FC Tucson’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run came to an end on Wednesday night.
Arizona United topped the Men in Black 5-0, as FC Tucson (3-1) conceded its first goals of the season.
Arizona United advances to host United Soccer League Western Conference rival Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, which beat the amateur side Harpo’s FC 1-0. Had FC Tucson won, it would have hosted the Switchbacks.
FC Tucson conceded its first goal of the season in the 27th minute, when United midfielder Luke Rooney scored on a free kick. The foul came on a challenge by FC Tucson midfielder Dom Papa, who earned a yellow card.
About six minutes later, United forward Long Tan sliced his way through the FC Tucson defense a scored from just outside the penalty area.
This was the first FC Tucson and Arizona United derby. Before the match the Cactus Pricks unveiled a tifo with the outline of the state and jagged line across it that read “Arizona Divided.”
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Arizona United is the only Phoenix-area team that FC Tucson has lost to. The Men in Black are 6-2-1 against Valley of the Sun teams, though those matches were mostly exhibitions.
FC Tucson beat United’s USL predecessor Phoenix FC 2-1 in the 2013 U.S. Open Cup but lost 3-1 to Arizona United in the Desert Diamond Cup in February.
In 2013, FC Tucson beat another professional side, the San Antonio Scorpions of the North American Soccer League and got to play at the Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo.
Arizona United scored a back breaker in the first minute of first-half stoppage time when midfielder Gibson Bardsley scored on a cross from midfielder Sam Garza.
The visitors scored again in the 48th minute when forward Tyler Blackwood got a goal on an inopportune loss of possession by FC Tucson midfielder Evan Waldrep.
In the 54th minute Bardsley received a second yellow for a hard foul and was sent off.
Tan earned a brace in the 68th minute with another goal.
United is near the bottom of the USL Western table but has a five- match unbeaten streak.
USL sides won almost all of their matches in the Open Cup on Wednesday, although the Lansdowne Bhoys FC did upset the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2-0.
Up next for FC Tucson is its Premier Development League home opener against the Southern California Seahorses on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Men in Black lead the Southwest Division with six points from two matches and the Seahorses have one point so far.
