TULSA – This Black Gold Derby has everything. The Wrench at stake. Playoffs implications. Final week of the season.
For a soccer fan in Tulsa, it’s simultaneously blood-pumping and nerve-wracking.
Wednesday’s final installment of the 2020 Black Gold Derby kicks off at ONEOK Field where FC Tulsa host OKC Energy FC in a match dripping with intrigue, presented by Tulsa Spine & Rehab. For FC Tulsa, not only is the Wrench on the line, but a 2020 postseason berth is there for the taking. Coming off a massive last-gasp Saturday victory over top-of-the-table San Antonio FC, it rides a tsunami of momentum into the penultimate home match of the USL Championship regular season.
OKC Energy FC, meanwhile will be playing for pride and a chance at a consolation prize in its season gone awry. Having gone 11 matches without a win, dating back to July 17, a victory on Wednesday night would claim the Wrench for the third straight season and would provide another year of bragging rights in the Oklahoma rivalry.
How to follow
Local Television: My41
Digital Stream: ESPN+
Social Media: @FCTulsa on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Scouting OKC Energy FC
It’s the same story as it was 18 days ago when these two teams met at ONEOK. OKC Energy enters the meeting still having the worst statistical offense in the league. Its eight goals scored through 14 matches and 0.57 goals per match each rank dead last in the 35-team USL Championship. Worse still is that Energy FC have scored just one goal each in the months of August. For comparison, FC Tulsa’s leading scorer Darío Suárez has scored six goals in the month of September alone.
However, OKC Energy FC did do FC Tulsa a huge solid on Sunday when it drew Austin Bold FC 0-0. While the draw left OKC without a home win in 2020, it did put FC Tulsa in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot. Energy FC have been eliminated from the postseason, so Wednesday’s match will be just for the Wrench in OKC’s eyes.
Storylines to Watch
1) Battle for the Wrench
FC Tulsa has claimed the Wrench just once in Black Gold Derby history, back in 2017. A win on Wednesday would double that total and cement what the standings show, FC Tulsa has had a much better season than OKC. Despite the disparity between the clubs in the table, FC Tulsa has drawn OKC Energy FC twice in 2020 by 1-1 scorelines. The secret to a win might be in scoring multiple goals. All three times Tulsa has scored two or more goals against OKC in the rivalry, Tulsa has prevailed.
2) The Race for Second
After Eric Bird’s exhilarating stoppage time goal that gave FC Tulsa three crucial points on Saturday against San Antonio, paired Austin’s draw against OKC, Tulsa and Austin head into the final week of USL Championship season level on points at 19 apiece. However, Austin has just two matches remaining in 2020, while FC Tulsa have a third “if-necessary” match in its back pocket just in case. Looking at FiveThirtyEight’s projections, Tulsa has a 65% chance to make the postseason this week, which would only go up when factoring in the extra match.
3) Last Week at ONEOK
While the 2020 season certainly hasn’t looked a thing like anyone expected it to with a shorter schedule, Groups, COVID regulations, etc., it has been a wildly successful first season in the FC Tulsa era. Crowds at ONEOK Field have swelled as Tulsa re-catches soccer fever with the investment from the club into giving the fans of the city a team it can be proud of. There are just two more chances to jump on board the bandwagon in 2020 with the final home matches of the season on Wednesday and Saturday of this week. Head to www.fctulsa.com/tickets to be a part of the history of the club!
Where to Watch
FC Tulsa fans catch the match at ONEOK Field with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Season Ticket holders and 6 p.m. for all fans. The match will be televised on My41 in Tulsa, or on ESPN+ streaming anywhere in the US. Get your tickets for the Black Gold Derby at ONEOK Field at https://www.fctulsa.com/tickets, by calling (918) 297-6808, or by emailing tickets@https://www.fctulsa.com.
TULSA – This Black Gold Derby has everything. The Wrench at stake. Playoffs implications. Final week of the season.
For a soccer fan in Tulsa, it’s simultaneously blood-pumping and nerve-wracking.
Wednesday’s final installment of the 2020 Black Gold Derby kicks off at ONEOK Field where FC Tulsa host OKC Energy FC in a match dripping with intrigue, presented by Tulsa Spine & Rehab. For FC Tulsa, not only is the Wrench on the line, but a 2020 postseason berth is there for the taking. Coming off a massive last-gasp Saturday victory over top-of-the-table San Antonio FC, it rides a tsunami of momentum into the penultimate home match of the USL Championship regular season.
OKC Energy FC, meanwhile will be playing for pride and a chance at a consolation prize in its season gone awry. Having gone 11 matches without a win, dating back to July 17, a victory on Wednesday night would claim the Wrench for the third straight season and would provide another year of bragging rights in the Oklahoma rivalry.
How to follow
Local Television: My41
Digital Stream: ESPN+
Social Media: @FCTulsa on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Scouting OKC Energy FC
It’s the same story as it was 18 days ago when these two teams met at ONEOK. OKC Energy enters the meeting still having the worst statistical offense in the league. Its eight goals scored through 14 matches and 0.57 goals per match each rank dead last in the 35-team USL Championship. Worse still is that Energy FC have scored just one goal each in the months of August. For comparison, FC Tulsa’s leading scorer Darío Suárez has scored six goals in the month of September alone.
However, OKC Energy FC did do FC Tulsa a huge solid on Sunday when it drew Austin Bold FC 0-0. While the draw left OKC without a home win in 2020, it did put FC Tulsa in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot. Energy FC have been eliminated from the postseason, so Wednesday’s match will be just for the Wrench in OKC’s eyes.
Storylines to Watch
1) Battle for the Wrench
FC Tulsa has claimed the Wrench just once in Black Gold Derby history, back in 2017. A win on Wednesday would double that total and cement what the standings show, FC Tulsa has had a much better season than OKC. Despite the disparity between the clubs in the table, FC Tulsa has drawn OKC Energy FC twice in 2020 by 1-1 scorelines. The secret to a win might be in scoring multiple goals. All three times Tulsa has scored two or more goals against OKC in the rivalry, Tulsa has prevailed.
2) The Race for Second
After Eric Bird’s exhilarating stoppage time goal that gave FC Tulsa three crucial points on Saturday against San Antonio, paired Austin’s draw against OKC, Tulsa and Austin head into the final week of USL Championship season level on points at 19 apiece. However, Austin has just two matches remaining in 2020, while FC Tulsa have a third “if-necessary” match in its back pocket just in case. Looking at FiveThirtyEight’s projections, Tulsa has a 65% chance to make the postseason this week, which would only go up when factoring in the extra match.
3) Last Week at ONEOK
While the 2020 season certainly hasn’t looked a thing like anyone expected it to with a shorter schedule, Groups, COVID regulations, etc., it has been a wildly successful first season in the FC Tulsa era. Crowds at ONEOK Field have swelled as Tulsa re-catches soccer fever with the investment from the club into giving the fans of the city a team it can be proud of. There are just two more chances to jump on board the bandwagon in 2020 with the final home matches of the season on Wednesday and Saturday of this week. Head to www.fctulsa.com/tickets to be a part of the history of the club!
Where to Watch
FC Tulsa fans catch the match at ONEOK Field with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Season Ticket holders and 6 p.m. for all fans. The match will be televised on My41 in Tulsa, or on ESPN+ streaming anywhere in the US. Get your tickets for the Black Gold Derby at ONEOK Field at https://www.fctulsa.com/tickets, by calling (918) 297-6808, or by emailing tickets@https://www.fctulsa.com.
