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Rising as one

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Standing outside The Thirsty Lion at Tempe Marketplace last weekend, waiting in a rather long line just to get in the door, an employee of a nearby restaurant approached me and asked what the heck was going on.

“Phoenix Rising,” I told her. “They’re hosting a watch party.”

“What’s that,” she asked.

I informed her that the Rising are Arizona’s professional soccer team and that they were about to take on Orange County Soccer Club for the USL Western Conference championship. I didn’t bother to tell her that this was the first time the team has even made it into the postseason and, with a win, they could be heading to the league championship. I think she checked out at the word “soccer.”

A few minutes passed and the same person approached me, asking, “So, is Thirsty Lion doing drink specials or something?” She was clearly still baffled by the length of the line and whether or not a soccer match was really worth all this fuss.

“No,” I told her. “We’re just a bunch of really excited fans and this is where they’re having the official viewing party.” I could have also pointed out that another 700 fans had gathered at the same location early that morning to board buses and take a six-hour ride to see the match in person but, again, I don’t think she was all that interested in the finer points of Phoenix Rising fandom.

But had she, or anyone else, moseyed into Thirsty Lion that night, I think they would have been converted. As cliché as it sounds, the atmosphere was electric.

Rising’s Chris Cortez scored an amazing goal just over a minute into the first half, which set the tone for the night and sent the entire bar into a frenzy. The rest of the night was full of loud cheers, team songs and folks generally going insane as the hometown squad went on to claim a 2-1 victory over their division rivals, a match that was clenched by a second-half goal by Didier Drogba. For the uninitiated, Drogba is a soccer legend, playing for Chelsea for most of his career with this season set to be his final.

But while a USL West trophy would certainly be a nice sendoff, Drogba and the boys are looking to make history this week with a run on the league championship.

And that is exactly why I’m babbling on about soccer right now. The team has had a phenomenal year, but it’s not too late to see what all of the fuss is about.

The Phoenix Rising will take on Louisville City FC this Thursday and, since the match is being hosted out of Kentucky, it doesn’t look like spirit buses will be making the drive this time around.

Still, you’ll be able to watch it on ESPN2 or online here in Arizona this Thursday, Nov. 8, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. Louisville is the defending USL champ and it’s going to be a tough match, but maybe a little extra cheering from some new fans will help make the difference. That’s how sports magic works, right?