TULSA- The pressure is definitely on as FC Tulsa welcomes Birmingham Legion FC to ONEOK Field on Saturday night, presented by Tulsa Bone and Joint.
The previous four matches have not been kind to FC Tulsa, resulting in zero points for the club as the already-cramped Central Division continues to tighten. Despite dominating its last match vs Indy Eleven in every statistical category, FC Tulsa was unable to get on the scoresheet and ultimately fell 2-0 in front of the home crowd.
A strong Birmingham Legion FC unit will march into Tulsa on Saturday night – a well-disciplined outfit that has claimed victory in seven of its last ten battles on the pitch. Most recently, Birmingham came from behind to beat Atlanta United 2 by scoring three unanswered goals on Wednesday night.
The last matchup between Tulsa and Birmingham saw the Legion come away with three points in a 2-1 finish, Tula’s lone goal coming off the head of winger Darío Suárez. This previous matchup on June 6 marked the last time FC Tulsa outshot its opponent regardless of the final score, until Wednesday night's loss, and the club will aim to match the volume of opportunities but with better luck on the finishes.
HOW TO WATCH
TV: MY41
Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)
Follow: You can follow FC Tulsa @FCTulsa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
SCOUTING BIRMINGHAM LEGION
Birmingham will walk into ONEOK sitting at second in the Central Division with 29 points, just four points off leaders Louisville City FC but comfortably ahead of the rest of the division. It is a squad defined by its mighty defense, which deserves credit for the club’s overall success. Despite having only scored 18 times in 15 matches, Birmingham has limited opponents to scoring only 13 times and has come up with five clean sheets. On the road, Birmingham has conceded just seven times in eight matches.
Neco Brett, the man with the brace last time he faced FC Tulsa, leads Birmingham in scoring with nine goals while Jonathan Dean leads in assists with four. Keeper Matt Van Oekel has had a stellar start to the 2021 season with five clean sheets in 14 matches (good for second in USL Championship), conceding only 12 times and coming up with 46 saves (tied-sixth in the league).
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) BRADLEY’S 100th MATCH
Saturday will mark FC Tulsa captain Bradley Bourgeois’ 100th career regular season USL appearance. The second-year Tulsa man has four total goals and assists during his USL career, with one goal and one assist coming in the same playoff match back in 2018. The squad’s emotional centerpiece will be looking to put on a show to commemorate this landmark moment in his career.
2) 31 MINUTES FOR JJ
Jason Johnson was subbed on in the 59’ minute for FC Tulsa, marking his debut with the club. The forward was acquired via transfer on August 2 and made an instant impact in his debut, unleashing three shots and earning himself quality looks throughout his outing.
3) FINAL FIFTEEN
In its last match, FC Tulsa allowed both goals in its 2-0 loss in the fine fifteen minutes of the match. Birmingham Legion FC thrives at the end of matches, scoring a third of its goals from the 75’ minute or later. FC Tulsa will have to be on high alert for the full 90 minutes to come away with the result.
TULSA- The pressure is definitely on as FC Tulsa welcomes Birmingham Legion FC to ONEOK Field on Saturday night, presented by Tulsa Bone and Joint.
The previous four matches have not been kind to FC Tulsa, resulting in zero points for the club as the already-cramped Central Division continues to tighten. Despite dominating its last match vs Indy Eleven in every statistical category, FC Tulsa was unable to get on the scoresheet and ultimately fell 2-0 in front of the home crowd.
A strong Birmingham Legion FC unit will march into Tulsa on Saturday night – a well-disciplined outfit that has claimed victory in seven of its last ten battles on the pitch. Most recently, Birmingham came from behind to beat Atlanta United 2 by scoring three unanswered goals on Wednesday night.
The last matchup between Tulsa and Birmingham saw the Legion come away with three points in a 2-1 finish, Tula’s lone goal coming off the head of winger Darío Suárez. This previous matchup on June 6 marked the last time FC Tulsa outshot its opponent regardless of the final score, until Wednesday night’s loss, and the club will aim to match the volume of opportunities but with better luck on the finishes.
HOW TO WATCH
TV: MY41
Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)
Follow: You can follow FC Tulsa @FCTulsa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
SCOUTING BIRMINGHAM LEGION
Birmingham will walk into ONEOK sitting at second in the Central Division with 29 points, just four points off leaders Louisville City FC but comfortably ahead of the rest of the division. It is a squad defined by its mighty defense, which deserves credit for the club’s overall success. Despite having only scored 18 times in 15 matches, Birmingham has limited opponents to scoring only 13 times and has come up with five clean sheets. On the road, Birmingham has conceded just seven times in eight matches.
Neco Brett, the man with the brace last time he faced FC Tulsa, leads Birmingham in scoring with nine goals while Jonathan Dean leads in assists with four. Keeper Matt Van Oekel has had a stellar start to the 2021 season with five clean sheets in 14 matches (good for second in USL Championship), conceding only 12 times and coming up with 46 saves (tied-sixth in the league).
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) BRADLEY’S 100th MATCH
Saturday will mark FC Tulsa captain Bradley Bourgeois’ 100th career regular season USL appearance. The second-year Tulsa man has four total goals and assists during his USL career, with one goal and one assist coming in the same playoff match back in 2018. The squad’s emotional centerpiece will be looking to put on a show to commemorate this landmark moment in his career.
2) 31 MINUTES FOR JJ
Jason Johnson was subbed on in the 59’ minute for FC Tulsa, marking his debut with the club. The forward was acquired via transfer on August 2 and made an instant impact in his debut, unleashing three shots and earning himself quality looks throughout his outing.
3) FINAL FIFTEEN
In its last match, FC Tulsa allowed both goals in its 2-0 loss in the fine fifteen minutes of the match. Birmingham Legion FC thrives at the end of matches, scoring a third of its goals from the 75’ minute or later. FC Tulsa will have to be on high alert for the full 90 minutes to come away with the result.
