The Tulsa Roughnecks FC battled the Real Monarchs to a 1-1 draw Saturday evening before a crowd of 3,519 at beautiful Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Tulsa’s goal came early in the match, courtesy of Cristian Mata.
The entertaining draw ended a five-match losing streak for the Roughnecks and a three-match winning streak for the Monarchs.
Match Photos courtesy of S.Taggart/Real Monarchs
The game began quickly with plenty of open spaces at each end. The first scoring opportunity fell to the Monarchs in the first 90 seconds when Amet Ramirez fired a shot off the post.
In the sixth minute, the Roughnecks threatened when they were awarded a free kick for a foul just outside the penalty area. Kaleem’s shot caromed off the wall for a corner, and Sammy Ochoa’s header off the cross from Iarfhlaith Davoren was cleared out of danger.
Just a minute later, Ricardo Velazco beat Roughnecks goalkeeper Jake Feener, but his shot rebounded off the crossbar as the woodwork saved TRFC for a second time.
Tulsa used a defensive miscue from the Monarchs to take the lead in the ninth minute. A failed clearance went straight to Ochoa who one-timed a pass to Mata who slotted a shot past Monarchs keeper Eduardo Fernandez to put the Roughnecks in front 1-0.
For Mata, it was his fourth goal of the season and the tenth of his TRFC career. The goal ended a stretch of 445 scoreless minutes for the Roughnecks.
Tulsa held the lead for most of the half as Feener made a pair of big saves to keep the Monarchs scoreless, but Velazco finally leveled the match in the 37th minute. Real’s leading goal scoring was given too much space at the edge of the box, and he blasted a right-footed shot into the upper right corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1. For Velazco it was his eighth goal of the 2016 campaign.
The Tulsa Roughnecks FC battled the Real Monarchs to a 1-1 draw Saturday evening before a crowd of 3,519 at beautiful Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Tulsa’s goal came early in the match, courtesy of Cristian Mata.
The entertaining draw ended a five-match losing streak for the Roughnecks and a three-match winning streak for the Monarchs.
Match Photos courtesy of S.Taggart/Real Monarchs
The game began quickly with plenty of open spaces at each end. The first scoring opportunity fell to the Monarchs in the first 90 seconds when Amet Ramirez fired a shot off the post.
In the sixth minute, the Roughnecks threatened when they were awarded a free kick for a foul just outside the penalty area. Kaleem’s shot caromed off the wall for a corner, and Sammy Ochoa’s header off the cross from Iarfhlaith Davoren was cleared out of danger.
Just a minute later, Ricardo Velazco beat Roughnecks goalkeeper Jake Feener, but his shot rebounded off the crossbar as the woodwork saved TRFC for a second time.
Tulsa used a defensive miscue from the Monarchs to take the lead in the ninth minute. A failed clearance went straight to Ochoa who one-timed a pass to Mata who slotted a shot past Monarchs keeper Eduardo Fernandez to put the Roughnecks in front 1-0.
For Mata, it was his fourth goal of the season and the tenth of his TRFC career. The goal ended a stretch of 445 scoreless minutes for the Roughnecks.
Tulsa held the lead for most of the half as Feener made a pair of big saves to keep the Monarchs scoreless, but Velazco finally leveled the match in the 37th minute. Real’s leading goal scoring was given too much space at the edge of the box, and he blasted a right-footed shot into the upper right corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1. For Velazco it was his eighth goal of the 2016 campaign.
After the halftime break, it was the Roughnecks who started the most positively, controlling more of the possession in the first 20 minutes of the half.
Ochoa headed over the crossbar on a corner kick in the 49th minute. Later, David Abidor got free down the wing, and his hard, right-footed shot forced a save from Fernandez.
Tulsa appeared to go back in front in the 61st minute. Raymond Lee placed a long cross directly into the path of Mata who settled and beat Fernandez for what looked to be his second goal of the night, but the assistant’s flag went up for an offside call.
The chances kept coming as the unlucky Velazco nearly put the Monarchs in front in the 68th minute. For the second time in the match, his shot bounced off the post to keep the score level.
Mata made a bid for Tulsa to claim the full three points late in the match. In the first minute of four minutes of stoppage time, he got free for a shot from close range, but his effort went over the bar.
Just moments later, Feener dove to his left to keep a deflected shot from Ramirez out of the goal.
It would be the final effort of the night, as TRFC looked to attack at the other end, the referee blew the final whistle.
The draw came against a Monarchs side that had five starters who are on Real Salt Lake's MLS roster. It leaves the Roughnecks with 19 points on the season. They will be back in action next Saturday night, September 10, when they travel to Kansas City to face the Swope Park Rangers.
Tulsa will close the season with two straight home matches at ONEOK Field, September 21 against the Rangers and September 24 against Sacramento Republic FC.
After the halftime break, it was the Roughnecks who started the most positively, controlling more of the possession in the first 20 minutes of the half.
Ochoa headed over the crossbar on a corner kick in the 49th minute. Later, David Abidor got free down the wing, and his hard, right-footed shot forced a save from Fernandez.
Tulsa appeared to go back in front in the 61st minute. Raymond Lee placed a long cross directly into the path of Mata who settled and beat Fernandez for what looked to be his second goal of the night, but the assistant’s flag went up for an offside call.
The chances kept coming as the unlucky Velazco nearly put the Monarchs in front in the 68th minute. For the second time in the match, his shot bounced off the post to keep the score level.
Mata made a bid for Tulsa to claim the full three points late in the match. In the first minute of four minutes of stoppage time, he got free for a shot from close range, but his effort went over the bar.
Just moments later, Feener dove to his left to keep a deflected shot from Ramirez out of the goal.
It would be the final effort of the night, as TRFC looked to attack at the other end, the referee blew the final whistle.
The draw came against a Monarchs side that had five starters who are on Real Salt Lake’s MLS roster. It leaves the Roughnecks with 19 points on the season. They will be back in action next Saturday night, September 10, when they travel to Kansas City to face the Swope Park Rangers.
Tulsa will close the season with two straight home matches at ONEOK Field, September 21 against the Rangers and September 24 against Sacramento Republic FC.
