Phoenix Rising hosted Orange County on Saturday night at a packed home opener.

Rising was coming off a 2-1 loss to San Antonio while Orange County was coming off a 1-1 draw against Las Vegas.

Both teams were coming off a season that saw them make the playoffs, and grab a postseason win on the road.

This season marked 10 years of Phoenix Rising playing in Arizona.

The fans in the Red Sea section matched the energy before the game even began, bringing a tifo marking the 10 years alongside throwing rolls of red paper onto the pitch.

Both teams started out physically, looking to wear and tear the other while finding a weakness to exploit.

Neither team created chances, but Orange County was putting pressure on Rising.

Rising began making their chances from the back, alongside using the wings on the flank.

“We worked on building through the middle,” Rising midfielder JP Scearce said. “But I think sometimes you have to play what the game gives you, and a lot of times I found Collin (Smith) in the half spaces, and I just gave it to him where he could advance forward. Sometimes you have to do what the game gives you.”

In the twenty-seventh minute, Orange County had a great chance to make it 1-0, but Rising goalkeeper Chituru Odunze kept it out, keeping the game scoreless.

“He did what he needed to do,” Rising head coach Pa-Modou Kah said.

Orange County quickly adapted, but Rising began ramming up the pressure, while Orange County were trying to go for the longballs.

In the thirty-ninth minute, Rising broke the deadlock, as Ihsan Sacko got the ball, and shot it with power into the right side of the net, with no chance of Orange County goalkeeper Alexander Rando keeping it out.

Rising took the lead, 1-0.

In the forty-fifth minute, Juan Carvajal of Phoenix was given a second yellow for what appeared to be dissent or stoppage of play, giving him a red, as Rising were forced to play down a man.

“It didn’t change our mentality,” Kah said. “We’re down a man, you have to stay narrow, compact, which we did. I think we dealt with it, I think we made the substitutions at the right moment, just couldn’t hold onto it.”

A minute later, Orange County looked to have scored, but the goal was deemed offsides, keeping the score 1-0 entering the second half.

“Be calm around the referee,” Scearce said. “He was giving out yellows pretty recklessly and we just had to be smart with our decisions.”

Rising was in a good spot, but with another half of football to play down a man, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Orange County began the second half looking to equalize but couldn’t convert.

Orange County were hungry, as they kept adding pressure, while Rising was looking for a second.

In the fifty-eighth minute, Orange County had a golden chance, but the shot dragged just wide enough to miss the net, keeping the game 1-0 for Rising.

Orange County was looking for a goal, and they were looking for one fast.

Rising subbed Charlie Dennis for Hope Avayevu while Orange County brought on Lyam Mackinnon for Tetsuya Kadono, both for the intent of scoring.

Both teams traded blows, but neither team found the back of the net.

Entering the final fifteen minutes, Rising were looking to hold on to their lead, while Orange County were searching for an equalizer.

“I think we were approaching to win the game,” Kah said. “As we always do.”

In the eighty-fourth minute, Dennis was through on goal, but Garrison Tubbs brought him down. Having already been on a yellow, Tubbs was sent off as Orange County also dropped to 10 men.

“It’s a very emotional sport,” Scearce said. “Sometimes your emotions get the best of you. We have to try to just control those emotions and I think sometimes we didn’t do that and it cost us but for the most part I think most guys did well.”

The fourth official added seven minutes, as Rising looked to close out the game while Orange County were looking to salvage a point.

In the ninety-first minute, Odunze made a crucial save, but two minutes later, a deflected ball snuck past the Rising defense, before Nico Benalcazar managed to slot it past Odunze to make it 1-1.

Both teams tried grabbing a second goal, but the game ultimately ended in a draw.

Phoenix Rising fell just short, and Kah was not happy with the officiating.

“The referee lost it by three yellow cards,” Kah said. “I don’t know if this game was about the referee or about Phoenix Rising and Orange County. He was very poor. There were two teams and they’re playing, and for me the referee was really bad.”

Phoenix Rising will host San Ramon on Tuesday for the first round of the U.S. Open Cup.