TUCSON — FC Tucson got back in the win column on Friday night, as Damian German and Daisuke Takanaka both scored a pair of goals in the club’s 5-0 thrashing of Colorado Pride U23 at Kino North Stadium.
"We really had to work for about 75 minutes," head coach Dave Cosgrove said. "There were opportunities there for Colorado that we were fortunate they didn't take but once we got another goal, obviously moment and confidence was building."
German opened the scoring in the 27th minute, receiving a long ball over the top off his chest before muscling around a defender and slotting a low shot into the corner of the goal.
FC Tucson carried the 1-0 advantage into the second half and then exploded. German scored a dazzling goal in the 67th minute, dribbling around his defender in the box before lifting a left-footed strike into the upper netting.
"We created a lot of opportunities," German added. "You create enough opportunities, you'll get the chance to put some in."
Three minutes later, German whipped in a corner kick that was headed home by substitute Julian Gaona. Fellow sub Daisuke Takanaka tacked on the final two goals in the 85th and 87th minutes to put an exclamation point on the blowout.
"I think we are going to be dangerous if we start taking our chances," Cosgrove said.
The 5-0 win was the club’s largest victory since May 26, 2017, when it defeated Boulder U23 5-0 on the road. The last time FC Tucson won a home match by at least five goals was on July 13, 2016 in a 5-0 rout of Albuquerque Sol FC.
"We just keep pushing," midfielder Miggy Salazar said. "We got a goal in the first half, so that was good for the team. You have to keep playing sometimes with teams. It happens to us sometimes, we score and goal and then we back off a little. It was the opposite today."
Tucson’s winning margin might have been bigger too, had midfielder Dalton Pando not struck the post twice in the first half, first with a curling free kick in the 35th minute and then on a low shot inside the box in the 38th minute.
Tucson goalkeeper Andreu Cases had a relatively quiet night but did have to make a key save from a sharp angle in the 51st minute when the team’s lead was still only 1-0.
"When it was 1-0 and the game was going back-and-forth, I thought we were very solid defensively," Cosgrove said. "We did enough to make sure that when we got that second goal, that was going to be the game."
FC Tucson improves to 4-2-0 in PDL play with the win and will host Colorado Pride U23 again on Saturday night for the second game of the weekend series. That match will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at www.fctucson.com.
TUCSON — FC Tucson got back in the win column on Friday night, as Damian German and Daisuke Takanaka both scored a pair of goals in the club’s 5-0 thrashing of Colorado Pride U23 at Kino North Stadium.
“We really had to work for about 75 minutes,” head coach Dave Cosgrove said. “There were opportunities there for Colorado that we were fortunate they didn’t take but once we got another goal, obviously moment and confidence was building.”
German opened the scoring in the 27th minute, receiving a long ball over the top off his chest before muscling around a defender and slotting a low shot into the corner of the goal.
FC Tucson carried the 1-0 advantage into the second half and then exploded. German scored a dazzling goal in the 67th minute, dribbling around his defender in the box before lifting a left-footed strike into the upper netting.
“We created a lot of opportunities,” German added. “You create enough opportunities, you’ll get the chance to put some in.”
Three minutes later, German whipped in a corner kick that was headed home by substitute Julian Gaona. Fellow sub Daisuke Takanaka tacked on the final two goals in the 85th and 87th minutes to put an exclamation point on the blowout.
“I think we are going to be dangerous if we start taking our chances,” Cosgrove said.
The 5-0 win was the club’s largest victory since May 26, 2017, when it defeated Boulder U23 5-0 on the road. The last time FC Tucson won a home match by at least five goals was on July 13, 2016 in a 5-0 rout of Albuquerque Sol FC.
“We just keep pushing,” midfielder Miggy Salazar said. “We got a goal in the first half, so that was good for the team. You have to keep playing sometimes with teams. It happens to us sometimes, we score and goal and then we back off a little. It was the opposite today.”
Tucson’s winning margin might have been bigger too, had midfielder Dalton Pando not struck the post twice in the first half, first with a curling free kick in the 35th minute and then on a low shot inside the box in the 38th minute.
Tucson goalkeeper Andreu Cases had a relatively quiet night but did have to make a key save from a sharp angle in the 51st minute when the team’s lead was still only 1-0.
“When it was 1-0 and the game was going back-and-forth, I thought we were very solid defensively,” Cosgrove said. “We did enough to make sure that when we got that second goal, that was going to be the game.”
FC Tucson improves to 4-2-0 in PDL play with the win and will host Colorado Pride U23 again on Saturday night for the second game of the weekend series. That match will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at www.fctucson.com.
