Redlands FC will have a chance to avenge their first loss of the season this weekend as they play host to FC Tucson on Saturday night.
The Opponent
FC Tucson took down Redlands 2-1 in Arizona a couple of weeks ago, but it’s important to note Redlands was playing their second game in as many days and fatigue clearly became a factor in the final minutes when FC Tucson scored the game winning goal.
Tucson sits in first place in the Southwest Division entering this weekend with 15 points in 6 games. Their only loss came against City SC on June 12th. Tucson also holds the division lead in goal differential with 47 goals scored and only 5 goals allowed.
A win for Redlands would earn a season split with Tucson, but because of that large goal differential Redlands would not be able to earn the tiebreaker if it comes down to it later in the season.
Redlands FC head coach Cody Carlson said his squad is ready for the challenge though, stating “We’ve been looking forward to playing Tucson at home in the return game for another chance at them”. Carlson also noted Redlands will once again be playing Tucson on less than two day's rest, but that “we’ll give it everything we can to take 3 points at home”.
Next Man Up
Redlands will unfortunately not be at full strength this weekend due to player availability, resulting in 3 starters being away from the team. This led Carlson to stress that everyone should be ready to contribute, “We’ll be missing some of our main guys for various reasons, so we’ll rely on our bench and we need a next man up mentality.”
Redlands has gotten plenty of support from their reserves so far this season, especially from Wyatt Ponting who has provided a second wave of attack late in games.
Player to Watch: Tony Flores
Flores is back for another summer as Redlands last line of defense, and he has split time in net with Miguel Hernandez. Expect Flores to be back in net on Saturday, as Redlands will need him to make some crucial saves if they want to take down the top ranked team in the division.
Final Notes
A Redlands win on Saturday would really help them gain some ground in the standings and push towards a playoff spot. Redlands will have 5 days off before returning to action against second place Ventura County at home on June 27th.
Caden Henderson has been a journalist since he was five. He has interviewed athletes like Mike Trout. Caden is pursuing a degree at the University of Redlands. He is also the voice of Redlands FC.
