the second half. We had to take a little bit risk…to take [a] chance and try to create something.”

On competing with MLS team…
“It was good for the team that we showed to ourselves, to the fans, like we can compete with MLS teams and go to extra time. But right now, I don’t know the game finished three minutes ago, so it’s difficult for me to say something smart and swallow this pill. It’s tough.”

On how he is feeling physically…
“Yeah, it was difficult. You can imagine the game in Colorado, [with] altitude, tough game. Also 1-1, it’s much more difficult to recover when you don’t get the results… you recover, completely different when you win. So, it’s also mentally not that easy, but we have to keep going. We have to break it, our time has to come, and we have to work for it. So, yeah, physically demanding week.”

Rising come up short in USL Jägermeister Cup opener against San Antonio FC on April 26

Phoenix Rising played its first-ever match in USL Jägermeister Cup competition, coming up short against San Antonio FC by a score of 1-0 on April 26. Following the match Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and midfielder Carl Sainté discussed the defeat, moving forward and bouncing back in league play.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match… 
“I think we had some decent moments, but we didn’t get a shot on target today. It was a little bit disappointing. I think one moment that could have maybe changed the game was offside call in the first half.” 

On Carl Sainté’s performance … 
“He’s played that role before, and it’s not new to him, and I think today, he played very good, which is credit to him, he was having a little bit of struggle, but he came out of the struggle, which is great to see. And I think he provided a lot physical for us.” 

On Casey Walls’ situation with the club… 
“Well with Casey, I mean, he came to me, he talked to me, and he has announced his retirement. And the reason for it is because, for the past two, three years, he had lost the joy in the game. And he felt that that was the right choice, and I support him 100% because, again, terrific young man, which I wish I had the more time to train him. I saw him play as a 16-year-old, and I always liked him, but I’m very happy for him, because in our sport, sometimes we don’t know what people put him, and I think it’s very important that, again, that we allow people to do what they want to do, because sometimes we feel like people need to be something. But he changed his dream…he felt it was time for him to do something outside football, and I support him, and clubs support him for 100%.” 

MIDFIELDER CARL SAINTÉ

On his overall thoughts on the match… 
“I think it was for me personally, I think we did a really good job, (in) the first half. I feel like the second half we kind of started, like, a little bit slow, but I think all we have to do (is) the game, it’s already passed. We have to keep our heads up in the transit process. And I think everything will work out.” 

On challenges from switching positions … 
“I mean, for me, personally, I feel like it’s really helped me because I see the team before I see myself…I feel like, wherever the coach want to put me, I’m willing to play because I just want to win.” 

On adjusting following Pape Mar Boye’s injury… 
“It’s someone that I (have known), a long time ago I’ve been playing with him, like, I know him, but I mean, like losing Pape, it’s, it was a big loss for us at the game.” 

Jearl Margaritha scores in fourth straight match, Rémi Cabral finishes with first-career multi-assist match

Phoenix Rising wrapped up a three-match week with a comeback result, turning a two-goal deficit into a 2-2 draw against Sacramento Republic FC on April 19 at Phoenix Rising Stadium. Following the match, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and forwards Rémi Cabral and Damián Rivera spoke with reporters about the comeback, finishing a long week and building off the result.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“I’m super proud. As a footballer myself, I know what it’s like to play three games in a week, with one of them going 120 minutes away. I think that shows the mental capacity of the group and willingness to fight. Being down 2-0, 2-1. I’m super proud of these boys, it was unbelievable.”

On Jearl Margaritha’s goal and overall performance…
“I’m very happy with his performance. Once again, we demanded a lot of him and he demanded a lot of himself. He’s progressing in the right way and taking his chances. That’s what we’re asking him to be. More lethal, more efficient. He showed it. Today, he scored a goal. There were many instances where he played a big part.”

On the team’s resiliency to come back from two goals down…
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We know what we signed up for and this is part of the game. We talk about being mentally strong, about being resilient, showing character. I think we have been showing it all through this year. You always want three points at home, but this point will go a long way after the long week we have had.”

FORWARD RÉMI CABRAL

On his overall thoughts on the match…
“It was a difficult game, especially with having the Wednesday U.S. Open Cup game. We played 120 minutes and came back on Saturday to play at 1 in the afternoon. It wasn’t easy, but I think the team had a really good reaction to show the character we have. It could have been better, but to come back from 2-0 isn’t easy, especially with heavy legs.”

On assisting on Damian Rivera’s goal…
“I’m really happy for Damian. (The goal) is going to take his confidence higher, because we know we’re going to need everyone on the team. The guys on the bench are going to finish the game. As coach says, they’re the finishers. They’re going to help us.”

On playing with the other attackers on the front line…
“I like to play with them. Everyone likes to play with good players, and obviously they’re really good. You can tell we have many weapons in front and in midfield. I enjoy playing and training with them everyday.”

On the feeling in the locker room following a three-match week…
“We know this is our job. Some weeks are harder than others. I’m proud of everyone because it’s not easy to play in the afternoon in the sun. To be down 2-0, especially. I’m really proud of everyone to come back to make it 2-2. Obviously, we wanted the win, but it was good to keep the momentum right and now we’ll come back next week.”

FORWARD DAMIÁN RIVERA

On his overall thoughts on the match…
“We started off slow. We had to build ourselves into the game and we kept improving as the game went on. We took advantage of a couple of our chances and were unlucky not to get the three points.”

On scoring the equalizing goal…
“It was huge for us. Rémi (Cabral) saw me, I tried to finish the chance, and I did. I was really happy, and it gave us momentum. We wanted the third goal but were unfortunate not to get it.”

On how he feels on the ball…
“Confidence. Not just for me, but for the team as well. We were unlucky not to get the third goal.”

On the messages he receives from Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah…
“I had a little bit of a knock in my thigh, which didn’t help me. I have been managing it the last few weeks and Pa told me to come in and make a spark today, and I did.”

Jearl Margaritha scored his second goal of 2025, while Patrick Rakovsky saved two penalties

Playing with 10 men for a large chunk of the second half and all of added time, Phoenix Rising held tough to see the match into penalty kicks and ultimately advance to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 following a 1-1 draw against FC Tulsa on April 16 at Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium.

Following the match, Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah discussed his team’s resilience and relishing the moment, while goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky discussed his late-game heroics and maintaining momentum to close out a three-match week.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“What an unbelievable performance from the whole group. An unbelievable performance from the staff. It shows the character and resilience that this group possess. Things didn’t go the way we wanted it, but these are the victories that will push the team forward. We’re going to use it as momentum for us going forward.”

On balancing substitutions with multiple matches…
“We have to take in the moment of what we did today. So far in the season, things have not gone our way. The boys gave it all, which shows how fit they are. That’s also thanks to our performance coach Devon (Manifold), because they are fit and showed it today. The subs were pushed, the players that were in were pushed. The whole group went deep-down to push for this victory and that was incredible.”

On Patrick Rakovsky’s performance…
“We know together with Triston (Henry) and Patrick, they are two of the best keepers we have in this league. Again, it showed. It showed the capability that Patrick has, and we hope he can kick on, together with Triston, to keep leading and guiding this team.”

GOALKEEPER PATRICK RAKOVSKY

On his overall thoughts on the match…

“Overall, we had a good game. The start was very difficult, and the wind was very strong heading against us, so we had to play out of the back. In the second half, we had the wind at our backs which made it much easier to play out a little better. We scored the first goal and I feel we could have scored two or three goals this game.

We were unlucky with the red card, but it should not happen. I felt the team dealt with it well. We were defending good and unlucky with the goal before the end. After that, we knew we had to defend really well, and we did. (Tulsa) played 50 minutes with one man more. They didn’t create a lot of chances, only two chances really. I saved the PK, which gave us the momentum and then we were ice-cold in front of the box and scored all the penalties. It was awesome.”

On the importance of bouncing back with a win Wednesday night…
“This should give us huge momentum to the next game. It’s not like we played bad. Last game there were five minutes where we weren’t there, but other than that we played really well. Now, with this game, we should have great momentum to go into the next game, play in front of our home fans and get that first win.”

On preparing quickly for a weekend match…
“We travel back (to Phoenix), then it’s all about recovery. It’s good we play in three days again. I’m really happy we can play again and don’t need to wait another week.”

Goals by Collin Smith and Hope Avayevu weren’t enough for Rising to notch its first home win of 2025

Phoenix Rising scored late in the first half and doubled its lead in the second, but a late offensive surge by visitors Detroit City FC were enough to prevent Rising from celebrating a home victory for the first time this season.

Following the match, Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah and defender Collin Smith broke down the 3-2 defeat Saturday night at Phoenix Rising Stadium.

HEAD COACH PA-MODOU KAH

General thoughts on the match…
“A little bit shocked. A massive, massive lesson. We basically gave away the game.”

On where the game went wrong…
“Game Management. We know 2-0 is the most difficult lead in football, but that was not a game to allow them to come back in. A little bit of desire was needed. Unfortunately, today we took a step back in our progress.”

The team’s second-half substitutions…
“You make subs and the subs were right, and our thing has nothing to do with the subs because we get the goal and assist from DJ. That means we did, but I think there’s just that little bit of responsibility and accountability that we are still gaining through our process. These are games that when you are up two-zero, you don’t allow the opposition to come back in the game.”

On defender Casey Wall’s debut…
“I think it was solid. We didn’t lose because of Casey. We lost as a team, but I was happy with a little bit of the things that we’ve seen from him. Hopefully, he can give us more.”

On the game plan of how to use Remi Cabral tonight…
“As we counted them, the switch of play was always on. For me, when you have a switch of play, you need to have tempo on the ball. I don’t think the tempo in the first half was very good for me. One of the things that I saw that I didn’t like today was body language and belief.”

On his message to the fans after the frustrating loss…
“The fans want to see a team. We want to see a team. This is a part of the progress. I know what the boys can do, and for me, I rally everybody to be behind the team. Their voices and their frustration are great because they believe and want this team to do better. So do we. It’s going to take moving in the right direction and working together to create a team that they can be proud of.

At this moment, there’s a lot of progress made, but also there’s a little bit of progress that still has to be made. Obviously, not the result we wanted, but let me know when you see a team that the title is given out after six games.”

DEFENDER COLLIN SMITH

On his overall thoughts of the game…
“It’s definitely great to score my first goal. Unfortunately, we didn’t end up getting the win, but we’ve trained really hard on working together as a team, and as a whole, in order to create chances. I feel like we did that, but obviously we came off a little bit unlucky. We weren’t too mature with how to really maintain that lead. And so obviously it cost us.”

On the team’s overall strategy entering the game…
“(Counterattacking) is one of the things we’ve worked on for sure,” Smith said. “We work on several things in order to be effective in the games. Then once gametime comes, it’s on us to be able to work on what we worked on in training and exploit the team in the ways that we feel like we can exploit them.”

On if Detroit earned the win or was it team lapses that lost the game…
“I think it’s the maturity of the group, because we’ve been in games where we started behind and luckily this game we started ahead. Now we just have to be smart enough to really manage the game. Maybe in those moments, go to the corner, do the things that are necessary to keep that lead.”

On if maturity is a point of improvement going into the weekend…
“(Maturity) is definitely high on the priority list. I feel we’ve got enough games under our belt where we’ve faced a lot of obstacles, and now that we’ve faced those, that should only prepare us.”

On his first goal and team chemistry…
“There’s a lot of togetherness in the group, a lot of camaraderie, everyone’s bought in, everyone’s with each other, we’re all just as tight as the next. All that’s there. It’s now about once we get in the game, that’s when we have when we have to pick our moments to maybe have a go at each other. Maybe be a little bit more serious with each other, and that’s when it shows in the game.”

On his goal…
“(Margaritha) doing his thing, one-v-one. That’s one of his strengths. Once we get him the ball, we kind of know that he’s going to beat his guy. Then for me personally, once I saw he got the ball, I was like, ‘Hey, I go to get there, because I feel like it’s going to get there somehow, with his strength, beating the guy one on one.’ Then obviously I ran in there.

Next thing I knew the ball came into me, and I thought I was going to fly through the net. I was ready. I was waiting for that one. I was ready for that one. Super excited to be able to get that and of course, Margaritha doing his thing. Super appreciative of him too and the whole group. Now we just have to clean up the small mistakes to turn it into a win.”