FC Tucson needs strong finish on road if it hopes to make PDL postseason

FC Tucson is in the middle of a four-game road trip to end the regular season.

At stake? Well, everything.

The Men in Black tied Albuquerque on Saturday. They need two wins in their final three games to advance to the PDL postseason.

The tough stretch begins Wednesday, when FC Tucson faces Colorado Rapids U23 in Denver. FC Tucson will follow with a two-game weekend series against the Colorado Pride Switchbacks U23.

“Playing four games inside of a week at this level is unheard of,” coach Dave Cosgrove said, “and we’re going to be on the road.”

Henry Lander, an England native who came to Tucson by way of the University of San Diego, anticipates a tough trip, especially because no one on the team has played this much consecutively on the road.

“It’s going to test us all, but we’re a tight-knit team and we get along really well,” Lander said. “So hopefully these next four games, we know we have to dig in to get through the end of the season.”

FC Tucson’s opponent may be familiar, but their challenge is larger than ever.

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The PDL is plagued by roster turnover. The Men in Black will be playing without three players, including starting goalkeeper Andreu Cases Mundet and starting center forward Damian German.

“We know a lot about the teams and they know a lot about us, but I don’t know if the personnel will be the same that it has been over the last month,” Cosgrove said.

Add in Tucson’s road struggles, and the week becomes even more challenging. FC Tucson is 1-2-1 on the road this season. Last week’s draw in New Mexico marked the first time this year that FC Tucson didn’t lose the day after traveling.

“We’re hoping that we do much better on the road than we have,” Cosgrove said. “Our home plan has been good all year long. It can always improve, but we’ve been happy with our home record. But to make playoffs, we’re going to have to be better on the road.”

Simply making the postseason would be an accomplishment for Cosgrove. He was hired Feb. 21, and as a result, had to assemble his team quickly. FC Tucson’s roster is typically put together in December or January; this year, it happened in April.

“That we’re even in the consideration for the playoffs this late in the season really is a tribute to the quality of the players and the hard work they put in,” Cosgrove said. “They really made FC Tucson a factor in the race.

“Between the athletic trainers and the support staff and the players, the fact that we’re in this position is impressive.”