Match Preview: Phoenix Rising at Las Vegas Lights FC

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USL Phoenix Rising FC

Match Preview: Phoenix Rising at Las Vegas Lights FC

May 27, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release


Phoenix Rising looks to extend its league winning streak to three straight when it travels to face Las Vegas Lights FC at 7:30 p.m. (PT) Wednesday, May 28, at Cashman Field

After 11 days without a match, Phoenix Rising returns to action when it faces Las Vegas Lights FC at 7:30 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday, May 28, at Cashman Field. Coming off back-to-back victories, Rising travels north looking to continue building momentum and climb further up the Western Conference table.

"Ideally when you're winning games you want to continue playing," Assistant Coach Vikram Virk said. "But at the same time, (having the time off) gave us a chance to take a little bit of a breather in terms of getting players healthy and to build on some of our principles in training."

Rising looks to take advantage of that rest in Vegas. Undefeated in its last three away days (2-0-1), the squad can add to its road success in "Sin City," and surpass 10 points on the road just three months into the 2025 campaign.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

WHAT: Phoenix Rising FC at Las Vegas Lights FC

WHEN: Wednesday, May 28 (7:30 p.m. PT)

WHERE: Cashman Field (Las Vegas, Nev.)

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: CBS Sports Network, Rising Radio (team socials)

A FORMIDABLE ATTACK

Out of Rising's 18 goals scored in regular season play, nine have been netted by the same trio of players: midfielder Hope Avayevu, forward Rémi Cabral and forward Jearl Margaritha, each of whom have three goals to their name.

Rising's offense has been much more than a three-man attack. Eleven separate players have scored at least one goal for the team so far this season, after midfielder JP Scearce and defender Ryan Flood netted goals in Rising's win on May 17.

Forward Ihsan Sacko leads the squad with four assists. Forward Darius Johnson now has a goal and an assist in spot minutes off the bench, while teammate Damián Rivera has scored his fair share of impressive goals, too.

"If you're me, you know you have (Rivera) or (Margaritha), you have (Dariusz Formella), behind you," Johnson said. "You have a whole starting eleven, of people who are worthy of playing in a starting eleven behind you, so you have to be on your 'A-game.'"

MAKING AN IMPACT OFF THE BENCH

With his goal in the 88th minute against Monterey Bay FC, Flood became the fourth Rising player to enter a match off the bench and score a goal, joining Sacko, Rivera and Johnson.

Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah has already shown a penchant for calling on the right players in the right moments. Most notably came on Flood's goal on May 17. Both Flood, the goal scorer, and Jamison Ping, the one who made the assist, came off the bench in the second half. Ping joined Johnson as a second Rising player to contribute an assist off the bench.

"We have good players coming off the bench," goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky said on May 5. "We don't lose quality. Even the younger players coming off the bench like (Ping) and (Braxton Montgomery) are making an impact every match. Everyone is doing a great job."

And when it came to his goal, especially scoring it after checking into the match late, Flood could only smile: "To come off the bench and affect the game so early coming back from an injury, it felt like bliss," Flood said. "When a ball hits the net and it ripples, it's a different feeling."

RISING IN SIN CITY

Rising faces Las Vegas Lights FC for the first time this season on Wednesday. Vegas is coming of a 2-1 loss at home to El Paso Locomotive FC on May 24, it's third home defeat of the 2025 regular season. Forward Johnny Rodriguez leads all Vegas players with three goals, while midfielder Gennaro Michael Nigro's 14 chances created and two assists are both team-highs.

With Kah and Antonio Nocerino on the sidelines, both teams enter Wednesday with new head coaches at the helm. When it comes to results, Kah looks to lead Phoenix to its first win in the regular-season series since August 2023. Overall, Rising hold a 10-5-4 record in the series and look to return to the dominance that led it to winning eight of the first 10 matches since the first-ever matchup in 2018.

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