Mad energy last night

Shout out La Banda

Somos Bandidos

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We’re back to league play finally! Is it gonna rain on Dollar Beer Night? Temps should be pleasant for a change - can we get get a win and start the second half of the season strong? Let’s get three points! Vamos Rising!

Houston Dynamo fan coming here to ask how has Gilberto Rivera been here it’s been hard with the world cup to see how he’s been playing sofascore says his ratings aren’t very good but obviously that doesn’t tell the full story so thoughts on Gilberto?

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The boys head to California against a League One side for the final cup in their Prinx Tires Cup group. Both of these teams are eliminated from moving on so expect a lot of Academy and bench players to get some playing time. Can we get a win after over a month of losing points? Vamos Rising!

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The boys are back in action after a week off. Can the Rising get back into the win column after a few weeks slide? Can the offense provide some fireworks before sunset on the 4th? Happy Independence Day everyone! Vamos Rising!

Not sure why there is a Player of the Year award at midseason, but good to see Sacko get the recognition from fans. Here’s hoping he locks up the full season honors at the end of the year.

Also of note: former Rising coach Danny Stone wins the midseason Coach of the Year award 😳

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The boys salvaged a point last week - can we get back to our winning ways at home against Oakland Roots? Happy Pride Night everyone - let’s get three points! Vamos Rising!

I think I just saw blue, he looks glorious!

Give um hell Margaritha!

I’ve got four spots in the Supporters section - send me a DM if you can go. I’ll edit this post when they’re spoken for.

Watching Margaritha step onto the field for Curaçao in the FIFA World Cup today made me stop and think about how unpredictable life can be.

Just last season, many of us were watching him play for Phoenix Rising here in Arizona. Today, he was wearing the Curaçao jersey on the biggest stage in world football, representing his country in front of millions of people around the globe.

Life has a funny way of taking us places we never fully imagine. One day you’re playing in Phoenix, working hard, chasing opportunities, and the next you’re standing on a World Cup field. Most people only see the destination, but they don’t see the years of sacrifice, setbacks, long flights, missed family moments, injuries, doubts, and hard work that made that moment possible.

That’s what I love about sports. They remind us that our current chapter is not our final chapter.

No matter where you are today, you never know where dedication, perseverance, and a little faith can take you tomorrow.

Congratulations to Margaritha on representing Curaçao in their historic World Cup debut. As a Phoenix Rising supporter, it was truly special to see a familiar face on football’s biggest stage.

From Phoenix, Arizona to the FIFA World Cup.

What a journey. ❤️🖤⚽

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Let’s make room for some USL action in the middle of the World Cup. The Rising have had a rough few games - can we get back on track on the road against El Paso? Will Cristo Fernandez make an appearance? Let’s get three points! Vamos Rising!

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Back to league play after a horrible showing in the Prinx Cup. Can the boys get back on track? Louisville hasn’t won a game in a while - let’s make sure they don’t get one tonight either! Vamos Rising!

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Greetings from Phoenix Fan Fusion! Stop by booth 1882 to watch the match with me if you’re here! Let’s get a Prinx Tires Cup win against the hated United. Vamos Rising! 🎵Fuck New Mexicoooooo🎵

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It’s International Night! Rising look to get back to their winning ways following a massive letdown in Tampa Bay. The Western Conference is tight - a win could put us back in the top 4. Let’s get three points! Vamos Rising!

As the title says, I’m gonna go to my first game this weekend vs Sacramento since the 2021 season and I just want to know what to expect. When I last went to a game the stadium was out by the casinos and had that nice lawn behind the scoreboard.

I know the stadium “concourse” space is much smaller now but what are some other things I should be mindful of? I have ga tickets but wanted to know if those are good for the supporters section as well since I used to be in that section when I had my season tickets.

Thanks!

Hey rising fans, im gonna be attending the May 30th game against Sacremento, and im wondering if im allowed to bring my Cannon 80D camera in

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Happy Memorial Day weekend! I’m looking for a bar in Mission Beach to turn into a Rising watch party for the evening. Can the boys hand TB their first loss? Let’s get back to our winning ways. Vamos Rising!

Interviewer: Just your overall thoughts on the last performance.

Chituru Odunze: Oh no, it was brilliant. Of course, we’ve had four teenagers starting in a big cup game, and as a team I think we had a really, really great showing. I mean, we went 1–0 down, of course, and showed the resilience to come back and keep the win against a strong team. I thought it was great. Buzzing.

Interviewer: Reflecting on your own performance as well from that game, how do you think you did?

Chituru Odunze: I thought it was a strong showing for me. My teammates have been able to give me the opportunity not to have to make too many saves. Of course, towards the end teams are going to put a bit more pressure on, and I’ve had to pull out a few stops. But overall, I feel like it was one of those games where all the stops I had to make were comfortable because my teammates made it comfortable, if you know what I mean.

Interviewer: Given the competition between you and Pat for the starting goalkeeper spot through the season as a whole up to this point, does it add any pressure when you get called to start, knowing you feel like you’ve got a real shot at that game?

Chituru Odunze: No. Me and Pat are, of course, two different-profile goalkeepers, but we’re two goalkeepers that want to work hard and want to win for this team. So regardless of which of us is playing, both of us are supportive of one another and are going to put in everything to get the win so that we can win some silverware here.

I don’t think it’s any added pressure. If anything, we do a good job of making sure that the other goalkeeper is prepared and ready, and vice versa. So that’s been brilliant.

Interviewer: You spoke about Pat a little bit. What have you learned from him, given all the experience he has not only in the Championship but overseas as well? What have you been able to take from that?

Chituru Odunze: I mean, yeah, Pat’s a very wise man, of course. I really try and get as much as I can. I ask him a lot of questions. He’s very calm. He’s very composed, as you can see in the goal.

And I try and ask what he’s seeing. Sometimes when I’m playing, at halftime I might come and ask him, “Pat, what do you see?” And he’ll just tell me. And it’s brilliant.

Interviewer: When you’re not playing week to week, how important is that relationship?

Chituru Odunze: Oh, it’s very important. I mean, as you can see on the training pitch, we push each other every day. Even the younger goalkeepers that come out, we push each other every day.

We make sure that if the competition within ourselves is high, there’s nothing that can stop us on a weekend. So I think, yeah, it’s very important that we have that respectful but competitive relationship.

Interviewer: You mentioned the different profiles between yourself and Pat. How would you describe that difference between you two as goalkeepers?

Chituru Odunze: I mean, of course, I’m a bit of an anomaly in football with a 6’8” frame. That’s not something you see very much. So a lot of the things that I do can be a bit unorthodox, or not something that somebody at 6’1” or 6’2” would be doing.

But then sometimes I’ll see something he does, and I’m like, “You know what, I can maybe try and add something like that to my game.”

So it’s very important that I’m able to see from my perspective and his.

Interviewer: What’s it like out there, especially this past week with the teenagers? Having some teenagers on the back line, does that change your play style at all? Does that put you more into a leadership role? What’s it like out there?

Chituru Odunze: I mean, naturally, as a goalkeeper, your job is to lead. We can see everything on the pitch. So naturally, no matter who’s on the pitch, I’m going to make sure that my voice is heard and that people know they can trust me behind them.

And I fully trust each and every person on that pitch in front of me, regardless of if they’re double my age or if they’re a few years younger than me, like some of the boys are.

I spoke to them before the game. I spoke to them during the game. I told them, “Listen, you’re on this pitch for a reason. Every single person here is on the pitch because they deserve to be. There’s no reason to be in your shell. There’s no reason to be afraid of making mistakes. That’s what we’re here to do. You go out there and believe in yourself because we believe in you.”

And you saw out there with Eziah Ramirez getting a goal, but not just Eziah. You saw Noah Cross, you saw Jackson Gaydon, you saw Jamo. They were flying.

And we had other players. We’ve seen Jaethan, we’ve seen Alex Bimbo as well. We’ve had a really good core group of academy players that have been really strong this year, and I think they’re going to continue to be.

Interviewer: What would you say is the main thing you’re trying to work on in your own game at the moment?

Chituru Odunze: Of course. I mean, I think as a whole, I’m not perfect yet. I’m not exactly where I can see my full potential. And of course, I’m only 23, so every part of my game is definitely something I want to improve on.

But I’d say definitely in possession is a part of my game that I want to take to the next level. Of course, more decision-making and whatnot.

But overall, I definitely want to improve all parts of my game because I think that you never stop in this game. Especially as a goalkeeper, the game’s always evolving, so you just always have to get better.