Author: Matthew Cavazos
In 2023, Phoenix Rising FC shocked USL fans everywhere. After opening their season with a 4 win, 4 loss, and 4 draw record, the Rising kept fighting throughout the season and found themselves playoff-bound in October. After defeating San Diego Loyal in the quarterfinals, the Rising stayed hot en route to a USL Championship final appearance opposite the Charleston Battery. In a truly dramatic fashion, the season ended with a penalty shootout, with Phoenix Rising FC taking home the victory and Rocco Rios Novo claiming Championship Game MVP. With the season over, the new champions were on top of the world. How would they follow up their magical 2023 season?
As the 2024 season grew closer, things were changing for the Rising. First, Juan Guerrera left the team for a job in MLS with the Houston Dynamo. Then, Darnell King announced his retirement and leading goal-scorer Danny Trejo entered free agency and signed with the Polish Ekstraklasa side Korona Kielce. With Danny Stone moving from assistant coach to manager, the Rising looked to make another playoff run to the USL Championship Final in 2024. Prior to the season’s opening, the team went 0-1-5 in friendlies during preseason. Opening the season, the Rising went 5-6-6 in their first seventeen matches. Following this game, the team sat outside of a playoff spot for the first time since March, when they were playing only their fourth game of the season. This record came as a bit of surprise to not only the fans, but also to the front office who decided that they needed to shake things up to try and get back to a winning record. Following a 5-1 loss to Memphis 901 FC, the Rising decided to part ways with their brand-new head coach Danny Stone. Despite this change, Phoenix Rising President Bobby Dulle had nothing but good things to say about Stone, and in a press release from the Rising stated, “His commitment and contributions, from his work with our youth teams to his time as head coach, have been invaluable. He was an instrumental part of winning the championship last fall, and we want to thank him for his professionalism and unwavering dedication. On behalf of our owners, front office, and fans, we extend our deepest gratitude to Danny for his efforts and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
Replacing Danny Stone was assistant coach Diego Gomez, who would be the interim manager for the remainder of the 2024 season as Phoenix Rising FC began their search for a new manager. During his time as manager, Gomez led the Rising to a 6-3-8 record in the regular season, as well as securing them a playoff berth for the second straight year. After a 2-1 loss to New Mexico United, the team parted ways with Gomez as the season ended. Overall, the Rising finished with a record of 11-9-14, and a playoff record of 0-0-1. Looking towards 2025, the Rising have already found their new head coach in Pa-Modou Kah, who’s coming from an assistant coaching position with MLS club Charlotte FC. In terms of roster changes, Rising is losing some key players such as USL Championship Game MVP goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, and 2024 Team Captain John Stenberg. However, they are holding onto fan favorites in Emil Cuello, Dariusz Formella, and Pape Mar Boye. Despite not making another run to the USL Championship Final in 2024, fans should be excited as Phoenix Rising FC looks to maintain forward momentum as they prepare for the 2025 USL season.
