MEMPHIS, Tenn. – They always say the most important match is the next one, and for FC Tulsa, it couldn’t be truer.
Wednesday night’s battle between FC Tulsa and Memphis 901 FC on the other side of the Mississippi River could very well decide the final seeding for the Central Division standings. While both clubs have the opportunity to lock down the third seed tomorrow night, Memphis has an easier path to do so thanks to owning the potential tiebreaker (goal differential in head-to-head matches) over Tulsa at the moment.
With a loss, FC Tulsa is guaranteed the fourth seed and will travel to the Tampa Bay Rowdies the first weekend of November. With a win by four or more goals, FC Tulsa can clinch the three seed on the spot. If FC Tulsa wins by less than three goals or draws, seeding will be determined this weekend as both FC Tulsa and Memphis are in action.
Wednesday night’s contest is sure to be an intense and physical match from start to finish. FC Tulsa and Memphis 901 FC have matched up three times this season with Memphis ahead in head-to-head record and goal differential, giving it the advantage in both of the first two tiebreaking scenarios, and thus why FC Tulsa would need to win by a four-goal margin to clinch midweek.
Regardless of seeding, FC Tulsa is guaranteed a spot in the USL Championship for the second consecutive season, the first time it has achieved that in club history. Lead by captain Bradley Bourgeois, who has never missed the Playoffs in his six-year USL Championship career, and Rodrigo da Costa who leads the way in goals, assists, and chances created this season, FC Tulsa is ready to make a splash in November.
But before we get there, FC Tulsa still has business to take care of in the final week of the regular season. This matchup with Memphis 901 FC is a big one, and then Tulsa will look to defend the Wrench on Saturday night in the Black Gold Derby against OKC Energy FC. It’s a great week to be a soccer fan.
Kickoff from AutoZone Park is set for 7 p.m. CT.
SCOUTING MEMPHIS 901 FC
Memphis enters the match on a bit of a hot streak, going 4W-2L-0D in its last six matches. It ranks middle of the pack in goals scored, conversion pct., and goals conceded, but Memphis 901 FC has found a way to win when it matters most all season.
When it comes to preparing for Memphis 901 FC, it really boils down to one thing – stop Kyle Murphy. The forward is fourth in the USL Championship with 18 goals and has solidified himself as one of the best poaching strikers in the League. Kareem Dacres is a great distributor, ranking first on the club with seven assists. Cody Cropper has been excellent in goal since becoming Memphis’s starter, boasting a 67.9% save. pct and four clean sheets in his 13 starts. The club has gone 7W-4L-2D with Cropper in goal.
Memphis, like FC Tulsa, has been bitten by the injury bug as of late, but captain Mark Segbers will be returning following his one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) Mirror Match
The season stats for both Memphis and Tulsa nearly mirror each other, just fractions of a percentage off in goals per match, goals conceded per match, both shots and shots on target per match, goal differential, and yellow cards. They enter the match with the same number of points earned in 2021 and FC Tulsa with just one more win than Memphis.
The biggest difference between the clubs is where the production comes from. FC Tulsa has four players with at least five goals and six players with at least three assists, distributing the responsibility. Nearly all of Memphis’s attacking prowess is provided by Kyle Murphy with Kareem Dacres supplying him.
2) JJ on the Wing
The previous two FC Tulsa matches have seen Jason Johnson shift positions. His first 14 appearances saw Johnson as a center forward, but recently he has shifted over to left wing, the position he has played for the majority of his career. The move has paid dividends as Johnson has scored in back-to-back matches from the left side, saying that one of his strengths as a player includes making runs behind the defense, something he can do more efficiently as a winger than a forward.
3) Autumn on the Atlantic
After weeks of touting a 90-something percent chance of clinching a Playoffs spot, FC Tulsa made it official in its 1-1 draw with Indy Eleven on Saturday. The seeding for the final two spots in the Central and the final three spots in the Atlantic are still up in the air, but FC Tulsa is guaranteed to be making a trip out East the first weekend of November. All three clubs in the Atlantic battling for spots No. 2 through 4 are coming off wins, making it difficult to predict who FC Tulsa would meet if it finished third. However, if it finishes fourth, the club will be heading to Tampa Bay to take on the Rowdies.
HOW TO WATCH
TV: MY41
Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)
Follow: You can follow @FCTulsa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – They always say the most important match is the next one, and for FC Tulsa, it couldn’t be truer.
Wednesday night’s battle between FC Tulsa and Memphis 901 FC on the other side of the Mississippi River could very well decide the final seeding for the Central Division standings. While both clubs have the opportunity to lock down the third seed tomorrow night, Memphis has an easier path to do so thanks to owning the potential tiebreaker (goal differential in head-to-head matches) over Tulsa at the moment.
With a loss, FC Tulsa is guaranteed the fourth seed and will travel to the Tampa Bay Rowdies the first weekend of November. With a win by four or more goals, FC Tulsa can clinch the three seed on the spot. If FC Tulsa wins by less than three goals or draws, seeding will be determined this weekend as both FC Tulsa and Memphis are in action.
Wednesday night’s contest is sure to be an intense and physical match from start to finish. FC Tulsa and Memphis 901 FC have matched up three times this season with Memphis ahead in head-to-head record and goal differential, giving it the advantage in both of the first two tiebreaking scenarios, and thus why FC Tulsa would need to win by a four-goal margin to clinch midweek.
Regardless of seeding, FC Tulsa is guaranteed a spot in the USL Championship for the second consecutive season, the first time it has achieved that in club history. Lead by captain Bradley Bourgeois, who has never missed the Playoffs in his six-year USL Championship career, and Rodrigo da Costa who leads the way in goals, assists, and chances created this season, FC Tulsa is ready to make a splash in November.
But before we get there, FC Tulsa still has business to take care of in the final week of the regular season. This matchup with Memphis 901 FC is a big one, and then Tulsa will look to defend the Wrench on Saturday night in the Black Gold Derby against OKC Energy FC. It’s a great week to be a soccer fan.
Kickoff from AutoZone Park is set for 7 p.m. CT.
SCOUTING MEMPHIS 901 FC
Memphis enters the match on a bit of a hot streak, going 4W-2L-0D in its last six matches. It ranks middle of the pack in goals scored, conversion pct., and goals conceded, but Memphis 901 FC has found a way to win when it matters most all season.
When it comes to preparing for Memphis 901 FC, it really boils down to one thing – stop Kyle Murphy. The forward is fourth in the USL Championship with 18 goals and has solidified himself as one of the best poaching strikers in the League. Kareem Dacres is a great distributor, ranking first on the club with seven assists. Cody Cropper has been excellent in goal since becoming Memphis’s starter, boasting a 67.9% save. pct and four clean sheets in his 13 starts. The club has gone 7W-4L-2D with Cropper in goal.
Memphis, like FC Tulsa, has been bitten by the injury bug as of late, but captain Mark Segbers will be returning following his one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) Mirror Match
The season stats for both Memphis and Tulsa nearly mirror each other, just fractions of a percentage off in goals per match, goals conceded per match, both shots and shots on target per match, goal differential, and yellow cards. They enter the match with the same number of points earned in 2021 and FC Tulsa with just one more win than Memphis.
The biggest difference between the clubs is where the production comes from. FC Tulsa has four players with at least five goals and six players with at least three assists, distributing the responsibility. Nearly all of Memphis’s attacking prowess is provided by Kyle Murphy with Kareem Dacres supplying him.
2) JJ on the Wing
The previous two FC Tulsa matches have seen Jason Johnson shift positions. His first 14 appearances saw Johnson as a center forward, but recently he has shifted over to left wing, the position he has played for the majority of his career. The move has paid dividends as Johnson has scored in back-to-back matches from the left side, saying that one of his strengths as a player includes making runs behind the defense, something he can do more efficiently as a winger than a forward.
3) Autumn on the Atlantic
After weeks of touting a 90-something percent chance of clinching a Playoffs spot, FC Tulsa made it official in its 1-1 draw with Indy Eleven on Saturday. The seeding for the final two spots in the Central and the final three spots in the Atlantic are still up in the air, but FC Tulsa is guaranteed to be making a trip out East the first weekend of November. All three clubs in the Atlantic battling for spots No. 2 through 4 are coming off wins, making it difficult to predict who FC Tulsa would meet if it finished third. However, if it finishes fourth, the club will be heading to Tampa Bay to take on the Rowdies.
HOW TO WATCH
TV: MY41
Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)
Follow: You can follow @FCTulsa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
