Blues for Statesboro: FC Tucson's boys in black earn win over Tormenta

FC Tucson ended its final road trip of the season with a 1 – 0 win over Tormenta FC in Statesboro, Ga., on Wednesday night.

An early shot from Elivelton hit the crossbar. It was only moments later that Giovanni Ramos Godoy scored with a precise shot from 20 yards out. It was the second goal of the season for the UC Irvine standout.

A perfect match for FC Tucson keeper Carlos Merancio (in his first start since September 12) ensured that Ramos Godoy’s goal was the winning one. Merancio recorded seven saves for the evening.

“Credit to the whole group for two shutouts on the road,” said coach John Galas. “It was a massive 180 minutes for us.”

Galas has made an emphasis on possession, but the team was out-possessed (58%-42%). This allowed Tormenta to earn 17 shots to FC Tucson’s 13.

“It was a tough game. We were under siege for a long time,” he said. “But they are resilient, and they defended well.”

The win was the first for FC Tucson against Tormenta since the two teams joined the league last year. FC Tucson is now in fifth place with an outside chance of making the league final. The team plays league-leading Greenville Triumph at Kino on Saturday.