Phoenix Rising Football Club, Arizona's highest-level professional soccer team, kicks off its 2020 USL Championship regular season on March 7 at Casino Arizona Field.

Last year, Rising FC set league records for wins (24) and points (78), losing just four times throughout the course of the regular season. Their 24-4-6 record was tops in the USL Championship.

For the second year in a row, Rising FC has 34 regular season matches on its schedule.

Exactly half will be played at Casino Arizona Field near Loop 202 and McClintock Drive. The other 17 games will be played on the road against other Western Conference opponents.

Third-year head coach Rick Schantz says this year's schedule will be especially difficult given last year's success.

"We have a target on our back, and (teams) are going to go after us in the regular season," Schantz said. "It's something that we cherished last year. It was important to us, psychologically, that we knew opponents were going to give us their best shot."

Rising FC clinched last year's USL Championship Regular Season Title after winning 20 consecutive matches from May 5 to Sept.14. The feat is recognized as the longest winning streak in league and North American professional soccer history.

Another streak ended when the 2019 season came to an abrupt halt in the USL Championship Western Conference semi-final match versus the visiting Real Monarchs SLC. Phoenix was undefeated through 15 games on Dollar Beer nights — a longstanding tradition at Casino Arizona Field — prior to what proved to be Rising FC's 2019 finale.

Looking ahead

Midfielder Jordan Schweitzer, who was a visiting-team player last year with Colorado Springs before joining Phoenix, recalls the outpouring of fan support for Rising FC.

"It's definitely something you think about as a player...Now, having the opportunity to play in-front of (the fans)...I'd rather be on this side," said Schweitzer, one of the club's top new arrivals.

The team will have an early opportunity, this year, to redeem last season's playoff loss. Rising FC travels to Salt Lake City in Week 2 to face the Real Monarchs at Zions Bank Stadium.

"There's so much quality here," Schweitzer said. "We're a team that is built on the identity that we want to make it very hard for teams to play against us...guys are going to be going, guys are going to be flying."

Rising FC's 2020 schedule features a four-game home-stretch from May 16 to June 6. The team will play three straight games on the road from Wednesday, June 24 to Wednesday, July 8.

Four of the team's final six matches will be played outside Arizona.

"We know how special last year was, but we think that we have the product on the field, this year, to do just as good, if not better," said key returner A.J. Cochran. "We're going to take it game by game...we're just excited to get back out there in front of our fans."

All of Rising FC's home games will be played on either Friday or Saturday.

In total, Rising FC is scheduled to play three Wednesday matches.

The 2020 regular season will end on the road against Sacramento Republic FC on Oct. 17.

2020 regular season schedule:

Home vs. Portland Timbers 2 FC - March 7

Away at Real Monarchs SLC - March 14

Away at San Antonio FC - March 21

Home vs. Austin Bold FC - March 28

Away at FC Tulsa - April 4

Home vs. San Diego Loyal - April 11

Away at Orange County SC - April 17

Home vs. OKC Energy FC - April 25

Home vs. Rio Grande Valley FC - May 1

Away at Tacoma Defiance - May 8

Home vs. Sacramento Republic FC - May 16

Home vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC - May 23

Home vs. Reno 1868 FC - May 29

Home vs. El Paso Locomotive FC - June 6

Away at New Mexico United - June 13

Home vs. Orange County FC - June 19

Away at San Diego Loyal - June 24

Away at LA Galaxy II - June 27

Away at Austin Bold FC - July 8

Home vs. Real Monarchs SLC - July 17

Away at Portland Timbers 2 FC - July 26

Home vs. FC Tulsa - Aug. 1

Away at El Paso Locomotive FC - Aug. 8

Away at Rio Grande Valley FC - Aug. 15

Home vs. New Mexico United - Aug. 22

Home vs. Tacoma Defiance - Aug. 28

Away at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC - Sept. 5

Home vs. LA Galaxy II - Saturday, SEPT 12

Away at Las Vegas Lights FC - Wednesday, SEPT 16

Home vs. San Antonio FC - Sept. 19

Away at OKC Energy FC - Sept. 27

Away at Reno 1868 FC - Oct. 3

Home vs. Las Vegas Lights FC - Oct. 9

Away at Sacramento Republic FC - Oct. 17

Reach the reporter at Rob.kleifield@arizonarepublic.com or at (480) 268-1903. Follow his Twitter @RobKleifield

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