Match Preview: Phoenix Rising vs Oakland Roots SC
USL Phoenix Rising FC

Match Preview: Phoenix Rising vs Oakland Roots SC

Published on September 24, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release


Phoenix Rising picked up a sixth consecutive result last weekend, with defender Carl Sainté's scoring his first Rising goal on a last-minute header to lift Rising to a 2-2 draw against Loudoun United FC on September 20. On Saturday, Rising returns home for a second weekend in a row as it hosts Oakland Roots SC at 7:00 p.m. (PT) at Phoenix Rising Stadium. With only five regular-season matches to play, every weekend matters when it comes to positioning for the postseason.

"We have to come out on the front foot (against Oakland)," Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah said. "We have to come out hungry and get our fans behind us from the first minute. We know what we can do, but it's not enough to only talk about it. Now it's time to do it."

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

WHAT: Phoenix Rising FC vs Oakland Roots SC

WHEN: Saturday, September 27 (7:00 p.m. PT)

WHERE: Phoenix Rising Stadium (Phoenix, Ariz.)

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: AZFS, CBS Sports Golazo Network, KDUS 1060 AM (English), La Onda 99.5 FM (Spanish)

A TALE OF TWO HALVES

Two weekends in a row, Rising has rallied back from multi-goal deficits to win a point. Against Loudoun, Kah's side scored twice after the 80th minute, while against Sacramento Republic FC it was forwards Rémi Cabral (59th minute) and Ihsan Sacko (79) who found the back of the net in a thrilling comeback effort on September 13. The two come-from-behind results extended the club's unbeaten run to six matches.

"I thought our first half we started very slow, which is something we have struggled with a lot lately," Sainté said. "I felt the way we approached the game for the second half and the way we approached it for the first half are completely different teams and different mentalities. But we have also been in situations where we know we must win. At the end of the day, we must keep our heads up because our next goal is to make it to the playoffs."

A RACE TO THE PLAYOFFS

With five matches to play in 2025, the race to the playoffs is well underway. Eight teams in each conference make the playoffs in USL Championship play, and Rising currently sit 7th. But all the teams in the West are close, with the club four points out of third.

"Every game is critical because you see the table," Kah said. "You can be eight or nine one week and three or four the next. We have to capitalize on what's in front of us, because that opportunity is Saturday. We need to take care of Oakland. We can't tie, we need to get some results."

Oakland Roots SC currently sits tenth in the West with 26 points (7-12-5), making Saturday's match a fight for a spot in the playoffs.

FACING THE ROOTS

Rising and Oakland Roots will face off for the 11th time in regular-season play this Saturday in a series that dates back to May 2021. Kah's squad took the earlier matchup by a score of 2-1 on July 12, extending its unbeaten streak to four against the squad from the Bay Area (2-0-2).

Oakland is led by forward Peter Wilson, who has ten goals and three assists this season. Three Oakland players have three assists this season, between Faysal Bettache, Wolfgang Prentice and Wilson. In its last five matches, the club has scored six goals.

"It's going to be a tough game," defender Ascel Essengue said. "You have to respect (Oakland), they're doing well like us, so we have to be focused from the beginning to end."

Currently 4-5-2 away from home, the Roots have performed better on the road than in the Bay. Coming off a positive 1-1 result against Western-Conference leaders FC Tulsa, Oakland's recent form is something Rising will have to be wary of as it looks to pick up three points at Phoenix Rising Stadium.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 24, 2025


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