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- Phoenix Rising win USL Championship final
- Match went to extra-time & penalties
- First-ever USL Championship title
TELL ME MORE: The hosts of the 2023 USL Championship title game seemingly had victory locked up until the final minute of regulation, when Rising equalized off a brilliant header from John Stenberg.
The Battery opened the scoring, and thought it was a game-winner, in the 36th minute through winger Nick Markanich, who found the back of the net with a cheeky low-driven strike.
The late equalizer from Rising, however, sent the match to extra-time. With no goals coming after the additional 30 minutes of gameplay, the two sides went to penalties, where Rios Novo came up huge with a huge save in the fourth round of the shootout.
The Rising pulled off the unthinkable, winning four-straight road playoff games to win the USL Championship title as the No. 6 seed.
THE MVP: Rocco Rios Novo: It takes a lot of heroism to come up big in a penalty shootout as a goalkeeper, and the 21-year-old stepped up in the moment to lead his team to glory. For someone so young, Rios Novo was as confident as possible and took advantage of his big-time moment.
THE BIG LOSER: Charleston Battery: They led the match for 55 minutes, had home-field advantage and their goalkeeper - Trey Muse - made two saves to start the penalty shootout. However, three-straight misses to end the shootout doomed the home side, in an incredibly disappointing showing from the spot.
MATCH IN TWO PHOTOS:
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USL Championship
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PHOENIX RISING? The Western Conference side will now go about celebrating their first-ever USL Championship title, while enjoying the offseason.
MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐