FC Tucson
The 1-0 win over New England Revolution II at Kino North Stadium raised FC Tucson’s record in league games on Wednesdays to 6-2-1.
* In those Wednesday league games, FC Tucson has outscored opponents 23-11.
* In regular-season games on Wednesdays, the Men In Black are 14-7-2.
*In all Wednesday matches, which include contests against MLS teams in the preseason, FC Tucson is 14-13-4.
There isn’t a thing in this world that can stop Karina Camacho. An opposing soccer team, time overseas and even a pandemic could not stop her from doing what she enjoys most – giving back to the city of Tucson.
Camacho, 30, gives back to Tucson in countless ways, but now she’s giving back in the way that’s needed most during these dire times brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Camacho is currently devoting her time as a frontline worker and Operating Room Nurse at Northwest Medical Center.
Camacho’s new role with Northwest comes after three years as an Active Duty Air Force member of the 60th Surgical Operations Squadron. Now, she has transitioned into the Air Force Reserves while simultaneously remaining active with FC Tucson and Northwest Medical Center. Most importantly, she remains resilient during these tumultuous times as her determination for soccer, nursing and military service is unwavering.
“I am just very grateful to be a part of this community and represent Tucson through the club, Air Force, and being a nurse,” said Camacho. “It feels good to give back to this local community with both coaching and nursing because to me, being a player, fan and member of the frontline goes hand in hand. It’s all about service to Tucson.”
Across all of her astounding accomplishments, Camacho has been known by numerous titles – Captain Camacho of the US Air Force, Coach Camacho on the soccer field, and Nurse Camacho at Northwest Medical Center. But before this all, she was best known in Tucson as #3 of FC Tucson’s Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) team. It was during the 2015 WPSL season that Karina first showed Tucson what she was made of while donned in the trademark black FC Tucson kit. Camacho’s strength and determination were regularly on display to the die-hard supporters at Kino Sports Complex. Camacho’s notoriety in the local soccer community grew so much that it reached an important figure of FC Tucson – the current USL League One men’s team head coach and her former coach at the University of Arizona, John Galas.
“Karina was a standout player at the University of Arizona. It is a great honor to have coached her,” said Galas. “There is no surprise she has accomplished so much and is such an active member of our Tucson community. She is a tremendous role model and I’m extremely proud to know her.”
Entering her fifth year as an FC Tucson player with over 10 years playing in the WPSL, Camacho recognizes her new role as a leader for her FC Tucson teammates. It is a role that the midfielder has perfectly transitioned due to her decorated military experience. With this experience in hand, Camacho has delved into another special way to give back to her beloved Old Pueblo, by coaching the next generation of Tucson’s soccer players. Her new coaching career has led to the appointment of soccer coach at Salpointe High School.
“I try to be on top of my game as a coach and to be a role model and mentor to kids. It’s a driving motivation for me to have girls see FC Tucson Women play so they can say ‘Hey maybe I can do something like that,” said Camacho.
Camacho’s passion for playing and coaching stood strong through her devoted military service.
“Each year through active duty I was able to participate in soccer at a certain level. It feels great to be connected with multiple Tucson communities and it provides a special sense of community to have been a coach to youth players and to later see them on the field with me at FC Tucson.”
Camacho’s spirit of service knows no bounds and as a result, unwell patients at Northwest, youth soccer players in Tucson, FC Tucson stars at Kino Sports Complex and courageous military members across the nation will continue to remain in her safe hands.
FC Tucson and the Tucson community is fortunate to have a hero like Karina Camacho from the frontlines to the sideline in 2020.
The travel ban saga surrounding Spanish midfielder Manuel Ferriol Martínez is finally over. The Levante Unión Deportiva product rejoins FC Tucson and lands in the Old Pueblo six months after signing with the club.
“I’m so happy to finally be here with the team. This is what I have wanted ever since I was a kid, to be a professional,” says Ferriol. “I am so thankful to Tucson for the opportunity. I look forward to working hard for the team and hopefully we can achieve all the goals the club set at the beginning of the season.”
Ferriol, 22, officially signed for the club on February 27, 2020. Due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, Ferriol remained in Spain before being allowed to return stateside. He joins after being selected 40th overall by FC Dallas in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft – however, was not signed by the club.
“Delighted to finally welcome Manu to the club. It’s been a long wait, but well worth the wait,” said FC Tucson Head Coach John Galas. “He’s an exciting dynamic attacking mid that brings great quality and a high football IQ to our team.”
Born in Valencia, Spain, the Spaniard developed within the Levante academy in La Liga for four years, from 2010 to 2016 before joining NCAA Division 1 soccer program James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Ferriol played three seasons with James Madison University, making 64 appearances, scoring 30 goals and adding 10 assists. The midfielder collected accolades such as CAA Player of the Year, All-CAA First Team, ECAC Offensive Player of the Year. Ferriol has experience playing in the No. 10 role from his time at JMU and played the No. 6 and 8 roles during his Levante academy development.
Now in Tucson’s Kino Sports Complex, Ferriol has made officially made his return to the field, making his professional debut in the club’s 2-0 loss to 2019 USL League One Champions, North Texas SC on September 12, 2020. Ferriol entered the match in the 79th minute, playing 11 minutes.
“My first goals are to help the team in whichever way I can. Whether it’s on the bench or starting in the first 11, I don’t care, I just want to help the team,” said Ferriol. “If it’s with goals and assists it will be better but the common goal is the most important to me of trying to win the league.”
Ferriol will be available for selection in FC Tucson’s next match against New England Revolution II on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Kino Sports Complex.
Two second-half goals by North Texas SC spelled defeat for FC Tucson on Saturday night at Kino North Stadium.
After FC Tucson controlled the tempo in the first half and for the first 10 minutes of the second half, North Texas had four bites at the apple before sinking in its teeth when Erik Virgin was called for a handball in the penalty area and Giovanni Godoy was shown a yellow card for a foul in the box. Ronaldo Damus converted the penalty in the 61st minute for his third goal of the season to give North Texas a 1-0 lead.
Eight minutes later, North Texas (2-2-4, 10 points) doubled its lead when Collin Smith scored from close range during a goalmouth scramble.
“They’re obviously disappointed with the result because they feel they put in an honest performance and an honest shift,” FC Tucson coach John Galas said. “But again, moments change games. … I feel bad for my boys for this one.”
FC Tucson had a lion’s share of the chances in a scoreless first half. Charlie Dennis had a shot just miss in the seventh minute and Shak Adams had a shot go just slightly wide on a breakaway in the 12th minute. North Texas keeper Carlos Avilez came out about 40 yards and Adams had him beat, only to see the ball trickle just past the far post, denying the FC Tucson forward from becoming just the second player in USL League One history to score in five consecutive matches. Emiliano Terzaghi of the Richmond Kickers became the first player earlier in the day against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC.
“They had more possession, but we knew that they were going to try to build out of the back … we weren’t really worried about that,” Galas said. “We obviously had some clear, clear chances.”
“If Shak scores that goal, if we get a lucky break, it could have been a different outcome. We just can’t catch a break. We absolutely went toe to toe with this team which is absolutely one of the best in the league in terms of pure football.”
North Texas had a handful of corners in the final 20 minutes of the first half, but rarely threatened FC Tucson keeper Carlos Merancio.
FC Tucson (2-5-1, 7 points) will look to get back into the win column when it hosts New England Revolution II at Kino North Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The current FC Tucson roster has five players who have taken the field for the club in multiple seasons. One of those five is midfielder Erik Virgen, who also played for the Men In Black in 2017 and 2019.
* The other four players are Ramone Howell (2019), Carlos Merancio (2019), Raheem Somersall (2019) and A.J. Valenzuela (2018).
* A total of 88 players have played in two or more seasons for FC Tucson. Twenty-six players have taken the field in three or more seasons for the Men In Black.
* FC Tucson legend Dom Papa holds the record for playing in the most seasons. He pulled on the FC Tucson uniform for all or part of the season from 2011 to 2017.
FC Tucson have officially signed attacker Darius Lewis. Lewis, 20, is a Trinidad and Tobago Senior National Team player and joins the club following one season with Europa League club, Kí Klaksvík of the Faroe Islands Premier League.
“I am excited to welcome Darius to the club. He will provide us with another attacking option for the remainder of the year,” said FC Tucson Head Coach John Galas. “He comes from a great youth set up with the Philadelphia Union Academy and has had some professional experience playing in the top division in the Faroe Islands. He is a quick, dynamic, explosive, and technical player. He is a welcomed addition to the club.”
Lewis began his professional career in January 2019, following a youth career with the Philadelphia Union Academy. As a youth player of the Philadelphia Union Academy, the St. Lucie, Florida native scored 21 goals over three seasons of play for the U17 and U19 age groups.
American-born-Trinidadian by way of parents from Trinidad and Tobago, Lewis received his Trinidad citizenship in 2018. The forward made his debut for the Soca Warriors Senior Team on November 10, 2019, scoring two goals in a 15–0 victory over Anguilla. Lewis becomes the second Trinidad and Tobago international to join the professional ranks of the Men In Black.
“The guys have taken me in as one of their own and I’ve been friendly with most of them. A couple of the guys have been mentoring me while I’m here so I’m grateful for that. It’s a really nice group of guys. We train hard and we fight hard,” said Lewis.
Following his signing, Lewis made his first appearance with FC Tucson on September 5th, 2020 in the club’s 2-2 draw vs. Richmond Kickers. The forward entered the match in the 89th minute and completed all three of his attempted passes.
“It felt good to get back out there even in those circumstances. But I’m grateful to be out there again. It’s my second professional team at 20 years old, and I’m just blessed to be able to be playing this game as a living,” said Lewis. “Few people in the world can say that. I’m grateful to just get back going, get back training. Playing this game was very emotional for me inside.”
Lewis and FC Tucson’s second match of their three-game home stretch is set for Saturday, September 12 at 7:30 pm PST against the 2019 USL League One Champions North Texas SC. The club will host a Drive-In Watch Party at El Toro Flicks Carpool Cinema in Downtown Tucson, inviting fans to support from the comfort of their vehicle. Tickets are available at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/fctucson/promotions.
After a long time away from Kino North Stadium, FC Tucson appeared to be on its way back to success. But a very early two-goal Tucson lead was answered by a late first-half score and then a strike at the death by the Richmond Kickers to leave the teams sharing the points in a 2-2 game Saturday night.
It had been 27 days between home matches for the Men In Black and they were quickly ready to show they were back in form, scoring twice in the opening 15 minutes.
After Richmond’s Ivan Magalhaes fouled Roberto Alarcon in the box and was whistled for a penalty, Alarcon stepped up and struck it to goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald’s right to put FC Tucson ahead 1-0 in the 10th minute.
“It was his success that got the penalty and then he scored the penalty,” FC Tucson coach John Galas said of Alarcon. “He seems to be involved in everything that we do.”
The lead was doubled when red-hot Man In Black Shak Adams scored for the fourth consecutive match. After a scintillating run, Adams struck to give FC Tucson a 2-0 lead in the 15th minute. With that score, he tied the franchise record of scoring in four straight matches.
“There’s no more secrets in this league,” Galas said when referring to Adams. “Even with that he certainly had his moments.”
But the Kickers put on more pressure in a feisty match and were rewarded with a penalty of their own, which Emiliano Terzaghi converted for his sixth goal of the season to cut the deficit in half in the 40th minute.
In an intense back-and-forth second half, it looked like FC Tucson might come away with the three points. But Richmond midfielder Victor Falyk said otherwise when he headed in a Ryley Kraft cross in the 93rd minute to pull the Kickers (4-1-2, 14 points) even.
“I thought we were careless with the ball at times, too loose defensively,’’ Galas said. “I don’t think a draw was a fair result.”
Late FC Tucson substitute Darius Lewis, who was making his first appearance for the club, echoed that sentiment.
“We just had a lack of commitment in the box,” Lewis said. “It’s a tough way to finish. It feels like we ended up losing even though we had a draw.”
FC Tucson (2-4-1, 7 points) will continue its three-game homestand when it goes up against North Texas SC at Kino Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12 with the kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
When FC Tucson faces the Richmond Kickers at Kino North Stadium on Saturday night, it will end a run of 27 days between home matches. That’s the second longest time between home matches during a season in the club’s history. Let’s take a closer look at these long spells on the road.
* In its history, FC Tucson has dealt with 14 stretches where the team was gone 10 or more days between home matches and five where it had to be away for 20 or more days.
* The longest stretch occured last year when the Men In Black had to go 51 days between stepping out onto the Kino North Stadium pitch for a match.
* This year’s time away passes another 2019 drought (22 days) for second place on the all-time list.
* The good news is that the Men In Black play pretty well when they return from being road warriors. In 13 home games following those long away stretches, they have picked up 9 wins and 3 draws to just 1 loss. In those games, FC Tucson has outscored opponents 43-13.
A 78th-minute goal by a substitute denied FC Tucson from gaining some revenge in Saturday night’s 2-1 loss to Union Omaha at Werner Park in Omaha, Neb.
Fifteen minutes after coming on to the pitch, Christian Molina latched on to a through ball on a counterattack and slotted home the winner for the home side. It was the second time this season the Men In Black dropped a 2-1 result to Omaha.
In the first 15 minutes of the game, FC Tucson’s defense absorbed Omaha’s constant pressure before Devin Boyce curled in a shot past the reach of shielded goalkeeper Carlos Merancio in the 16th minute.
The goal flipped the switch on FC Tucson (2-4-0, six points) as the Men In Black began pushing forward and would spend much of the rest of the first half in Union Omaha territory. It would pay off in the 33rd minute when Shak Adams curled one in along the ground and just inside the far post to make it 1-1.
That goal made Adams the 11th player in club history to score in three or more consecutive matches. The former Florida Gulf Coast University star has three goals and two assists in his last 262 minutes on the field. The FC Tucson record for most consecutive games with a goal is four, held by three players.
Early in the second half, FC Tucson survived a rare indirect free kick from 6 yards after the Men In Black were whistled for a back-pass violation. The 50th-minute kick appeared to bounce off three FC Tucson players on the goal line before going out of play.
In the second half, FC Tucson put together numerous forays down the right side while Union Omaha’s offense mustered up a handful of corners that ended up going begging.
But it would be the Owls (3-0-3, 12 points) who would finally capitalize as Molina latched onto a pass and scored.
With some new legs on the pitch, FC Tucson pushed forward for the equalizer but couldn’t find the net.
FC Tucson will try to get back on the winning track when it opens a three-match homestand against the Richmond Kickers on Sept. 5 at Kino North Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Did you know? The Men In Black, who will be looking to earn their third win in five league road matches when they face Omaha on Saturday, have a .500 or better away record in six of their eight previous league seasons.
* Including this year, FC Tucson has won 60 percent of league road games since it first began league play back in 2012 (33 wins, 20 losses, 15 draws).
* Excluding last year, FC Tucson has an impressive record of 28 wins, 11 draws, and 11 losses in all league road games.
* In their first eight league seasons, the Men In Black never lost more than four road games in a season.
* In 2016, FC Tucson went an amazing 7-0-0 on the road during the PDL season. In three other PDL seasons, the club only lost one road match each year.
This season FC Tucson sits at 2-2 on the road. With their fifth road game of the season on the horizon this weekend, the #RoadWarriors are set to put their impressive road record to the test.
