Becoming a Major League Soccer expansion team can be a complicated mess.

It takes an impressive stadium, team, fanbase, television market and, most importantly, the favor of the league's whims, which seems to change all the time.

But that mess has not been permitted to expand into the Phoenix Rising FC locker room. Literally.

Tidiness is one of the things Rick Schantz, who enters his first full season as the team's coach, has instilled in the club's culture. Every day there is a different player designated to make sure the locker room is left cleaner than it was found, and if that player fails, the entire team will know it.

"I got it from the New Zealand rugby team" Schantz said, "I think it says a lot about you as a person, that you respect your team and your workplace. Everyday, the guys have to clean the locker room."

Schantz expects the attention to detail in the locker room will translate to the pitch, where the Rising will have to replace Chris Cortez and Didier Drogba, the club's two most prolific scorers.

Last year, Cortez, who now plays for the Thai team Chonburi FC, led the Rising with 19 goals; Drogba, who retired, led the team in goals per appearance with seven goals in 12 showings.

One of the players tasked with filling the void is Adam Jahn.

"We'll be just as dangerous," Jahn said. "You can't replace Drogba, but we're also going to be playing a little differently and less reliant on one player."

Jahn joined the team from Columbus and brings with him MLS experience. While the players on the Rising don't spend too much time talking about the MLS, it's still the goal of everyone in the organization.

"That spotlight is going to be on us and our players, and we have a lot of guys who thrive with that," goalkeeper Carl Wosczcynski said. "It's not something we don't think about too much. That is more of a behind the scenes thing with ownership, but I think we're still on track to make it to the MLS."

The MLS plans to expand to 32 teams by 2026, but right now the cap is 28. Cincinnati, Miami, Nashville and Austin have all edged Phoenix for a spot, but there is still one open.

While the Rising ownership still needs to secure a new stadium, the team's performance will dictate a lot about its future. Wins will attract fans and TV ratings, which will attract the attention of the MLS.

The Rising made it all the way to the USL finals last year but will have to rely on new faces to build on its foundation.

Schantz and his team will begin its regular-season campaign on March 9 at San Antonio FC.

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