FC Tucson dropped its first home USL League One of the season on a night where everything seemed to go wrong for the Men in Black.
FC Tucson (1-2-1) lost 2-0 to South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday night at Kino North Stadium.
“One team came to play with the intensity that’s required in this league, at a professional level and one team didn’t. It’s pretty simple,” FC Tucson coach Jon Pearlman said. “Both goals were unforced errors on our part, completely avoidable.”
South Georgia Tormenta FC (2-1-1) extended its unbeaten streak in all competitions to five, including two wins over USL Championship sides, Charleston Battery and Birmingham Legion, in the Lamar Cup U.S. Open Cup.
"Tonight was very tough for us, obviously, as you could see,” said FC Tucson forward Deri Corfe. “It was a good performance by Tormenta, the difference was we ended up going a man down, it’s never easy to do that, so it was one of them nights for us to be honest, it was a bit tough.”
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South Georgia's Alex Morrell goes flying after gettin clipped by FC Tucson's Louis Pérez, earning Pérez his second yellow card and an ejection in the second half.
The Tormenta have allowed just one goal all season, back in a 1-0 season-opening loss to North Carolina FC. South Georgia has five shutouts across all competitions, including against Charleston and Birmingham from the higher flight.
Tormenta midfielder Adrian Billhardt broke the deadlock with a goal in the 61st minute.
Then in the 62nd minute, FC Tucson midfielder Louis Perez picked up his second yellow card for a foul and was sent off. Perez is the reigning USL League One Player of the Week.
“A player decides to get a yellow card for dissent in the first half and then doesn’t control himself and gets a yellow in the second half, puts us a man down. Game over,” Pearlman said. “Not good enough from us, no discipline and I’ll own all that, that’s on me.”
FC Tucson's Burke Fahling, right, sends South Georgia's Christopher Heckenberg to the turf on a tackle from behind in the second half of their USL League One match.
In the 84th minute, Tormenta midfielder Barakatulla Sharifi scored on a corner kick to seal the three points.
FC Tucson returns to action next Saturday, when it hosts North Carolina FC (1-2-1) at 7 p.m. on teacher appreciation night.
“It’s early days, it’s four games into our league season, the panic button’s not gonna be hit,” Pearlman said.
Corner kicks
• In the 66th minute, FC Tucson defender Kaelon Fox made his season debut. Fox was FC Tucson’s player of the year last in 2021. Pearlman said Fox was on a 30-minute limit and if training goes well he can start against North Carolina.
• Saturday marked FC Tucson’s first home loss in league play since Oct. 13, when it fell 2-0 to North Carolina FC. The Men in Black’s unbeaten streak at home was four, including three straight wins to end 2021.
Photos: FC Tucson falls to South Georgia 2-0, USL League One
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
South Georgia's Jake Dengler (25) clears the ball out of the Tormenta box off the head of FC Tucson's Gio Calixtro (11) during a second half scramble in their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
South Georgia's Alex Morrell (14) goes flying after getting clipped by FC Tucson's Louis Pérez (13), earning Pérez his second yellow and an ejection in the second half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
FC Tucson's Burke Fahling (32) sends South Georgia's Christopher Heckenberg (21) to the turf on a tackle from behind in the second half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
FC Tucson's Tyler Moss (22) drags down South Georgia's Arthur Bosua (27) as the two fight for possession in the second half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
South Georgia's Jake Dengler (25) and FC Tucson's geo Calixtro (11) crash to the turf after getting tangled fighting for the ball in the first half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
South Georgia's Gabriel Cabral (8) crashes into FC Tucson's Daniel Bedoya (8) near midfield in the first half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
South Georgia's Arthur Bosua (27) goes down in the arms of FC Tucson's Tyler Moss (22) in the first half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
FC Tucson's Charlie Machell (25) tries to bring down a long ball between South Georgia's Arthur Bosua (27), left, and South Georgia's Adrian Billhardt (10) in the second half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
FC Tucson's Louis Pérez (13), left, and South Georgia's Deshawon Nembhard (12) jostle for position chasing the ball in the second half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
FC Tucson's Charlie Machell (25) jumps in front of South Georgia's Adrian Billhardt (10) to win a 50-50 ball in the second half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
FC Tucson vs South Georgia Tormenta
South Georgia's Arthur Bosua (27) and FC Tucson's Jake Crull (16) collide while jumping for a ball in the FC third in the first half of their USL League One match at Kino Sports Complex, Tucson, Ariz., April 30, 2022.
