Phoenix Rising chase an upset as they face MLS side in US Open Cup round of 32 matchup

PHOENIX – Could this be the start of a turnaround for Phoenix Rising FC?

If Saturday’s 3-0 victory over New Mexico United does prove to be pivotal for the remainder, the Rising will have a defensive tweak to thank after it gave them their first clean sheet – and win – of the season.

“I think it starts from training,” midfielder JP Scearce said. “We worked on the defensive press and all those tactics throughout the week. We decided this week to start in that direction, start with the man press, and it looked good.”

The victory was welcome for a Rising club that had gone winless to start the USL Championship season. Phoenix had picked up only three points out of a possible 15 with three consecutive draws to Orange County SC, Oakland Roots and FC Tulsa in between their defeats to San Antonio FC and Sacramento Republic.

“Everybody today was different,” coach Pa-Modou Kah said after Rising’s win. “Everybody today hit the level, which I’m very happy with. And football is a process and things happen over time. For me, the one thing that I’m very happy and very proud of is seeing these boys every day coming to work and put in their maximum best. We got rewarded for the work that we’ve been doing.”

Despite the early poor form, Kah had seen his side’s potential to turn things around. 

“This is football, it’s not going to be a straight line; it’s like life,” he said in a press conference last week. “Life is never straight. Adversity is good because it teaches a lot about who you are and how you can find a way. We did it last year, and we’re going to do it again.”

Midfielder Ihsan Sacko scored two goals against New Mexico to lead the Rising’s attack after scoring only one goal prior to Saturday.

“We know what Sako can bring at the line, and we know that we started him for that, but he has also been productive wherever we put him; that’s how versatile he is,” Kah said. “He’s hitting another gear. He rewarded himself today with two goals and could have maybe had a third one.”’

Kah, in his second season with the club, found himself in a similar situation around this time last year. The Rising failed to pick up a win in their first four games in 2025, drawing and losing twice each before picking up a win on matchday five against San Antonio.

Two of the main issues that have plagued the Rising this season are poor defending and poor discipline. 

Before Saturday, they sat at the table with a goal difference of minus-3, having conceded more goals than they scored. And only six games into the season, the Rising have the second-most yellow cards in the league with 21, behind San Antonio (23). Forward Juan Carvajal’s second yellow in the draw against Orange County remains the Rising’s only red card so far in their USL Championship campaign. 

Ahead of Wednesday’s match against the Earthquakes, the former Norwegian international was also given a boost as center-back and team captain Pape Mar Boye is now available for selection.

“I’m glad to be able to see him back,” Kah said. “I was a little bit emotional because of what he went through to that point, and it shows me what kind of person and character he is as a captain.”

The 22-year-old defender featured for the first time this season in the win over New Mexico, as he returned from a long-term injury. 

Their MLS opponents have had a better start to the season. In their first seven matches, the Earthquakes have hit the ground running, picking up six wins. Their only defeat this year came in a 1-0 defeat against the Seattle Sounders in matchweek four. Currently, San Jose sits in second place in the Western Conference level on points, but just behind the Vancouver Whitecaps on goal difference.

For Kah’s men, the next 90 minutes will show how up they are for the task at hand.

Following the Open Cup match on Wednesday, Phoenix will then take a cross-country trip to face Miami FC next Saturday.

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