History could be made this week by Phoenix Rising as the club seeks its first-ever win over Major League Soccer opposition in the U.S. Open Cup.
Rising travels to face the San Jose Earthquakes in the final match of this year’s third round at PayPal Park. It’s the first time the two sides have ever met in competitive play.
“I know a lot of people will look at it and say we are underdogs,” Rising coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “I never look at our team or myself as an underdog. We are equal once we step on the pitch.”
The Open Cup, organized by the U.S. Soccer Federation since 1914, allows clubs at all levels of the game to compete in a single tournament. Based on a revised format due to the World Cup, 16 MLS teams are competing in this year’s edition of the cup. They joined the 16 second round winners, made up of nine teams from USL Championship, six from USL League One and one from MLS NEXT Pro.
“Everybody was excited [at the draw] because it’s an opportunity for some of us,” Rising forward Ihsan Sacko said. “We have some young players in the team, so it’s a big chance for us. We’re excited because we definitely want to win this game. That’s why we go there for this: for the win.”
This isn’t the first time that Rising has faced a top-flight opponent under head coach Pa-Modou Kah. Last year, the side fell 4-1 at home to the Houston Dynamo after extra time.
“What I want, this game, for the boys, is to enjoy it,” Rising coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “Listen, some of them have aspiration to be in MLS. Some of them beyond. There’s no better test.
“You go in and enjoy the game, and we showed last year over 90 minutes, obviously we were there, but you know that the budget, the different players they can bring [on], that is the difference. That is the difference from when I watched the game back against Houston [Dynamo] last year. Even at 2-1, Tico [Damian Rivera] had an opportunity, maybe he passed it to [Dariusz Formella], that’s the what if. But yeah, they bring in guys that cost 8, 10, 20 million. There’s nothing you can do. But the way that we fought as a team, the way that we showcase ourselves is the same thing I want to see this game.”
Last season’s clash wasn’t the only time that Phoenix Rising has faced MLS opposition in Open Cup play. In 2024, Rising travelled to Tukwila to face the Seattle Sounders, taking the lead in first half stoppage time through a Rémi Cabral penalty. Alex Roldan drew the sides level in the second half, before Kalani Kossa-Rienzi found the winner for the hosts with just two minutes to play.
Prior to that, the team faced LA Galaxy in the 2014 Open Cup under the name Arizona United. Matt Kassel put Arizona up in front of a home crowd in Peoria. Again, two second half goals sank the side’s hopes, with Gyasi Zardes netting a brace.
Last season’s clash with Houston was the first time Rising took MLS opposition beyond the regulation 90 minutes, though, and Sacko described being “mad to lose at the end like that.” That’s something, according to both Sacko and Kah, that can give the team confidence going into the match.
“That’s the reason also in preseason you want to go play these teams as well, because you get to measure yourselves,” the coach said. “You get to showcase yourself. You get to see where am I now to where I want to be. For us, there’s no better opportunity. As a coach and especially as a player, these are the games that you want to be in.”
Rising can also bring confidence from a resounding 3-0 win over rivals New Mexico United last weekend. That match marked the first league win of the season, with Sacko recording a brace alongside a JP Scearce goal.
“You keep doing the things that you’ve been doing prior,” Kah said on carrying the momentum from the weekend. “You don’t need to change anything. It’s just making sure that again you stay consistent in the work that you do.”
At the same time, Rising’s Open Cup run has already caused some early season fixture congestion. The team is now in the middle of a stretch of three games in eight days, which is only made tougher by the team’s continued injury woes. Both Damian Rivera and Kelvin Arase are yet to feature in 2026, while Rafael Czichos has been sidelined recently due to illness. Both Daniel Flores and Pape Mar Boye have recently begun easing back in to game time.
“It’s always a balance, but sometimes when you have momentum, you want to keep that momentum going by also trusting the guys that fought and helped, and we know that we also have some game changers on the bench,” Kah said.
While Rising’s rotation choices may be more limited, it’s not clear how seriously San Jose will take this cup tie.
“We approach the game with the same amount of detail that we want to provide for our players and game plan, and who we are,” Kah said. “For me, it’s about respecting the game so I will never take it lightly whoever I’m facing. The planning, the detailing will always be there. What we can control is our preparation, our mental state and what we’re going to do.
“What the opposition is going to do, I’ll be honest to you, I don’t know until the whistle or you see the lineup. When you see the lineup, you know, but we’re prepared for whatever they’re going to bring.”
Regardless of the lineup that San Jose puts out, Phoenix is looking to make club history in the Open Cup.
“Why not?” Kah said. “Why should we not aim for it? That is our ambition. And can we do it? I believe 100% that we can do it, because at the end of the day, it’s football. Once you step in the white lines, it’s not who you are. It’s what you’re going to do at that moment. And when our moment comes, we’re going to take our moment.”
Top image: Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
