The Richmond Kickers will return to Tucson for the first time since going down in defeat in back-to-back matches against FC Tucson, and the Tucson is ready to ‘welcome’ Richmond back on 520 Day with the same raucous and passionate atmosphere they greeted them with at the end of last year.
Tickets still remain for what is already shaping up to be one of the biggest crowds of the season (BUY TICKETS).
“Playing at home is really big for us,” said Kaelon Fox. “Playing in front of environments like that, at home, with fans that love you, that want you to win, that want you to score – we want that just as much as them.”
As part of the 520 Celebration, Tucson Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz will be the special guest to present the USL League One ball before the match. A second-generation Tucsonan, born and raised in the Southside, Santa Cruz represents Ward 1, which covers Westside, Southside and Downtown.
Tucson City Manager Michael Ortega will perform the first kick, along with clothing designer Israel Zavala.
Zavala’s street wear clothing brand Underestimated City, also known as RepTuc, dons logos and style synonymous with Tucson. Zavala has collaborated with FC Tucson on a special 520 t-shirt that will be available at the FC Tucson merchandise tent on game day.
Zavala started with T-shirts and home-made stencils. You can find shirts and hats with his now-familiar logos, with the name of Tucson in an ornate font reminiscent of ’90s skateboarding scene, in his brick-and-mortar store in the MSA Annex.
Wilbur the Wildcat from the University of Arizona athletics and Dusty from the Tucson Road Runners will be on hand to entertain the kids.
Fans rallied behind FC Tucson last year as the club finished the season on a 7-2-3 run that culminated with a 4-2 win at home over Richmond on Fan Appreciation Night. Not only did that seal the first professional playoff appearance for FC Tucson, it gave the team another home game. And it came at the expense of Richmond.
The Kickers wound up staying in Tucson the entire week, and were greeted with another large crowd of FC Tucson fans at Kino North.
FC Tucson rewarded its fans with a 1-0 win on a thrilling 87th minute rocket from Deri Corfe.
The players that experience that last year know the crowd makes a different in USL League One, where every team is so closely matched.
“Just knowing all the fans were there supporting us at the end of last season was huge,” said Daniel Bedoya. “I hope they come out again on Friday. We want to get back on an even better run. We owe them that.”
A LOOK BACK AT THE 2021 PLAYOFF WIN OVER RICHMOND
What a night to remember 🥰
— FC Tucson (@FCTucson) November 9, 2021
Now it’s on to the next 💪#fuerzatucson 🌵 | #letsgo520 pic.twitter.com/shifwSigc9
