FC Tucson Tryouts & Club Guide: History, Stadium, Players, and More!
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FC Tucson is a professional soccer team based in Tucson, Arizona. The club competes in the USL League One, the third division of American soccer.
FC Tucson Youth Development System
Launched in October 2020, the FC Tucson Pro Academy Player is a professional training environment dedicated to nurturing players who have strong enthusiasm for the game and are committed to improvement in a professional environment.
Our experienced, first-team staff will create the primary coaching curriculum and provide first-team training staff members for the FC Tucson Pro Academy Team. Through this system, academy players will have direct exposure to the professional pathway while being provided the best available opportunities.
FC Tucson will continue its commitment to working in cooperation with the entire Southern Arizona youth soccer community through the FC Tucson Pro Academy, by way of the USL Academy. First-team coaches and players will work to provide clinics and tryouts free of charge to underserved and financially challenged players across the Southern Arizona region.
TALENT IDENTIFICATION
Selection for FC Tucson’s Pro Academy is a privilege and an opportunity for aspiring young players. Identification and selection for the academy may come through one of the following ways:
- A personal invitation from an FC Tucson Pro Academy Scout to attend a trial or ID Event (see the web form by clicking here);
- Participation in a Competitive Youth, High School, or Amateur Adult Competition
- Participation in other FC Tucson Pro camps and/or clinics.
FC TUCSON PRO ACADEMY STAFF ADHERES TO THE FOLLOWING GUIDLINES:
- Players should be scouted and evaluated in their regular environment whenever possible.
- There should be no additional cost to players for scouting and identification.
- To ensure accurate evaluations, multiple FC Tucson Pro and Pro Academy coaches will evaluate players over multiple events.
- To ensure accurate evaluations, the coaches that train and develop the identified players will be consulted as the best source of information regarding overall technical, tactical, physical, and mental qualities; along with assessing the player’s current form.
If interested in playing for the FC Tucson Pro Academy, please submit the form by clicking here.
FC TUCSON Recruitment Trials
At the time of this writing, there is no official tryout information for FC Tucson. Please come back at a later date while we monitor this club or click here to visit their official player trial web page for more information.
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Tucson FC History
FC Tucson was established in 2010 with the goals of bringing preseason Major League Soccer activities to Tucson and creating interest in the formation of a new soccer team. The first time the organization entered a team into competition was on March 4, 2011, when they played the New York Red Bulls reserves in the 2011 Desert Cup and were defeated by a score of 3–1.
Fernando Gauna, a player who formerly attended Pima Community College and Salpointe Catholic High School, scored the first goal for the team shortly after coming on as a substitute during the game. In the latter part of the 2011 season, Tucson participated in an exhibition league that was only sporadically organized and played against a variety of clubs from the surrounding area.
On May 13, immediately following the conclusion of the Desert Cup, they competed in their debut match, which resulted in a 7–2 triumph over Yavapai FC. FC Tucson made the announcement that it would be moving to the PDL on December 15, 2011. During its first season of competition in the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League (USL PDL, now known as USL League Two), the team finished in second place in the Western Conference Southwest Division with a record of 9 wins, 3 losses, and 4 ties. From May 12 until June 30, the team went on a ten-game unbeaten streak, during which it won seven of those games and tied three others. In the semi-finals of the Western Conference Postseason Playoffs, Tucson was defeated by Seattle Sounders FC U-23 by a score of 2–1.
Conor Spence, a defender for the team, was honored with a spot on the All-Western Conference Team. The league’s inaugural Rookie Franchise of the Year was went to the club in 2012. FC Tucson advanced to the third round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup thanks to a pair of victories over professional clubs that they scored in the month of May. Connor Bevans scored the game-winning goal in injury time as Tucson advanced past Phoenix FC of the USL Pro in the first round of the tournament. The final score was 2–1.
After that, they broke a stalemate with the San Antonio Scorpions of the North American Soccer League 4–3 in a penalty shootout to win the match. The streak came to an end in Houston, as they were defeated by the MLS Dynamo by a score of 2-0. Tucson won the whole $15,000 prize that was granted to the Premier Development League club that had the best Open Cup result since they were the first PDL club in history to defeat professional clubs in consecutive matches. (Three additional Premier Development League teams also advanced to the third round.) In 2013, Tucson did not earn a spot in the postseason of the Premier Development League (PDL) after finishing fifth in the Southwest region with a record of five wins, five defeats, and four draws.
FC Tucson captured its first-ever division championship in 2014, when it competed in the newly formed Mountain Division. The club finished league play with 11 victories, one tie, and two losses. In the club’s first ever appearance in the playoffs, they defeated the Los Angeles Misioneros in Las Vegas by a score of 2–1 to capture their first victory. Tucson earned the right to host the conference final four at Kino North Stadium by finishing with the best regular-season record in the Western Conference.
There, they defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 1–0 in the conference semifinals on a goal scored in stoppage time by Juan Sebastian De Rada. After suffering a loss against the Kitsap Pumas by a score of three to zero in the Western Conference Championship game, Tucson’s run through the postseason came to an end. Ricardo Velazco, a midfielder for the team and the captain, was selected as the PDL Young (U21) Player of the Year. Billy Thompson received this honor after being selected as the best goalkeeper in the PDL. Both players were selected for inclusion on the All-League Team as well as the All-Western Conference Team.
PDL Organization of the Year honors have been bestowed upon FC Tucson. In 2015, Tucson finished with an 8–2–4 record in Premier Development League regular-season play, which was good enough to win the Mountain Division title for the second year in a row. Their two defeats came at the hands of Albuquerque Sol FC away from home and Real Colorado at their own stadium. Tucson defeated Albuquerque in a rematch that took place on July 4 at their home field, prevailing by a score of 2-0 to win the 2015 Southwestern Showdown rivalry series and maintain ownership of the Golden Rattler trophy. Four consecutive victories brought the regular season to a successful conclusion for Tucson.
These victories came at home against Real Colorado and against the Sol, and on the road against the Fresno Fuego and OC Blues U23 of the Southwest Division. Due to the Sol’s losing streak, Tucson ended up finishing in first place in the PDL Mountain Division, one point ahead of the Sol. In the postseason qualifier for 2015, Tucson defeated Albuquerque at home by a score of 2–1, and as a result, the city was chosen to once again host the Western Conference final four. In the semifinals, the home team upset the previously unbeaten Kitsap Pumas 4–1, but in the conference championship, they were defeated by the Seattle Sounders FC U-23 by a score of 2–1.
This was the home team’s second consecutive loss in the conference championship. Both Pedro Espindola and Kalem Scott were selected to the All-Western Conference team for their respective positions. On October 11, 2017, Phoenix Rising FC of the United Soccer League, which is now known as the USL Championship, purchased FC Tucson. Initially, FC Tucson served as Phoenix Rising FC’s PDL affiliate after the purchase. The 2018 campaign was FC Tucson’s final in the Premier Development League (PDL), which is now known as USL League Two. On February 6, 2018, FC Tucson became the second team to join the United Soccer Division Division III league, which was later renamed the United Soccer League League One.
FC Tucson was also the first pre-existing team to enter the league. The result of this was that the team became completely professional. The completion of the sale of Phoenix Rising FC to Benevolent Sports Tucson LLC was announced on February 18, 2021 by FC Tucson. Johnson serves as the leader of Benevolent Sports Tucson LLC. The club is free to compete in the U.S. Open Cup now that it has severed ties with Rising FC and is therefore entitled to do so.
Tucson FC Stadium
The Kino Sports Complex is a multi-purpose athletic facility that may be found in Tucson, Arizona. Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, the complex’s primary field, was once employed by the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox for Cactus League games during the month of March, and both teams’ minor league complexes were located on the premises. In addition, the ballpark served as the home field for the Pacific Coast League’s Tucson Sidewinders for the team’s final decade of play in Tucson, beginning with the stadium’s first season in 1998 and ending with the 2008 season.
During the time when the Tucson Padres (originally the Portland Beavers) of the Pacific Coast League were in the process of relocating to El Paso, Texas, the team played their home games at this field from 2011 to 2013. In addition to that, the Tucson Saguaros baseball team of the Pecos League called this stadium home during the regular season from 2016 to 2017. Its principal purpose is as a baseball park, but it also serves as a venue for concerts with a capacity of 11,500 spectators.
The Kino Sports Complex also plays host to soccer matches throughout the year. The North Stadium at Kino Sports Complex is the major venue for soccer matches at the complex, and FC Tucson plays its home games there. The complex plays host to both the preseason soccer competition known as the Desert Diamond Cup as well as the preseason home of the Major League Soccer team known as the New York Red Bulls.
