U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Match Preview: Phoenix Rising vs Houston Dynamo FC

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USL Phoenix Rising FC

U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Match Preview: Phoenix Rising vs Houston Dynamo FC

May 6, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release


Phoenix Rising continues its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run in the Round of 32 against MLS side Houston Dynamo FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday, May 7, at Phoenix Rising Stadium. CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ will broadcast the match with radio coverage on KDUS 1060 AM (English) and La Onda 99.5 FM (Spanish).

Rising arrives at the Round of 32 after drawing FC Tulsa 1-1 and winning in penalty kicks on April 16 at Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium. Notably, 2025 marks a second straight season in which Rising has advanced to the Round of 32, and the third time it faces an MLS opponent in Open Cup play (2024 v. SEA; 2014 v. LAG).

"It's a great challenge for us," Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah said. "You're playing against the 2023 U.S. Open Cup winners. For our players, the most important part is they get to challenge themselves against the opposition of where they want to be. That's what I'm looking forward to, to seeing how they challenge themselves."

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

WHAT: Phoenix Rising FC vs Houston Dynamo FC

WHEN: Wednesday, May 7 (7:00 p.m. PT)

WHERE: Phoenix Rising Stadium (Phoenix, Ariz.)

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

WELCOMING MLS TO THE VALLEY

For the first time since 2014, Rising will host an MLS side in a competitive match. LA Galaxy was the last MLS team to visit the Valley, defeating Rising 2-1 in June 2014. Now, over a decade later, Houston Dynamo visits for the first time.

2025 marks a second straight season in which Rising faces MLS competition. It faced Seattle Sounders in the U.S Open Cup Round of 16 last season, falling 2-1. Notably, Rising held a lead in both those matches. Despite the result, playing an MLS side in a competitive match just a season ago showed players what it's like to face that level of opposition, and provided them with an idea of the challenge to come.

"It showed us we have a change against an MLS team," goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky said. "We should not be scared, but excited. We need to be aware it is an MLS team that can adjust and punish us in five minutes. We need to be excited but play until the last second."

Should Kah's side win Wednesday, it could host Austin FC, yet another MLS opponent.

EXPERIENCE FOR THE OCCASION

Amidst Rising's roster of young faces eager to establish themselves as professional soccer players is a group of tournament-tested veterans who bring a level of experience the squad will lean on as it looks to make a deep run in the Open Cup.

Defender Emil Cuello played in the U.S. Open Cup final in 2022 with Sacramento Republic FC. Goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky has played for two USL Championship title-winning teams, while goalkeeper Triston Henry has won four Canadian Premier League titles with Forge FC. Cuello, Rakovsky, defender Mohamed Traore and forward Dariusz Formella were all part of Rising's 2023 USL Championship-winning season.

"You have several guys with the understanding of what (the U.S. Open Cup) means," Kah said. "It's about what we do. You don't need any motivation for the game because you know what is at stake, which is to go onto the next round. We're ready for it."

HELLO HOUSTON

Wednesday marks the first-ever meeting between Rising and Houston Dynamo. Houston currently sits 14th in the MLS Western Conference with a 2-5-4 record (10 pts), the result of a slow start to the season. However, since the beginning of April, the Dynamo have lost just once which came in its last match against LAFC. In that same stretch, Head Coach Ben Olsen's side took down Austin FC by a score of 2-0 (4/26) and LAFC by a score of 1-0 (4/5). Notably, the Dynamo are two-time winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, last taking home the title in 2023.

Forward Ezequiel Ponce currently leads Houston with three goals, starting in all 11 of the club's matches to date. Amine Bassi and Ondrej Lingr have netted two goals each. On the sidelines stands a familiar name for Rising fans: Juan Guerra. The Venezuelan led Rising to its first-ever USL Championship title in 2023.

"These are the games these players want to test themselves in," Kah said. "This is the next level they want to go in America. After USL is MLS, so you want to see how they perform and how they step up to that level."

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