Phoenix battles for playoff positioning with final match looming, while Louisville rests ahead of postseason run
Phoenix Rising FC Match Preview Presented by Mayo Clinic
Phoenix Rising (11-9-13) closes the 2024 regular season on the road, matching up against Louisville City (23-4-6) on Saturday with kickoff at 4:30 p.m. Catch the action live on Arizona’s Family Sports or stream it online on ESPN+.
There were mixed emotions in the Phoenix Rising camp after last Saturday’s match. While it was a positive weekend for the club, as results across the league secured their playoff spot, Rising needed that help. An Oakland win, an Orange County draw, and San Antonio’s draw against Louisville City eliminated all teams below the playoff line by the end of the night. However, Phoenix dropped points in their own match against Memphis 901, leaving them in the final playoff spot heading into the season’s last match and the lowest points total of any team in the playoffs.
Rising created plenty of opportunities in the match, with 11 total shots and double the expected goals of its opponent. However, as has often been the case this season, the team was unable to find the back of the net. Memphis’ goal just before halftime was enough to secure all three points, lifting the Beale Street Boys into fifth place, just one point shy of hosting a first-round playoff match.
As it stands, Rising is set to travel to New Mexico for its opening match of the 2024 USL Championship playoffs. However, things could change in the final week of play, with three teams within two points of each other at the bottom of the Western Conference table. How Rising performs in their season finale on the road against Louisville will determine their path to defending last fall’s championship run.
Louisville has had a historically strong season, scoring 82 goals—the second-highest total in USL Championship history—while conceding only 42. Their 40-goal difference is the best in the league by a wide margin. To put it in perspective, the top goal differential in the Western Conference is held by Sacramento, with just a 13-goal difference.
Having already clinched home-field advantage throughout the 2024 playoffs, Louisville capitalized on its position by resting several players and giving others valuable playing time in their match against San Antonio FC on Saturday night. They made eight lineup changes and still managed to secure a 1-1 draw, with Phillip Goodrum netting his eighth goal of the USL Championship season.
Phoenix Rising and Louisville City have only met twice in the regular season, with both matches ending in draws. Their most recent encounter was last June at Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium, where the game finished 2-2. Carlos Harvey and Manuel Arteaga both found the back of the net for Rising in that contest.