FC Tulsa Shooting for Three Results on the Bounce
TULSA – On the heels of a big win over Atlanta United 2 on Saturday night, it’s a quick turnaround for FC Tulsa as New Mexico United comes into town. Tulsa’s midweek matchup on Wednesday will mark its sixth match played over the last 22 days, but with seven points earned over its last four outings, FC Tulsa’s movement up the standings does not indicate any signs of fatigue.
JJ Williams has three goals across Tulsa’s last three contests, and Rodrigo da Costa has scored in back-to-back matches as the offense has shaken off its early summer skid and has begun to find the back of the net once again. FC Tulsa has tallied multiple scores in three of its last four contests and after bagging two goals last Saturday night, the club is up to 18 goals scored at ONEOK Field in 2022.
FC Tulsa will be searching for its seventh home win of the season, but it will be doing so against a tough opponent in New Mexico United. The club from Albuquerque has only conceded 14 goals in 2022, tied for the fewest in the USL Championship. However, FC Tulsa has been able to overcome stingy defenses all season at ONEOK Field, including three goals scored in victories over both Birmingham Legion FC and Detroit City FC, two of the top seven defensive clubs in the league.
A difficult road stretch against opponents above FC Tulsa in the Eastern Conference awaits the club following Wednesday night’s match, but so does seven days of rest, and those seven days will feel much better following a result against a strong New Mexico side. A win would put FC Tulsa back in playoff position, and with 13 matches remaining, there is still plenty of time to climb higher than just seventh place in the East.
The match, presented by Williams, is set to kick off from ONEOK at 7:30 p.m. CT.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO UNITED
After missing the playoffs by just a single point last season, New Mexico United made it its mission to clear the line in 2022, and the club seems to be well on its way. In only 17 matches played, New Mexico has posted an 8W-3L-6D record and currently sits in sixth place in the Western Conference.
Neco Brett and Justin Portillo, New Mexico’s two biggest offseason additions, are tied for the club lead with five goals. Brett made the move out west from Birmingham Legion FC and Portillo joined United after three seasons of pinging back-and-forth between Real Monarchs SLC and its MLS affiliate Real Salt Lake. The Greek goalkeeper Alex Tambakis is coming off a terrific 2021 campaign and has logged four clean sheets while conceding only 11 times thus far in 2022.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) Brown for Kiesewetter
Despite having never dealt with each other on the pitch, FC Tulsa and New Mexico United do have a history thanks to an offseason swap between the two sides. On January 5, it was announced that FC Tulsa had traded forward Jerome Kiesewetter to New Mexico in exchange for Brian Brown. Since the trade, Brown has appeared for Tulsa 16 times and has scored three goals, including Saturday’s match winner, along with his one assist. For New Mexico, Kiesewetter has appeared 10 times with one goal and two assists.
2) Bourgeois Made it Seven
After Bradley Bourgeois recorded his second assist of the season on Saturday night vs Atlanta United 2, FC Tulsa now has seven players with multiple assists in 2022. Only Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Memphis 901 FC, and LA Galaxy II accompany Tulsa with at least seven players with two or more assists during the current season.
3) Ricketts Through Five
Since being named the interim head coach of FC Tulsa, Donovan Ricketts has gone 2W-2L-1D in his first five matches in charge. The Jamaican legend is perfect at ONEOK Field with wins over Charleston Battery and Atlanta United 2 in his first two home matches.
HOW TO WATCH
The best way to catch the match is with a ticket to the action in person, still available here!
If you are not able to make it out to ONEOK Field, it will be broadcasted on My41 locally in Tulsa and will be available to stream on ESPN+. Be sure to follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for live updates, news, highlights, and more throughout the match!
