TULSA – FC Tulsa’s 2022 USL Championship season is here.
It’s officially Matchweek 1 with FC Tulsa’s season opener set for Saturday night at Charleston Battery with Tulsa embarking on what it hopes will be a third-straight postseason campaign. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Charleston, and FC Tulsa is hosting a Watch Party at ONEOK Field for all fans to come and watch the match on the video board (RSVP here).
This is your one-stop shop for all the information you need heading into the 2022 FC Tulsa season, including big names, big games and how FC Tulsa can make another Playoff run.
2022 FC TULSA STORYLINES
New Opponents
Unfortunately, there will be no Black Gold Derby for state supremacy in 2022 as OKC Energy FC have taken a “hiatus” this season. With FC Tulsa now the only professional soccer team in Oklahoma, it will need to look outside the state for new rivals. Over the course of the season, FC Tulsa will play against nine first-time opponents including both USL newcomers in 2022, Detroit City FC and Monterey Bay FC, and new Eastern Conference rivals Charleston Battery, Miami FC and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
New-Look Defense
Last season, FC Tulsa had no problem scoring goals. Often however, neither did their opponents. That led to an overhaul of FC Tulsa’s backline, which includes just two players who started 2021 on the FC Tulsa roster – captain Bradley Bourgeois and former MLS left back Jorge Corrales. Midseason acquisition Johnny Fenwick joins four offseason signings to form the new defense –Salvadoran international center-back Ronald Rodríguez, center-backs Adrián Diz Pe and Matheus Silva, and Brazilian Gabi Torres. If a preseason clean sheet against USL favorite San Antonio FC is any indication, expect the defense to take a major step forward in 2022.
New Apparel Sponsor
FC Tulsa’s City and State Kits will have a different look in 2022 as the club signed a landmark agreement with PUMA to be its official apparent partner. The deal, announced back in December with an unveiling event at Circle Cinema, will see FC Tulsa kitted out in one of the leading global soccer apparel brands for years to come. Fans can pre-order either their City (white) or State (black) Kits to rep the new brand and look for 2022. While jerseys are still slowly working their way to Tulsa due to supply chain delays, the club has plenty of other PUMA merch currently on sale in the Team Shop, located at 1155 S. Elgin Ave. in downtown.
KEY PLAYERS
As always, success or failure is a team result, but FC Tulsa has key pieces throughout its roster whose performance could ultimately determine how far FC Tulsa goes in 2022. We’ll narrow it down to one player to highlight at each position that fans should keep an eye on.
Goalkeeper – Sean Lewis
After an impressive 2020 campaign that saw him win the team’s MVP award, Sean Lewis suffered through an injury-marred 2021 campaign in which he played through an abdominal injury during the entirety of the regular season. To no surprise, his performance took a dip as he was only able to suit up in half of the team’s contests last season. In 2022, the Michigan native is fully healthy and ready to return to form as one of the league’s best at his position.
Defender – Ronald Rodríguez
FC Tulsa struggled throughout the 2021 season at center-back and signed a huge upgrade at the position this offseason in young Salvadoran prospect Ronald Rodríguez. The 23-year-old already has already started 20 national team matches for El Salvador, including all but four World Cup qualifiers. Joining international teammate Joaquín Rivas with FC Tulsa, Rodríguez has already meshed well inside the club’s multicultural locker room. Just like he is with El Salvador, look for Rodríguez to be one of the first names in head coach Michael Nsien’s Starting XI every single match.
Midfielder – Rodrigo da Costa
Already the most accomplished player in franchise history, the Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo da Costa is back for his fourth season with FC Tulsa. Categories he currently tops the club record books in includes starts, minutes, assists and is tied for first in goals scored. It’s safe to say that he is the engine that drives the offense, and now back in his preferred “attacking midfielder” position, da Costa can be the creator rather than the finisher. It’s no coincidence that da Costa will sport the No. 10 on his jersey in 2022, traditionally worn by the club’s best player.
Forward – JJ Williams/Brian Brown
Okay, okay. We cheated and picked two guys. But both JJ Williams and Brian Brown play the same position and will be of similar importance to FC Tulsa’s success. In its last two seasons, FC Tulsa lacked a true starting center forward, a player who could hold up play, keep center backs occupied and let Tulsa’s dangerous wingers operate in space. Now, FC Tulsa has two such talents in Williams and Brown who have each established themselves with past teams as two of the better center forwards in the league.
MUST SEE MATCHES
March 23 vs. San Diego Loyal SC
It isn’t every day that a U.S. soccer legend steps onto the ONEOK Field pitch, but in just two weeks, Landon Donovan and San Diego Loyal SC will visit FC Tulsa at ONEOK. Donovan, now a USL Championship head coach, will lead a title contender into Tulsa for a juicy cross-conference match inside the season’s first two weeks. It will be the first time that Tulsa and San Diego have played, and the matchup will serve as an early barometer for FC Tulsa’s standing amongst the best teams in the USL Championship.
June 25 vs. Charleston Battery
While the teams will meet on opening night in just a few days in Charleston, the Battery’s return trip to Tulsa should serve as a scintillating summer Saturday night showdown. There is no better sports atmosphere in Tulsa than a soccer Saturday in the summer at ONEOK Field, and the stars align for this matchup at the end of June. Charleston is one of a handful of Eastern Conference teams who have never visited ONEOK Field, however one of the club’s big offseason signings, former FC Tulsa defender Matt Sheldon, should be very comfortable in his old home stadium.
September 7 vs. Louisville City FC
It may be four seasons since Louisville City FC hoisted the USL Championship’s trophy, but the club is still considered the class of the league due to its sustained success and beautiful soccer-specific stadium. FC Tulsa and Louisville City split their four matchups in 2021 with each team winning once at home and once on the road. Both matchups at ONEOK Field last season yielded five total goals. Expect some fireworks in the fall in Louisville’s lone visit to Tulsa in 2022.
EXPERIENCE SOCCER IN 2022
One of the best things about FC Tulsa is its affordability. Tickets for FC Tulsa’s home opener next Saturday night, March 19, start at just $12 for Lawn Seats. That price goes down to $8 a match for a Season Ticket Membership in the Corner Seats.
FCTulsa.com/tickets is the best place to go for all information related to experiencing FC Tulsa in person in 2022.
