Deri Corfe gets his chance, scores late goal to lift FC Tucson into USL League One semifinals

With its playoff match seemingly headed to extra time, FC Tucson forward Deri Corfe pounced on a chance like a shark and scored the game-winning goal.

During matches FC Tucson supporters often sing a song with the lyrics “Der-i Corfe doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo” to the tune of “Baby Shark.”

“I hear it, it’s a quality song, I love it,” Corfe said.

FC Tucson punched a ticket to the USL League One semifinals with the win in its first professional playoff match Saturday night at Kino North Stadium.

Corfe scored in the 87th minute as the fourth-seeded Men in Black (12-10-7) beat the fifth-seeded Richmond Kickers 1-0 in the first round before a crowd of 1,793.

“Honestly, at 70 minutes, I thought it was a tough game and in the back of my mind I was like ‘there’s a chance coming,’” Corfe said. “I could feel there was a chance coming to decide this game I knew it wasn’t going to extra time … and when it went in, I was just really happy.”

Corfe also scored last week and is tied for 10th in the league in scoring.

“Deri’s the kind of guy that can change a match at a whim,” said FC Tucson coach Jon Pearlman.

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FC Tucson faces top-seeded Union Omaha (14-5-9) on the road on Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+ in the semifinals. FC Tucson went 1-3 against the Owls during the regular season but won 1-0 in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sept. 25.

Richmond outshot FC Tucson 12-6 Saturday night and had a 5-1 advantage in shots on target, but couldn't score.

“(FC Tucson goalkeeper) Wallis Lapsley is the hero tonight, he’s the man of the match,” Pearlman said. “We needed a clean sheet and we got that here and Wallis was at the front and center of that."

Last week FC Tucson beat the Kickers (11-11-7) 4-2 in the regular-season finale to secure the first-round home match.

Corner kicks

FC Tucson owner Brett Johnson visited the Old Pueblo on Saturday before going to the Phoenix Rising FC USL Championship playoff match in Chandler.

Johnson also owns Rising, Ipswich Town FC in England and the USL Rhode Island club, among others.

Rising lost to Rio Grande Valley FC in penalty kicks in the first round of the postseason Saturday night.