108 get kick out of FC Tucson open try-outs

FC Tucson had 108 players show up for their open try-out this weekend, more than the 50-60 that the Premier Development League soccer team had in last year's public scrimmage. The larger group didn’t affect the quality, however.

"This is the best try-out in any of our years as a club," said coach Rick Schantz. "Right off the bat, I saw seven that will have a pretty good shot at making the PDL team."

Where earlier try-outs included many players who played on local men’s leagues and came out on a lark, Schantz noted that this group was more serious.

"Awareness of FC Tucson has grown so much that people know that this isn’t a local men’s team," he said. "It’s much more than that."

Most were local players, such as Catalina Foothills graduates Danny McDermott and Jack Ferguson. Both play for Division I NCAA programs (McDermott with University of San Diego and Ferguson for Cornell) and are allowed to play for a PDL team without losing their eligibility. Schantz picked both of them out as likely players in the PDL squad this summer.

In addition to the locals, players from New Mexico, California, the Pacific Northwest and Mexico came out too. The team has been able to cast a wide net, something Schantz credits to the team’s social media operation. Recruitment even comes from regions with their own strong PDL teams.

"You’ve seen our roster the last three or four years and it’s chock full of Californians," he said. "That’s because we are actively recruiting in California, and what happens is those players are actively going back and saying 'Hey man, they have a $30 million facility in Tucson and you get a free apartment. You get to travel in vans that the team owns. They take care of you.'"

"We treat them more like pros here than any other PDL franchise," he added.

The group will be culled from 108 to 20 and will likely serve as a reserve squad for the main PDL team. Reserves in past seasons have made the full team as the season wore on, including former UA placekicker Kyle McQuown and Edgar Reyna. A few will also fill out the bench for MLS preseason matches starting later this month.

Points East

Among the players who traveled from out yonder was Isaias Hernandez of Alamogordo, New Mexico. This was not the first time he’d tried his hand at soccer in Arizona. Hernandez was on the 2007 Yavapai Roughriders side that earned the national junior college championship in 2007. He was teammates with the Columbus Crew’s Justin Meram that year.

He didn’t finish his junior college career with the Roughriders, however. The midfielder and forward is eager to get back into the game after an earlier try-out with new PDL side, Albuquerque Sol.

"They had four or five fields with 11-on-11," he said of Sol’s try out. "It was hard to get seen. I think I played pretty good. I don’t know what they were looking for, but they didn’t call me back."

"I found them (FC Tucson) when I was looking for try-outs," he said. "I’ve been wanting to do something with my life and my talent for a while. I’ve been trying to get more focused, more fit."

FC Tucson general manager Jonathan Pearlman calls him a "solid player."

"He’s got a good range of passing," he said. "He showed at the top end of the group."

Even though it was a few years ago, Hernandez credits his experience at Yavapai for developing him into a complete player.

"I learned a lot at Yavapai," Hernandez said of playing for the perennial junior college power house. "I learned how to play our on the wing and how to take players on. They stress that a lot over there. It is a good program."

Points North

Phoenix native and center back John Pearman also came for the try-out. Pearman played youth soccer for Real Salt Lake as well as the Cisco Toros, where he won the national championship. He also played for NCAA division II team Seattle-Pacific.

Pearman heard about FC Tucson through one of his old coaches, the similarly named Jonathan Pearlman.

"It’s a team that’s growing," he said of the opportunities at FC Tucson. "Maybe PDL now, but there is a lot of opportunity. We get to play against MLS teams constantly."

"He’ll be a guy that we bring back into the training group," said Pearlman of Pearman. "He’s a tremendous player … this is a guy that performed tremendously collegiately."

Although the similarity of names with the FC Tucson general manager will likely give editors and readers fits, Pearman joked that it might give him an edge.

"It can’t hurt," he said.

And the rest

As for who fills out the rest of the line-up, Jonathan Pearlman said that there are 17 players who are slated for an appearance against preseason MLS teams. Those players include many of the players who were brought in for the game against Chivas USA in November, including Saeed Robinson and Kareem Smith. Dakota Collins, David Clemens and goalkeeper Michael D’Arrigo are also expected to play. All three of them are getting a serious look from Phoenix FC, and will be at the USL-Pro combine later this week.

Other expected names include Phoenix FC’s Scott Morrison, Reid Schmitt and Devon Grousis. Expect Grousis to have to do some extra wind sprints for his online comments about FC Tucson late last year.