As FC Tucson prepared to make a run at the playoffs with a match Saturday, Phoenix Rising FC’s top affiliate addressed an incident that occurred with its parent club earlier this week.
During a Phoenix Rising FC match Wednesday, Junior Flemmings was accused by San Diego Loyal SC of directing a homophobic slur toward Collin Martin. Martin, a San Diego midfielder, is openly gay.
Loyal walked off the field in protest after referees — and Rising coach Rick Schantz, a Salpointe Catholic High School graduate and a former FC Tucson coach — decided not to remove Flemmings from the game.
A video of the aftermath showed Schantz appear to downplay the severity of the alleged slur. Both Flemmings and Schantz have been placed on leave while Phoenix Rising investigates.
FC Tucson president Amanda Powers and director of operations Jon Pearlman said this week that the incident with the parent club is in no way is reflective of their team’s values.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for homophobia, xenophobia, racism and hate speech. And we stand by that,” Powers said. “(Loyal coach) Landon (Donovan) said this needs to end in our sport … and we can all agree to that.”
Pearlman, who helped co-found FC Tucson alongside Schantz, still works with the coach to evaluate talent.
Pearlman called the video “troubling.”
“The most important thing you need to know for us is that the kind of hateful language that you’re talking about the alleged player is not acceptable on FC Tucson,” Pearlman said. “It’s not part of the game of soccer.”
Powers, Pearlman and FC Tucson coach John Galas said Rising’s investigation shouldn’t distract Tucson from making a run at the USL League One playoffs. The club is 4-6-2 heading into Saturday’s match against Forward Madison FC (4-4-2) in Wisconsin. FC Tucson beat Madison 2-1 in September.
FC Tucson will once again be without top goal-scorer Shak Adams, who remains out with an injury. Galas said he expects Adams to return for one of the team’s three remaining matches after this weekend.
Galas said he’s anticipating another close contest as Forward Madison FC is undefeated on its own turf. The team plays on artificial grass and is 3-0-1 at home while outsourcing opponents 8-1.
“It’s a little bit of a different environment and playing surface for us on a turf field,” Galas said. “Turf plays differently.”
A win and three points on the road would be a huge boost for the Men in Black, who occupy the sixth spot in the league standings and could knock down fifth-place Forward Madison.
“We’ve trained well this week and we like our matchups,” Galas said.
