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8-6-20 Did You Know? – FC Tucson At home

Did You Know: FC Tucson has just 12 league home losses in its entire history. Saturday night’s season opener against Union Omaha will be the club’s 65th regular-season league home match, and the Men In Black know how to take maximum points on their own pitch. They have won just under 70 percent of those matches while amassing 37 wins and 15 draws at Kino Sports Complex. Here’s more:

* Since moving to Kino North Stadium (yes, remember those early days at Kino Grandstand, aka Kino North Field No. 5), FC Tucson has gone 28-9-12 in regular-season league matches. That’s a .694 winning percentage.

* FC Tucson’s best league regular season at home came in 2014 when it went 6-1-0. In all competitions and friendlies that main season in 2014, the Men In Black went 11-2-1 at Kino North Stadium.

* In six of the club’s eight league seasons, FC Tucson lost only one home match. Five of those seasons came in an amazing run of home form from 2014 to 2018.

* In all competitions and friendlies (not including MLS preseason matches), FC Tucson is 63-21-17 at home.

Fresh off Saturday’s 2-1 victory against Fort Lauderdale CF, FC Tucson hopes to bring another win home to Kino Sports Complex on August 8 against Union Omaha. To ensure the safety of the community, there will be no fans in the stands for the home opening match. Instead, FC Tucson will host a live streamed, Drive-In Watch Party for a safe yet social chance for fans to cheer on the team toward a home field victory.   

The Drive-In Watch Party will be hosted at El Toro Flicks in downtown Tucson. Fans can cheer on Tucson’s first professional sporting event since March, from the safety of their own car. Doors open at 6:30pm and the first 100 fans to arrive will receive a limited edition FC Tucson flag. Single tickets are $15 each, or a car pass can be purchased for $40. Food truck fare and snacks will be available for purchase, and safely delivered to each car through an ordering and delivery system available on the FC Tucson app. 

Tickets available, https://www.fctucson.com/tickets. 

“These are unprecedented times,” said Amanda Powers, President of FC Tucson. “We hope this Drive-In Watch Party is a chance to safely enjoy the game alongside our community of fans here in Tucson. Nothing replaces the excitement of being in the stands, but we hope this chance to hear the cars around you scream, chant and cheer will be an encouraging lift to all of us right now. We’re still one city, and one team.” 

In addition to strictly imposed USL medical protocols, FC Tucson is following Pima County Health Department and CDC guidelines for the continued health and safety of its players and staff. Weekly tests are administered to the entire team and staff to ensure early containment and treatment of the disease.   

“We’re excited to finally play at home on August 8th, after two difficult away matches,” said Coach John Galas, who led his team to victory on July 25 against Fort Lauderdale CF. “Home openers are always special and although our incredible fans won’t be with us at Kino, our boys know their unconditional support will be with them in spirit. The only way to repay our loyal fans for that is through a great performance and 3 points!”

In addition to the Drive-In Watch Party, fans can also watch all FC Tucson games via ESPN+. 

FC Tucson’s long-awaited season opener on Saturday night proved to be worth the wait as the Men In Black scored two goals in the closing minutes to snatch a 2-1 win over Fort Lauderdale CF in Florida.

Michigan native Azaad Liadi scored in the 87th minute to even the score at 1 and Tucsonan center back A.J. Valenzuela netted the game-winner in the 90th to cap one of the greatest rallies in the franchise’s 10-year history.

In a season debut match that was delayed four months by the COVID-19 pandemic, FC Tucson gave up an eighth-minute goal when Ricky Lopez-Espin right-footed home a cross from about 10 yards to make it 1-0.

But the Men In Black didn’t fold early and created numerous threats when left back Elivelton pushed forward. FC Tucson eventually began to dominate play after Fort Lauderdale midfielder Joshua Saavedra picked up two yellow cards — and thus a red card — on crunching tackles in the span of three minutes just before the first hydration break. The Florida club lost its second man of the night when Ian Fray did the same thing, two yellows equaling a red, in the final 10 minutes before intermission.

Those reds forced Fort Lauderdale to switch to a packed-in 4-3-1 defense and allowed FC Tucson to steam forward and create numerous opportunities in the second half. FC Tucson outshot Fort Lauderdale 25-7 in the match.

After coming excruciatingly close quite a few times, the Men In Black found the equalizer when Liadi headed home the club’s first goal of the season on a lofting ball into the box by Elivelton.

Spurred on by Liadi’s goal, FC Tucson went right back to work and was rewarded with the deciding goal three minutes later. Shak Adams, one of three FC Tucson subs involved in the play, aimed a cross to the far post that was kept in play by Darryl Longdon’s header and bounced to the feet of Liadi. The strike by the former Georgia Southern University forward squibbed to the foot of Valenzuela, a Desert View High School alum, who scooted it past the outstretched right hand of keeper Dylan Castanheira and into the net.

The FC Tucson defense silenced Fort Lauderdale in the five minutes of stoppage time, snuffing out a late corner attempt just before the final whistle.

The win was the 10th time in franchise history that the Men In Black pulled out a result in the 89th minute or later.    

FC Tucson will continue its road trip with a 2 p.m. match against the Chattanooga Red Wolves on Aug. 1.

Season Opener vs Fort Lauderdale CF: TODAY- SAT 7/25 4PM

This is it. For four months we’ve been waiting to hit the start button and the time has finally come. The Men In Black were poised yesterday when they arrived at the Tucson International Airport in preparation for the long flight to Florida. It’s surreal flying across the country during a pandemic but these players have prepared themselves both mentally and physically to take on one of League One’s newest expansion teams, Fort Lauderdale CF, who is coming off a 2-0 loss versus Greenville Triumph SC. 

The Men In Black are playing in the brand new 18,000 seat Inter Miami CF stadium behind closed doors. If you tune into the match tonight, you’ll see a gorgeous soccer-specific stadium with seating that has been sprinkled pink. For some of our players, this will be their first professional match and for a few others their first time playing in a stadium of this size. The boys will have to do their best to imagine the roar of the crowd and sites of a rowdy supporters section. 

This season opener also marks Coach John Galas’  Head Coaching debut. In 2019, John Galas was FC Tucson’s Assistant Coach and brings more than 20 years of coaching experience. In case you missed it, we’ve been building our roster with some experienced pros and fresh talent that will be sure to give FC Tucson the edge and depth that will be required to be competitive in this 16 game season. A week ago we announced the signing of a first-year pro out of Michigan, Sam Beik, and second-year pro, Jordan Hill. This week, we announced the signing of another Development Academy player, Tommy Silva. Tommy is an aggressive Left Back that’s going to add some speed and intensity to our back line. Currently, Tommy is committed to playing at UCLA this fall and we’re lucky to have him join the squad.

“My players have been nothing short of exceptional in navigating the last four months while dealing with this devastating pandemic.”With the addition of both Jordan Hill and Samuel Biek, we’ve added quality and depth within our squad. Over the course of the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a close look at both players and they’ve proven they can contribute to our team and help us achieve our goals this season. They are both tremendous professionals on and off the field, and are a welcomed addition to the club,” said Head Coach, John Galas.

This year, FC Tucson will have both a club and team captain which were announced this past week. Niall Logue will be wearing the Captain’s armband on the pitch while Raheem Somersall will be wearing the armband off the pitch as an Ambassador to the community. To learn more about the club captains, check out Thursday’s press conference which featured remarks from club President, Amanda Powers; Head Coach, John Galas; and insights from Niall and Raheem.  For more info about our roster please go to our website, https://www.fctucson.com/playerroster. We will announce the Starting XI today one hour before kick-off around 3 pm PST. 

We are excited to see the boys play and you can tune in to watch the match tonight on ESPN+ here, http://www.espn.com/watch?id=f0aad3eb-2192-4089-80bf-dd4a88842b27. All matches are streamed live and available on the app for one week before they are featured on YouTube. All 2020 and 2019 matches can best be accessed through the League One Match Center page. 

Please stay up to date with all the latest FC Tucson news by following us on social media or download the new FC Tucson app today. 
FUERZA TUCSON! 

TUCSON, AZ (July 17, 2020)––Live sports finally returns to the Old Pueblo. FC Tucson is excited to share their 2020 Season Schedule, including their first home game at Kino Sports Complex on Saturday, August 8 against Union Omaha. To ensure the safety of the community, there will be no fans in the stands this season––instead, games will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. During home games, FC Tucson will host live streamed, drive-in watch parties for a safe yet social chance for fans to cheer on the team toward homefield victories.   

“Today feels very much like we’re picking up where we left off on March 12th,” said FC Tucson President Amanda Powers. “For nearly four months we’ve weathered the peaks and valleys that have come with COVID and by no means think we’re in the clear. We are motivated, informed, organized, and invested in doing the best thing we can possibly do at a time like this which is to bring the community together through sport. We want Tucsonans to feel a sense of hope and camaraderie through the world’s game.” 

That hope and camaraderie includes growing the team. This month, FC Tucson welcomes three newly signed players to the pitch: 

• Samuel Biek, Center Back / Signed from Grand Rapids FC 

• Giovanni Godoy, Forward / 3rd Year Professional Player from Orange County SC 

• Jordan Hill, Defender / 2nd Year Professional Player from Orlando City B

In addition to strictly imposed USL medical protocols, FC Tucson will follow Pima County Health Department and CDC guidelines for the continued health and safety of its players and staff. Weekly tests are administered to the entire team and staff to ensure early containment and treatment of the disease.   

“We are delighted to be back on the field, and very much looking forward to our first match,” said FC Tucson Head Coach, John Galas. “My players have been nothing short of exceptional in navigating the last 4 months while dealing with this devastating pandemic. With the addition of both Jordan Hill and Samuel Biek, we’ve added quality and depth within our squad. Over the course of the last couple weeks, we’ve had a close look at both players and they’ve proven they can contribute to our team and help us achieve our goals this season. They are both tremendous professionals on and off the field, and are a welcomed addition to the club.”  

For tickets, visit https://www.fctucson.com/tickets 

For schedule, visit https://www.fctucson.com/2020schedule 

For more information on FC Tucson, visit www.fctucson.com. 

Last Friday, the USL League One Board of Governors voted in favor of developing a framework for returning to play in 2020, with a provisional start date set for later this summer. While additional information on competition format, scheduling, broadcast, and other important details will be announced as they become available, it’s important to note that FC Tucson’s return to play will be conducted in strict alignment with all local and state public health guidelines.

In the meantime, and as of today, our players have returned to training at the Kino North Sports Complex. Our technical staff and medical team are following USL guidelines which have been provided with the input from the Chief Medical Officer of US Soccer Federation (USSF) and expert epidemiologists working alongside USSF efforts. We take COVID-19 very seriously and will continue to ensure that the health and well-being of our players and staff are paramount. 

Our staff has worked tirelessly to determine the best practices for the COVID-19 world we live in and while we are still working through the details, here’s what we can share with you now,

1. We do not have a revised schedule yet. 

2. We must adhere to strict match day social distancing protocols at Kino North Stadium which will greatly reduce our stadium capacity.

3. Season Ticket Holders will have the first priority for the limited match day seating. 

4. We will reveal our plans for parking, seating, ticketing, merchandise, concessions, and fan conduct in the coming weeks. 

   Lastly, we recognize many of you have been facing extraordinary challenges, upheavals, anger, and sadness over the past days, weeks, and months. If there’s one thing we can offer to you, it’s hope and unity through one universal language: fútbol. With the exciting potential for a return to play, we cannot help but feel a sense of hope and we intend to have that hope permeate throughout all of Tucson in the coming months. Much of this work is not possible without our Supporters and Partners and ask that we try to overcome the adversity to say we are Tucson, we are resilient, we are warriors, and we intend to unite through the beautiful game, in any way we can. 

We hope you stay safe, connected, positive, and remain #tucsonstrong.

FUERZA TUCSON!

Please stay tuned to our social media and newsletter for updates from the Club. If you have questions regarding your tickets please call (520) 600-3095.

FC Tucson announced that it will unite with Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) under a formal alliance in 2020 and beyond. Through the beautiful game, FC Tucson and CPLC Southern Arizona intend to forge a community that will awe and inspire the youth of Tucson and Southern Arizona while creating a new generation of mentors and leaders who will help to promote healthier and stronger communities.

“We were looking for a community organization that embodied Tucson’s higher self and found the rich history of CPLC along with its diverse programming to be an ideal fit.” said FC Tucson President, Amanda Powers. “The beautiful game (of soccer) is what unites and inspires us, and our combined efforts will leave a lasting imprint on the hearts and minds of children, teens, and young adults that Si Se Puede.”

FC Tucson has built a reputation for developing top soccer talent through both its youth, women, and professional men’s team. The Club has a long list of talented players who have come through the system and gone on to compete at the highest levels of U.S. Men’s & Women’s soccer. Now, it is time to extend development opportunities in whole new ways through an innovative partnership with CPLC and its comprehensive range of programming and services. 

“Chicanos Por La Causa understands that the post-COVID-19 economy will demand more unity, increased education and career guidance, and an inclusive approach to serving our international region with unique services dedicated to youth, their parents, siblings, and family members,” said Lydia Aranda, President of CPLC Southern Arizona. “Our economy will be fueled by the opportunities the USMCA presents for trade and small businesses, as well as a more global exchange of educational, medical and traditional tourism; we must ensure our future workforce completes their studies and has access to quality training necessary to enhance our Southern Arizona and border communities, families and leaders with a focus on solutions for the current set of challenges and towards long-term, sustainable realignment of workforce success to benefit future generations.”

The first order of business is to help the students of Toltecalli and Envision Schools “Get to the Goal” and graduate on June 5th. The FC Tucson professional players will serve as short-term mentors that will encourage the high school seniors to stay focused on their studies and post-high school plans while dealing with the disruptive impacts of COVID-19. For those who get to the goal, they will be rewarded with an exciting socially distanced graduation ceremony June 5th. 

As the year goes on, you can expect the two organizations to forge new paths in holistic education by bringing professional players, students, and Parents-as-Coaches into sports as a strategic tool, expanding ParaLosNinos for students 12-19 years of age, and building a more comprehensive workforce for tomorrow.

This will include FC Tucson working with Coach Marcelo Cruz, of the co-ed Toltecalli/Envision sports program on soccer skills camps and clinics; and Superintendent Lori Mejia leveraging the value of the CPLC five pillars, behind the student’s success in the workforce of today and future generations.

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About CPLC-Southern Arizona:

Chicanos Por La Causa – Southern Arizona is an integral part of the Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC) community development corporation that provides services in Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Since 1969, CPLC has been changing lives by developing self-sufficiency and instilling empowerment in those we serve. Our focus areas are education, economic development, integrated health & human services, and housing. CPLC provides a better life through offering business and employment opportunities; ensuring everyone has the solid foundation of education; providing hope through a pathway of recovery, restoration, and resiliency; and ensuring that a safe, secure, affordable home is available to every individual we serve. CPLC is one of the largest community development corporations in the country.

For more information, please visit www.CPLC.org.