Phoenix Rising welcomed rivals New Mexico United in a must-win match.

“It was our rival who came to Phoenix,” Rising defender Rafael Czichos said. “They’ve been playing a pretty good season, so we knew it was going to be a tough game. We wanted to raise the intensity compared to the last few weeks.”

New Mexico was coming off a 2-1 win over Lexington, while Rising was coming off a 3-3 draw against Oakland.

Rising sat seventh in Group West, while New Mexico sat in third.

Alongside the rivalry, Saturday’s game held points for both sides to improve their odds of making the playoffs.

With a win, New Mexico would punch its ticket to the playoffs.

A win for Rising, however, could see a rise in the standings and get a cushion over ninth-place Orange County, which still had a game in hand.

Jean-Eric Moursou made his first start for Phoenix Rising, replacing Hope Avayevu, who was sick.

“He was unbelievable,” Rising head coach Pa-Modou Kah said regarding Moursou’s performance. “You talk about a guy who will give everything that he has. Very good on his anticipation, very good on the ball, playing well. He’s just going to get better.”

Phoenix applied heavy pressure and quickly, seemingly trying to get an early goal.

Charlie Dennis, in particular, started off well. He put pressure on New Mexico, forced errors and took shots.

“Charlie was tremendous,” Kah said. “So was everybody else. We worked ourselves structurally, and we did the job. That’s what you need, and we started well. We were on the front foot and then we just didn’t take our moments.”

In the twentieth minute, New Mexico nearly took the lead, as after a header, even though the ball went past Rising goalkeeper Peter Rakovsky, the ball hit the crossbar, and Rising cleared it.

The game turned into a defensive battle, with both teams unable to create shots despite coming close.

“We knew something had to change,” Czichos said.

“If we want to win games, we have to keep the level high. With beautiful soccer, you’re not going to win in this league, and I think that’s what we understood now. What we were missing is…dirty mentality. You want to win games. Nothing else matters, only three points, and it doesn’t matter how it looks like.”

Rising created a chance in the thirtieth minute, but New Mexico goalkeeper Kristopher Shakes deflected it out for a corner.

Tensions rose, as after a late challenge by Rising, both teams met head-on.

“The boys knew what was at stake,” Kah said. “They did very well. I was very proud of them and their performance and how we started the game, how we stayed in the game, and how we played the game with full intensity. Football is just about little moments.”

Despite no bookings during the scuffle, it seemed that the contest had gotten more heated.

Rising made more chances as the minutes progressed, but it was scoreless heading into the second half.

Rising came out of the gates firing, but New Mexico adjusted to the pressure and began creating chances.

In the fifty-second minute, New Mexico took a shot, but Rakovsky kept it out.

Rising made multiple chances of their own, including a 1-on-1 chance for forward Ihsan Sacko, but Shakes prevented it from going in.

Rising subbed on Darius Johnson for Remi Cabral.

In the sixty-ninth minute, Rising midfielder Carl-Fred Sainte was shown a yellow card, and tempers flared up again.

Phoenix subbed on Avayevu for Sainte two minutes later.

With only ten minutes left, both teams were looking for a goal that could win them the game.
It was clear neither team was playing for a draw.

In the 94th minute, New Mexico went on the attack, and Pape Mar Boye collided with a New Mexico player in the box.

The ref pointed to the spot, penalty for New Mexico, but Rising didn’t agree.

“I don’t think it was a penalty,” Czichos said. “I mean, it’s a massive guy against a small and short guy. But I think that the striker- that was the only thing he wanted in that situation, and he got it. I don’t blame our defender for it at all. Like I said, the ref fell for it.”

New Mexico defender Jon-Talen Maples stepped up to take it against Rakovsky.

This could determine Rising’s entire season.

Maples went right, and while Rakovsky did too, it was too high to save.

New Mexico scored to make it 1-0. It was another goal at the death, but one that hurt Rising.

Rising threw everything they could forward, but it was too little, too late.

New Mexico walked away with all three points, as they clinched a playoff spot, while Rising’s playoff spot remains uncertain.

After the whistle, Kah was seen arguing with the referees over the penalty.

“I think he’s already moving down,” Kah said regarding the decision. “But that’s the ref’s decision, and there’s nothing I can do about the decision.”

Rising will visit North Carolina on Saturday at First Horizon Stadium.