After missing a “sitter” in the first half, FC Tucson defender Kaelon Fox declared “I gotta score the next one.”
Then, in the 48th minute, Fox scored FC Tucson’s second goal, assisted by forward Giovanni Calixtro.
The Men in Black (8-12-6) went on to beat Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 2-1 on Saturday night, for their fourth straight home win.
“Gio gets a great ball, he’s one on one, unselfishly passes it to me, easy ball, I just hit it as hard as I can and it goes in the back of the net,” said Fox, FC Tucson’s captain.
FC Tucson finished September 4-0-1, with three shutouts.
“Obviously the captain’s the captain,” FC Tucson head coach Jon Pearlman. “He made his moment count and that’s the reason he has the band, he’s had a tremendous month.”
With the loss Chattanooga (10-9-7) dropped to sixth place, the last playoff spot. With 30 points, FC Tucson is seven back of the Red Wolves but have a match in hand.
Pearlman said he hopes “the best team in September” continues it in October to get into the playoffs. The Men in Black have four games left in the regular season.
“We’re just in really good form,” Fox said. “Everyone believes in each other, everyone’s working for each other, everyone’s dying for each other.”
In the 28th minute FC Tucson midfielder Daniel Bedoya drew a penalty kick and then converted it.
Then in the 34th minute FC Tucson defender Luca Mastrantonio gave up a penalty kick on a hand ball. Chattanooga forward Moe Espinoza converted that penalty kick.
The goal snapped FC Tucson’s streak of three straight home clean sheets.
FC Tucson swept the season series with the Red Wolves, they also won a pair of matches, 3-2 on Apr. 23 and 2-1 on June 25, at Chattanooga.
“I’m just so proud of them, legs are heavy, we have had a lot of games in a row,” Pearlman said. “Come off a tough North Carolina win and come back again a few days later and get a result against one of the top four teams and one of the most dangerous teams in the league and we did it.”
FC Tucson plays next at Greenville Triumph (11-8-8) on Saturday. Their next home match is Oct. 5 when Central Valley Fuego FC (9-10-7) comes to town.
Pearlman said they see the end of the season as a cup competition and are entering the Round of 16. He said they believe 42 points will get them in the playoffs.
“If we win out and don’t make it I would be shocked,” Pearlman said.
Corner kicks
FC Tucson was 3-0-2 in September 2021.
At the half, Dylan Mapston presented a check of $2,000 to Diamond Children’s Medical Center from Keepers Care for Kids on behalf of FC Tucson. Mapston, a youth soccer player from Phoenix started Keepers to provide comfort to children and families as they battle cancers.
On Friday night the Tucson Chamber of Commerce awarded FC Tucson president Amanda Powers with the Copper Cactus Small Business Leader of the Year.
