LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Their numbers might not be quite as vast as the hundreds that traveled to Orange County this past weekend for the Western Conference Final of the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs, but for many longtime soccer fans in the Phoenix region Thursday night’s 2018 USL Cup that sees their Phoenix Rising FC square off with Louisville City FC is a night they certainly couldn’t miss.

“This means everything,” said longtime fan Mon McPherson by phone on Monday. “Some guy on Twitter was saying ‘you guys are acting like you won a World Cup.’ Well, you know what? We’ve never won anything before, so Saturday was like winning a World Cup. The joy that I have walking into that stadium and watching the boys do everything to get that next trophy is overwhelming for me. I’m pacing. I can’t wait to fly on Wednesday, this day has gone so slow, and I didn’t even get back until last night from California, so I can’t wait to go.”

For McPherson and many others, the past two seasons have been a complete reversal of the way preceding years went in the valley of the sun, where teams struggled for relevance in the local market and struggled to break through on the field. Seasons came and went, postseasons were missed, and so were opportunities to more broadly engage with what some believed was an untapped soccer fandom that existed within the market.

The arrival in late 2016 of a new ownership group led by Berke Bakay heralded a new era, and even from the first encounters the longtime supporters had at a late-season Arizona United SC game against the LA Galaxy II there was a sense that things were going to be different moving forward.

“A few of them came out to the United game and talked to the supporters,” said supporter Steven Lopez. “I never really talked to them, but I could tell they cared. I saw a lot of potential in it, I saw a lot of good in it, and when I saw they were rebranding and renaming the team, I knew it was going to be something special. I think it was a mutual feeling across the board, and it’s been great, and it just keeps getting better as well. It’s amazing.”

From the moment of the rebrand that November, professional soccer in Phoenix has exploded. There was the introduction of the club’s new home – completed in 53 days before the opening game of the 2017 season – and while the first game in the club’s new colors didn’t go quite to plan on the field as Toronto FC II spoiled the party with a 1-0 win, it has been nothing but onward and upward since then.

Add in the arrival of Didier Drogba shortly after the season began, and the longtime fans began to see many new faces every time the club played at home.

“The excitement of something new here in the valley and looking forward to the new branding with new players,” said Blanca Ardon. “Obviously having Didier here, the legend, made a huge impact on the team and I think it brought a lot of new supporters to the club.”