Consistency is the Key Word for FC Tulsa Heading Into Saturday Night
TULSA – Home again. After a nine-day long road trip that included a postponement in Memphis, a USL Championship defeat in Tampa and a U.S. Open Cup elimination in Dallas, FC Tulsa finally returns to Green Country looking for a pick-me-up.
Fortunately, some momentum was generated at Toyota Stadium in Frisco where FC Tulsa narrowly lost to an MLS opponent in the Open Cup, competing hard for a full 90 minutes. A few bounces going the other way and Tulsa could have been the ones advancing to the next round. Now however, FC Tulsa will have look to Saturday to get back in the win column.
Coming back to ONEOK Field where it will play Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, FC Tulsa will need to find the consistency it has lacked early in 2022. An up-and-down start has seen FC Tulsa look like one of the best teams in the league at times – a 1-0 home win over Western Conference-leading San Diego Loyal at ONEOK Field as a prime example. Other times, FC Tulsa has struggled – allowing four goals in 60 minutes at home to Pittsburgh before staging a rally that fell just short.
With Saturday’s match serving as a quasi-quarter pole of the 2022 season, FC Tulsa will want to head into its first bye week of the season with a .500 record and the good vibes that come after a home victory. A loss, and FC Tulsa will have to stew for 11 days before taking the pitch again in El Paso on May 4.
SCOUTING COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKS FC
Former owners of the last perfect record in the USL Championship this season, Colorado Springs is coming off its first blemish in league play last weekend, a 2-1 loss at home to Memphis 901 FC. At 5-1-0 however, Colorado sits tied for second place in the Western Conference and looks to be one of the best teams in the USL Championship.
FC Tulsa saw Colorado Springs’ firepower first-hand in the preseason when the Switchbacks handed Tulsa a 3-1 loss in Tucson, Ariz. Boasting the league’s leading goalscorer in 2022, Hadji Barry, former MLS winger Michee Ngalina and imposing forward Elvis Amoh, Colorado Springs has one of the most explosive offensives in the league. Without a midweek Open Cup match, the Switchbacks should be fresh for Saturday night’s match.
However, the Switchbacks will be without the services of three coaches following red cards received during the loss against Memphis. Head coach Brendan Burke and two assistants will not be on the sidelines at ONEOK Field. Assistant James Chambers will serve as the club’s interim coach on Saturday.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) Williams Scoring Streak
JJ Williams has scored in three consecutive USL Championship matches for FC Tulsa, his first three starts for the club. While that mark sets a club record, Williams has driven Tulsa’s offense over the last few weeks. The 6’5” forward has been as advertised for FC Tulsa, and the club will need him to continue to find the back of the net to keep up with the Colorado Springs offense. A goal on Saturday would match the club record for consecutive Tulsa matches with a goal (4), set by Sammy Ochoa in 2015 and matched by Darío Suárez in 2020.
2) Avoid Defensive Miscues
FC Tulsa’s defense has worked hard, but has been plagued by avoidable mistakes in recent matches. Whether its missed assignments, fouls inside the box or poor positioning, just one or two mistakes can undo otherwise solid defense, and that has happened to the FC Tulsa backline. The Switchbacks are a team who can prey on those sort of errors, so Tulsa will need to be at its best on Saturday and build back some confidence in the defensive third.
3) Getting Wingers Going
It has been a slow start for FC Tulsa wingers Darío Suárez and Joaquín Rivas. Both have just one goal in 2022, Suárez a match-winner against San Diego and Rivas a penalty kick against Birmingham Legion FC. Both can score in bunches, but need to get going to help out Williams and da Costa, who have combined for seven of the team’s 12 goals scored in league play this season. Offense up the wings has been a critical piece of head coach Michael Nsien’s offense and a big game from either Suárez or Rivas could add another dimension to an already potent Tulsa attack.
HOW TO WATCH
All FC Tulsa regular season matches are broadcast locally on My41 and nationally streamed on ESPN+. Highlights and updates can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by @FCTulsa. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. CT from ONEOK Field.
