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USL Phoenix Rising FC

Preview: Rising Travels to El Paso, Saturday at 6 PM

June 13, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release


Boasting just one loss in its last seven league matches, Phoenix Rising FC (5-5-4) now embarks on a stretch of three away matches in its next four, beginning with a trip to El Paso (3-9-2) to face the retooled Locomotive FC this Saturday, June 15 at 6 p.m. That match will be broadcast live on Arizona's Family Sports and ESPN+.

"We were not consistent during the first part of the season," said forward Dariusz Formella, who was named USL Championship Player of the Week on Tuesday. "We had a lot of good performances without the results and some good results without strong performances. I hope this game will be another big step for us and we'll start a nice winning streak."

Having navigated a portion of the schedule that included Sacramento (6-1-6), Indy (winners of seven in a row) and Detroit (6-3-2), Rising did well to avoid a dip in a Western Conference table where third through ninth place are separated by just two points.

"This is a very tricky game," said Formella. "If you look at the table, El Paso is at the bottom, but they deserve much better. El Paso has very good players. I don't know the reason they're struggling at home, but we cannot underestimate El Paso. They have a much better team than what the table shows. It will be a battle."

Unbeaten in its Desert Rose kits (1-0-1) and, when combined with the club's 3-0-1 playoff run, Phoenix is riding a streak of six-games unbeaten while wearing white.

"We have gained some consistency in playing together," said Rising head coach Danny Stone. "It takes some time to put pieces in place. There is a mental aspect to developing as a team. Learning how each other play together tactically and perform as a team. We can play some good football, but we need to continue the focus of being effective at the end of that. There is a bit of a 'never beaten' mentality we did see last weekend and that we do speak about as a group. There's a lot of credit to be given there but that takes time and games together to develop. You almost need to prove it to yourself that it remains within you."

"No chance we're going to underestimate El Paso," said Formella. "That would be the worst thing that could happen to us at this point in the season. During the season, it's nice to check the table for statistics but it doesn't matter now, only in October."

Away from home for most of the Arizona summer, Rising will look to move up the table once more against El Paso, which is 2-1-0 under head coach Wilmer Cabrera after beginning the season 1-8-2.

"They're a squad full of good players that have played well and not gotten results," said Stone. "With Wilmer coming in, it has caused a change in energy. The players that have been less involved feel they have more opportunity. Players that have been involved feel they need to reestablish that they deserve to be in the lineup. That's normal. Wilmer is a good coach as well. Since he has come into the club, they have become more effective.

Coming off a brace last time out and having scored a stoppage-time, game-tying-goal in 25 minutes of action last time he was in El Paso (September 23), Formella is one of the most effective players around since returning from a midseason trip to Poland to be with his family for the birth of his daughter, Mia.

"I remember that goal," said Formella. "It was a good team goal with solid combinations, but this is a new game, new season, new coaches, new players... everything different."

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