TULSA — Another season has come to a close for Phoenix Rising after the club’s heartbreaking 1-0 loss in extra time against FC Tulsa on Saturday.
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Credits: Phoenix Rising FC
Rising, coming off a first-round victory against El Paso Locomotive on Nov. 1, had held opponents scoreless for four straight matches entering Saturday. However, the resilient defense came up short when Tulsa’s Stefan Lukić scored in the 122nd minute, sealing the win in double overtime.
This was Phoenix’s longest playoff campaign since 2023, when the club won the USL Championship.
Credits: Phoenix Rising FC
Rising and Tulsa met four times during the regular season, with Phoenix going 0-2-2 across all competitions. In the semifinal, Phoenix held 54% possession compared to Tulsa’s 46% but was unable to capitalize on its chances. The club couldn’t translate its dominance into goals.
The defeat stings as Rising looks to the positives from the loss and the season. Head coach Pa–Modou Kah said the players did well and did their best to minimize the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but just came up short.
Credits: Phoenix Rising FC
“We have to keep our heads up,” Kah said post-game. “It was an amazing job. I’m so proud of these boys and so proud of this club. We knew that this was [Tulsa’s] game, and we couldn’t score the last goal. It’s a tough loss to take, but we’re going to learn from it and get better next year.”
As the club reflects on its 2025 campaign and the success it achieved during its playoff run, it will examine how to turn this season’s heartbreak into a deeper postseason push next year.
Through every battle, every victory, every challenge — your support never wavered. We felt it all. Thank you for believing & being our 12th man. We’ll be back ❤️🔥#TodosRojos pic.twitter.com/GypmnsPAi1
— Phoenix Rising FC (@PHXRisingFC) November 9, 2025
“This year, the group has showed great character and resilience when they faced adversity,” said. Kah. “… They come hard to represent Phoenix Rising and they have done it with true honor. I’m proud of every player that we have.”
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
