The Rising stayed alive while on the brink of elimination for the second straight week.

Phoenix delivered a dominant performance against in a 3-1 win over Orange County SC in its final away match of the 2026 regular season on Saturday in Irving, California.

The three-goal effort was a full-team performance, once again headlined by Ihsan Sacko, who scored two goals. Pape Mar Boye added his first goal of the season when it mattered most, converting a Diego Gomez corner kick inside the opening 10 minutes to set the tone for the remainder of the match.

“We wanted to be on the front and aggressive,” Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah stated in a news release. “You don’t need many messages…they understand the message themselves. They are unbelievable. We also know who we are and we keep fighting.”

Rising returns home for its final match of the regular season at home on Friday, Oct. 24, to face Lexington SC for Fan Appreciation Night. With the postseason in sight, Rising will look to close out its home schedule on a high note as it continues its push for a playoff berth. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

“It’s going to be a battle back at home and we are going to have our home fans and we love our home and it’s literally the best in the country — the absolute best in the country,” Odunze stated in the news release.

With two goals last weekend and two more this week, Sacko is tied for the league lead with 16 goals. Against Orange County, he recorded four shots, three on target, two put away.

“I think it’s an unbelievable achievement,” Kah stated in the release. “I think he could have had more, that’s just me. and he knows that himself. It’s a great thing and I hope he turns that into next week and the team helps him. He has been amazing.”

Editor’s note: The above was republished from a Phoenix Rising news release.

Playoff scenarios

(Independent Newsmedia) — With eight teams making the playoffs in each conference, Phoenix is now tied for eighth with Orange County SC with 39 points. However, Orange County leads on tiebreakers. San Antonio FC is three points ahead of Phoenix and Orange County with 42 points and has yet to clinch a playoff spot. San Antonio plays Orange County in the final match of the regular season. Oakland Roots SC, with 38 points, is also a point behind Phoenix and Orange County and is still alive in the playoff race. They will face Sacramento Republic FC in the final match.

If the Rising win on Saturday, they are in. If they lose, they will be eliminated from the playoffs. If they draw, they will need both San Antonio to beat Orange County and Oakland to lose or draw in order to make the playoffs.