The BYU men’s soccer team hopes to come back from a 1-1 series in California last week as it faces off against FC Tucson at South Field July 4.
BYU is currently ranked number 5 of 7 teams in its league. BYU will be playing FC Tucson, ranked 4, for the first time this season. BYU outside defender Doug Clark said, “FC Tucson is always a really strong physical team.”
“We are a team that is capable of winning every game. We just haven’t finished opportunities we create for ourselves,” said Cougars goalkeeper Brian Hale. “Most games we have lost we could’ve won. We are frustrated because we are missing opportunities and have had some transitional errors that have cost us games. We all have a love for the game, and despite our record, we have the same mentality; we never step on the field to lose.”
BYU suffered a 0-1 loss against the LA Misioneros on Saturday. This week BYU has practiced hard and is ready to see its hard work pay off in its first home game in two weeks. BYU head coach Chris Watkins said, “After a long weekend in California we are ready to play for our fans.”
BYU men’s soccer will be preparing for the game but will still celebrate Independence Day. On the morning of the Fourth the team is featured in the Freedom Festival parade. The parade begins at 8:00 a.m. and will take place in downtown Provo. Then preceding the game, fans can stay at South Field with the team and watch the Stadium of Fire’s firework show. Watkins said, “This is one of the best events that we put on.”
