Phoenix Rising FC (0-0-4, 4 pts., 17th in West) at El Paso Locomotive FC (1-1-2, 5 pts., 13th in West)
6:30 PM (MST), Saturday, Southwest University Park, El Paso, Texas
TV: CW 6 & 61.1
Live Stream: ESPN+ (subscription required)
MatchCenter: #ELPVPHX
Series History: First meeting between the teams
Phoenix Rising heads out on a two match Texas road trip looking to break through for its first win of the season.
Phoenix Rising last week: Phoenix Rising wrapped up a three-match home stand by earning its third straight draw at home and fourth straight draw to open the season with a 0-0 draw against Fresno FC. Despite being a man up for over 50 minutes with a 40th minute red card from Fresno’s Seth Moses, Phoenix Rising couldn’t capitalize but earned its first clean sheet in the process by goalkeeper Zac Lubin. The draw also set a USL Championship record for the most draws to start a season.
Phoenix Rising notes: Solomon Asante leads the USL Championship in shots on target (2.5) and key passes per match (3.6). … Phoenix Rising leads the Western Conference in shots on target per match (6.8) and is second in the conference in possession (59 percent). … Three players have played all 360 minutes for the club so far this season: Asante, Amadou Dia and Adam Jahn. … The eight goals in four matches is ahead of last year’s record-setting goal scoring pace. The club scored six goals in the first four matches last year. … Loanee defenders Tristan Blackmon and Shaft Brewer Jr. are currently training with their home club and are unavailable for selection. … Defender Logan Gdula and midfielder Devin Vega are travelling with the team for the two-match away trip. Gdula was injured in pre-season and Vega was featured last week for FC Tucson where he scored off of a banger of a free kick.
El Paso report: The club got its first victory in franchise history, a 2-0 win over Orange County SC on Mar. 30. Midfielder Edson Partida, on loan from Toluca FC in Liga MX, scored both goals in the victory. The team drew with Real Monarchs SLC and Rio Grande Valley FC in its previous two matches. Partida and Derek Gebhard lead the team in scoring with two goals each. Sebastian Contreras leads with two assists on the season. Logan Ketterer is the team’s No. 1 keeper, with two clean sheets in his four appearances so far this season. The team is second in the USL Championship in accurate passes per match (405.8), third in shots on targer per match (6.0) and first in the Championship in possession (59.3 percent).
Match notes: This is the first meeting between the teams. Phoenix Rising is facing the 31st different USL Championship Club. In its previous 30 first-time meetings, Phoenix Rising is 11-12-7 all-time. The last time the team won
Predicted Lineup
