Match Preview

Rising Faces Roots, Saturday at 7 PM

Phoenix Rising hosts Oakland Roots this Saturday at Phoenix Rising Stadium. The match will begin at 7 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than normal to allow the club to broadcast its first match on CBS 5 in Arizona. Rising fans that cannot make it to the game can tune in to catch the defending USL Champions immediately following CBS’ coverage of the second round of the 2024 NCAA tournament.

At 38^th St/Washington on Saturday, Rising will be looking to improve on its 3-2-3 record all-time against Oakland, a franchise which has quickly established a contentious vibe with Phoenix since joining the league in 2021. Rising won three of the first four matches in the series, outscoring Roots 6-3, but since July of 2022, Phoenix is 0-1-3 vs. Oakland.

“We need bravery and confidence on the ball,” said Rising Head Coach Danny Stone. “We were uncharacteristically casual in possession against Monterey Bay. That will be a focus area for us this weekend. It’s not just from our sixes that we ask players to break lines. We have players that can break lines everywhere, even on our back line or even our goalkeeper but it depends on the game, where that comes from.”

Oakland conceded possession to its opponent at a rate of 60-40 in its 2-1 win on March 9, then doubled down on the tactics, owning just 33% of the ball in its 1-1 draw against Charleston on March 16. More of a possession-based team, Rising has averaged over 50% of the ball, barely, in its first two games. The stone in Phoenix’s show has been its inability to find the back of the net at it continues to see players returning from early season knocks.

“We’re very aware we need to score that first goal,” said Stone. “When that first goal comes, you’ll see shoulders relax a bit. We’re very close. We’re not panicked. I know the players we have in the locker room – a lot of talent, a lot of quality, I believe very, very much in them. When you have these very slight moments of adversity early in the season, you need to stick together and not forget the identity of who we are and what we want to be.”

MATCHDAY HQ: Phoenix Rising FC vs. Oakland Roots SC 03.23.24

MATCHDAY 3: Phoenix Rising FC vs. Oakland Roots SC
Location: Phoenix Rising Stadium at 38th St./Washington
Time: 7:00pm (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)
TV: CBS 5 | AZ Family (Channel 44)
Streaming: ESPN+ | Rising Radio (audio only: English & Spanish)

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PREVIEW
Phoenix Rising hosts Oakland Roots this Saturday at Phoenix Rising Stadium. The match will begin at 7 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than normal to allow the club to broadcast its first match on CBS 5 in Arizona. Rising fans that cannot make it to the game can tune in to catch the defending USL Champions immediately following CBS’ coverage of the second round of the 2024 NCAA tournament.

At 38^th St/Washington on Saturday, Rising will be looking to improve on its 3-2-3 record all-time against Oakland, a franchise which has quickly established a contentious vibe with Phoenix since joining the league in 2021. Rising won three of the first four matches in the series, outscoring Roots 6-3, but since July of 2022, Phoenix is 0-1-3 vs. Oakland.

PHOENIX RISING FC APP
Before you do anything, be sure to download the PRFC app. Not only is this your ticket into the game, it also has everything you’ll need on gameday, including stadium rules, maps, news, stats and more. Click the link below to get started.

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LIGHT RAIL
Rising fans can catch Valley Metro Rail, with their fare covered at any of the 41 stations across the Valley, leaving any worries about traffic and parking behind. Match tickets will double as valid light rail fare on the day of the event four hours prior to the start of the event, through the end of the transit day.

TRANSPORTATION
We’ve got great guides on transit options, the quickest routes and the best parking at Phoenix Rising Stadium. Take the time to review your route and plan to leave early to take the stress out of your gameday commute.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

GATE GIVEAWAY
As Phoenix Rising returns home in search of three points this weekend, be sure to stop by the stadium early; the first 2,000 fans through the gates will have the opportunity to pick up a special Phoenix Rising magnet schedule. Stadium gates open 1.5 hours before kickoff at 5:30 p.m.

FOOD TRUCK LINEUP
Starting on the north side of the stadium and moving counter clockwise: AZ Lemonade Stand, Bro’s Seafood, Chewk’s Cookies, Gabe The Food Truck, Mama Lolas, Bahama Bucks, Return of the Brisket, Estero Beach, Donut NV, Pinwheel Pizza, Aioli Gourmet Burgers, Copperstate.

Season Member discount will be available at all container bars, Copperstate Truck and Aiolo Gourmet Burgers.

MATCHDAY HQ: Phoenix Rising FC vs Monterey Bay FC 03.16.24

MATCHDAY 2: Phoenix Rising FC vs Monterey Bay FC
Watch Party: Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers – 5625 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: AZ Family’s Sports (Channel 44)
Streaming: GOALAZO/Paramount+/AZF APP | Rising Radio (audio only: English & Spanish)

CBS SPORTS GOALAZO

WATCH PARTY
Join us for the first official watch party of the 2024 regular season. Phoenix Rising has partnered with Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers, to provide delicious food and a wide variety of beer and soft drink options at every watch party this season. Rising Radio will be recording live at the Watch Party this Saturday, so be sure to stop by early and listen to the pregame conversation.

Then, watch as your Rising take to the road. In its first test away from home of the season, Phoenix is looking to recapture some of the playoff magic that saw Rising tear through the top three seeds in the Western Conference in California on its way to winning the USL Championship Title on November 12. Monterey opened its 2024 campaign Wednesday night, drawing El Paso, 1-1, in Texas.

Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to WIN FOUR (4) PREMIUM TERRACE TICKETS to the upcoming Phoenix Rising vs. Oakland Roots match on March 23.

Watch Party: Phoenix Rising at Monterey Bay FC

MATCHDAY 2: Phoenix Rising FC at Monterey Bay FC
Watch Party: Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers – 5625 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: AZ Family’s Sports
Streaming: GOALAZO/AZF APP | Rising Radio (audio only: English & Spanish)

Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to WIN FOUR (4) PREMIUM TERRACE TICKETS to the upcoming Phoenix Rising vs. Oakland Roots match on March 23.

Match Preview: Phoenix Rising vs. Monterey Bay, Saturday at 7PM

Phoenix Rising travels to Monterey Bay this Saturday, March 16 at 7 p.m. on Arizona’s Family Sports and Goalazo Network. In its first road test of the season, Phoenix is looking to recapture some of the playoff magic that saw Rising tear through the top three seeds in the Western Conference in California on its way to winning the USL Championship Title on November 12.

“Monterey Bay is never an easy opponent to play,” said Rising Head Coach Danny Stone. “The way they generally operate is as a hardworking and consistent team. They’re good in wide areas. They bring a lot of energy. We expect a difficult opponent and a tough task ahead of us this weekend.”

While Rising outshot its season-opening opponent, Birmingham Legion, 18-11 on opening night, Phoenix was not able to get one past goalkeeper Matt VanOekel. The veteran goalkeeper made eight saves and punched away two more to earn USL Championship goalkeeper of the week.

Monterey opened its 2024 campaign last night, drawing El Paso, 1-1, in Texas.

“Monterey was effective in that match,” said Stone. “They had a very good first half, in which they caused El Paso problems. They pressed aggressively and created good transitional opportunities. Monterey was good in wide areas. They sent in crosses that were effective in creating opportunities. After El Paso scored early, Monterey settled into the game and became the more dangerous team. Credit to them, they pushed to the end of the game and scored a good goal.”

The goal came from Monterey forward Tristan Trager, who latched onto the ball at midfield, turned his defender and sprinted 50 yards towards goal. At the top of the area, Trager played a one-two pass with teammate Alex Dixon before hammering a shot high over the shoulder of the goalkeeper to make it 1-1 in the 87^th minute. A member of the Charleston Battery last season, Treger started the USL Championship Final vs Phoenix in November.

“We’ll always go into games wanting to ask opponents as many questions as they ask of us,” said Stone. “We want them to have to deal with us. We plan to approach the match on the front foot. We’ll utilize the strengths we have to force them to have to play a difficult game, under pressure.”

The last time Rising was in Monterey, it was coming off a heavy loss, midweek to Sacramento on July 26. That 4-0 loss and subsequent 2-0 rebound victory against Monterey three days later galvanized last year’s squad, helping create the magic and “never say die” mentality the club leaned on to win three straight road playoff games in California.

MATCHDAY HQ: Phoenix Rising FC vs. Birmingham Legion 03.09.24

HOME OPENER!

MATCHDAY 1: Phoenix Rising FC vs. Birmingham Legion
Location: Phoenix Rising Stadium at 38th St./Washington
Time: 7:30pm (Gates open at 6:00 p.m.)
TV: AZ Family (Channel 3)
Streaming: ESPN+ | Rising Radio (audio only: English & Spanish)

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HOME OPENER
The decks are reshuffled. The stage is set. This Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the 2023 championship season will disappear into memory and become a lasting star atop the crest as the Rising community comes together once again to forge a second championship season.

“In order for us to be successful as the reigning champions, we’re going to need as much strength in numbers as we can possibly get,” said Rising Head Coach Danny Stone. “When we compete, we need to compete as a whole club, a whole community. We spoke about this a lot through the playoffs. The collective spirit, the collective unit we formed together… I certainly felt we had strength in numbers then. We were fighting as an army, not just 11 players on the field.”

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

COCKTAIL OF THE MATCH:
Sometimes it’s hard to choose between two flavors. With Saturday’s Cocktail of the Match, you don’t have to. The Smirnoff Smash Vodka Soda combines two fruity flavors that give one smashing Smirnoff experience.

GATE GIVEAWAY
Fresh off its 2023 championship, the club is celebrating by giving away a commemorative champions rally towel to the first 2,500 fans through the gates on Saturday. The stadium gates will open 1.5 hours before kickoff at 6:00 p.m.

Cocktail of the Match: Smirnoff Smash Vodka Soda

Gate Giveaway Item: Campeones Rally Towel
Presented by Equality Health

FOOD TRUCK LINEUP
Starting on the north side of the stadium and moving counter clockwise: Aioli Burger, Bahama Bucks, AZ Lemonade Stand, Chewk’s Cookies, Gabe The Food Truck, Oliane’s Caribbean, Return of the Brisket, Moma Lola’s, Re De Roma Pizza, Nog Dog, Bro’s Seafood, Copperstate.

MATCH PREVIEW: Phoenix Rising vs. Birmingham | March 9, 2024

Rising’s last regular season home match was nearly five months ago. On October 7, the team was 12-9-12 and sitting sixth in the West with no indication it would be adding a star to the top of its logo in 2023. Then it happened. Rising caught fire, won three road playoff matches, two in overtime and won it all after being down 0-2 in penalty kicks on Nov. 12.

The decks are reshuffled. The stage is set. This Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the 2023 championship season will disappear into memory and become a lasting star atop the crest as the Rising community comes together once again to forge a second championship season.

“In order for us to be successful as the reigning champions, we’re going to need as much strength in numbers as we can possibly get,” said Rising Head Coach Danny Stone. “When we compete, we need to compete as a whole club, a whole community. We spoke about this a lot through the playoffs. The collective spirit, the collective unit we formed together… I certainly felt we had strength in numbers then. We were fighting as an army, not just 11 players on the field.”

The knocks, frustrations and losses suffered in preseason behind the team, Stone noticed a change in the team this week.

“It has been a very spirited week,” said Stone. “I feel the difference in energy and environment. Training today was possibly the best we’ve had all year. There is a real energy about the group. They are excited and focused – ready to start the regular season. I see a real confidence about the group in all aspects of the game. The attack is no different. We don’t have concerns. We have strong players and strong people. We’ll be attacking this game on Saturday.”

The adversary on Saturday, Birmingham returns a trio of Enzo Martinez, Prosper Kasim and Preston Talbort Etaka that combined for 20 goals and 16 assists last season.

“Birmingham will be competitive,” said Stone. “They’re very hard to break down. They also have some very good athletic threats in transition. They have some good attacking threats and they’re well coached. We had a tough game with them last year. We managed to come out on top in that one, but Saturday will be a tough opening matchup for us. We’ll be prepared to fight and compete. To the fans… make this place as difficult an environment for opposing teams to come and play as possible.”