FC Tucson Dominates with 9 Goals in Thrilling Season Finale

FC Tucson concluded their season with a resounding 9-0 victory over El Paso Surf at Kino North Stadium on Sunday. The match saw five different players score, illustrating the team’s depth and versatility.

Following a draw against Arizona Arsenal on Saturday, several players were rested, including Mackenzie Moring and Tindra Biedermann. This allowed other squad members to step up, and they did so with aplomb.

The dominance began early when Milana Eyrich made an incisive run down the left wing and scored from inside the box. Shortly afterward, forward Vivien Villarreal extended the lead by capitalizing on a rebound.

Midway through the first half, substitutes Luz Duarte and Ashly Martinez made an immediate impact. Martinez converted a pass from Duarte to score from close range, and in the 39th minute, Duarte set up Fiorela Miranda for a well-taken goal, giving Tucson a 4-0 lead at halftime.

The second half saw a continuation of Tucson’s control. Instead of another assist, Duarte decided to score herself with a deft, backward-leaning shot past the El Paso goalkeeper. She then assisted Martinez for Tucson’s sixth goal.

Martinez couldn’t be contained, scoring twice more, including an 89th-minute goal. Midfielder Hannah Ramos concluded the scoring spree with a stoppage-time goal, making it a memorable nine-goal game for Tucson.

When tallying up her goals, it became clear that Martinez had scored four times. Reflecting on her performance, she said, “I was so confident before the game and also yesterday, I had a really good game. I didn’t score yesterday, but I was playing so good. So I just said today I have to score and play good.”

Despite finishing second for the season, coach Roberto Garcia deemed it a success. He highlighted that FC Tucson was the only team to take points off the dominant Del Sol and praised the team’s rapid improvement over their short six-week season. “We said to the players tonight, this is your last time together,” Garcia remarked. “It feels like we’ve been together for a long time. But we haven’t. It’s been six weeks and every week got a little bit better.”