Dennis the Menace: From Injury to All Star
USL Phoenix Rising FC

Dennis the Menace: From Injury to All Star

Published on October 9, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release


Ever since returning to action after a lower-leg injury suffered in the first match of the season kept him out for three months, Phoenix Rising midfielder Charlie Dennis has been a man on a mission.

On May 31, Dennis returned with a bang, scoring a penalty kick against New Mexico United in USL Jägermeister Cup action. One week later, the midfielder netted a goal to secure Rising's 3-1 win over Orange County SC on June 7.

Dennis' first non-penalty goal back showed exactly the aggression and drive he brings to Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah's side. Accompanying forward Dariusz Formella on a counter-attack, the Englishman held his run onside before receiving the ball in-stride on the right side of the box, taking a touch inside and using his left boot to perfectly curl the ball around the keeper and into the bottom-left corner of the net.

"There's a lot of preparation that goes into (making a return)," Dennis said after the Orange County match. "I had been injured for 12 weeks, so I just stayed present in the moment and did what I needed to get back healthy. When the time came, it was just about taking my moment."

The goal was no one-off. Instead, it kick-started the season for one of Rising's most in-form attakcers. In his 16 regular-season appearances since making his return (7 starts), Dennis has scored five goals and contributed two assists making a goal contribution every 126.2 minutes. Notably, seven of his goal contributions in all competitions have come after the 68th minute.

"We know what Charlie can bring to us, we missed him and I know he missed us," Kah said in the weeks following Dennis' return to action. "To see him these last couple of days is like a kid in a candy shop, you know, and him getting his goal was fantastic. I'm very proud of him and the work that he's put in to get himself there."

Then came the Texoma match. In 90 minutes of action, Dennis added four goal contributions to his 2025 tally, netting a hat-trick and contributing an assist as Rising took down Texoma 5-4 on June 28 at Sherman Bearcat Stadium. The second-ever player to net a hat-trick in USL Jägermeister Cup play and first Rising player to score three goals in a match since Junior Flemmings in August 2020, Dennis was named the Player of the Round later that week.

"I'm delighted with (the hat-trick)," Dennis said following the match. "Most importantly, we won the game at the end, but we made it difficult. A lot of lessons to be learned there. We'll definitely improve next time and take that into the following games."

On July 12th, Dennis sparked Rising's first come-from-behind victory of the season. His goal from outside the box in the 69th minute put his team in front for good as it took all three points in a 2-1 win over Oakland Roots SC at the Oakland Coliseum.

"(Dennis) has quality, that's what we have said," Kah said after the match in the East Bay. "The beauty of this team is that we know we have difference makers on the bench. We have starters and finishers. Today Charlie was a finisher, which was fantastic and a credit to him... We saw him changing the game for us, which was vital."

In two of Rising's recent home matches, against Loudon United FC (Sept. 20) and Oakland Roots SC (Sept. 27), Dennis stepped up with three goal contributions (2G, 1A). Against Loudon, Dennis made the game-tying assist off a corner kick, finding the head of midfielder Carl Sainté with a perfectly-placed ball that the Haitian headed home in the 90+10 minute. The next weekend, Dennis was named Player of the Week after netting a brace as Rising rallied from a 3-0 deficit to draw 3-3 against Oakland.

"It's very simple, it's either you want it or you don't want it, and (Dennis) wants it every time," Kah said. "Whether it's for one minute or 90 minutes, he wants it. I know what it means for him (to represent Rising). Every time we call his number, he steps up, and that showcases character."

From finishing opportunities in transition to scoring clutch set-piece equalizers, Dennis has been the guy Rising has constantly looked to for instant offense. More often than not, he has delivered.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 9, 2025


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