PHOENIX – The pursuit of professional soccer is a meandering one.
The paths from youth games played on fields that are more weeds than grass to the bright lights and immaculate pitches of the professional game are endless and, more often than not, involve moving abroad in search of an opportunity. For three Arizona natives on Phoenix Rising FC, the path has brought them full circle – back home, playing in the Valley for a team fighting for a berth in the USL Championship playoffs.
Growing up in Arizona, defender Daniel Flores, midfielder JP Scearce and defender Ryan Flood had varying relationships with the different iterations of Phoenix Rising.
For Flood, who played high school soccer for Corona del Sol in Tempe, it was being a part of the crowd, even before Rising had the stature it does today.
“When I was younger, I went to a couple of different games when (the team) was AZ United,” Flood said. “Phoenix Rising kind of flourished a little bit after my youth.”
For Scearce and Flores, whose paths took them away from Arizona early, watching from afar had to suffice.
“I was a fan, even before Rising was a club,” said Scearce, who was born in Nogales, Arizona. “I think it started as Phoenix or Arizona Red Wolves, then it turned into Arizona United and then it turned into what is now Phoenix Rising. I was a fan since the beginning. I never attended the games because I was away in college, but I was always watching the games from far away.”
Flores, a Tucson native, also had to settle for keeping tabs on the club from a distance, understandably prioritizing trips home over seeing Rising in action.
“Obviously, I knew about them, but I never really got the chance to come out and see a game,” he said. “I was in Utah with RSL (Real Salt Lake) at the time, and whenever I would have vacation, I would just go to Tucson to see family.”
Given the nature of the sport and the abundance of professional leagues worldwide, all three branched out in their initial steps toward a professional career.
Flood, now in his second stint at Rising after returning in March of 2024, ventured the furthest, making stops in Brazil, Japan and Ireland. Playing overseas in such diverse countries allowed him to learn different facets of the game typically not experienced by American players, something he cherishes.
“When I was 15 and 16, I was over in Brazil with Santos, and that was unbelievable,” Flood said. “I got to see some of the best players in the world. The quality and talent and freedom of how they play is so much different than the rest of the world.
“It was a big change when I went to Japan when I was 18. It was very fundamental. Do the right things, take the correct touches. Then, Ireland, for me, was a big jump. I got the opportunity to showcase myself in a different environment besides the U.S. I got to bounce around and see different aspects of football and how people play it, see it and want to interact with it.”
Scearce initially opted for the collegiate route, splitting his time between Yavapai College in Prescott, and Cornell University in New York. Upon graduating, the midfielder joined USL League One club Union Omaha in February of 2020, where he starred ahead of his move to Rising in December 2023.
Flores, who arrived in Phoenix on loan with an option to buy from Liga MX giants Club Deportivo Chivas Guadalajara in August, was scooped up by the Real Salt Lake academy in 2018, a move that naturally posed challenges.
“I was still pretty young and it was pretty hard at first,” Flores said. “I had to adapt to a whole new city, people and environment. I got the hang of it, but it was a little difficult at first.”
After a few years in Utah, Flores moved south, joining Chivas in 2022 and later spending time with the club’s youth teams and with C.D. Tapatío, Chivas’ reserve side in Liga de Expansión MX. For a player of Mexican descent, the allure of playing for Chivas is striking.
“It was an unbelievable feeling,” Flores said. “I never really imagined playing for Chivas. As a little kid growing up, I would always watch Liga MX and the Mexican National Team. My family was all about that. I know a lot of people dream of being there playing, and I am very grateful.”
Despite the vast differences in soccer circumstances and connections with Rising, all three had the same goal in the back of their mind as they progressed: to represent the club in the future.
“When my college season ended, it was something I was looking into, but it didn’t end up working out then,” Scearce said.
Added Flores, “As soon as I heard that Rising was a team in the top league here in Arizona, I always knew that I wanted to play for it someday. I had the thought in my head always.”
The draw of playing in front of familiar faces was obvious, understandably so.
“Being close to my family, they come to every game,” Scearce said. “My friends, as well. It’s a special feeling having them so close to me. Sometimes, when things don’t go well for me, I’m able to go and see them and visit them and take my mind away from things. That’s one of the benefits of being home.”
Returning to Arizona to play meant commutes to games for family and friends were drastically cut down.
“That (being closer to family) was one of the main reasons for joining,” Flores said. “Just being closer to home and being able to have my family come out and watch games because, in Mexico and in Utah, they weren’t really able to come out as much. It’s way easier for them to make the drive and watch me play now.”
This importance placed on playing in front of people he identifies with extends beyond loved ones for Flood, who highlighted the connection he has with the fans.
“I get to play in front of all of the fans and family and stuff like that, and I have a big attachment to how I interact with the fans. It means so much to me to see them cheer and stuff like that,” Flood said. “It’s just a really cool opportunity to come back and help the team.”
Flood’s relationship with the crowd was on full display after experiencing a loss in his personal life.
“My grandfather passed away, and I had the opportunity to play in the next game at home and all the fans did a chant for my grandfather,” Flood said. “Those moments mean so much, and you only get them when you have a really good relationship with the fans.”
Naturally, it was not just Flood, Flores and Scearce who were enthralled by the possibility of a homecoming through joining Rising.
“I told (my family) about Rising being an option, and it was really exciting for me and my family,” Flores said. “Usually, I talk to my mom and dad and brothers about this stuff, and I communicate with them about my career. We’re kind of in this together, supporting each other.”
Added Scearce: “I told my family about Rising having an interest in me, and they were excited, as well. It was very special for us.”
For Scearce specifically, a recent contract extension, which runs through the 2027 season and has a team option for 2028, is an achievement that has been years in the making.
“When I signed that contract, it was a very proud moment,” Scearce said. “It has been about climbing the ladder, and considering where I was a year ago to now signing an extension, it was all because of the hard work I put in. I’m very proud.”
Attending a Rising match paints a clear picture of a strong and personal relationship between the fanbase and the squad, which spurs on the players with Arizona roots, in whom local fans see a bit of themselves.
“It is a little different, you know, being from Arizona,” Flores said. “I always have passion, but being able to play here, in Arizona, in front of the fans and my family, it gives me a whole lot more passion and motivation to try and give the fans the best game possible.”
The presence of players like Flood, Flores and Scearce, who understand the ethos of the club and what it means to represent it, only furthers the integral bond between those in the crowd and on the pitch.
“Absolutely, it is massive,” Rising coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “Having a player like JP, like Ryan Flood and like Daniel Flores matters because they are the culture bearers of the team, and that is always important. That (local players) resonates with the community, and the fans, as well, and that is very important.”
Beyond their contributions on the pitch, the trio serve as an example for the people they once were: Arizona kids with a dream, following the latest happenings at Rising.
“Seeing us gives younger fans an opportunity to dream big and realize it’s possible,” Flood said. “Even when I was a kid, I always wanted to go pro, and it was my number one dream. To see it work out, other kids can have that same dream and go, ‘Hey, it is possible. Take the correct steps, do the right things, and the opportunity that you want, it can be right in front of you’.”
These realizations, coupled with being able to share the experience with friends and family, make the long, meandering journey home worth it.
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