FC Tucson, Ventura County Secure Thrilling Victories at Kino Grounds

FC Tucson is set to advance in the USL League 2 playoffs following a hard-fought 3-2 win over Colorado’s Flatirons FC at Kino North Stadium. The match, delayed due to local lightning strikes, ultimately concluded with a thrilling finish.

The evening began with Ventura County Fusion clashing with Albion SC Colorado in a match that also faced a lengthy delay. A two-hour halftime postponement pushed the FC Tucson game to a late finish at 11:35 p.m.

FC Tucson’s goalkeeper Nils Roth, getting his second start after the departure of Alex Svetanoff, played a crucial role. Flatirons, known for their prolific scoring, were shut out in the first half thanks to Roth’s efforts.

The turning point nearly came early in the second half when Flatirons’ Jason Joiner hit the crossbar. However, less than a minute later, João Belmudes netted a stunning curling shot from the top of the box for FC Tucson. William Arneson soon followed up with a pass to James Jennings, who made it 2-0.

Flatirons fought back with determination. An 84th-minute penalty, converted by Ethan Boyle, brought them within one goal. As stoppage time dragged on, Roth made a crucial save, sliding into a Flatirons attacker and causing a brief delay.

Jonah Kawamura added a third goal for FC Tucson, beating the Flatirons keeper Amir Habibi with a surprising slow shot. Flatirons responded with a header from Jackson Vandervan during the 10th minute of stoppage time, but the final whistle blew soon after.

Belmudes was named man-of-the-match, but Lars Walczyk was equally pivotal. Formerly a player for Flatirons, Walczyk influenced the game by setting up critical chances.

“He’s been in and out of the lineup, staying professional and working hard,” praised FC Tucson’s coach. “In a game we needed him most, he showed up and was unbelievable.”

FC Tucson will now play on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Kino North Stadium in the conference semifinal against Ventura County Fusion. Fusion reached the semifinal by defeating Albion SC Colorado 2-1 in a match marked by a lengthy lightning delay.

Ventura’s first goal came from a deflected clearance, rolling off Eric Serano and into the net. Albion equalized in the 74th minute through Xander Sevian, extending the already-delayed match.

Marley Edwards scored his 11th goal of the season during stoppage time to secure Ventura’s victory. The match was tense, culminating in several warnings from the referee and post-match confrontations.

Ventura’s coach, Keith Costigan, acknowledged the upcoming challenge against FC Tucson, the only team to have beaten them this season.

“Tucson is a good team,” Costigan stated. “We’ve had two great battles with them. We need to be better to win.”

The winner of Sunday’s match will advance to play either United PDX or Project 510. That game is also scheduled for Sunday.