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Three Things to Watch: Fort Lauderdale CF vs. FC Tucson

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 07/23/20, 12:00PM EDT

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Fort Lauderdale aims to bounce back while FC Tucson seeks win in first match


Fort Lauderdale's Francisco Raggio chases down a loose ball in the league's opening match. Photo courtesy of Fort Lauderdale CF.

FC Tucson opens its second professional season on the road against Fort Lauderdale CF Saturday night. Fort Lauderdale enters the match looking to rebound after suffering defeat at the hands of Greenville Triumph SC in the club’s inaugural game. FCT will be hoping to start its season off with a road victory, as it did a season ago against Orlando City B, while Fort Lauderdale will be looking for its first win in club history when the two sides meet at Inter Miami CF Stadium. Here are three things to watch:

New Look FC Tucson

As discussed in our season preview, FC Tucson enters the 2020 season with a largely new roster and newly-appointed Head Coach John Galas in charge. Having not seen much of FCT during this unprecedented preseason, we’ll be eager to see which names find their way onto Galas’ team sheet.

Niall Logue and Raheem Somerall were named club captains earlier this week, so expect them to have places in FCT’s Starting XI along with returning goalkeeper Carlos Merancio Valdez. With Logue, Somerall and Merancio Valdez in the mix, FC Tucson should have a strong spine to build off.

Can Someone Start Fast?

Fort Lauderdale looked lethargic in the first 20 minutes of its opening contest, while Greenville came out on the front foot and grabbed hold of the match. Now that the players have 90 minutes under their belts and another game at home, look for the hosts to try and stamp their authority on the match early. 

On the opposite side of the field, an early goal will go a long way for the visiting FC Tucson. If Galas’ side can shake off the travel and put Fort Lauderdale on its heels early, it will have a good chance of leaving Florida with points. FCT has waited 295 days between matches; Galas will be hoping his players are raring to go.

The Fort Lauderdale Attack

Fort Lauderdale only took seven shots against Greenville last weekend and only two hit the target. It’s a first-year club with lots of young players on the roster, so we weren’t expecting them to set the world on fire in Week 1, but we can expect improvement in Week 2.

At times, Fort Lauderdale’s front three looked dangerous. Despite having the misfortune of playing the league’s best defense from a year ago in their opening match, Ricky Lopez-Espin, Edison Azcona, and Francisco Raggio -- whose average age is 19 -- showed glimpses of their abilities in the attacking third against the Triumph. They should be looking to take advantage against an FCT defense that hasn’t played a meaningful match together yet.

With Inter Miami CF knocked out of the MLS Is Back Tournament there’s a chance we could see some MLS players feature in this match. Logue and company need to be ready.


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