USL Sacramento Republic FC

Know Your Opponent: Phoenix Rising FC

Published on May 26, 2021 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release


The boys in Old Glory Red are about to begin a three-game homestand starting this Saturday night when Phoenix Rising FC visits Heart Health Park.

The clash between Pacific Division clubs will be the first of four times Republic FC will meet last year's Western Conference winners during the 2021 regular season.

Saturday's showdown in Sacramento will finally be the first shot Mark Briggs' men have at avenging last season's defeat in the quarterfinals of the postseason and all attention in training has been fully focused on returning to winning ways.

Key Moves

Phoenix was a force in 2020 and despite the departure of regulars Corey Whelan, Junior Flemmings and AJ Cochran, the Arizonian club made enough moves to stay in contention for another run at a title.

The southwestern side brought in experienced midfielder Aodhan Quinn from Orange County SC who has over 100 USL Championship appearances under his belt.

Rising FC also signed a pair of Major League Soccer players on loan for the campaign ahead - defender Noah Billingsley from Minnesota United and goalkeeper Andre Rawls from Colorado Rapids. In two starts this season in net, Rawls has logged victories while Billingsley has already made the starting eleven once and appeared in three of Phoenix's first four fixtures.

Another interesting acquisition was midfielder Arturo Rodriguez from North Texas SC - the 2019 USL League One MVP - who registered 25 minutes during Phoenix's 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Phoenix Last Season

Rising FC was the 2020 USL Championship Western Conference champions and were set to play Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Final before the pandemic forced the match to be canceled.

Behind Reno, Phoenix scored the second-most goals in the league with 47 during a campaign that saw Rising FC post a 11-3-2 record season record with 35 points - one behind 1868 FC's league-best 36. Rising FC's +29 goal differential during the regular season was tied for the USL's best with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

Offensively, the southwestern side took the most shots in the Championship with 344 last season - over 40 more than the team that took the second-most.

Striker Solomon Asante has been a formidable force up front for Phoenix for a number of years now - having won the USL Championship Most Valuable Player of the Year award in 2019 and 2020.

His attacking partner, Rufat Dadashov, netted 11 goals and added four assists in his debut USL Championship campaign last season and has already added two more strikes and one assist in 2021.

Head-to-Head

Since 2014, Republic FC has six wins from 15 encounters during league play.

The Indomitable Club has the advantage in the all-time series with a 6-4-5 record against Rising FC and has never lost to Phoenix in Sacramento. In the California capitol, SRFC is 3-0-4 and has outscored its fellow Pacific Division opponent 5 to 1.

The last two matches against Rising FC in Sacramento both ended nil-nil.

Last Time They Met

It was the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs where these two clubs last clashed.

A scoreless draw took the postseason fixture into extra time where Phoenix found a late winner with just over five minutes to play. Sacramento was the only side during league play in 2020 to hold Rising FC scoreless at home over 90 minutes of regulation.

An unfortunate deflection was ultimately the difference as Phoenix advanced to the conference semifinals.

Saturday's showdown against Rising FC in Sacramento is set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. PT inside Heart Health Park and will be broadcast live on ESPN+, KQCA My58 and Estrella TV.

Check out the Sacramento Republic FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 26, 2021


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