CLAREMORE, Okla. – A first away preseason match that featured plenty of FC Tulsa on the front foot, ended in a 1-0 win for the visitors over Rogers State University on Saturday afternoon in Claremore, Okla. Forward Darío Suárez scored his third goal of the preseason in the victory, off a bending free kick, and the Tulsa defense denied Rogers State a shot on target in the stout performance.
With a strong Starting XI, FC Tulsa shot out of the gates, peppering the Hillcats’ net with shots. A few strong saves from the Rogers State keeper and a header from Marlon that pinged off the crossbar were all that kept FC Tulsa from finding the opening goal in the first half. On the wing, Marlon did the damage, proving a problem for the defense with his speed and quickness on the ball. Aside from his shot off the bar, he had another near miss with a header and looked a threat throughout the match.
Keeper Bryan Byars had little to do in net in the first half and gave way to Sean Lewis for the second half as the only halftime change. FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien wanted to see his outfield players stay on the pitch together for 65-70 minutes and the group finally found a breakthrough in the 65’ minute.
The difference in the match came when Marlon earned a free kick just outside the box with a sidewinding run through the defense. With both Suárez and midfielder Rodrigo da Costa over the ball, Suárez bent a shot around the wall and tucked it bottom corner, outside the keeper’s reach. It was the Cuban forward’s third goal of the preseason in four matches.
From there, FC Tulsa saw the win out while making numerous substitutions throughout the final 25 minutes. Overall, the defense did its job, limiting Rogers State to just one dangerous chance, a shot inside the box that was blocked by FC Tulsa defender Bradley Bourgeois to clear the danger. Neither Byars nor Lewis made a save as FC Tulsa controlled the majority of possession.
Up Next
FC Tulsa will play its second and final road preseason match on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Frisco, Texas against defending USL League One champions North Texas SC. It will be the first time that FC Tulsa has ever played a USL League One opponent, the third division of professional soccer in the U.S.
CLAREMORE, Okla. – A first away preseason match that featured plenty of FC Tulsa on the front foot, ended in a 1-0 win for the visitors over Rogers State University on Saturday afternoon in Claremore, Okla. Forward Darío Suárez scored his third goal of the preseason in the victory, off a bending free kick, and the Tulsa defense denied Rogers State a shot on target in the stout performance.
With a strong Starting XI, FC Tulsa shot out of the gates, peppering the Hillcats’ net with shots. A few strong saves from the Rogers State keeper and a header from Marlon that pinged off the crossbar were all that kept FC Tulsa from finding the opening goal in the first half. On the wing, Marlon did the damage, proving a problem for the defense with his speed and quickness on the ball. Aside from his shot off the bar, he had another near miss with a header and looked a threat throughout the match.
Keeper Bryan Byars had little to do in net in the first half and gave way to Sean Lewis for the second half as the only halftime change. FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien wanted to see his outfield players stay on the pitch together for 65-70 minutes and the group finally found a breakthrough in the 65’ minute.
The difference in the match came when Marlon earned a free kick just outside the box with a sidewinding run through the defense. With both Suárez and midfielder Rodrigo da Costa over the ball, Suárez bent a shot around the wall and tucked it bottom corner, outside the keeper’s reach. It was the Cuban forward’s third goal of the preseason in four matches.
From there, FC Tulsa saw the win out while making numerous substitutions throughout the final 25 minutes. Overall, the defense did its job, limiting Rogers State to just one dangerous chance, a shot inside the box that was blocked by FC Tulsa defender Bradley Bourgeois to clear the danger. Neither Byars nor Lewis made a save as FC Tulsa controlled the majority of possession.
Up Next
FC Tulsa will play its second and final road preseason match on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Frisco, Texas against defending USL League One champions North Texas SC. It will be the first time that FC Tulsa has ever played a USL League One opponent, the third division of professional soccer in the U.S.
