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Phoenix Rising FC

2026 US Open Cup Round 3: 10-man San Jose Earthquakes blank Phoenix Rising

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Jack Jasinski (17) and Noel Buck (21) of the San Jose Earthquakes celebrate after scoring a goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: San Jose Earthquakes
Jack Jasinski (17) and Noel Buck (21) of the San Jose Earthquakes celebrate after scoring a goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: San Jose Earthquakes

A game that initially looked to have all the signs of a blowout had its trajectory altered greatly by a sending off in the first half as an in-form San Jose Earthquakes took a 2-0 victory over visiting Phoenix Rising in the US Open Cup despite having to play the second half a man short. 

The win earned San Jose the right to next host Minnesota United in the Round of 16.

Phoenix Rising lined up with almost identical personnel from its previous win from this past weekend, barring two changes as Daniel Flores and Eziah Ramirez replaced Luke Biasi and Collin Smith, respectively. 

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San Jose however, rotated much more heavily with only Dave Romney returning to the starting 11 from its previous match. A notable feature of San Jose’s lineup was the return of Timo Werner who hadn’t seen the pitch since March. Unexpectedly, Werner started as an attacking midfielder whereas, in previous games, he had been featured as a winger or a striker.

The Earthquakes started off strong by scoring in the first three minutes of the match. Werner played a corner short to Nick Fernandez at the edge of the box. Fernandez shrugged off the oncoming pressure and drove a shot with power to the near post to beat the keeper from just outside the box, netting him his first senior-team goal as well as breaking the deadlock in this match for a 1-0 lead.

In the 13th minute, Jonathan Gonzalez went into a 50/50 challenge with a reckless slide tackle and caught the ankle of Phoenix midfielder, Diego Gomez. The tackle was initially ignored in favor of a Phoenix advantage but was called back and given a yellow card.

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San Jose nearly doubled its lead in the 18th minute after a through ball from Nonso Adimabua put Werner through on goal. Despite being in on goal, Werner struggled to get his footing after cutting back past the defender and ultimately put the ball into the arms of Patrick Rakovsky.

San Jose was determined to get their second which came in the 23rd minute. Fernandez showed tremendous vision to pick out a pass no one else could see and set up Jack Jasinski in acres of space. With no one to beat but the keeper, Jasinski was able to drill it home, earning his first career goal. 

In the 33rd minute, Noel Buck almost granted Fernandez another assist but his left-footed shot ricocheted off the inside of the post.

A few minutes before halftime, Jonathan Gonzalez attempted to stop a breakaway by launching himself into a Phoenix attacker. An unnecessary foul that was rightly met with a second yellow forced San Jose to play out the rest of the match with 10 men.

Phoenix almost immediately capitalized on the advantage as Darius Johnson headed in a cross off the free kick. For a brief second, Phoenix smelled blood but the would-be momentum was quickly extinguished when the goal had been disallowed due to a Phoenix foul.

To start the second half, Phoenix Rising substituted both full backs and brought on Biasi to replace Flores and Charlie Dennis to replace Ramirez. To account for the player sent off San Jose substituted in Beau Leroux for Werner to provide more stability in the midfield.

Early on in the second half, Phoenix looked to kickstart the comeback and get dangerously close. Trickery from Ihsan Sacko in the box created space for a low driven cross to Hope Avayevu who got the shot off but was denied by Earl Edwards.

In the 58th minute, a ball over the top to Sacko presented another dangerous opportunity but the shot, while struck with venom, was only able to find the gloves of Edwards once again.

As expected, the sending off affected the game greatly as San Jose was forced to defend more, thus inviting pressure. The pressure however, was not more than Edwards could handle as he came up with four big saves throughout the match. Edwards’s performance was a huge factor for why San Jose was able to hold on to their advantageous position.

Although Phoenix ultimately were not able to get back into the match, the performance of Johnson was dazzling. On multiple occasions he was able to beat his opponent with a step over or a nutmeg but unfortunately nothing manifested from his creativity.

Despite winning by a two-goal margin and earning a clean sheet, coach Bruce Arena believed his team should have done better. 

“We didn’t play particularly well tonight,” he said. “We shot ourselves in the foot by having a player sent off.”

With a goal and an assist, Fernandez had a stellar performance that garnered the title of man of the match as well as the plaudits of his coach. 

“He’s a good player. He’s been a good player for us,” Arena said. “He’s played a lot of second-team games, he’s gotten in a little bit this year now… he’s very versatile. He could play a number of positions in the midfield. So, he’s been good.”

2026 US Open Cup Round 2: Vukovic’s OT header sends Phoenix Rising FC past Orange County SC

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Phoenix Rising FC celebrates after defeating Orange County SC 2-1 in the Second Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Phoenix Rising FC
Phoenix Rising FC celebrates after defeating Orange County SC 2-1 in the Second Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Phoenix Rising FC

Under a full moon at Championship Stadium, Phoenix Rising FC advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Orange County SC on Wednesday night. Aleksandar Vukovic delivered the decisive header early in extra time after Ousmane Sylla’s late equalizer forced overtime in a physical second-round matchup defined by momentum swings, missed chances and late drama.

The game started with Orange County controlling the ball with such elegance that Phoenix could not get possession for a substantial enough amount of time to create an opportunity. Phoenix played aggressively, dealing nine fouls to OCSC and getting three yellow cards in return. Orange County on the other hand were a bit less aggressive but still committed a couple unnecessary fouls that led to Phoenix being able to hold some possession.

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In the late minutes of the half, Alexander Rando made a mistake leading to an easy goal for Gunnar Studdenhofft and a 1-0 lead. After that goal the momentum shifted Phoenix’s way with them having more opportunities in those seven minutes than they did in the entire half.

The second half followed a similar pattern. The half had many fouls and yellow cards, but OCSC broke through in the last 10 minutes to tie the match up with a spectacular sequence of skills from Ousmane Sylla.

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“There’s not many players that can do the things he does with the ball and have the confidence to go and dribble and drive through players and he scores a very good goal,” said coach Danny Stone.

The game went to extra time and in the first five minutes Phoenix Rising’s Vukovic scored an amazing header goal from a corner. It was his first career Open Cup goal.

After that, fatigue started to kick in for both teams which caused many gaps in the middle and both teams were able to exploit. In the dying minutes of the game, OCSC saw a couple of chances just go wide.

“I am very happy with the overall performance of the boys, but also the subs that made a huge difference,” said Coach Pa-Modou Kah of Phoenix Rising. “We are going to continue to be who we are and keep striding and fighting. It’s a great game for our players.

“They are seeking to go higher and now they get to play an MLS team and showcase what their abilities are and what they can do.”

Stone was still positive even after the loss for OCSC.

“I was really proud of the players for the effort, the way they fought, and competed in the game and I think probably we didn’t deserve to be the losing team in the game,” he said.

Phoenix Rising’s Eziah Ramirez was one of several teenagers on the field.

“I was a little nervous at first but, when I get here on the field all the nerves go away and I feel confident,” Ramirez said.

With the win, Phoenix advances beyond their opening round game for the fifth year in a row, however for Orange County SC, this is the third year in a row that they are one-and done.

The future is bright for both teams, but it will be Phoenix that will play at least one more match in this 111th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. (UPDATE: Phoenix Rising will play at the San Jose Earthquakes in Round 3)

2026 US Open Cup Round 1: “Beautiful” Cup win by Phoenix Rising spoils San Ramon FC’s debut

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Players from Phoenix Rising FC (right) and San Ramon FC race for the ball in the First Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Phoenix Rising FC
Players from Phoenix Rising FC (right) and San Ramon FC race for the ball in the First Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Phoenix Rising FC

It was an unseasonably warm evening for mid-March in Phoenix, but 2,274 Rising fans came out to support their club. Phoenix showed their skill as professionals, but amateurs San Ramon FC were not going to be pushovers, and in fact, pushed back a bit in a 4-0 loss in Round 1 of the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

San Ramon had a few half-chances in the first 15 minutes, but a great build up by Phoenix led to Hope Avayevu executing the slightest of right-footed touches from an Eziah Ramirez cross to slot home to open the scoring. His first goal in 2026. Phoenix picked up the pace and pressured the visitors hard after that. Marcelo Echevarria stood tall and had nearly all the answers to Phoenix’s questions.

After about 25 minutes San Ramon grew quickly into the game. Especially up the right side through Roberto Gonzalez and Jonathan Montoya-Castro.

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Juan Carvajal, who was a thorn in the collective side of the visitor’s defense all evening, exposed a crack in the defense with a blistering shot that hit the rear stanchion in the 41st for a 1-0 lead. 

The final five minutes of the half belonged to Phoenix. Carvajal again breached the back line and fired a low fizzing shot that was saved in the 43rd.

A dagger in the heart just seconds from the halftime whistle, Carvajal doubled the hosts lead in the second minute of stoppage time. 

From a corner kick, San Ramon’s Victor Romero tried to clear but instead sent his clearance off the post and right back at Carvajal, who cleaned up the rebound from three yards out.

Some of the home faithful were less than thrilled at the (only) two goal lead. 

“One slip-up and it’s a game again”, one fan said. 

The second half exacerbated that feeling. Four blocked shots and a couple of saves kept the score at 2-nil for the next 45 minutes until the 90th minute when Aleksandar Vucovic headed from the center of the box to the bottom left from an Ihsan Sacko assist from a corner, to finally put this one out of reach.

For good measure – a 4-0 advantage, and a bit of history — Anthony Capetillo Hernandez became the youngest ever goal scorer (16 years, 142 days) for Phoenix Rising with his right footed strike in 90’+4. His first goal in 136 minutes of play for the team.

“Cup games are always different and beautiful,” said Phoenix coach Pa-Modou Kah. “We played a San Ramon team that also played well. You’ve got to give them credit. 

“They came here, they had nothing to lose, so they just went and played freely. That’s why the Cup is beautiful.”

The win sends Phoenix to the second round to be held March 31-April 1. Their opponent will  be determined after a Round 2 Draw conducted by US Soccer on Friday, March 20. This is the fifth year in a row Phoenx Rising has won their first Open Cup match.

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Houston Dynamo come alive in OT, eliminate Phoenix Rising

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Houston Dynamo players celebrate after scoring a goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo FC
Houston Dynamo players celebrate after scoring a goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo FC

In Phoenix Rising’s first match against an MLS team in the Valley, Houston Dynamo FC ran away with a 4-1 win in extra time thanks to a Jack McGlynn wondergoal, and tap-ins from Ezeqiel Ponce and Sebastian Kowalcyzk. First half goals from Houston’s Felipe Andrade and Phoenix’s Dariusz Formella meant the USL-MLS matchup went to extra time, but Phoenix Rising couldn’t outlast the Houston onslaught.

Both teams came into this US Open Cup match with only one win each in their last five matches, looking to find some fortune in the valley. After a tepid first seven minutes of the match, Houston start to put the pressure on with a nice passing move and shot from Duenas. Houston dominated possession from the opening whistle, which became a theme throughout. When Phoenix attacked, it wasn’t often, but they always looked dangerous when they entered attacking third.

Phoenix Rising head coach Pa-Modou Kah was beaming after the match: “You cannot ask for more. The boys knew there’s not necessarily going to be a substitute for you, and they showed that hunger. We know what we can become.”

In the 17th minute, Felipe Andrade scored a header from a Lodeiro free kick that looked straight off the training ground.

“He’s a monster! That’s why we signed him,” said Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen.

It was a sublime cross, and Andrade only had to direct it goalward after there were no Rising defenders in the area.

Phoenix responded well to the goal. Their direct style of play tried to combat Houston’s periods of extended possession. A route one play that led to a Johnson cross was almost deflected in by Artur. Then, Rising flew down the field again, but Johnson was shown the first yellow card in the 24th minute after a foot from his attempted bicycle kick hit Gillingham in the chest. Would this pressure pay off?

As the first half came to a close though, the intermittent Phoenix pressure did pay off. Phoenix Rising seemed to gain in confidence and bravery going forward, and a series of corners and attacks led to a great through ball being played for Sacko to run onto. Gillingham went to play the ball, but the referee called a penalty that will generate a lot of controversy.

“It wasn’t a penalty,” Ben Olson reiterated after the game. Gillingham’s protests that he got the ball gave him a yellow card. Formella calmly stepped up and sent Gillingham the wrong way for Phoenix to tie the match with almost the last kick of the first half.

Coming out into the second half, it was more of the same. Sustained Houston possession with the occasional Rising attack past midfield. The frantic final ten minutes of the first half seemed to lead to the cagey opening 20 of the second half. No one wanted to be the one to make a mistake. With each passing minute though, you could see the intensity in the players rise as they knew how much a win would mean.

After only one yellow card in the first half, Montgomery, Cuello, and Okello got yellows all within a five-minute span starting at the 64th minute. For all of Houston’s experience through players like Lodeiro, Phoenix did not look out of their depth.

“I think we stopped them from playing through the middle … That was the game plan,” coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “Overall, when you look at the game plan, I don’t think many could say there was a difference between us in the 90 minutes.”

In a mirror to the end of the first half, Houston got a string of corners to apply pressure starting in the 82nd minute. Bartlow on the end of a great corner, but Rakovsky had an acrobatic diving save to his right. Then, a couple of minutes later, another Houston corner led to a melee in the box with another great Rakovsky save, and Phoenix could breathe a sigh of relief.

Only a quick breath though, as in the 90th minute Houston got two more corners – one led to a frantic defensive clear, the other led to a bicycle kick that went harmlessly over the goal by Urso. With Phoenix parking the bus, and Houston unable to generate any attack, the game went to extra time.

Ben Olson said, “Phoenix Rising showed us how tough they are. A lot of these USL teams are.”

Entering extra time, the tension between the players could be cut with a knife. The players on both sides, talkative through the first 90 minutes, became much quieter in extra time. The match needed a moment of inspiration to make anything happen, and that inspiration came from Houston’s Jack McGlynn. From about 25 yards out on the right side of the field, he took his left foot and curled in a goal that Arjen Robben would have been proud of.

“Thirty to forty yards in, he’s a guy that can unlock defenses. These are some of the spots we think Jack can help us. I’m proud of him.”

After the goal, Phoenix Rising tried to push forward for another goal again but slowly ran out of gas as extra time progressed. Damien Rivera had an exciting dribble past a few players but fell down easily in the box in the 109th minute. Right afterwards, in the 111th minute, Houston put the nail in the coffin on a beautiful counterattack which led to a Ponce tap in after a Lingr cross across the box. Minutes later in the 115th minute, there was almost an exact repeat as this time it was Ponce crossing the ball for a Kowalczyk tap in, making the final score 4-1.

After the match, three-time US Open Cup champion Ben Olson was relieved with the win.

“This is a tournament that we take seriously … It’s always a tricky match the first round of the Open Cup because we want to give some guys some minutes. They’re not always in the best rhythm, but they did a good job. This is why we do this, for these nights. You’re a few games away from being in a final. I think they understand that part, and we’ll go for it.”

Coach Sah highlighted the growth in his young players, especially Braxton Montgomery.

“This kid is 18 years old. Today was a great test against players like Ponce, who’s played in Europe. How many chances did he get? That made me proud because I think we gave them a good battle,” he also emphasized the growth from the youth players as a key to carry forward.

Houston will look to carry this momentum forward against Seattle in MLS, and Austin in the US Open Cup Round of 16. Phoenix will look to rebound against El Paso in USL this weekend.

 

2025 US Open Cup Round 3: Patrick Rakovsky of Phoenix Rising narrowly voted TheCup.us Player of Round

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peter rakovsky 2025 us open cup round 3 player of the round
Graphic by Phil Naegely | Photo: FC Tulsa

It is the type of pressure situation that can define a player’s legacy. For Phoenix Rising FC goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky, that moment occurred on April 16, when he made a spectacular diving save on a penalty kick by Tulsa’s Taylor Calheira in the 121st minute of his team’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Third Round contest against fellow USL Championship side FC Tulsa.

Following that big stop in a game tied 2-2, Rakovsky made another excellent diving save in the shootout and the Rising FC prevailed 4-2 in PKs to win and advance to the Fourth Round. Phoenix did all of this despite playing the last 45 minutes of the match down a man after Rémi Cabral’s second yellow card in the 75th minute. Now Rising FC advances to face the Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) at home on May 7.

His performance against Tulsa, which included five saves in the game overall, earned Rakovsky TheCup.us Player of the Round Award for the Third Round. The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) from TheCup.us’ Patreon team.

Rakovsky edged out MD Myers of the USL Championship’s Charleston Battery, who scored three goals in his team’s 4-0 victory over USL League One’s South Georgia Tormenta, by just two voting points (players get three points for a first-place vote, one for a second-place vote). It’s the second year in a row Myers just missed out on the POTR award, after he also scored a hat trick in last year’s tournament, also over South Georgia Tormenta (making him the first Modern Era player to score hat tricks in back-to-back tournaments), and falling just two points short in POTR voting then, too (to Zico Bailey of New Mexico United).

Dion Scoff of USL League One’s Union Omaha, who scored the only goal in his club’s 1-0 “cupset” win over San Antonio FC (USL-C), was third in the voting. Rakovsky becomes the third straight goalkeeper to win the award, which is just the second time that has happened since 2006. He is also the first German player to win the award.

Rakovsky, 32, has experience playing in big moments, having made 51 appearances for Orange County SC in 2021 and 2022, winning the USL Championship title in 2021 (when he made a PK save in the league final), even earning 18 caps with his native Germany’s youth national teams.

He had already enjoyed a strong performance in the game as the second overtime period was ticking down, having also made a diving stop on Calheira’s header from 12 yards out six minutes into the first OT period. Tulsa’s Al Hassan Toure also nearly ended it in the 14th minute of overtime, but his point-blank header sailed just over the crossbar.

So when the officials called a handball on a Phoenix defender in the box just before overtime was set to expire, it was the key moment in the match. Calheira had hit the left post on a shot from 10 yards out about five minutes earlier and had already scored on penalty kicks in each of the two previous rounds of the tournament for FC Tulsa.

It seemed almost inevitable that he would do so again, but when Calheira shot low to the left side, Rakovsky dove and made the save.

“Obviously, I know in my head, if I save it, if I don’t, it’s over,” Rakovsky said of Calheira’s PK. “And also I know if I save it, there’s a high chance that we’re going to win it, you get the momentum in that moment. Luckily, it worked out, and just happy that it went that way.

Peter Rakovsky of Phoenix Rising FC plays the ball against FC Tulsa in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Tulsa
Peter Rakovsky of Phoenix Rising FC plays the ball against FC Tulsa in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Tulsa

“It feels amazing, it’s something you dream about, save a PK in the last minute, go to a PK shootout, you go win.”

The Rising FC were clearly energized by his save, and then Rakovsky made another outstanding diving save on the first Tulsa shooter in the shootout (Kalil El Medkhar), propelling them to win the PKs, 4-2. Calheira was presumably scheduled to be Tulsa’s fifth shooter but didn’t get the chance to step up to the dot again.

“Obviously, it gave me a little bit of a boost, I get my confidence higher, I just saved a PK against one of their best shooters,” Rakovsky said, noting how the PK save impacted the subsequent shootout. “And that probably also went through their heads, right? Like, ‘Oh shoot, he just saved probably our best PK shooter,’ so yeah, obviously a huge boost for our team and luckily, it worked out.”

Now, Rakovsky and his teammates, who fell 2-1 in the US Open Cup Round of 16 last year to the Seattle Sounders FC of MLS, turn their attention to hosting the Houston Dynamo FC in two weeks.

“We played last year against Seattle, it doesn’t matter who’s going to come,” Rakovsky said before he knew the specific opponent. “We are ready, and we want to win.”

 

2025 US Open Cup Round 3: 10-man Phoenix Rising save late PK, win shootout over FC Tulsa

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Players from Phoenix Rising FC celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Tulsa in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Tulsa
Players from Phoenix Rising FC celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Tulsa in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Tulsa

There were plenty of moments for Phoenix Rising FC to crumble under the pressure and the difficult moments they found themselves in, but instead, the team faced its adversity head-on and ultimately emerged victorious.

While playing a man down since the 75th minute, then surrendering the tying goal in the 86th minute, Phoenix continued to battle and survived a shot off the goal post in overtime, and then a penalty shot against in the final minute of OT before prevailing 4-2 in the PK shootout over FC Tulsa in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament Wednesday night. The game was played at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Complex, on the campus of the University of Tulsa.

Rising FC advance to the Fourth Round (or the Round of 32) of the US Open Cup, where they are guaranteed to face an MLS team, in a game that will take place either May 6 or 7.

Coming off a disappointing loss on Saturday, 3-2 to Detroit City FC in which they led 2-0 into the 86th minute before surrendering three late goals to lose, Phoenix looked like they might falter late again once Tulsa’s Stefan Lukic tied the game in the 86th minute. But despite Tulsa generating the better scoring opportunities throughout the two 15-minute overtime periods, Phoenix goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky made two key saves, then stopped FC Tulsa’s Taylor Calheira’s penalty shot in the 121st minute to keep the game going.

In the shootout, Rakovsky made another diving save on the first Tulsa shot (by Kalil ElMedkhar) and Phoenix won the PKs 4-2 to claim the victory.

“Incredible group, incredible performance,” said Rising FC coach Pa-Modou Kah. “Given what we had to deal with Saturday night, you’re 2-0 up and you lose, but the character shown and what this group is capable of, we saw it today. It’s an unbelievable team spirit from everybody, from the players, from the staff that is here, from the staff that is home, and for our fans, this is for you. This is what we’re about.”

Obviously, the key moment was Rakovsky’s save on Calheira on the PK just before overtime ended. After a handball was called on a Phoenix defender in the box, Calheira stepped to the dot, about five minutes after his shot from about 10 yards out rattled off the left goalpost. He had scored on PKs in each of the two previous rounds of the U.S. Open Cup and just about everyone in the stadium figured he was about to again.

Calheira shot low to the left side, but Rakovsky made the diving save.

“It feels amazing, it’s something you dream about, save a PK in the last minute, go to a PK shootout, you win,” Rakovsky said afterwards. “Obviously, unlucky that you concede a goal five minutes before the end, but I still thought we gave a great fight. We played almost 50 minutes one man down, we kept fighting. We also had a little bit of luck, they shot it off the post, but also they were lucky to get the PK. Obviously, he hits the ball with his hand, but he’s also falling down, so I know they have to take it, but okay, you can’t change it. Obviously, huge congratulations to the team, great fight, and also, to be that cool in front of the PKs, amazing for the team. Luckily it worked out.”

Kah was proud of Rakovsky for his clutch save on Calheira.

“Listen, these are the moments where you have a goalkeeper that is capable of doing this and Patrick was capable,” Kah said. “It’s tough, because when you look at the game in whole, I think we controlled the game. I think we had occasions to score in second half but we didn’t take the chances, and then in the 85th minute, they score, and you might think, ‘Here we go again,’ but the resilience of this group is unbelievable. The resilience of this group is unbelievable. And the work, the fight, the fighting spirit, they give everything for each other. I’m so extremely proud of this team.”

For Tulsa, it was a heart-breaking ending to their U.S. Open Cup run, the second straight season they reached the Third Round. They defeated local amateur club Tulsa Athletic of The League for Clubs 1-0 on March 18 in the First Round, then beat USL League One side Forward Madison FC 3-1 on April 2 in the Second Round. Last year, they advanced to the Fourth Round (Round of 32) before falling to Sporting Kansas City of MLS, 4-0.

Tulsa actually defeated Phoenix 1-0 in their USL Championship season opener back on March 8. But after opening with a 5-1-0 record across all competitions, Tulsa has now lost two in a row, following its 2-1 home loss to Oakland Roots SC on Saturday.

“It’s disappointing, but I thought the guys gave everything,” FC Tulsa coach Luke Spencer said. “We were pushing forward, were unlucky on a few, so they gave everything and we’re out of the Cup, but that’s life. Proud of the guys for their effort.”

FC Tulsa’s usual home stadium, ONEOK Field, which they share with minor league baseball’s Double-A Tulsa Drillers, wasn’t available due to the Drillers already playing there.

Following a scoreless first half in which FC Tulsa had the wind, featuring gusts of up to 25-30 miles per hour, behind them, Phoenix benefited from it in the second and struck for the game’s first goal in the 51st minute.

Jearl Margaritha received a nice pass from the left wing from Hope Avayevu and drilled a 10-yard shot into the upper right corner to give the Rising FC the 1-0 lead.

Pape Mar Boye almost made it 2-0 for Phoenix on a point-blank shot just four minutes later, but Tulsa goalkeeper Johan Penaranda made a nice save.

FC Tulsa began to gain the territorial advantage after that, and Rakovsky made a nice diving save near the right post in the 58th minute on a 20-yard blast from Owen Damm.

Things didn’t look good for Phoenix once Abdoulaye Cissoko received his second yellow card within six minutes, getting ejected from game in the 75th minute, and Tulsa tied it 11 minutes later. Marcos Certato delivered a nice cross from the right flank into the middle of the box, where Lukic fired it home from 8 yards out.

“Proud of the group, resilient to fight back, to keep pushing,” Spencer said of his team’s ability to tie it up late. “The subs impacted the game in a positive way, it just didn’t work out tonight.”

Phoenix nearly won it just before regulation ended when Margaritha drilled a 30-yard shot from the left side that forced Penaranda to make a nice diving stop.

Just six minutes into the first OT period, Rakovsky made another diving save on Calheira’s header from 12 yards out. Tulsa’s Al Hassan Toure nearly ended it in the 14th minute of overtime, but his point-blank header sailed just over the crossbar.

After Rakovsky’s save on Calheira’s PK late in the second OT period, every Phoenix shooter scored in the shootout: Emil Cuello, J.P. Scearce, Casey Wells, and then Carl Sainte clinched it.

For Tulsa, Arthur Rogers and Giordano Colli both scored.

 

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: Kalani Kossa-Rienzi’s late winner sends Seattle Sounders past Phoenix Rising, back to Quarterfinals

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Kalani Kossa-Rienzi of the Seattle Sounders celebrates after scoring the go-ahead goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Fiechtner -Sounders FC Communications
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi of the Seattle Sounders celebrates after scoring the go-ahead goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Fiechtner -Sounders FC Communications

The Seattle Sounders FC hosted Phoenix Rising FC in a Round of 16 match at Starfire Sports Complex on Wednesday night. Starfire, in Tukwila, Wash., continues to be a fortress for Seattle as the four-time Open Cup champions came back in the second half to beat the defending USL Championship title holders, 2-1.

The Sounders have now lost just once in 25 all-time games at Starfire (22-1-2) and will advance to the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.  

Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer rotated his squad heavily, with only two normal starters in the game and a bench mostly composed of call-ups from the Sounders’ USL affiliate Tacoma Defiance. Working through a stretch of eight games in 24 days, Schmetzer elected to dig deep into the roster and trust a number of players with less first team experience.

Phoenix took advantage, testing the Sounders throughout the match and looking like the better team for long stretches. However the Sounders flipped the script in the second half as Kalani Kossa-Rienzi scored a late winner to advance.

The Sounders looked comfortable to start the match at home, holding possession and often maintaining passing sequences deep in Phoenix’s half. Sounders midfielder Dany Leyva almost started the game with a bang, nearly scoring off a 5th minute corner, smashing it off the crossbar. However Phoenix fielded a very strong lineup and remained compact, absorbing the pressure and releasing forward Remi Cabral on a number of runs in behind the Sounders back line. Their quality showed through after 15 minutes, with a long stretch of possession leading to a number of opportunities. 

Despite Phoenix controlling the game, Sounders forward Danny Musovski got in behind twice in the 41st minute and should have scored to take the lead. Phoenix made the Sounders pay for their misses and their pressure paid off, with Sounders standout midfielder from the last round Dany Levya committing a penalty just before halftime.

Cabral took advantage and sent last round’s penalty hero Andrew Thomas the wrong way to take the lead. Cabral is the second in his family to score against the Sounders this year, with his twin brother Kevin Cabral scoring for the Rapids against the Sounders earlier this year in MLS play.

Coming out of halftime the tides began to turn in the Sounders favor, and in the 60th minute Alex Roldan subbed in and looked to take over the game. In the 67th minute he hit a strike from well outside the box that took a deflection and then hit a hand in the box. He stepped up and buried the penalty past a diving Patrick Rakovsky, who guessed the right way but couldn’t push the ball around the post.

The game looked destined for extra time, until Tacoma Defiance call-up Kalani Kossa-Rienzi won the game for the Sounders with a skillful 88th minute finish. He had shifted forward a line just minutes before after playing at right back the entire game, with Sounders coach Schmetzer saying “that was something we saw from him in preseason” and “It made sense for us to move a player like that with attacking ability forward at that point.”

Kossa-Rienzi took a flicked ball from Danny Musovski off his chest with his back to goal, took two touches laterally past three defenders, and wrapped his foot around the ball to send it into the top corner. Almost more impressive than the touch was his handspring/backflip goal celebration, reminding many in the Starfire Stadium crowd of Sounders legend Obafemi Martins.

After winning the US Open Cup four of their first six years as an MLS team (2009-2011, 2014), this is the furthest the Sounders have advanced in eight years. They’ll look to capitalize on the opportunity on the road against the Sacramento Republic in the next round.

2024 US Open Cup Round 4: Doratiotto’s OT winner sends Phoenix Rising past North Carolina FC, into Round of 16

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Players from Phoenix Rising FC (left) and North Carolina FC battle for the ball in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg NG
Players from Phoenix Rising FC (left) and North Carolina FC battle for the ball in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg NG

With one strike, Giulio Doratiotto made history for himself and his club.

The 19-year-old product of Juventus’ academy subbed on for Phoenix Rising FC at the beginning of the first period of extra time against North Carolina FC in the Fourth Round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Then, in the 110th minute, Doratiotto cut through the teeth of NCFC’s defense to gain positioning in the penalty area. Once there, a feed from Erickson Gallardo found his left foot, which rocketed the ball between two defenders and NCFC’s keeper for the go-ahead score.

Doratiotto ripped his shirt off in celebration, earning a yellow card — but it didn’t matter. Rising’s defense held strong for the final 10 minutes and left WakeMed Soccer Park victorious after notching a 2-1 win over North Carolina FC in front of an announced crowd of 822 fans on a cool Wednesday night.

“It feels amazing,” Doratiotto said. “I was waiting for that moment. I’m so happy to have the team get a win.” 

The goal was Doratiotto’s first professional score, and the result gives Phoenix its first trip in the club’s 10-year history to the Round of 16 in the Open Cup. Rising will face the winners of the Seattle Sounders and Louisville City FC on May 21 or 22.

“We won a tough away game,” Rising coach Danny Stone said. “To be in the last 16 in obviously an exciting thing… And now, honestly, the attention turns to fast recovery. The credit goes to the players who fought very, very hard in a game tonight and, in the end, I think deserve to come away with a victory.”

North Carolina FC is now winless in its last four matches across all competitions. The club has not advanced to the Open Cup Round of 16 since 2014, when it was one of two lower division sides to make the quarterfinals.

“A lot of effort was given this evening,” NCFC coach John Bradford said. “The details, in terms of an early goal that has no business being defended the way we defended it and allowing it to come in, changes the game. We anticipated it being a physical match and it was. We’ve got to be able to keep our heads a bit better and don’t let the referee make decisions that can go either way, but ultimately go a way that didn’t help us.”

The game featured 12 yellow cards in all. North Carolina outshot Phoenix 20-14, but only put two of those attempts on target in the defeat.

The match was a weird one on multiple levels. It included a weather delay, a late change to the starting lineup, three players being sent off, and two periods of added time. Most of the game was played 10-versus-10, then NCFC saw a second player get a second yellow in added time.

It kicked off 26 minutes later than originally scheduled due to inclement weather in the area. Shortly after the opening kick, Phoenix struck first as Juan Carlos Azocar found the back of the net in the ninth minute. It marked the first goal for the 28-year-old Venezuelan midfielder in a Phoenix kit – he signed with the club this past offseason after spending the last three seasons with various USL Championship clubs  while on loan from Deportivo La Guaira.

Gabriel Torres wasn’t officially credited with an assist, but he created the goal-scoring opportunity for Rising by beating his defender along the left edge of the box and crossing the ball, where it took two bounces before Azocar fired an off-balance, left-footed shot into the roof of the net. Shortly after the goal, NCFC defender Paco Craig was given a yellow card for pushing Azocar, trying to stop him from celebrating and causing a bit of a kerfuffle. 

Azocar wasn’t originally in the starting lineup. He was a late addition for Phoenix after Edgardo Rito was a last-minute scratch upon suffering an apparent injury during warmups, a team spokesperson said. Azocar was promoted to the starting lineup in his place, while Jose Hernandez was added to the bench.

The match changed in a dramatic way in the 24th minute when Phoenix was forced to play the remainder of it with 10 men after defender Laurence Wyke earned his second yellow card and was sent off for a reckless tackle from behind at midfield on NCFC’s Oalex Anderson. Wyke had earned his first yellow in the seventh minute for a previous bad foul.

“Manage the emotions,” Stone said. “There can be a lot of different outcomes and eventualities and situations that we have to deal with …. When these things happen, it’s not a shock for anybody.”

Over the next 16 minutes, NCFC failed to capitalize on its advantage, and in the 40th minute, the game was made even again. Craig was given his second yellow after getting tangled up with a Phoenix forward Remi Cabral in the midfield, stopping his progress on an attack.

“I think (playing 10-on-10) favors a brave team, to try to have the ball,” Stone said. “The physical component of the game becomes a bit more prevalent.”

NCFC struggled with putting together meaningful scoring chances. Then, finally, in the 80th minute, Louis Perez fired in a corner kick from the left side, and Justin Malou spun to meet the ball with his right heel, guiding it into the net with flair for the equalizer. It was the first goal in an NCFC uniform for Malou – a 25-year-old Clemson University product who won a national championship with the Tigers in WakeMed Soccer Park in 2021.

“That was the message, just stay the course and try to get a goal,” Bradford said.

Picking up a great feed from Mohamed Traore, Azocar had the chance to notch the go-ahead goal for Phoenix in the 88th minute but put a chip attempt over the crossbar.In extra time, NCFC lost another player when defender Ezra Armstrong picked up his second yellow card for a hard foul in the 94th minute.

2023 US Open Cup Round 3: Late goal helps New Mexico United win rematch with Phoenix Rising

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Greg Hurst of New Mexico United celebrates after scoring a goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: New Mexico United
Greg Hurst of New Mexico United celebrates after scoring a goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: New Mexico United

It wouldn’t be a match between New Mexico United and Phoenix Rising FC if there weren’t fireworks involved. The third US Open Cup meeting between the rivals exploded just before the halftime whistle and remained contentious until United escaped with a 2-1 victory to advance to the Round of 32.

After having to play all of their prior Open Cup matches either on the road or at the UNM Soccer Complex, New Mexico was finally able to host a tournament match on their home pitch. Hometown kid Alex Waggoner was handed his first career start and led the United attack for much of the night. Throughout the first half, the New Mexico native put himself into positions that begged for the ball to be delivered to him. The chances were few and far between for the United Academy graduate, however. 

”It’s special in front of our home fans to show and display a performance real good,” said United midfielder Daniel Bruce. “But we take it one game at a time. This is a tournament that we enjoy as players and it’s another chance to show our fans we love this club.”

Neither side separated themselves in terms of attacking opportunities, but the visitors looked to have the edge when it came to set pieces. Rising’s best opportunity in the half came around the half-hour mark when they won a series of corner kicks. United’s back four stood tall and was able to clear every threat they were presented with. 

With under five minutes to play in the half, Bruce was able to put his pace to good use and streamed up the pitch, not once, but twice in a matter of minutes. On the first of the two runs towards the south goal, Bruce made it to the top of the area before being dispossessed. The second time however, the Englishman made a read to his right and laid the ball off for Greg Hurst. The forward’s first attempt on goal was blocked, but fell right back to him, allowing him to slot the ball home into the bottom left corner for a 1-0 lead. 

Moments later the rivals converged, first at midfield, then again along the western touchline. The latter incident was set off after an apparent foul by Bruce on Baboucarr Njie. As the pair went down, Njie kicked out at Bruce, earning himself a red card.

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Up a man, it would have looked to an outsider that United would have clear control of the match. Rising had other plans though. From the start of the second half, Rising didn’t look like they were down a man. The visitors looked crisp on the counterattack and pressed United early on. In the 78th, Rising earned a free kick from twenty-five yards out. The shot went off the crossbar and in the resulting scramble Carlos Harvey was able to put the ball away for the equalizer, 1-1.

“Credit to them (Phoenix Rising) for fighting back. I thought they did a really good job of that,” said United head coach Zach Prince. “They spread us out and were able to really work the possession in their favor.”

One of the season’s new arrivals for United gave them the lead once again in the 87th. Against the run of play, United finally put their man advantage to good use. Josh Dolling, who had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes, collected a deflection near the top of the area and calmly slotted home to put United up for good, 2-1.

 

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Phoenix Rising hold off well-traveled Greenville Triumph, 1-0

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Phoenix Rising players celebrate after scoring a goal against Greenville Triumph in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Arianna Grainey
Phoenix Rising players celebrate after scoring a goal against Greenville Triumph in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Arianna Grainey

On a near-perfect spring evening host Phoenix Rising FC took down Greenville Triumph SC in Round 2 of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The home side used a first half goal from Carlos Harvey to cling to a 1-0 win.

For Phoenix, it was the second year in a row that they kicked off the tournament with a 1-0 win and improved their home unbeaten streak in the competition to four games.

Despite being pleased with advancing to Round 3 of the US Open Cup, Phoenix coach Juan Guerra said his team will need to do more.

“If we are going to have 70% possession and connect 600 passes, we need to have the ability to threaten the goal a bit more,” he said. “We have to improve.”

When asked about playing a team of ‘mostly second-string players,’ said, “We don’t have a clear starting eleven. We are still developing, still transforming, still learning.”

Both teams have sputtered out of the gates in their respective seasons. Phoenix with two draws and a loss in the Championship and Greenville had a loss in their opener in League One. Both teams were looking to find something to build on.

The first half hour was played almost exclusively in front of the Greenville goal and the Phoenix goal came from a period of strong forward pressure.

Edwin Munjoma received a short pass from Harvey to the outside of the penalty area. As Harvey continued his run to the goal mouth, Munjoma crossed the ball to Baboucarr Njie on the other side of the area. Njie hit a half-volley toward the back post where Harvey managed a flick header to find the net and the 1-0 lead.

The first half was mainly one-way traffic with Phoenix having 71% of the possession. Greenville’s first serious attempt would not come until the 32nd when Jacob Labovitz picked up a loose ball from Njie and sent a shot from 23 yards out that went just wide to the far post.

Emil Cuello, Jackson Conway, and Erickson Gallardo all had opportunities to extend the lead for Phoenix, but none of them could find the twine in either half.

Greenville did manage to up the pressure a bit in the second half. Many great build-ups only to have the final ball be the weak link in attack. Both goalkeepers also played very well on the night. The only mistake was Jared Mazzola getting caught watching Njie’s ball across, which prevented him from getting back across to stop Harvey on the goal.

Greenville’s best chance came in the first minute of stoppage time when Allen Gavilanes sent a simple square ball to a teammate who blasted a shot at the near upper 90. Patrick Rakovsky managed to tip the laser beam shot onto the crossbar and over to prevent the equalizer. The resulting corner pinballed around dangerously before being finally cleared.

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