After a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay to start the game, Phoenix Rising’s season came to an end following a 2-0 loss to New Mexico United in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

The Rising conceded a goal early, with Greg Hurst finding the back of the net inside the opening 10 minutes before Jake LaCava doubled United’s lead shortly after halftime. Despite the early deficit, the match took another turn as the Rising was forced to navigate the closing stages with just nine players on the field following two red cards.

“I feel like we had a good game plan, gave up a goal early, which is never a good place to start,” Defender Luke Biasi stated in a news release. “I feel like we had moments. I feel like we played well and obviously the red cards didn’t help. Just trying to keep our head up in those moments and go execute.”

The Rising ends its season with a 10-11-10 overall record, 7-3-5 at home and 3-8-5 away.

Battle until the end

Despite the result, the Rising continued to generate attacking opportunities throughout the match, finishing with 14 shots compared to New Mexico United’s 12. The Rising also recorded 10 shots from inside the penalty area and finished with 1.48 expected goals, just shy of United’s 1.66. Even after being reduced to nine players following two red cards, the Rising continued to push forward and look for opportunities to get back into the match, never showing signs of giving up.

“I think we showed moments of what we’re made of and what we’re capable of,” Biasi stated in the release. “Qualifying for the playoffs as a group speaks to the resilience we have and the level we’re capable of playing at. Obviously, we didn’t finish the way we wanted to, but through all the ups and downs of the season, I think we showed what this group can accomplish. I truly believe we had a chance to go all the way.”

After the game, head coach Pa Modou-Kah said giving up an early goal in each half gave the Rising an uphill battle.

“Goals change games, and you should have done better. But it’s football, there’s nothing we can do about it right now, but just look back to our season and look at things that we can improve,” Kah stated in quotes released by the team.

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