Match Recap – Phoenix Rising FC vs. Loudoun United FC
Phoenix, AZ (September 20th, 2025) – Loudoun United Football Club split the points with Phoenix Rising FC in a 2-2 draw at Phoenix Rising Stadium.
Match Summary
Loudoun United Football Club moved to 11-9-5 with 38 points and remains in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference following a 2-2 draw against Phoenix Rising FC. The Red-and-White opened the scoring early in Phoenix when Ben Mines played a cross into the box to Florian Valot, who buried his shot past the Phoenix Rising goalkeeper to give Loudoun the 1-0 lead in the 10th minute of play. This was Valot’s 24th career USL Championship goal, as well as Mines’s 10th assist across all competitions this season for Loudoun United. Just as both clubs were about to head into the locker room for halftime, Kwame Awuah found the head of Ben Mines on a short, powerful cross, and Mines put his header in the side netting, doubling Loudoun United’s lead in stoppage time. The Red-and-White would head into halftime up two goals.
Phoenix Rising FC found a goal in the 80th minute of play, when Loudoun United defender Yanis Leerman’s goal-line clearance attempt ricocheted off the crossbar and into his own net, bringing the match to 2-1 in favor of Loudoun United FC with 10 minutes of regulation left to play. The Western Conference side then found their equalizer in stoppage time off a corner kick from Charlie Dennis that found the head of Carl Sainte. The final whistle would blow with a final score of 2-2 at Phoenix Rising Stadium. Loudoun United FC is back home next Sunday, September 28th, to take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Thoughts from the Club
Head Coach Ryan Martin on splitting the points in Phoenix:
“We need to see that game out, but I think it was a good learning lesson for our young guys on how to kill off a game late. Then these defensive restarts are a massive part of the game as well, and we have found ourselves on the wrong side of them too many times. We need to clean that up and clean it up fast, or we won’t get to where we want to go this season. Still important to secure a point on the road, and our eyes shift to hosting Tampa (Bay Rowdies) next weekend.”
Notes
Florian Valot tallied his 24th career USL Championship goal.
Ben Mines recorded his 10th assist across all competitions this season for Loudoun United, making him the fourth player in club history to reach double-digit assists.
