News

FC Tucson has parted ways with Roberto Alarcon and Jimmy Filerman by mutual consent, effective immediately.

TUCSON, Ariz. (April 15, 2021) — FC Tucson announced today that the club has signed former Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC defender Noah Franke, pending league and federation approval. 

“Signing a player of Noah’s experience shows the ambition of this club,” said Head Coach John Galas. “He is a quality player, fits the profile we look for in our outside backs, and more importantly, he is a tremendous leader and person.”

Franke began his professional career after signing with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in 2018. The 26-year-old made 25 appearances for the club through the 2018 and 2019 seasons, starting 13 of those games and playing a total of 1204 minutes. The versatile midfielder and defender was drafted with the No. 80 overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas, however, did not appear for the club. 

“After a long year, I am really excited to sign here in Tucson,” said Noah Franke. “ I am looking forward to meeting the fans and I am ready to compete to help bring the club some silverware in 2021.”

Franke played collegiately for Creighton University from 2014 to 2017, scoring four goals and adding 10 assists in his 71 appearances for the NCAA Division I side. During the offseason of collegiate soccer play, Franke played for the Orlando City U-23s during the 2014-2015 season where he made 21 appearances. The Orlando, Florida native began his Orlando City SC career with the academy in 2013, starting in all 33 matches for the U-18s.

Following his collegiate career, Franke joined the Tampa Bay Rowdies U-23 side in 2017. Franke made 9 appearances during the 2017 season, landing a spot in the USL League Two “50 Players to Watch” list before making the move to the Riverhounds. 

Franke is the second former Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC player to join FC Tucson for the 2021 USL League One season, joining defender Dakota Barnathan. The addition of Franke sets the FC Tucson roster at 21 players signed. 

Noah Franke

Country: United States

Born: March 25, 1995 (26)

Position: Defender (right back)

Height: 5 ft 8

Weight: 141 lbs

Previous Club: Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

FC Tucson will begin its third season in USL League One with an away match against South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, May 1 before returning to Kino North Stadium on Saturday, May 8 for the club’s Home Opener.  Fans can secure their season ticket membership by visiting https://www.fctucson.com/tickets.

TUCSON, Ariz. (April. 13, 2021) — FC Tucson announced today that the club has signed former New York Red Bulls II (NYRB II) attacking midfielder Deri Corfe, pending league and federation approval. The Englishman is the second player to sign from NYRB II for FC Tucson’s 2021 season. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Deri to the club. We tried to sign him last year out of college as he was a player we’ve scouted while he was at Wright State,” said Head Coach John Galas. “He now comes to us with a year of USL Championship experience under his belt with New York Red Bulls II and we expect great things from him. He s a wonderful young man, hungry to score goals and help us bring home some hardware.”

Corfe was selected by the New York Red Bulls with the 41st overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. The 23-year-old played the 2020 USL Championship season with NYRB II, starting in four of the 11 total matches played. Corfe played a total of 455 minutes during the season, finishing with two goals and two assists on the season, putting him as the sixth-highest goalscorer for NYRB II. 

“I am very excited for this new opportunity,” said Deri Corfe. “I am looking forward to showing the fans what I can do and can’t wait to bring a championship to Tucson.”

Before joining NYRB II, Corfe played for the 2019 season with the Ocean City City Nor’easters of USL League Two, where he was named the USL League Two Most Valuable Player. The Chester, United Kingdom native scored a league-leading 14 goals and tallied three assists to take the Nor’easters to a second-place finish in the Mid-Atlantic Division.

Corfe spent six years within the Manchester City youth academy. The now forward played with Manchester City youth from 2010-2016 before moving to the United States to play collegiately with The University of Rio Grande. In the 2016-2017 season with the Rio Grande Red Storm, Corfe made 30 appearances and scored 17 goals. After that season, Corfe transferred to NCAA Division I’s Wright State University where he would make 40 appearances and score 23 goals. 

Deri Corfe

Country: England

Born: March 3, 1998 (23)

Position: Forward

Height: 6 ft 2

Weight: 181 lbs

Previous Club: New York Red Bulls II

FC Tucson will begin its third season in USL League One with an away match against South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, May 1 before returning to Kino North Stadium on Saturday, May 8 for the club’s Home Opener.  Fans can secure their season ticket membership by visiting https://www.fctucson.com/tickets.

TUCSON, Ariz. (Mar. 29, 2021) — FC Tucson announced today that the club has added Scott Armistead as the club’s Head Athletic Trainer ahead of the 2021 USL League One Season. 

“We are happy to welcome Scott to our club for the 2021 campaign,” said FC Tucson Head Coach John Galas. “He brings a great deal of experience as both an athletic trainer and former player, having represented New Zealand at the youth international level.  In his limited time here with the club, he’s already proven he has the demeanor, work ethic and skill set to be a tremendous asset to our team.”

Armistead, a native of New Zealand, will manage FC Tucson’s day-to-day sports medicine and performance operations,  including acute care, preventative treatment, rehabilitation and player performance data. Armistead has previous experience working as the Sports Science Consultant and Head Athletic Trainer for the Barca Residency Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona. His experience with FC Barcelona’s official soccer academy includes work as a consultant to the Director of Strength & Conditioning, providing educated insights on the club’s sports performance data. As the academy’s head athletic trainer, Armistead performed evaluations and developed diagnoses of musculoskeletal and general medical conditions to athletes.

“I am incredibly excited to be joining John Galas and his staff for this upcoming season,” said Scott Armistead. “The professionalism of the club as a whole is second to none and after watching the club from afar while I was in Casa Grande it was an honor to be asked to join the group. I’m eager to get the season going and can’t wait to see what the group can accomplish together.”

A former college soccer player for McKendree University from 2012 through 2015, Armistead graduated from McKendree in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training. The New Zealand native then graduated from Arizona State University, earning a Master’s Degree in Sports Performance in 2020. Internationally, Armistead has represented New Zealand’s National team at the Under-17 level, making two appearances in goal. 

FC Tucson will begin its third season in USL League One with an away match against South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, May 1 before returning to Kino North Stadium on Saturday, May 8 for the club’s Home Opener. The home opener will be the club’s first FC Tucson regular season live match open to fans since October 4, 2019. Fans can secure their season ticket membership by emailing sales@https://www.fctucson.com or calling (520) 600-3095.

TUCSON (Mar. 24, 2021) — FC Tucson announced today an addition to the club’s 2021 preseason schedule with a closed-door friendly on March 31 against Major League Soccer (MLS) club Colorado Rapids.

The match will take place at Kino Sports Complex at 1 pm MT ahead of FC Tucson’s match against USL Championship’s LA Galaxy II at 3 pm MT. The matchup with FC Tucson will be the Rapids’ final scrimmage before their first game in the Visit Tucson Sun Cup against Real Salt Lake on April 3. The Men in Black’s preseason schedule includes friendlies against LA Galaxy II, El Paso Locomotive FC, New Mexico United and Phoenix Rising FC, with tentative matches against FC Arizona and Barca Academy. 

The latest preseason schedule is below:

March 31 – vs Colorado Rapids at 1 pm MT

March 31 – vs LA Galaxy II at 3 pm MT

April 7 – vs El Paso Locomotive FC 

April 17 – at New Mexico United 

April 24 – at Phoenix Rising FC

Tentative matches: April 10 vs FC Arizona and April 13 vs Barca Academy.

FC Tucson will begin its third season in USL League One with an away match against South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, May 1 before returning to Kino North Stadium on Saturday, May 8 for the club’s Home Opener. The home opener will be the club’s first FC Tucson regular season live match open to fans since October 4, 2019. Fans can secure their season ticket membership by emailing sales@https://www.fctucson.com or calling (520) 600-3095.

Tickets available for all six matches which start April 3 

TUCSON (Mar. 24, 2021) — FC Tucson announced today the club’s plans to host a limited number of fans and media for the upcoming 2021 Visit Tucson Sun Cup matches set to begin at Kino North Stadium in Tucson, Ariz., on April 3, 2021. 

“We are very thankful for the support from Pima County in helping us ensure a proper and safe return for fans at Kino North Stadium,” said FC Tucson President Amanda Powers. “After over a year since we have had fans at Kino and with COVID-19 rates falling, we are looking forward to hosting fans for a very special experience here in Tucson for MLS Preseason. We are delighted to be able to be one of the first to safely share live MLS and USL soccer in 2021.”

This news follows approval from Pima County Health Department, allowing 10% capacity attendance at Kino North Stadium. FC Tucson’s health and safety plans include physically distanced seating, pod seating, stadium sanitation protocols, touchless entry, digital ticketing and mask requirements. A complete set of health and safety protocols at Kino North Stadium can be found at www.fctucson.com/medicalprotocols.

FC Tucson season ticket members will have priority access to purchase tickets for the 2021 Visit Tucson Sun Cup before they go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, March 24 at 10 am MT. 

A total of six Visit Tucson Sun Cup matches will be played from April 3 through April 10 at Kino North Stadium, including Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs Colorado Rapids, LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, and Sporting Kansas City. This will be the 11th consecutive season that MLS teams will have been hosted and played preseason games in Tucson. The MLS matchups will be streamed on www.fctucson.com.

Below is the current 2021 Visit Tucson Sun Cup schedule, subject to change:

April 03	Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy					12:00 PM MT
April 03	Colorado Rapids vs Real Salt Lake					6:00 PM MT
April 07	Colorado Rapids vs LA Galaxy					3:00 PM MT
April 07	Phoenix Rising vs Real Salt Lake					6:00 PM MT
April 10	LA Galaxy vs Real Salt Lake					5:00 PM MT
April 10	Colorado Rapids vs Phoenix Rising					7:30 PM MT

 

For media attendance and accreditation, contact media@https://www.fctucson.com. To stay up-to-date on all the latest Visit Tucson Sun Cup news, download the FC Tucson app or subscribe to the FC Tucson newsletter.

 

TUCSON (Mar. 23, 2021) — FC Tucson announced today the sale of 2021 Season Ticket Memberships for the club’s USL League One season. Fans can secure their membership by emailing sales@https://www.fctucson.com or calling (520) 600-3095. 

FC Tucson Season Ticket Memberships will provide fans access to all 14 FC Tucson USL League One regular-season home matches, along with exclusive discounts and access to club events, including the on-going priority sale to Visit Tucson Sun Cup matches. Kino North Stadium will be at limited capacity and tickets will be available in physically distanced seat pods. Season seats for 2021 start at less than $13 per game.

This news follows the latest announcement of the 2021 USL League One schedule, showcasing FC Tucson’s 28-game regular season late set to begin with an away match against South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, May 1 before returning to Kino North Stadium on Saturday, May 8 for the club’s Home Opener.

The complete FC Tucson 2021 schedule can be accessed at the schedule page at https://www.fctucson.com/schedule2021. 
 

FC Tucson 2021 Season Ticket Membership Benefits

Pricing:

• Significant savings off the single-game ticket price

• Flexible payment plans

Access:

• Priority seat selection 

• Playoff ticket priority

• Dedicated account representative

Events:

• Access to exclusive member-only team events

• Priority ticketing for other club events, such as the Visit Tucson Sun Cup

Merchandise:

• 10% discount on all merchandise purchases

• Season member gift

• Merchandise item 2020 member renewals

New for 2021:

• Referral Program

• Ticket Exchange Program

To purchase season tickets contact a member of our dedicated sales team at (520) 600-3095 or email sales@https://www.fctucson.com. To stay updated on all the latest FC Tucson news, download the FC Tucson app or subscribe to the FC Tucson newsletter.

28-game regular season begins May 1, concluding on October 30

TUCSON, Ariz. (Mar. 22, 2021) — FC Tucson and USL League One announced today the club’s full schedule for the 2021 USL League One regular season. FC Tucson will begin its third season in USL League One with an away match against South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, May 1 before returning to Kino North Stadium on Saturday, May 8 for the club’s Home Opener.

“We’re excited to announce the full schedule for League One’s biggest season yet, with record-highs in number of clubs participating and matches,” said USL Senior VP of League One Steven Short. “We can’t wait for fans to see the quality and commitment of our clubs both on the field and in their communities in 2021.”

FC Tucson’s home opener against Forward Madison FC is scheduled for Saturday, May 8, becoming the first FC Tucson regular season live match open to fans since October 4, 2019. The Men in Black will then go on a three-game road trip against Fort Lauderdale CF, Toronto FC II and North Carolina FC before returning home June 5. FC Tucson’s 28-game regular-season slate will end at home against Richmond Kickers on Saturday, October 30. 

The league’s complete 168-game regular-season slate will see all 12 League One clubs play each other home and away, with the remaining six matches lined up primarily against regional rivals. The top six teams in the regular season will advance to the 2021 League One Playoffs.

The complete FC Tucson 2021 schedule can be accessed at the schedule page at https://www.fctucson.com/schedule2021. Kick-off times will be available at a later date.

Fans can secure their seat for FC Tucson’s 2021 season by placing their season ticket deposit at https://www.fctucson.com/tickets. Every game of the 2021 League One season can be viewed in the United States on ESPN+, with international viewers able to take in the action on YouTube.

Season set to kick off on May 8, FC Tucson hosts Forward Madison FC

TUCSON, Ariz. – FC Tucson will open its 2021 campaign at Kino North Stadium on May 8, hosting Forward Madison FC. This match will kick off the club’s 28-game regular-season slate scheduled to run through October.

This news follows USL League One announcement of the complete slate of home openers for the league’s 2021 season. The 168-game regular season will kick off on Saturday, April 10, making it the first professional men’s league in the United States to begin its new regular-season campaign.

2021 USL League One Home Openers

• Fort Lauderdale CF: Saturday, April 10 vs. New England Revolution II

• New England Revolution II: Saturday, April 17 vs. Richmond Kickers

• South Georgia Tormenta FC: Saturday, April 24 vs. Fort Lauderdale CF

• Richmond Kickers: Saturday, April 24 vs. Greenville Triumph SC

• Union Omaha: Saturday, April 24 vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC

• North Texas SC: Saturday, April 24 vs. Fort Lauderdale CF

• Greenville Triumph SC: Saturday, May 1 vs. North Texas SC

• North Carolina FC: Saturday, May 8 vs. Greenville Triumph SC

• FC Tucson: Saturday, May 8 vs. Forward Madison FC

• Forward Madison FC: Saturday, May 15 vs. North Carolina FC

• Chattanooga Red Wolves SC: Saturday, May 22 vs. Fort Lauderdale CF

• Toronto FC II: Saturday, May 22 vs. North Texas SC

Every game of the 2021 League One season will air on ESPN+, with a complete schedule to be announced in the coming weeks.

Fans can secure their seat for FC Tucson’s 2021 season by placing their season ticket deposit at https://www.fctucson.com/tickets.

TUCSON, Ariz. (Mar. 15, 2021) — FC Tucson officially announced today the preseason schedule ahead of the 2021 USL League One season. All matches, excluding the matches against New Mexico United and Phoenix Rising FC, will be played in Tucson. The latest preseason schedule is below:

March 31 – vs LA Galaxy II

April 7 – vs El Paso Locomotive FC

April 17 – at New Mexico United

April 24 – at Phoenix Rising FC

Tentative matches: April 10 vs FC Arizona and April 13 vs Barca Academy.

Fans can secure their seat for FC Tucson’s upcoming season by placing their season ticket deposit at https://www.fctucson.com/tickets.