At San Antonio FC these days, last season feels very distant in the rearview mirror.

For Phoenix Rising, there is an injury crisis on the back line, part of the reason they’re waiting for the pieces to click into place.

But when these two recent USL Championship title-winners meet on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET in the 2025 season premiere of the USL on CBS Presented by Best Western, we could still be in for a treat at Toyota Field.

• FLYING START: With four consecutive wins to start the season, San Antonio is off to its best opening to a campaign in club history. They’re only the 10th team to record at least four wins to start a regular season, and new Head Coach Carlos Llamosa is only the third Head Coach to achieve that in his first year at the helm.

• FINDING THEIR FEET: In Phoenix, the start hasn’t been as positive for another of the league’s new coaches in Pa-Modou Kah, whose side has two points from its first four games and is yet to lead in a contest this season. But there’s a resourcefulness and spirit in Rising’s squad that’s fueled two comebacks so far and makes this side a dangerous one going forward.

• HITTING THE NET: Both San Antonio and Phoenix have shown their ability to strike over the first month of the season. SAFC is tied for second in the league in goals (8) and fifth in Expected Goals (5.73xG), while Phoenix is tied for fifth in goals (7) and above league average in Expected Goals (4.56xG). After the fireworks we saw on CBS last year, don’t rule out another thriller for the national television audience.

The big question for Rising is who’s going to be available on the back line. Last week saw former captain and current assistant coach Darnell King come out of retirement and play just over 20 minutes, while 18-year-old Academy signing Braxton Montgomery went the full 90 minutes in his first start in the Championship. After a red card against Monterey Bay FC, 2024 All-League selection Pape Mar Boye is unavailable due to suspension, leaving one fewer option.

Against a team like San Antonio that boasts the Championship’s best playmaker in Jorge Hernández, this is going to be a major test for the visitors and their structure.  

But this is where Rising’s spirit can come to the fore again. Since the start of the 2017 season and the launch of the club’s new brand, no team in the Western Conference has gained more points after trailing than Phoenix with 88.

For all of us who’ll tune in, there’s the hope this game should have us on the edge of our seats.

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