Match Preview

PREVIEW: Rising vs. Sounders, Wednesday at 7:30 PM

Phoenix Rising heads into its midweek U.S. Open Cup match with MLS side (7:30 p.m. on USSoccer.com), Seattle Sounders FC at Starfire Sports Complex riding a five-game unbeaten streak dating back to April 20. During that stretch, Phoenix has allowed just 0.80 goals per game, traveled to the East Coast twice, tied the best defensive team in the Eastern Conference (Detroit), 1-1 away and earned a draw with the top team in the Western Conference (1-1 vs. Sacramento Republic).

“We now have a tough game against a very good opponent away from home,” said Danny Stone following Saturday’s 2-0 win vs. Miami FC. “We’ve done that a week ago, so we’re well practiced at that. Tonight’s game was another good performance and a positive result. That leads nicely into the next game and hopefully gives us a feeling of confidence heading into [Wednesday].”

Seattle is 3-3-4 across all competitions since April 1 and currently sits 10^th in the MLS’ Western Conference. They advanced to this Round of 16 match via kicks from the mark (5-4) following a 2-2 draw with Louisville City at Starfire Sports Complex on May 8. Seattle leads the league in red cards this season (4) and has a 0-2-2 record in those matches.

In three of its last seven matches, Seattle has taken a lead and then allowed late goals, as was the case in its Open Cup match against Louisville. The USL side came from behind, scoring in the 67^th and 89^th minutes to erase a 2-0 deficit and send the match to penalties.

Seattle also went ahead 3-0 vs. Philadelphia on April 30, then allowed two goals and watched the Union put a header off the crossbar late before hanging on for the 3-2 win. Last week, Seattle led the majority of the match, only to give up a late penalty kick goal to Vancouver to draw, 1-1.

“We know we have a very good team,” said Rising’s No. 10, who scored a goal and had an assist in a 2-0 win on Saturday. “We know our capacity to play. We have confidence in our style of play. It is an important game for us against an MLS team. There will be additional visibility for us to show our quality, our character and the identity of Phoenix Rising.”

Varela (2G, 1A, 10CC, 10 appearances), who is already approaching his output from 2023 (2G, 2A, 20 CC, 26 appearances) just 12 games into the 2024 season will be an important piece if Phoenix is to pull off an upset and advance to its first U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal on Wednesday.

“I came from Europe to the USL and it took me a bit to adjust to the style of play,” said Varela. “I needed time to adapt to the new league, the new competition, my new teammates… all while being far away from my home. Now, I am 100% adapted to the city, to the team. I feel confidence from the coach and owners. I am happy here and it has shown in the last few games. I hope to give more and more and continue to help the team.”

Phoenix Rising vs. Miami FC, Saturday at 7:30

Match preview presented by Mayo Clinic

Phoenix Rising FC hosts Miami FC this Saturday, May 18 for School’s Out night at 38^th St./Washington. The match will also be broadcast live on Arizona’s Family Sports at 7:30 p.m.

Miami FC comes into the match after falling, 3-1, at home to Indy Eleven on Sunday, May 12.

“Miami have good pieces,” said Rising head coach Danny Stone. “They’re a difficult opponent with good players. We’ve seen that a lot in the attacking side of their game. If you give them space and time… Allow them opportunities to threaten the goal, they will do that. They have a style, philosophy and identity they play consistently. Do not for a moment underestimate the opponent coming to Phoenix this weekend. This will be a difficult game, just as every game in this league is now.”

That being said, Miami FC has yet to win an away match, falling in Hartford (3-2 on April 6) and Pittsburgh (1-0 on May 4) while drawing 2-2 in Orange County on March 23. Miami has scored 1.2 goals per game this season and Rising regained the defensive form it established in the first four games of the season (0.75 GA) recently, having allowed just one goal in each of its last four matches across all competitions.

On offense, Phoenix continues to take steps forward. After beginning the season with just one goal in its first four games, Rising has not been held without a goal since March 30 (seven games).

“It’s something that only comes with time,” said Stone. “It comes with work. It comes with training and thought. When they walk onto that pitch, [the players are] the ones that have to play with each other. They have to know each other and get the best out of each other.”

Miami has given up 1.9 goals per game, which feels like the perfect matchup for Rising’s offense to ignite in 2024, but teams visiting Phoenix typically focus on a full team defensive effort.

“[A low block] is a difficult thing to break down,” said Stone. “The reality is, between the ball and the goal, there are a lot of players. They compact a lot of space. Teams will come here and do that consistently. It’s a difficult thing to break down because they’re taking away space. Players need to be able to operate in tighter spaces with less time.”

“It comes down to individuals producing a moment of quality,” concluded Stone. “Put the team on their back a little bit and say ‘I’ll be the one that takes responsibility here.’ I always feel we have 11 players on the field at any moment that are comfortable taking that responsibility. It’s production in the moments that matter that makes the difference.”

Watch Party: Phoenix Rising FC at Detroit City FC

MATCHDAY 10: Phoenix Rising FC at Detroit City FC
Watch Party: Z’ Tejas – 7221 W Ray Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Streaming: CBS Sports Network | Rising Radio (audio only: English)

WATCH PARTY
As Phoenix Rising returns to league play, join us at Z’ Tejas for the official Phoenix Rising Watch Party and experience the excitement firsthand.

Then, watch as your Rising take to the road. Phoenix Rising FC travels East to take on Detroit City FC. Rising is coming off a 2-1 win on the road against North Carolina on Wednesday during the Round of 32 Open Cup.

Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to WIN FOUR (4) PREMIUM TERRACE TICKETS to the upcoming Phoenix Rising vs. Miami FC match on May 18th. In addition fans can win this cooler presented by el Jimador Spiked Bebidas!

Rising at Detroit, Saturday at 2PM

Match Preview Presented by Mayo Clinic

Fresh of the biggest U.S. Open Cup win in franchise history, Phoenix Rising FC remains in the East this week, traveling to Detroit City FC for Saturday’s match on CBS Sports Network at 2 p.m. local time.

Last night’s win was a milestone for both Rising, which advances to the Cup’s Round of 16 for the first time and midfielder Giulio Doratiotto, who netted his first professional goal 10 days shy of his 20^th birthday (May 18).

“It feels amazing,” said Doraitotto. “It’s my first professional goal, a moment I have been waiting for and I am so happy it came at a moment like this, when I can help the team get a win.”

Doraitotto’s goal came in the 111^th minute of a match that saw three players ejected as well as a weather delay to begin the evening. Eventually, the match finished 2-1 in favor of Rising, putting the defending USL Champions into a Round of 16 showdown in Seattle against Sounders FC on Wednesday, May 22.

“We won a tough away game,” said head coach Danny Stone. “We’re happy to be into the next round and the last 16. It’s a good step forwards in this competition. The attention now turns to our league game and recovery. Credit goes to the players that fought hard and deserved to come away with this victory.”

Rising’s league game will be a difficult one too as Detroit appears to have turned a corner during the offseason. The team is 5-1-1 in 2024 and 3-0-0 in Michigan. Team defense seems to be the key to their success. Detroit has allowed fewer goals this season (4) than it did in last season’s match against Rising, which finished 5-0 in Arizona on September 16.

“Detroit is coming off a long match on Tuesday as well,” said Stone. “Of course, they have an extra day to recover but it makes no difference. We go to Detroit with the same attitude we came to North Carolina. We’ll make some decisions in the next few days and go attack the game on Saturday.”

Watch Party: Phoenix Rising FC at North Carolina FC

OPEN CUP ROUND OF 32: Phoenix Rising FC at North Carolina FC
Watch Party: Walter Station Brewery – 4056 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85034
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Streaming: ussoccer.com | Rising Radio (audio only: English)

WATCH PARTY
As Phoenix Rising competes in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32, join us at Walter Station for the official Phoenix Rising Watch Party and experience the excitement firsthand.

Then, watch as your Rising take to the road. Phoenix Rising FC travels East to take on North Carolina FC. Rising is coming off a 1-1 tie at home to Sacramento Republic on Saturday.

Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to WIN FOUR (4) PREMIUM TERRACE TICKETS to the upcoming Phoenix Rising vs. Miami FC match on May 18th.

MATCH PREVIEW: Phoenix Rising Enters U.S. Open Cup Fray, Wednesday at 4 PM

Match Preview Presented by Mayo Clinic

Phoenix Rising faces North Carolina FC in a Round of 32 U.S. Open Cup match this Wednesday, May 8 at 4 p.m. The match will be streamed live on www.ussoccer.com and Rising Radio will stream their audio call of the match on Phoenix Rising’s Twitter feed at the same time.

Rising is coming off a 1-1 draw vs. Sacramento at home while North Carolina drew Rhode Island, 0-0, at the site of Wednesday’s match, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.

“If we play like we did in the second half [Saturday]…” said Rising head coach Danny Stone, “We start winning games. That was a tough team to break down. [Sacramento] is a defensively resolute team.”

Phoenix is back to allowing just a goal per game, the pace the team set through the opening four matches of the campaign.

“I don’t feel we conceded a lot of clear-cut chances to [Sacramento],” said Stone. “We limited a very strong attacking team. We dealt with the game well.”

North Carolina is 0-3-2 in its last five games, allowing 1.3 goals per game and scoring 0.88 per match through its first nine games since rejoining the USL Championship this season.

“We have a long road trip again this week,” said Stone, referring to the team’s cross-country trip to Rhode Island on April 26. “We’ll get the team recovered. We’re going to get them together. We don’t look backwards. We look forward now.”

Rising’s last two East Coast road trips couldn’t have gone better. The team picked up that 3-1 win in Rhode Island and won the USL Championship Title on November 12 in Charleston, South Carolina.

The win in Rhode Island was one of forward Remi Cabral’s best. He scored twice, securing his second brace of the season. Cabral picked up the game tying goal on an assist from Gabi Torres last weekend, extending his run of form to six goals in his last five games. The MLS Next Golden Boot Winner now ranks third in the USL Championship with six goals.

Rising will visit Detroit on the way back to Phoenix following this match, so Stone is likely to shuffle his lineup at some point in the next two matches. That tactic worked recently as the gaffer made seven changes to his starting 11 between the Pittsburgh (April 20) and Rhode Island games. The team has also shown a lot of interchangeability with several positions (Pape/Stenberg, Torres/Azocar, Cuello/Varela, Wyke/Traore, Erickson/Rito, Hernandez/Doratiotto) running a two-deep system.

No matter which group Stone rolls out on Wednesday, picking up a result on the road seems achievable. That result, should it come to be, would put Phoenix in the final 16 teams vying for the 2024 U.S. Open Cup – a point in this competition this club has never seen.

MATCH PREVIEW: Phoenix Rising vs. Sacramento, Saturday at 7:30

Match Preview Presented by Mayo Clinic

Phoenix Rising faces Sacramento Republic at 38^th St/Washington this Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.

The Republic comes to town boasting the best record in the West (5-0-3), including three wins on the road already this season.

“This is a great game for us,” said Rising head coach Danny Stone. “They’ve done very well this season, obviously, unbeaten. They’re a consistently high preforming team. This will be a tough task, but we’re looking forward to it. We’re ready for it. The chance to attack that challenge is a positive one for us.”

In their three away wins, Sacramento peppered Miami on March 16, putting seven of its 15 shots on target, but only getting one past goalkeeper Daniel Gagliardi. Next, Sacramento took a 2-0 win in Colorado Springs thanks to two goals before the 27^th minute. On April 20, the Republic downed Orange County, 2-0, also jumping on them quickly and scoring in the first minute of the match. The Republic rolled out a similar lineup in all three of those matches, making only two changes across those three games.

“Sacramento is at a place where, after working through the process for three years, consistency becomes routine,” said Stone. “It becomes more rhythmic in how you play and which players are on the field. Mark [Briggs] has a very strong squad of players there. They’re quite familiar in what their roles are in that group.”

Alternatively, Phoenix made seven changes last time out, getting a 3-1 win on the East coast vs. Rhode Island.

“We made rotations for various reasons,” said Stone. “Mostly to add some freshness into the group, but it was a hard-fought win that was deserved for what we put into the game. We started the game well. We got ourselves onto the front foot quickly and created good moments. We scored some good goals. I was pleased with the energy levels the team showed.”

The last time these teams met was November 4 in the Western Conference Final, with Phoenix coming from a goal down to win, 2-1, in Sacramento. In fact, Rising has only lost once in the regular season to the Republic since June 9, 2018 (5-1-5), but with the Republic unbeaten this season, Rising would be considered the underdog heading into this matchup.

“They have quality all over the field,” said Stone. “The way to deal with that is to be collectively connected. If you only focus on one area against Sacramento, they can hurt you in other areas. It won’t be that way. We’ll make sure we have the fortitude of mind to make sure we’re resolute defensively and prepared for anything they throw at us.”

Watch Party: Phoenix Rising at Rhode Island FC

MATCHDAY 8: Phoenix Rising FC at Rhode Island FC
Watch Party: Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers – 3950 E. Indian School Rd #150, Phoenix, AZ 85018
Time: 4:30 p.m.
TV: AZ Family’s Sports (Channel 44)
Streaming: AZF APP & ESPN+ | Rising Radio (audio only: English)

WATCH PARTY
Join us for our official watch party! 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 Friday, so be sure to stop by early and listen to the pregame conversation.

Then, watch as your Rising take to the road. Phoenix Rising FC travels East to take on expansion side, Rhode Island FC this Friday, April 25. Rising is coming off a 3-1 loss at home to Pittsburgh on Saturday despite outshooting the Riverhounds, 19-10 and controlling possession 62-38.

Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to WIN FOUR (4) PREMIUM TERRACE TICKETS to the upcoming Phoenix Rising vs. Sacramento match on May 4th.

DRINK SPECIALS
Captain & Cokes – $7
16 oz. Modelo – $5
22 oz. Modelo – $7

Phoenix Rising FC Travels to Rhode Island, Friday at 4:30 PM

Phoenix Rising FC travels East to take on expansion side, Rhode Island FC this Friday, April 25. That match will air live on Arizona’s Family Sports beginning at 4:30 p.m. The game will also stream live on Arizona’s Family Sports App and ESPN+.

Rising is coming off a 3-1 loss at home to Pittsburgh on Saturday despite outshooting the Riverhounds, 19-10 and controlling possession 62-38.

“I’m disappointed with the result and the game,” said Rising head coach Danny Stone after the match. “We have ourselves to blame. We had chances to score more goals than we did. Those moments of taking your chances are very, very important. For large spells of the game, we limited their attacking threat. We created a lot of opportunities. We had chances where we should have scored goals.”

Of the 19 shots Phoenix took against Pittsburgh, four were on target compared to half of Pittsburgh’s (5 of 10 shots on goal).

“Goals really do change games,” added Stone. “When we had the momentum, when we had chances, we did not take them. The goals we conceded were not good goals. I’m disappointed we did not put ourselves in front and give them something to have to chase.”

Rising scored first in each of its two wins this season. Last season, the USL Champions went 12-1-4 when scoring first. The lone loss was to San Antonio after playing all but 12 minutes of the game down a man.

An expansion team, Rhode Island is still getting used to its new setting and has yet to pick up its first win at home in three tries. The club scored very late in its home opener (90+2) to salvage a 1-1 draw with New Mexico on March 16, then played to scoreless draws with Charleston and Pittsburgh on April 6 and April 13.

“I’ll look at the numbers to see what they have to say about the opportunities in threatening areas,” said Stone following the Pittsburgh match. “But I don’t feel like we lacked those. What we didn’t do was take our chances.”

Goals have been scarce this season, with a single goal deciding five of the first six games. That won’t change this weekend. The first one will be vital in picking up a result in Rhode Island.