RECAP presented by Williams: FC Tulsa and OKC Energy FC draw 0-0 in the 2nd matchup of the Black Gold Derby

OKLAHOMA CITY – FC Tulsa's unbeaten streak against OKC Energy FC is still alive. 

A goalless draw at Taft Stadium made it seven matches in a row for FC Tulsa without a loss to OKC, extending its Black Gold Derby record. It was a cagey affair with few shots to come by for either side. 

The best chances of the night fell to the boot and then the head of Tulsa forward Joaquín Rivas. In the first half, the Salvadoran international was played in alone by Rodrigo da Costa, but Rivas' first touch was eaten by the Taft turf monster and ended up in the hands of OKC keeper C.J. Cochran. Rivas's second chance came late in the second half when he got his head on a corner at the near post. Rivas tried to keep his header on frame at the near post, but it went just wide. 

With the draw, FC Tulsa took four points from its two matches at OKC in 2021, with two more Black Gold Derbys to come at ONEOK Field in Tulsa. One win for Tulsa in those two matches will be enough to secure the Wrench for the second straight season.

Here are three takeaways from the result:

1) Wormell Earns Clean Sheet
Keeper Austin Wormell and his backline continued their spectacular play in front of the Tulsa net, earning a first clean sheet of the young career for the Tulsa native Through his first two professional matches, Wormell has allowed just one goal, a stoppage time tally that deflected off a Tulsa defender in a 2-1 victory last week over Rio Grande Valley FC. 

It's a return to what made FC Tulsa successful through the season's first three matches, suffocating defense. While the offense never got started tonight, FC Tulsa still picked up a crucial road point over its biggest rival. 

2) Moloto Returns from Injury
FC Tulsa has been playing all year without one of its biggest pieces in the midfield. That ended tonight as Lebo Moloto received his first appearance of the season, coming on as a sub in the 74' minute. Moloto had missed the season's first nine matches with an injury suffered late in preseason.

It didn't take long for the talented midfielder to get in on the action, creating one chance for Tulsa in his limited action. A healthy Moloto will go a long way to improving Tulsa's depth in the central midfield where fellow midfielders Eric Bird and Kembo Kibato have each missed time this season.

3) Scoreline a Rarity
One thing is very clear through the first two seasons of the FC Tulsa era… the team is rarely boring. With a blistering attack throughout its two seasons as FC Tulsa, the offense hasn't been held scoreless often. Tonight's result is just the second 0-0 scoreline in the FC Tulsa era, and the first since last season's scoreless tie at ONEOK Field against San Antonio FC on August 12 of 2020.

Overall, it is just the fourth time that FC Tulsa has gone 90 minutes without a goal in its 25 regular season USL Championship matches over the 2020 and 2021 seasons. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – FC Tulsa’s unbeaten streak against OKC Energy FC is still alive. 

A goalless draw at Taft Stadium made it seven matches in a row for FC Tulsa without a loss to OKC, extending its Black Gold Derby record. It was a cagey affair with few shots to come by for either side. 

The best chances of the night fell to the boot and then the head of Tulsa forward Joaquín Rivas. In the first half, the Salvadoran international was played in alone by Rodrigo da Costa, but Rivas’ first touch was eaten by the Taft turf monster and ended up in the hands of OKC keeper C.J. Cochran. Rivas’s second chance came late in the second half when he got his head on a corner at the near post. Rivas tried to keep his header on frame at the near post, but it went just wide. 

With the draw, FC Tulsa took four points from its two matches at OKC in 2021, with two more Black Gold Derbys to come at ONEOK Field in Tulsa. One win for Tulsa in those two matches will be enough to secure the Wrench for the second straight season.

Here are three takeaways from the result:

1) Wormell Earns Clean Sheet
Keeper Austin Wormell and his backline continued their spectacular play in front of the Tulsa net, earning a first clean sheet of the young career for the Tulsa native Through his first two professional matches, Wormell has allowed just one goal, a stoppage time tally that deflected off a Tulsa defender in a 2-1 victory last week over Rio Grande Valley FC. 

It’s a return to what made FC Tulsa successful through the season’s first three matches, suffocating defense. While the offense never got started tonight, FC Tulsa still picked up a crucial road point over its biggest rival. 

2) Moloto Returns from Injury
FC Tulsa has been playing all year without one of its biggest pieces in the midfield. That ended tonight as Lebo Moloto received his first appearance of the season, coming on as a sub in the 74′ minute. Moloto had missed the season’s first nine matches with an injury suffered late in preseason.

It didn’t take long for the talented midfielder to get in on the action, creating one chance for Tulsa in his limited action. A healthy Moloto will go a long way to improving Tulsa’s depth in the central midfield where fellow midfielders Eric Bird and Kembo Kibato have each missed time this season.

3) Scoreline a Rarity
One thing is very clear through the first two seasons of the FC Tulsa era… the team is rarely boring. With a blistering attack throughout its two seasons as FC Tulsa, the offense hasn’t been held scoreless often. Tonight’s result is just the second 0-0 scoreline in the FC Tulsa era, and the first since last season’s scoreless tie at ONEOK Field against San Antonio FC on August 12 of 2020.

Overall, it is just the fourth time that FC Tulsa has gone 90 minutes without a goal in its 25 regular season USL Championship matches over the 2020 and 2021 seasons.