Phoenix Rising FC seeks to repeat title

Phoenix Rising FC will enter the 2021 season in a realigned division as they try to repeat as the USL Championship league’s defending Western Conference champion.

The new set-up differs from the 2020 alignment, when the 35 teams participated in Eastern and Western conferences, each with four divisions — labled as lettered groups. For 2021, the two conferences will remain the same but each with just two divisions, named by geographic region.

Rising will stay in the Western Conference and will play in the Pacific Division. Other teams in the division are: LA Galaxy II, Las Vegas Lights FC, newcomer Oakland Roots SC, Orange County SC, Sacramento Republic FC, San Diego Loyal SC and Tacoma Defiance.

The Rising will play those teams a total of four times this season, twice at home and twice away, as part of a 32game regular-season schedule over 27 weeks.

“It is going to be a challenge for us,” said Rick Schantz, Rising manager. “When you have to play anyone four times, it is not easy. By the end of the season, there won’t be any secrets and we will know each other extremely well.”

Phoenix does not yet know which other teams it will play to round out its regular season schedule, which has no been unveiled by USL Championship. The season is expected to begin around May 1, about two months later than usual. Last year, the season was suspended soon after it began in early March because of the pandemic. It resumed in summer.

The season also will feature a 2021 US Open Cup, a single elimination tournament that features teams from every United States professional league.

It was canceled last year due to the coronavirus. The plan for this year’s tournament is to feature 24 teams — eight teams from MLS, considered the top-level league in the country, eight from the USL Championship, two from USL League One, two from NISA and four from the amateur levels. The tournament is scheduled for May and June.

The USL Championship is planning for its eight teams be the eight group winners from the 2020 season, which would include Phoenix, according to a report from The Athletic’s Jeff Rueter.

“I would love to make a run and this is a great year to do it,” Schantz said. “If we are only talking about 16 teams, there is a good chance you will get an MLS team right away. We were kind of joking about it that if you were ever going to win the US Open Cup that this will be the year to do it and we would love to do that for our fans.”

The focus for the team for now is their preseason, with 12 games on the preseason schedule, which begins March 13 at home against Sporting KC. Eight of the games are against MLS teams.

All eyes will not only be on the returners but the new signings for the club, such as Prince Saydee and Arturo Rodriguez, along with academy players.

“Like last year, when you get to play against these MLS teams, who are preparing for their season, it really raises the bar for us,” Schantz said. “It puts our guys in situations that maybe if they were against a lower level team or local team, they might not have the same pride or desire to perform. We saw last year, after preseason, how ready our team was going into the start of the year.”

Each player will get their opportunity to prove themselves and prepare for the season physically.

“The reality is that not one player will play more than five or six games total,” Schantz said. “We try to schedule these games to help with our physical periodization. In order for them to be match ready, the first time they play they may only play 30 minutes and slowly build it up.”

As the season approaches, the roster is starting to shape up but fans can expect the club to add more depth as the expectation is for the club to end up with 23-24 signed players by the start of the season, Schantz said.

They expect to have four more signings that have yet to be announced and currently have five or six trialists with the squad for a couple of weeks, he said.

The team also has truck a brand deal with Adidas, which will become the club’s exclusive equipment and uniform — or kit — provider for six years.

“From what I heard from the players, the material and the fit has been fantastic” Schantz said. “The shorts are a little shorter than (previous provider) Macron.”

The club also is closer to having their new facility at Wild Horse Pass, near the Interstate 10 and Loop 202 junction on the Gila River Indian Community, ready for the season.