The Details

Foxes come home on Saturday, March 23rd for our home opener at Chukchansi Park. The match starts at 7:30 P.M. but show up early – downtown Fresno is going to be crazy on Saturday.

Tickets can be bought here.

For season ticket holders there is free parking in the H street lot. For everyone else, parking is generally $10, though apparently, it can be more in private lots. Fresyes Fest is also on Saturday – which is why getting there early and getting parking is going to be essential for anyone wanting to attend the match.

Pick up a ticket, pick up some merch, and show up ready to go on Saturday. We want to show a strong front to support the team. It should be a fun game. So let’s get to know the opposition.

Reno, the Other Local Rival

Everyone knows about Sacramento – the team we love to hate. I think though that Reno is another local rival that we should add to our Derby list. They’re close enough to travel, and they are a decent team. Right now they are level on points with us after their home win over Austin Bold last Saturday. The “Little City” derby is set up to be an exciting contest.

Players to Watch

Reno is coming to the Chuk off a win at home and that is going to make them dangerous. Luckily for us, they will be missing the lynchpin of their team – Brian Brown. Brown has scored 3 of the 4 goals that Reno has put up in their two opening matches, and his absence will mean the rest of their team will have to work hard in his absence. He was recently called up to the Jamaican national team squad – his gain, our gain, but Reno’s loss.

Other players we should watch out for include Mafeka (1 goal, and 2 shots), Gleadle (2 shots), Calvillo (1 shot) and Mendiola (2 shots, 1 on target). Their attack seems very strong, while their defensive stats leave a lot to be desired. From watching their game against Austin it appears that #5 Zach Carroll might be a liability that we should take advantage of.

The Play

I think our best bet this game is similar to what we did against RGV. A defensive game – with play coming from the back. If we can manage to keep possession (something we are surprisingly bad at) I am confident that we will get the ball forward enough to get some shots on goal.

I am hoping to see a commanding game from Seth Moses. If he can boss the midfield like he did against RGV then we should have a good shot at letting Caffa do what he needs to offensively. Johnson has been chomping at the bit and I doubt he will be content to let others score all the goals this game. It should be a good show and I think it will be a great chance for the Foxes to show Fresno why they should come out to the games.

Final Thoughts

I think this game will be a lively contest. Reno is going to be trying new tactics in the absence of Brown, but that opens them up to new mistakes. Smith and the team should be looking to take advantage of those mistakes and utilize the atmosphere at the Chuk to get another 3 points on the board.

Score prediction

2-0 Foxes.

#SomosZorros