It may have been July, but Saturday was Groundhog Day for FC Tucson.
After a long weather delay, FC Tucson fell 3-2 to the Charlotte Independence, giving up the match-winner in the 83rd minute. It was the latest excruciating loss for Tucson, which fell to Union Omaha last week in stoppage time.
โI pay my taxes, Iโm treating people decently, Iโm loving my staff; I just donโt what more we can do to change it," said FC Tucson Jon Pearlman. "We're not far away, but it feels so far away."
FC Tucson midfielder Tevin Shaw had a chance to tie the match in stoppage time, but his close-range shot hit the post.
โWe had a chance to equalize there and hit the post, and thatโs pretty much been indicative of the season,โ Pearlman said. โWe didnโt do well enough here again, but weโre not gonna get a break. Itโs just not happening. I mean this is our third loss in the 80th, fourth or fifth loss in the 80th-past minute.
โWe have a good staff and we have good players, but we have failed in critical moments.โ
FC Tucsonย (3-9-4) has lost nine consecutive home matches, and sits in last place in the USL League One standings. The club is 0-5-3 at Kino North Stadium in USL League One play; their ninth loss came in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Saturday's match featured a nearly two-hour weather delay, restarting in the 80th minute at 10:45 p.m.
Midfielder Chris Hegardt then scored the match winner for Charlotte (6-7-4).
โTevin just underhit a ball and (defender) Luca (Mastrantonio) makes a tackle and bounces back to their forward and (defender) Kaelon (Fox) clears the ball and it hits their forward at his feet and he finishes and we sit here having these conversations,โ Pearlman said.
Charlotte opened up the scoring in the fourth minute on a goal from midfielder Omar Ciss.
FC Tucson responded in the 11th minute with a goal from forward/defender Donny Toia, assisted by defender Tyler Allen. It was the third goal in four matches this season for Toia, a former Canyon del Oro High School and Pima College standout who played the better part of a decade in Major League Soccer.
In the 19th minute, FC Tucson took the lead when Fox headed in a corner kick from midfielder Louis Perez. Independence knotted the match in the 37th minute, when forward Tresor Mbuyu netted a diving header.
FC Tucson outshot Charlotte 17-10; seven of the visitors' shots were on target.
FC Tucson closes out their home stand with another Tarheel State rival, North Carolina FC (5-8-3), on Saturday.
Corner kicks
โข FC Tucson reached a mutual agreement to part ways with forward Deri Corfe. Corfe played in nine matches, making six starts this season. He scored eight goals last season.
โข Forward Daniel Bloyou left on a loan to Ljunskile SK in the Swedish a third division. He played in four matches and started once.
โข Saturday marked Charlotteโs first trip to Tucson. The Independence played in the USL Championship last year, but self-relegated to USL League One after Charlotte FC joined MLS.
