Catch FC Tulsa’s 2022 Season Opener on My41 and ESPN+ Tomorrow Night
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – It has been 125 days since FC Tulsa took the pitch for a USL Championship contest. That horrible streak thankfully ends tomorrow.
The moment that players, coaches, and fans in Tulsa have been waiting for since last November is finally here as FC Tulsa kicks off its 2022 campaign against Charleston Battery tomorrow night at 6 p.m. CT. Not only does Saturday mark Opening Day for FC Tulsa, but it also begins the third season of the “FC Tulsa era” of the franchise, the most success stretch in franchise history.
Over the last two seasons, FC Tulsa has set new franchise-bests in points, wins, longest win streak, most goals scored, and many more. In year three of this new era, the expectations are even higher both inside the locker room and in the stands. Those expectations for 2022 can begin to be fulfilled on Saturday in Charleston in the first of 34 regular season matches.
Regardless of the result, FC Tulsa soccer is back for the next seven months (and hopefully one extra for a postseason run).
SCOUTING CHARLESTON
While FC Tulsa has been one of the most stable franchises amongst coaching staff and roster over the past two seasons, Charleston Battery experienced a seismic shift in both over the last three months. In November, the Battery said goodbye to Hall of Fame coach Mike Anheuser, who made USL Championship Playoffs every year prior to the 2021 season and led the Battery to two league titles over his storied 17-year career.
In steps new former U.S. Men’s National Teamer Connor Casey as a first-time head coach, which has led to significant changes to the club’s roster. The first new face signed by Casey and the Battery was former FC Tulsa full back Matt Sheldon. Sheldon was a relied upon presence in the FC Tulsa backline from 2019-2021, but was a casualty in the offseason as Tulsa overhauled its defense after a poor showing in 2021.
Augustine Williams, a new attacker up top for Charleston, should provide a significant challenge to that re-worked Tulsa defense. Still just 24-years-old, Williams already has 37 goals to his name as a professional. It will be up to center backs Ronald Rodriguez, Johnny Fenwick and company to neutralize the threat of the speedy forward to Sierra Leone.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) First-Ever Meeting
It’s already tough to scout for a season opener with no competitive matches on tape from the other side. It’ll be even tougher for Head Coach Michael Nsien leading into Saturday’s match against a side that Tulsa has never played against in its history and will assuredly be sporting a new playing style under a first-year head coach. In this case, Nsien and his squad will have to focus on their own game to dictate the run of play. With an ingrained culture and system dating back more than two years, FC Tulsa seems perfectly suited for this sort of unusual situation.
2) Back to Backline
FC Tulsa’s need for a strong defense in 2022 can’t be overstated. In 2020, FC Tulsa only lost two matches and never allowed more than two goals in any of the club’s 15 regular season matches. Last season was a major step backward as FC Tulsa allowed 48 goals in 32 games, including three or more six different times. With lethal attacks up and down the Eastern Conference, FC Tulsa brought in four new defenders in the offseason who should all see significant time in 2022. Early returns in the preseason were promising as newcomers Ronald Rodríguez, Gabi Torres, Matheus Silva and Adrián Diz Pe all had ample opportunities and impressed. All four could see time on Saturday in Charleston.
3) Forward at the Fore
All of FC Tulsa’s success over the last two years has come in spite of a true center forward. That has changed with the additions of both Brian Brown and JJ Williams – two players who are natural “No. 9s,” playing at the top of the attack. Saturday night will provide the first opportunity for the pair to make a positive impression on the Tulsa fanbase. They’ll look to add to a Tulsa attack that scored a club record 49 goals in 2021.
In Brown’s last 43 regular season matches in the USL Championship, he has scored 24 goals and 11 assists, while Williams has had 12 goals and six assists over his two full USLC seasons. The pair will provide a boost to the attack and take pressure off of wingers Darío Suárez and Joaquín Rivas to deal damage from the outside.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Just like the previous two seasons, all regular season FC Tulsa matches will be broadcast locally on My41 via the club’s broadcast partnership with FOX23. Fans outside of Tulsa can tune into the match on ESPN+. All in-match updates and highlights can be accessed through the club’s social media channels – Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on Saturday night.
