Semifinal game will take place on Saturday, July 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Ventura College
Tucson, AZ (Sunday, July 15, 2012) — For seven days, FC Tucson knew it was going to be in the PDL playoffs. But on Saturday night FC Tucson finally learned who they would play in the franchise’s first-ever postseason game: Sounders FC U23s.
“Playing against Seattle will be a challenge that we look forward to,” said FC Tucson Head Coach Rick Schantz. “I am excited to see their head coach Darren (Sawatzky). He and I were teammates and friends at the University of Portland. He was one of the hardest working players I ever played with, so I am sure that he will have his team very prepared. I know our guys are excited and ready. I expect that the game will be very competitive.”
The Western Conference semifinal match up will take place on Saturday, July 21 at 7:30 p.m. on the campus of Ventura College in Ventura, California. The Western Conference final will be held on Sunday, July 22 at 5 p.m.
The United Soccer League announced on Friday, July 13, that the Ventura County Fusion would host the Western Conference Championship on the campus of Ventura College. The Fusion will play the winner of Kitsap vs. Portland Timbers U23s at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 21.
Schantz believed there were many positives to the championships being hosted in Ventura.
“It’s a known entity,” Schantz said “We know what the field is like and we know what the environment is like. … That’s really important when you travel as a team. The other important thing is that it’s close enough that we hope some of our fans will make their way over there to cheer on FC Tucson.”
The Western Conference Championship consists of two teams from the Northwest Division and two teams from the Southwest Division. The team who wins the Western Conference Championship will head to the PDL national semifinals held the following weekend at a site still to be determined.
