FC Tucson’s 2026 campaign came to a close on Friday night as its search for an equalizer came up empty in the City by the Bay.
San Francisco City FC (13-1-1) beat FC Tucson (6-3-4) 1-0 at home in the USL League Two’s round of 32 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. It was SFC’s first USL League Two playoff game.
In the 49th minute, San Francisco City defender Devin Rosas scored from about 7 yards out on their third corner kick in a row.
FC Tucson had more chances late in the match but could not tie it up, losing to the host side in California for the second straight postseason. Last season, FCT fell 2-0 to the Ventura County Fusion in the round of 16.
FC Tucson and SFC played a scoreless first half that was back and forth.
In the 10th minute, FCT had the first scoring chance of the match, but a shot from about 10 yards out went wide.
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In the 19th minute, San Francisco City hoped to draw a penalty kick, but no foul was called on the play.
FC Tucson’s next best chance came in the 32nd minute when a shot on a header forced a save by San Francisco City goalkeeper Andrew Samuels.
With a squad depleted by injuries and players returning to their college teams, FC Tucson enlisted forward Donny Toia to start. The Canyon del Oro High School and Pima College alum played for Orlando City, Chivas USA, Montreal Impact, Atlanta United and Real Salt Lake in the MLS and for FC Tucson in its first friendly when most of the team's college players were unavailable.
FC Tucson left wing Ismael Ruiz (21) can’t quite get a foot in as City SC defender Isaac Homer (11) beats him to the loose ball in the first half of their USL League Two game in Tucson on June 26, 2026.
Toia started up top along with Alexis Ledoux and Ismael Ruiz, who went to Tucson High and Pima. Ledoux made his season debut after winning the Southwest Division player of the year in 2025 and taking some time off after his daughter was born.
At the hour mark, Pima sophomore and Salpointe Catholic alumnus Leonel Gutierrez replaced Toia.
FC Tucson forward Leonel Gutierrez (47) tries to poke the ball away from a Capo FC player in the second half of the USL League Two match in Tucson on July 10, 2026.
In the 51st minute, SFC almost went up 2-0, but the shot went just wide.
Then, four minutes later, San Francisco City defender Sean Ueda picked up the first yellow card of the game for unsporting behavior. In the 77th minute, San Francisco City defender Salvador Isaac Sandoval was cautioned for persistent infringement and, in the 90th minute, FC Tucson midfielder Mateo Stoke got the game’s third yellow for unsporting behavior.
The hosts threatened in the 65th minute, but FC Tucson goalkeeper Matheus Rohrmens got the save, and 10 minutes later, he stopped a San Francisco City shot at the near post.
FC Tucson's goalkeeper Matheus Rohrmens (30) makes the sprawling attempt on a Ventura County shot that slipped just wide in the second half of their USL League Two match in Tucson on July 3, 2025.
By the 89th minute, San Francisco City had taken over the match with a player one-on-one with Rohrmens, but the FC Tucson defense quickly closed in on him, and then, a few seconds later, a shot hit the crossbar.
Corner kicks
– On Friday, FC Tulsa of the USL Championship announced that it signed FC Tucson defender Joel Sangwa to a 25-day contract.
The Phoenix native played 719 minutes for FC Tucson this season, helping the Men in Black hold opponents to 0.92 goals per match during the regular season.
“We’re excited to welcome Joel to Tulsa,” said Tulsa general manager and sporting director Caleb Sewell in a press release. “He’s no stranger to our environment, having trained with us previously, so he already understands what we’re building and what’s expected day to day. With the injury situation we’re currently navigating, this is a real opportunity for him to step in and make an impact, and we’re confident he’ll take it with both hands.”
FC Tucson centerback Joel Sangwa (4) comes in to challenge Capo FC midfielder Devin Zachry (9) for a ball along the line in the first half of their USL League Two match in Tucson on July 10, 2026.
Sangwa won an NJCAA national championship at Iowa Western Community College in 2021 before transferring to Akron.
He previously played for Huntsville City FC, Nashville SC’s affiliate in MLS Next Pro. The USL Championship is the second level of the American soccer pyramid, while MLS Next Pro is on the third and League Two is on the fourth.
– FC Tucson owner and president Jon Pearlman will serve as honorary co-captain for Sunday’s Sugar Skulls game along with former Tucson Roadrunners captain Adam Cracknell.
Pearlman and Roadrunners president/alternate governor Bob Hoffman attended the Sugar Skulls' October press conference, where the team's new local-led ownership was unveiled.
Cracknell played the last two seasons for Poprad HK SKP in Slovakia after serving as Tucson’s captain in 2022-23.
– The last time FC Tucson went winless in the USL League Two playoffs was in 2017 when it lost 1-0 at home to Fresno Fuego in the first match of the postseason. However, that season, the Men in Black reached the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup before falling to the Colorado Springs Switchbacks from what is now the USL Championship.
– The Ventura County Fusion won the San Francisco pod’s first match, 1-0 over Project 51O on Friday afternoon to set up an all-California matchup on Sunday with San Francisco City. The Fusion is from FC Tucson’s Southwest Division in Southern California, while Project 51O is from San Francisco City’s NorCal Division and is from Oakland.
