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USL1 FC Tucson

Tucson Returns to Fresno to Face Off Against Old Rival Fuego FC

June 17, 2022 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
FC Tucson News Release


FC Tucson has plenty of history in Fresno.

The first goal in club history was scored there in 2012 against the Fresno Fuego FC in a PDL (now USL League Two) match. FC Tucson legend and Major League Soccer veteran Donny Toia, who recently announced his return to Tucson, scored the lone goal in the 2-1 loss.

Between 2012-17, Tucson and Fresno faced off six times, with FC Tucson winning twice and losing four times. The last time Tucson headed to Fresno, it picked up a 3-1 win in 2015. Although it has been seven years since the club made the journey, it looks to pick up where it left off and secure another three points when it travels to play USL League One newcomer Central Valley Fuego FC Saturday at Fresno State Soccer Stadium.

Firetruck Brewing Company will host its first Official Watch Party for fans in Tucson, kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT.

Nehemias "Nini" Blanco, Central Valley Fuego's vice president of fútbol, has a history with Tucson. He scored the game-winner for Fresno in that inaugural 2012 match.

To recognize the team's have dubbed the head-to-head meetings The Western Clasico, and will play for a newly designed trophy that will go to one team at the end of the year based on the three matches.

FC Tucson head coach Jon Pearlman knows what his club is in for facing the USL League One expansion side.

"They have the one of the top scorers in the league with Villyan Bijev, but for us we only conceded three chances against Omaha and controlled possession in the second half, a lot of it in their half of the field," said FC Tucson Head Coach Jon Pearlman. "So, it's just being resilient at against a really good team, on a really good field and against a top coach."

Luca Mastrantonio in game action for FC Tucson against Union Omaha on Saturday, June 11 at Kino North Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. (Andre Rocha/FC Tucson)

Fresno sits seventh in the league with 13 points (3-2-4). The club has yet to win at home with all three of its wins this season coming on the road. It's last two matches, both at home, resulted in a draw against Forward Madison FC and a loss to second-placed Chattanooga Red Wolves SC.

Fresno's PDL team played from 2003-17, reaching the national semifinals twice. That team became the U-23 affiliate to the city's USL Championship team in 2018-19, before the team folded. After going a year without a team, soccer in the city returned this year with the USL League One club.

Fresno's top player is Bulgarian-native Bijev who leads the team with five goals scored. Bijev has played throughout Europe, featuring with Liverpool (England), Fortuna Dusseldorf (Germand), IK Start (Norwegian First Division), and Slavia Sofia and Cherno More (Bulgarian A Football Group). He has spent the last six years of his career in USL Championship playing for Portland Timbers 2, Sacramento Republic and Oklahoma City Energy.

FC Tucson continues on the road in its next match as it heads to Tennessee to face off against Chattanooga Red Wolves on Saturday, June 25, for the second time this season. The team makes a quick return home to welcome Richmond Kickers on Wednesday, June 29, for the rescheduled 520 Day Match (BUY TICKETS) and Sunday, July 3, against Greenville Triumph SC on Salute Our Troops Night featuring post-match fireworks (BUY TICKETS).

Check out the FC Tucson Statistics



United Soccer League One Stories from June 17, 2022


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