Phoenix Rising Win USL Championship Title - Ipswich Town News
Phoenix Rising, the US club part-owned by Town’s Three Lions, claimed the USL Championship title following a 3-2 on-penalties victory over the Charleston Battery after a 1-1 draw away at Patriots Point.
The Rising, USL champions for the first time, finished sixth in the Western Conference but beat the San Diego Loyal 4-3 (aet), Orange County and the Sacramento Republic, both 2-1, in the play-offs to set-up the final with the Battery.
Having gone behind to a Nick Markanich goal in the 36th minute, the Rising claimed a last-gasp final-minute goal via John Stenberg to take the match into extra-time in which neither side were able to find another goal.
Rising keeper Rocco Rios Novo made the decisive save from Charleston’s Derek Dodson in the shoot-out.
The Three Lions, who own a small percentage of Gamechanger 20 Ltd, who took ownership of Town in April 2021, have been involved with the Rising since the club's inception.
Mark Detmer is a co-founder and executive board member, Berke Bakay is chairman of the board and Brett Johnson was a founder and remains a shareholder.
The USL Championship is the second level men’s league in the US below the MLS.
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