FC Tucson is going where no “Man in Black” has gone before: to the second weekend of the USL League Two playoffs.
FCT beat the Ventura County Fusion (12-2-2) 1-0 in Sunday’s Western Conference semifinal — a win that marks the fifth time FC Tucson has reached a conference final in the club’s nine seasons competing at the USL League Two level.
But it’s also the first time FCT has advanced past the opening weekend. The playoff format, 35 teams in four conferences, has changed for the 128 team-league since FC Tucson was last at this level.
“Oh, I think everybody is excited, happy,” FC Tucson head coach Sebastian Pineda said. “It’s been a while since we have been here.”
After FCT spent four seasons in USL League One, 2024 marks the team’s first USL League Two conference final appearance since 2018.
FC Tucson defender Ellis Jones, top, jumps into the arms of defender Thomas Gray as the two celebrate the final whistle and 1-0 win against Ventura County in FCT's USL League Two Western Conference semifinal playoff victory Sunday at Kino North Stadium in Tucson.
The Men in Black face Project 51O (11-4-1) out of Oakland, California, in the Western Conference final on Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the four-team pod in Peoria, Illinois.
On the other side of the pod is the Flint City (Michigan) Bucks (12-1-2), the Great Lakes Division champions. They face the host, Peoria City (10-1-3), which finished in second place in the Heartland Division, for the Central Conference crown.
The Western and Central winners will face off on Sunday for a spot in the USL League Two final the following weekend.
FC Tucson went 3-1-3 on the road this season, driving mostly to Southern California.
“We get to fly this trip, so that’s nice,” Pineda said. “That’s new so that will be easier on the legs.
The guys are excited about that,” he added. “I think the long travel, playing back-to-back games … is paying off right now. The guys are used to it — like we’re used to delays now (laughs).”
Pineda’s last comment was in reference to both of FCT’s playoff wins this past weekend coming after lengthy weather-related delays.
The name “Project 51O” is made up of the first two numbers of Oakland’s area code plus the letter “O” inserted in place of the zero. The club is the farm team of Oakland Roots SC of the USL Championship. The roots have come to Tucson for the preseason, playing FC Tucson in 2022 when FCT was still a USL League One side.
FC Tucson midfielder Lars Walczyk (6) loses the race to the ball to Ventura County’s Mikkel Goeling at the top of the Fusion box late in the second half of their USL League Two Western Conference semifinal matchup Sunday in Tucson. Walczyk had already scored the game’s lone goal at that point in what turned out to be a 1-0 FCT win.
Project 51O finished second in the Nor Cal Division but won the Seattle pod. That started with an upset of the host, Ballard FC, in the conference quarterfinals. Ballard FC won the national title last season after knocking out Ventura County, the 2022 champion, in the conference final.
FC Tucson heads to Peoria fresh of beating two division champions so far this postseason: Flatirons FC (Mountain) and Ventura County (Southwest).
FC Tucson was the only side to beat Ventura County this season, posting a 2-0-1 record against its rival. FCT is on a 10-match unbeaten streak.
Ventura County scored 43 goals this season in 16 matches, but FC Tucson held the Fusion to one in three games. The Fusion were No. 7 in the last USL League Two power rankings.
“We’ve seen a lot online. There’s a few Instagram accounts that really, really picked them up and I think USL Two themselves had them really highly ranked,” said FC Tucson defender Thomas Gray. “So to beat them twice and draw with them shows how good we are
Ventura County's Cason Goodman, right, makes flying stab at the ball but only gets FC Tucson defender Ellis Jones and a yellow card in the first half of their USL League Two Western Conference semifinal playoff game Sunday in Tucson.
“I think it shows that maybe if we were more consistent we could have won this (division) easily but we are going further so that’s all that matters.”
FC Tucson midfielder Lars Walczyk scored the match winner in the 37th minute on Sunday after coaches raved about his performance on Friday. Walczyk, who played for Flatirons last year, recognized what it meant to defeat his former team.
“It’s just an amazing feeling,” Walczyk said. “It’s fantastic and now we keep going.”
Corner kicks
FCT finished 6-1-2 at home in league play, 9-1-2 at home overall.
Sunday night’s match was delayed 42 minutes by lightning.
Friday’s match in Illinois is the furthest FC Tucson has advanced in a tournament since it reached the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2013 before losing to the Houston Dynamo of the MLS 2-0 on the road.
Photos: FC Tucson drops Ventura County 1-0 to reach USL 2 Western Conference final
Ventura County's Callen Lewis (2) pops the ball into the face of FC Tucson Jonah Kawamara (24) in the fight for possession in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024. FCT rode a first half score to 1-0 win and a spot in the conference finals.
Ventura County's Cason Goodman (9) makes flying stab at the ball but only gets FC Tucson defender Ellis Jones (4) and a yellow card in the first half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
Ventura County's Mathias Winum (4) gets to the corner kick ahead of FC Tucson defender Thomas Gray (5) in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
FC Tucson midfielder Lars Walczyk (6) loses the race to the ball to Ventura County's Mikkel Goeling (15) at the top of the Fusion box late in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
Ventura County's Cason Goodman (9) grabs a lot of jersey trying to keep FC Tucson defender Thomas Gray (5) the header in the first half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
Ventura County's Mathias Winum (4) makes the sweeping slide tackle to keep FC Tucson forward James Jennings (11) from getting upfield in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
Ventura County's Nicholas Releford (21) leaps in and makes contact with FC Tucson forward Joao Belmudes (10) in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024. The foul was enough for Releford’s first yellow of the night, he eventually picked up his second in stoppage time for a red card.
Ventura County's Siddiq Lezzar (12) flies in with a last gasp block on a shot from FC Tucson forward Joao Belmudes (10) in the first half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
FC Tucson midfielder Lars Walczyk (6) gets squeezed out against Ventura County's Erick Serrano (5) in pursuit of the ball in the first half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
FC Tucson defender Duvan Canchila (14), top, and Ventura County's Cason Goodman (9) collide trying to win the header near midfield in the first half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
Ventura County’s Mikkel Goeling (15) gets the initial block on a shot by FC Tucson midfielder Lars Walczyk (6), but Walczyk would gather the rebound and fire home the would-be game winner in the first half of the teams’ USL League Two Western Conference semifinal playoff match Sunday in Tucson
Ventura County's Palmer Bank (19), left, gets a stud to the ball ahead of FC Tucson forward Imsael Ruiz (20) in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
Ventura County's Nicholas Releford (21) drags down FC Tucson forward Paul Caliri (9) trying to keep him from possession in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
FC Tucson defender Elliot Forestier (3) comes over the top of Ventura County's Buba Fofanah (10) to keep him from gathering in the ball near the FCT box in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
FC Tucson defender Thomas Gray (5) crashes the box but can’t redirect the corner on goal against Ventura County in the second half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
Ventura County's Mikkel Goeling (15) gets sent to the turf by FC Tucson midfielder William Arnesen (7) in the first half of their USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
FC Tucson defender Ellis Jones (4), top, jumps into the arms of defender Thomas Gray (5) as the two celebrate the final whistle and 1-0 win against Ventura County in the USL League 2 western conference semifinal playoff game,Tucson, Ariz., July 21, 2024.
