Phoenix Rising kicks off a two-game road stretch against Monterey Bay FC at 7:00 p.m. (PT) Saturday, March 29, at Cardinale Stadium
Phoenix Rising hits the road for the second time this season, matched up against Monterey Bay FC. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. (PT) and will stream live on AZFS and CBS Sports Golazo Network. Radio coverage, presented by Rising Radio, will be available through the club’s social channels.
Saturday presents an early-season test against what has been one of the hottest teams in the USL Championship over the season’s first month. Fresh off a 3-0 win over Orange County SC on March 22, the Northern California-based side currently sits second in the Western Conference with six points (2-1-0, 6pts).
“We have a talented group,” midfielder Jamison Ping said. “We’ll click and it will be great. If we work hard and set the tone early, I don’t see why we can’t win.”
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
WHAT: Phoenix Rising FC at Monterey Bay FC
WHEN: Saturday, March 29 (7:00 p.m. PT)
WHERE: Cardinale Stadium (Seaside, California)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: AZFS (TV), CBS Sports Golazo Network (stream), Rising Radio (team socials)
A SOLID DEFENSIVE PAIRING
Two of just four Rising players to play every minute of the 2025 season so far, defenders Pape Mar Boye and Mohamed Traore continue to strengthen a vital defensive partnership at the core of the club’s lineup.
The pair played 3,968 minutes in 2024, combining to make 50 interceptions and 56 tackles. Through three matches in 2025, the Senegalese duo has combined for 11 interceptions and 25 clearances. Notably, Mar Boye has a 78.9% success rate in aerial duels and a 100% success rate in tackles.
“They’re two players who have played well,” Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah said in Spanish. “Having players from the same country that talk about everything has been great. Pape (Mar Boye) has a lot of potential as a player and Mo (Traore) is a great player, too. For me, I’m happy we have two players like that.”
Beyond the numbers, the pair has often been tasked with putting out fires as the last line of defense. When faced with a one-on-one moment against Rhode Island FC following a long ball sent over the top, Traore went to ground to take the ball of an attacker’s feet in the penalty box to stop a dangerous chance. Mar Boye has also proven crucial on set-piece defending and clearing the ball from harm’s way.
Traore and Mar Boye’s relationship extends from the back line to off the field, too. Between their time as kids playing for the Galaxy Football Academy in Dakar, Senegal, years spent at Monteverde Academy in Florida, and now as teammates and roommates in Phoenix, the duo has built a chemistry difficult to replicate, and one so crucial for Rising’s defense.
“We’ve grown a lot,” Traore said after training earlier this season. “Out of here we spend a lot of time together. We almost do similar things because we’re from the same place, so we have that connection. Helping each other and calling each other out when we’re watching a game back at home, that’s the most important thing. We have a good relationship.”
SHARING THE LOAD
Six different players have scored Rising’s first six goals of the season. Midfielder Noble Okello opened the scoring, with forwards Rémi Cabral and Ihsan Sacko, along with defender Mohamed Traore, each finding the net in a 4-4 draw against El Paso Locomotive FC on March 15. One week later, in a match against Rhode Island FC, forward Damian Rivera and midfielder Hope Avayevu added their first goals of 2025. For Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah, the most encouraging sign might be that three of his forwards have already opened their accounts this season.
“We are getting our strikers to score goals,” Kah said following the match on March 22. “That’s very important for this group.”
With six goal scorers already, Rising is nearly halfway to reaching the amount of individual goal scorers it had a season ago (14). Avayevu currently leads all Rising players with three goal contributions (2G,1A), while Ihsan Sacko (1G, 1A) now has goal contributions in consecutive matches. Additionally, four of the club’s six goals have been assisted, with Avayevu’s rebounded tap-in and Traore’s half-field rocket being the only individual efforts to date. Notably, five of the six goals marked a player’s first-ever with Rising. Only Cabral scored for the club in past seasons.
OFF TO NORCAL
Monterey Bay FC are off to a flying start to the 2025 season. Currently 2-1-0 in the league, with its sole loss coming against league points-leaders San Antonio FC. Head Coach Jordan Stewart’s team enters Saturday on a three-match winning streak in all competitions, outscoring opponents 10 goals to three.
Through the season’s first month, Monterey Bay has scored at least three goals in all but one match. Forward Ilijah Paul leads the club’s high-octane attack with four goals and an assist in all competitions to date. He was recently named the USL Championship Player of the Week after his three-goal-contribution night (2G,1A) against Orange County SC on March 22. Notably, Paul was one of three Monterey Bay players to be named to the Team of the Week squad, with Stewart selected as the coach.
“Jordan has done a fantastic job,” Kah said. “He understands football, played the game for a very long time and is someone I respect. But, for us, it’s about focusing on our process and what we need to do to win.”
In search of its first-ever playoff berth, Monterey Bay bolstered its attack over the offseason. In addition to Paul, the club added Swedish forward Adam Larsson–– who finished with 11 goals in the Finland Veikkausliiga–– as well as Mayele Malango, who has a goal to his name after making the jump from USL League One side Chattanooga Red Wolves SC.
Rising went unbeaten against Monterey Bay FC in the first four matches of the series (2-0-2). Kah’s side will look to get back to those winning ways after suffering a pair of defeats in the matchup last year.
“We’re looking forward to the battle,” Kah said. “You can tell in the eyes of the boys, how they’re training this week. The hunger and desire are always there, and even more now. I’m very much looking forward to Saturday and I think it’s going to be an entertaining game.”
