Five Rising players made their first goal contributions with the club in Saturday’s eight-goal affair
Phoenix Rising rallied from a three-goal deficit to take its first point of the 2025 regular season, earning a 4-4 draw against El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night at Southwest University Park. Defender Mohamed Traore netted the game-tying goal from midfield, while five Rising players made their first goal contributions with the club in the second-half comeback.
“It’s not easy going down 2-0, 2-1, then 3-1 right off the bat,” Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “I think character is what these boys have shown. For me, I’m very happy because you could have easily given up, but they didn’t. I’m very happy and pleased with what we showed. We’re moving in the right direction.”
A CHAOTIC COMEBACK
Rising trailed 4-1 when El Paso Locomotive FC forward Amando Moreno’s bicycle-kick attempt found the back of the net in the 53rd minute. Instead of buckling after conceding twice in the eight minutes after halftime, Kah’s squad found a second wind.
Rémi Cabral sparked the comeback, scoring a poacher’s goal after taking a touch to control a hard-hit entry ball from Collin Smith. From there, Rising found opportunities in transition, with Hope Avayevu constantly carrying the ball into dangerous areas. In the 80th minute, a forward run ended in a straight-forward attempt from Ihsan Sacko, who powered the ball into the back of the net. Traore then capped off the comeback with a wonder-strike that chipped El Paso’s keeper from midfield.
“In the second half we showed character,” Traore said. “We showed our identity and we’ll just keep building on it.”
FIRST CONTRIBUTIONS
Traore was one of five players to open his Rising contribution account Saturday night. Okello’s headed goal just before halftime was his first with the club, and first in the USL Championship. Sacko also scored his first goal after arriving last offseason. Avayevu (2) and Smith’s (1) first goal contributions came in the form of assists.
“I’m happy to score my first goal with the club,” Traore said. “Hopefully we keep going like this.”
GOAL-SCORING PLAYS
ELP – Roberto Avila, 6th minute: Off a corner kick taken from the left, an El Paso player at the back post got a foot to the ball and sent a deflected pass into the path of Roberto Avila, who used his right foot to volley the ball into the upper-left corner of goal.
ELP – Amando Moreno, 34th minute: In transition, Memo Díaz slipped a ball into the path of Amando Moreno and, after faling down in the box, returned to his feet before using his right foot to slot the ball into the lower-left corner of the net.
PHX – Noble Okello (Hope Avayevu), 45+3 minute: Hope Avayevu’s in-swinging corner taken from the left found the head of a towering Noble Okello, who powered the ball into the back of the net.
ELP – Gabi Torres (Roberto Avila), 47th minute: On the break, Roberto Avila dribbled into the box before sliding a low cross into the path of Gabi Torres at the back post, who used his right foot to send the ball into the back of the net.
ELP – Amando Moreno, 53rd minute: A corner kick served in from the left took a deflection and dropped to Moreno, who connected with the ball on a bicycle kick attempt to send it into the lower-left corner.
PHX – Rémi Cabral (Collin Smith), 69th minute: A driven pass played into the box by Collin Smith found the feet of Rémi Cabral, who used his left foot to cushion the ball before slotting the ball home with his right.
PHX – Ihsan Sacko (Hope Avayevu), 80th minute: After winning the ball at midfield, Avayevu drove down the left half-space before sliding the ball into the path of Ihsan Sacko who used his right foot to fire the ball into the back of the net.
PHX – Mohamed Traore, 86th minute: Running onto the ball at midfield, Mohamed Traore used his right foot to send a powerfully-driven shot that chipped goalkeeper Jahmali Waite on its way to the top of the net.
NOTES
- Tonight marked Rising’s first road match of the 2025 USL Championship season.
- Five Rising players (Noble Okello, Hope Avayevu, Collin Smith, Ihsan Sacko, Mohamed Traore) made their first goal contributions with the club Saturday.
- The eight-goal affair is the highest-scoring match in USL Championship play so far this regular season.
- Noble Okello’s goal in the 45+3 marked his first with the club.
- Notably, the goal was Rising’s first of the 2025 regular season.
- With his assist on Okello’s opener, Hope Avayevu made his first goal contribution as a Rising player.
- Rémi Cabral opened his 2025 scoring account with his second-half goal.
- The goal marked Cabral’s eighth in USL Championship play.
- Additionally, the assist was Collin Smith’s first goal contribution with Phoenix Rising.
- Ihsan Sacko (80th min) and Mohamed Traore (86th minute) each scored their first goals with the club.
- Traore’s goal was his first goal in USL Championship play since August 2021 (vs. PHX).
- Entering the match in the 90+6 minute, Jamison Ping became the second-youngest player in club history to make his regular-season debut.
NEXT MATCH
Rising returns home to face 2024 USL Championship runner-up Rhode Island FC on Saturday, March 22, at Phoenix Rising Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. (PT) on AZFS and ESPN+. Local radio broadcasts can be found on KDUS 1060 AM (English) and La Onda 1190 AM (Spanish).
Phoenix Rising (0-1-1, 1pt) at El Paso Locomotive FC (0-0-2, 2pts)
March 15, 2025 – Southwest University Park (El Paso, Tex.)
Goals by Half 1 2 FT
Phoenix Rising 1 3 4
El Paso Locomotive FC 2 2 4
Scoring Summary:
ELP: Avila, 6
ELP: Moreno, 34
PHX: Okello (Avayevu), 45+3
ELP: Torres (Avila), 47
ELP: Moreno (Moshobane), 53
PHX: Cabral (Smith), 69
PHX: Sacko (Avayevu), 80
PHX: Traore, 86
Misconduct Summary:
ELP: Díaz (caution), 58
ELP: Alfaro (caution), 64
ELP: Twumasi (caution), 80
ELP: Ortíz (caution), 80
ELP: Daroma (caution), 90+2
ELP: Daroma (ejected), 90+3
ELP: Alfaro (ejected), 90+5
Lineups:
PHX: GK Rakovsky, D Neville (Cuello, 67), D Traore, D Mar Boye (C), D Smith, M Avayevu (Ping, 90+6), M Sainté (Scearce, 67), M Okello, F Rivera, F Cabral, F Formella (Sacko, 45)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Henry, D Montgomery, D Araneda, M Doratiotto
TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (two players, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (seven players, 1); FOULS: 17 (Smith, 4); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 0
ELP: GK Waite, D Alfaro, D Ackwei, D Ortíz (C), D Torres (Ruíz, 67), M Díaz (Quezada, 67), M Moreno, M Daroma, F Coronado (Twumasi, 75), F Moshobane (Cabrera Jr., 67), F Avila (Carter, 82)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Mora-Mora, D Romero, D Vazquez, F Valdivia
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (two players, 3) SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Moreno, 2); FOULS: 12 (four players, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 2
Referee: Calin Radosav
Assistant Referees: Matthew Schwartz, Seun Yinka-Kehinde
Fourth Official: Muhammad Kaleia
Attendance: 4,386
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
