PDL Game Report

Saturday, July 18, 2015

TUCSON, Ariz. - FC Tucson advanced the to the PDL's Western Conference Championship next weekend as it took a 2-1 win against Albuquerque Sol FC on Saturday night at Kino Stadium. More than 900 fans were on hand to see the hosts claim victory in the Mountain Division Playoff, and join the Kitsap Pumas and Burligame Dragons in the regional semifinals.

It didn’t begin too well for the team from the Old Pueblo. The first half of the match was characterized by failed passes and missed chances. Albuquerque took advantage of this and simply outskilled Tucson, keeping the hosts on the defensive for most of the half.

“For me, I was really nervous and I wasn’t doing my thing, playing my game,” said Edgar Reyna.

Sol FC opened the scoring in the 38th minute when forward Ricardo Zacarias found the net past Tucson goalkeeper Thomas Olsen.

Determined to not make the same mistakes again, FC Tucson took to the pitch in the second half with a vengeance. The side's passing began to work again, and the team was able to create some good chances - some of which fell in their favor.

It was toward the end of the match that Tucson leveled the score, as Cylis Sandoval scored on a breathtaking header in the 82nd minute. Just as the crowd’s enthusiasm subsided, Reyna scored only four minutes later. He found the lower right of the net with a header to put Tucson in at 2-1.

“I actually hit it with my ear, so it was fine and it went into the corner," said Reyna. "It was amazing, my first goal at FC Tucson. Never will forget that one.”

With only a few, tense, minutes remaining, Tucson’s defense held out and prevented Albuquerque from tying up the game. FC Tucson won 2-1, eliminating Sol FC from the playoffs and allowing the Tucson squad to advance and host the regional semifinals, where they will face Kitsap at Kino North Stadium on July 24th