Let there be light: FC Tucson Women's Luz Duarte is breaking records on team's path to victory

FC Tucson’s Women’s team is headed into the season’s final game Saturday undefeated and as the newly-crowned Desert Conference champions.

The team clinched the conference title Wednesday with a 3-0 win over Phoenix’s SC del Sol, and they take on the El Paso Surf (0-1-6) Saturday with a record of 6-0-1.

While teamwork has been a large factor in the team’s success this year, they’ve also had a big boost, thanks to an impressive season by forward Luz Duarte.

And with 10 goals so far this season, Duarte hasn’t just broken the franchise’s previous single-season record of six goals, she’s nearly doubled it. Duarte scored two goals in each of the last two games and is excited to see what she can do in Saturday’s season closer.

“No disservice to the many other fine forwards we’ve had during our brief history, but Luz is a cut above,” said team administrator Charlie MacCabe. “Her hold-up play is terrific, and her finishing speaks for itself. Her enthusiasm for the game is infectious and the younger players really look up to her.”

MacCabe said that Duarte’s performance has been a big part of the team’s success.

A former Mexican international, Duarte has represented Mexico in two World Cups and two qualifiers.

She’s also scored a goal in every FC Tucson game this season, and is hoping to keep that streak going Saturday.

“It’s been amazing,” Duarte said of her team’s performance this year, adding “I’m doing well for myself.”

Headed into the season’s final game, Duarte said she’s feeling confident her team will come away with a win.

“I have a lot of faith,” Duarte said.

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With her father living in Tucson and Duarte having been stationed here multiple times throughout the years, she considers Tucson to be home, having lived here on and off for the last 15 years.

“Most of my growing up I did here, so this is my hometown for sure,” Duarte said, adding that she’s proud to be able to play for her hometown team.

Having played briefly with FC Tucson in 2019, before the pandemic derailed the team’s 2020 season, Duarte said she was excited to get back on the field this year.

“It was a bummer, but I think it just gave us more time to prepare,” Duarte said. “And we came wanting to play way more than before because we didn’t have a season last year, so I think it helped actually.”

When she’s not on the pitch, Duarte keeps busy by giving back. Over the years, she’s hosted soccer clinics for Hispanic girls, but she’s become picky about who she works with as time as passed.

“I do try to help the people I think need it the most and the girls I think have potential,” Duarte said. “I get behind projects that excite me that I think are good for the girls and I think will be a learning experience for me. I try to do things that also feed my soul and feed my heart with joy.”

Duarte hopes that fans will come out and support women’s soccer, and not just at the adult level.

“If you see a girls club, please encourage these little girls to keep on, to keep going, to keep fighting for their dreams and to keep pushing towards the equality that we are hoping to push on as a team right now,” Duarte said. “We’re really the steppingstone to something bigger than us. We’re working really hard for us to be the steppingstone for the next generation that’s coming up.”

With two-thirds of the team’s roster made up of women who played youth soccer in Tucson, team administrator MacCabe said the team is truly built on homegrown talent.

“Without the support of the fans that have been coming out and without the support of FC Tucson, we wouldn’t be where we’re at right now,” Duarte said. “We’re definitely trying to put on a good show for the people who are showing up for us. We’re working hard to be able to give them joy and to bring our community and our people some excitement.”