One goal was all FC Tucson needed Saturday night to stay atop the PDL Mountain Division standings.
Danny Musovski scored on a penalty kick in the 64th minute to help FC Tucson beat the San Diego Zest FC 1-0 at Kino North Stadium.
The Men in Black improved to 5-2-1.
The two teams spent the first 60 minutes of play going back-and-forth in a scoreless battle, but that changed in the 61st minute of play when Musovski, a midfielder, drew a penalty after several quick dribbling moves in front of the goal.
Musovski calmly waited for three minutes while an injured San Diego Zest FC player was subbed out and then nailed a penalty goal in the 64th minute.
“Getting fouled on the play, I was just thinking to be aggressive and luckily I was able to get the penalty kick,” Musovski said. “It was a little weird waiting for three minutes to take the shot but I was confident that I was going to make it. And I did.”
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San Diego Zest FC (3-5-1) had a great chance to equalize in the 79th minute when forward Garrett Heine got through the FC Tucson central defenders and had an opportunity just yards from the goal.
FC Tucson goalkeeper Lucas Vallilo charged at Heine and made the save with his chest, stopping the Zest’s best and final second-half chance.
San Diego put together the first true scoring chance in the 19th minute on a breakaway from forward Patrick McGrath, who received the ball after he timed his run perfectly through FC Tucson central defenders Gio Vazquez and Sebastian Pineda.
However, Vallilo batted away McGrath’s one-on-one shot attempt, making the first of three key first-half saves in the process.
“Lucas Vallilo was unbelievable and the difference in the game,” FC Tucson coach Jon Pearlman said. “It could’ve been 3-1 the other way and he made four incredible world-class saves.
“You need that in the season to make the difference.”
Play settled down for the next 15 minutes before San Diego Zest FC put together three prime scoring chances late in the first half.
Vallilo strung together a crucial kick save in the 35th minute on a shot just one yard from goal, caused McGrath’s shot in the 38th minute to sail over goal and barely batted away a screamer at the top right corner of the goal in the 40th minute to keep the game tied at 0-0 heading into halftime.
After the game, Vallilo said he revels in games where he sees a lot of action like Saturday night.
“I want to show what I’m working and training on,” he said. “Games like that are so exciting and I saw clean shots. This weather was so hot and the team felt it, but I would say every goalie wants to see a game like this.”
FC Tucson next hosts Albuquerque Sol FC at 7 p.m. Saturday at Kino North Stadium.
