Staked to a two-man advantage for the second half of Saturday's season opener, FC Tucson did what good soccer teams do β pounce.
It just took a while.
π΅π¬π§π π ππ‘π¨π§π πͺππ‘π‘ππ₯βΌοΈ#FTLvTUC | @FCTucson pic.twitter.com/cTfnuBiPTg
— USL League One (@USLLeagueOne) July 26, 2020
Azaad Liati and AJ Valenzuela scored in the final minutes of regulation, and the visiting Men in Black opened their truncated 2020 USL League One season with a 2-1 victory over Fort Lauderdale CF. The game was played in an empty stadium in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Valenzuela punched in the game-winner from just inside the goal in the 90th minute. An FC Tucson cross led to a header that found its way to Liati. His shot was deflected to Valenzuela, who netted the game winner at the 89:25 mark. It was a meaningful goal for Valenzuela, a Tucson native who attended Desert View High School and Pima College and played for FC Tucson in 2018, when the club was part of the USL Premier Development League. He returned to the Men in Black, now a professional club, before the 2020 season.
Valenzuela's goal came two minutes after Liati pulled FC Tucson even with Fort Lauderdale, which was forced to play with nine men from the 45th minute on. Joshua Saavedra was booked after receiving his second yellow card in the 26th minute. Ian Fray got his second yellow just before halftime.
FC Tucson spent most of the final 45 minutes in the final third, pressing forward with an attack that would finish with 24 shots in the match.Fort Lauderdale scored the gameβs lone goal in the eighth minute on one of the few opportunities the new USL League One team mustered on Saturday. Ricky Lopez-Espin guided home Brian Rosalesβ cross to make it 1-0.
Our historic first goal! Ricky Lopez- Espin gives us the early lead over FC Tucson. #FTLvTUC |#FortLauderdaleCF pic.twitter.com/5It5Elshxh
— Fort Lauderdale CF (@FTLauderdaleCF) July 25, 2020
FC Tucson (1-0) will play at the Chattanooga Red Wolves next Saturday before hosting Union Omaha on Aug. 8.
