Phoenix Rising secured the first win of its 2026 USL Cup campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Orange County SC.

Jamir Johnson puts the visitors up in the first half off a miscue at the back, but his goal was quickly cancelled out by a Jean-Éric Moursou effort that may have deflected in off of Charlie Dennis. A close-range strike from Eziah Ramirez in the second half ultimately sealed the three points for Rising.

Eziah Ramirez records first professional goal

Phoenix Rising played a youthful side in its second USL Cup match, and that was partly through necessity. With several professionals out through injury or struggling after a heavily-loaded start to the season, four academy products started on Saturday.

Among those was Eziah Ramirez. The young full-back has already featured several times this season, including starting at PayPal Park against MLS side San Jose Earthquakes in the U.S. Open Cup.

In the second half against Orange County, after a bit of a scramble off a set piece, Ramirez was in the right place at the right time as the ball landed at his feet just yards from goal.

“The first thing I was thinking was just hit it on target,” Ramirez said. “I’m not naturally a left footer, so hitting that was a little awkward for me, but it went in the back of the net and it just felt amazing to celebrate with everyone and the fans.”

That was Ramirez’s first professional goal, and went on to be the match winner.

“He has been terrific for us,” Rising coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “During the whole season, he has taken his opportunities when they have come to him, and that’s what you want.”

Damian Rivera makes comeback from injury

Phoenix Rising has struggled with injuries in 2026, much as they did in 2025. But the light may be visible at the end of the tunnel, for one player at least.

Damian Rivera made his first competitive appearance in August since picking up a season-ending injury last year and suffering a setback in the preseason intrasquad friendly. The Guatemalan winger played for just ten minutes against Orange County off the bench, but will look to build on that in the coming weeks.

“For us to have him back, it’s brilliant, but also for him,” Kah said. “He has put in an amount of work to get to where he is, so I’m very happy with his progression. Today he showed why, and he’s going to be a valuable piece for us going forward.”

USL Cup run remains possible for Phoenix Rising

Phoenix Rising’s Prinx Tires USL Cup hopes remain alive after the win over Orange County, following an earlier loss to Colorado Springs in the tournament. The result leaves Rising in third place in their group, behind both Switchbacks and El Paso, with the latter having a game in hand.

Rising still has road games against New Mexico and League One side AV Alta to come in the competition, and will need to make the most of them to have a chance of progressing. Last season, no team successfully qualified for the knockout stages with fewer than nine points, which is the maximum haul that Rising could collect.

Owain’s Take

It wasn’t the prettiest game, but when you’re a squad forced into playing numerous youngsters, it’s never going to be.

Besides, being pretty is overrated, right? It’s about three points at the end of the day, and that is what Phoenix Rising walked away with.

Saturday night’s clash was a must-win for this club to have any chance of making it into the knockout stages of the USL Cup, and they passed that test. Gilberto Rivera made his first start for the club. Damian Rivera, a winger whose absence has really disappointed given the talent he’d shown in moments last year, has finally made a start to his comeback.

Plus, you had a local kid in Eziah Ramirez find the back of the net for his first professional goal.

I would be lying if I said I was confident of Phoenix Rising’s chances going into this match. We know all too well the kind of challenges that the club is facing in terms of availability, and while some of the youngsters and bench players may have promise, it’s never certain that they’re ready to face up against the level of opposition you can see in this league on any given night.

I was expecting Rising’s hopes of qualification to end this weekend in a tournament that is not especially easy to make it past the group stage in. I think a chunk of the fanbase were, too. But it’s not over yet, and that’s a good thing.

I don’t think anybody is looking at the USL Cup as a priority, and I don’t think anyone will until you get to a stage that has the word “final” in it. Sure, silverware is nice, but this tournament will always play second, or in this case third, fiddle. Given its strange format, the chances that Rising make it to the next stage remain slim, even after this win.

But the longer you keep it a possibility, the greater those odds are. And hey, it can’t hurt to dream, right?

Top image: Phoenix Rising FC