Phoenix Rising will play in front of a national audience when it travels deep into the heart of Texas for a Sunday matinee against San Antonio FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (PT) and will air on CBS Television Network. Radio coverage provided by Rising Radio will be available on SiriusXM (national) as well as on club socials.
San Antonio (4-0-0, 12pts) currently tops the Western Conference after a perfect first month of the 2025 USL Championship season. Head Coach Carlos Llamosa’s side recently rallied from a 2-0 deficit to earn a 3-2 road victory over Lexington SC.
“They’re playing well at the moment,” Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “All credit to them. We have to focus on us. We are trying to get ourselves to the place we need to get so we can start getting points.”
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
WHAT: Phoenix Rising FC at San Antonio FC
WHEN: Sunday, April 6 (1:00 p.m. PT)
WHERE: Toyota Field (San Antonio, Texas)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: CBS (TV), Rising Radio (SiriusXM & team socials)
PREPARING FOR PRIMETIME
Rising will be one of the first USL Championship teams to play in front of a true national audience, with Sunday’s match against San Antonio FC the first of three USL Championship matches to air on CBS’ main network.
“It means a lot to be on national TV,” Kah said. “It’s a great platform for the players to showcase themselves even more, but at the end of the day we want to play on our terms and try to win a football game.”
Sunday’s match may draw the most attention of the early 2025 season, but for Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah—who’s played on the international stage—and forward Jearl Margaritha—who’s faced intense crowds in Eastern Europe—it’s simply another matchday.
“(The fans) are watching on TV, they’re not in the stadium,” Margaritha said. “If there are 100,000 people at the side of the pitch, it might be different, but at this time it’s just another game.”
FINDING ATTACKING RHYTHM
Only four teams have put up more goals than the seven Kah’s squad has netted a month into the season. Rising has relied on a bevy of attacking options in its first four matches, with six different goal scorers responsible for the seven goals.
Forward Rémi Cabral leads the team in goals (2), while forward Ihsan Sacko (1G, 2A) and midfielder Hope Avayevu (1G, 2A) already have three goal contributions each. Notably, Cabral and Sacko have played a role in five of the club’s seven goals so far this season, with Sacko notching a goal contribution in each of the club’s previous three matches.
No goal better showcased the growing fluidity of Rising’s attack than the one Cabral scored against Monterey Bay FC on March 29. A series of give-and-goes between Cabral and Sacko, the two Frenchmen progressed the ball down the right sideline before Cabral used his off-ball movement to create enough space in the box to receive the ball and dispatch it into the near-post netting.
“If you look at our front six, seven players…if you put them in any other team in the league, they’re a starter,” Kah said. “We’re very fortunate to have that. Those front six players are very dangerous and Sacko and Rémi are finding each other very well. We have to continue to put them in those positions.”
Most importantly, Rising have scored in repeatable ways. Of its seven goals, six have come from open play, with the other coming off a corner kick. Of course, the squad has also produced individual moments of brilliance, such as defender Mo Traore’s strike from midfield and forward Damian Rivera’s spinning volley––two goals that took home Goal of the Week honors. While Rising has struggled to pick up points, it hasn’t been due to a lack of goals.
AWAY IN THE LONE STAR STATE
Four matchdays into the 2025 USL Championship season, only San Antonio FC boasts a perfect record. With wins against Monterey Bay FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Oakland Roots FC and Lexington SC, San Antonio stormed to the top of league points table with four quality results.
Midfielder Jorge Hernández and forward Luke Haakenson have powered their club’s attack with two goals each, while defender Jimmy Medranda has three goal contributions to date (1G, 2A). In goal, Richard Sánchez made four saves and kept a pair of shutouts through the opening month.
“They don’t give up until the last minute,” Margaritha said. “I think everybody saw that last game when they were 2-0 down and they came back to win 3-2. That’s a compliment to them and now that we know that we shouldn’t do anything different. Just go out there and fight.”
In attack, forward Juan Agudelo returns for his second season with the club. The longtime MLS veteran recorded eight goals in his debut campaign with San Antonio. Over the offseason, San Antonio FC also strengthened its spine by adding center backs Alex Crognale and Alexis Souahy, along with defensive midfielder Almir Soto.
Rising holds a 6-6-3 all-time record against San Antonio FC, with the series dating back to the 2016 season. The teams split the 2024 season series, with San Antonio earning a 2-1 home win on July 6 and Rising responding with a 4-0 victory in the Valley on September 21.
