- Sporting Arizona FC currently play in the Arizona Conference of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) – an affiliate of U.S. Soccer and U.S.A.S.A.
- Arranged into geographic conferences, the UPSL runs two separate seasons every year. Each season, the top clubs from every conference meet in a playoff series to determine the league champion. The UPSL also operates a promotion/relegation system.
- Sporting were originally founded in 1989 as the Phoenix Hearts, and have also played as Arizona Cotton, Arizona Phoenix, and Arizona Sahuaros.
- They are one of 4 UPSL member clubs to enter the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – the others being L.A. Wolves FC, La Maquina FC, and Santa Ana Winds FC.
- To qualify for the Open Cup, Sporting defeated Inter Empireworks FC 3-1 last October, and Galati FC 6-1 last November. In Round 1, Sporting won 1-0 at FC Arizona, with team captain Jon Guse netting the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute at John D. Riggs Stadium.
- As a result, Sporting are the UPSL’s sole survivor in Round 2 of the Open Cup. La Maquina FC lost 2-1 away to Rising’s PDL affiliate, FC Tucson. LA Wolves lost 3-1 away to Golden State Force; and Santa Ana Winds lost 3-0 away to Orange County SC.
- Head Coach Aidan Davison is a Northern Ireland international goalkeeper, who racked up 351 appearances (1988-2008) at Notts County, Millwall, Bolton Wanderers, Hull City, Bradford City, Sheffield United, Grimsby, and Colchester in the English Premier and Football Leagues. Davison’s 3 full international caps came against Sweden, Thailand and Germany in 1996-1997.
- Sporting Arizona currently list a 30-man roster on their website.
- Goalkeeper Andrew Weber has featured on the rosters of DC United, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. He has also appeared twice in the CONCACAF Champions League. Weber starred 14 times for Phoenix Wolves in the USL in 2013. Last season, Weber played in 16 regular season matches for FC Arizona, conceding only 3 goals. Outside football, his biggest claim to fame is that he competed in the 20th series of the CBS reality TV competition The Amazing Race alongside his brother Elliot.
- Weber is one of 7 players currently on the Sporting roster who played for FC Arizona in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in 2017. The others are Alejandro Aguilar, David Paul, Kenny McAvoy, Paul LaMarca, Mo Salama, and Jon Guse.
- 27 year old forward Alejandro Aguilar started his career at Liga Deportiva Alajuelense in the Primera División de Costa Rica. Aguilar has also played on loan at Carmelita (twice), Cartaginés, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds during the 2016 USL season (9 appearances, 0 goals). He has collected one full international cap for Costa Rica, earned in a 2013 friendly against Canada. Aguilar scored a hatrick in Sporting’s 6-1 Open Cup qualifier win against Galati FC.
- Mo Salama and team captain Jon Guse are defenders from Omaha and Chandler respectively.
- Kenny McAvoy played in midfield for Arizona Christian University in 2016, scoring 6 goals in 30 appearances. He also scored against Galati FC in the Open Cup qualifier last November.
- Chelsea fan and midfielder Paul LaMarca hails from Mesa.
- Midfielder David Paul once had trials at West Ham and MK Dons. He also played 5 times for Phoenix Wolves in the USL in 2013, scoring twice on his debut against Charlotte Eagles.
- Another familiar face is former Arizona United midfielder Tony Cascio. The 27-year old Gilbert native started in the MLS with Colorado Rapids, scoring 4 times in 42 appearances (2012-2013). He also featured in 6 games on loan to Houston Dynamos in 2014. With ACL and back injuries prematurely curtailing his MLS career, Cascio starred 22 times for Arizona United in 2016, contributing 1 goal and 3 assists.
- This is not the first match between both clubs. Rising and Sporting Arizona met in a behind-closed-doors friendly on March 7, 2018, at Rising’s soccer complex, with the USL side winning 4-1.
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