Two Clubs Searching for Their Form Square Off on Wednesday Night
TULSA – Coming off a much-needed bye week, it’s time for FC Tulsa to reverse its fortunes in 2022. After a disappointing 3-5-0 start to the season, Tulsa can get the train back on the tracks this season with a Wednesday night matchup against another club off to a slow start – El Paso Locomotive FC.
While the two sides were expected to contend for spots near the top of their respective conferences, both Tulsa and El Paso have work to do to regain those aspirations. That work begins on Wednesday for FC Tulsa at Southwest University Park, a place Tulsa last visited in the 2020 Playoffs, where its Conference Quarterfinal upset bid fell just shot in penalties.
In that match, Rodrigo da Costa (a goal) and Lebo Moloto (an assist) on offense and Sean Lewis (eight saves) in net were three reasons that FC Tulsa came so close to pulling off the stunning upset. All three remain at the core of Tulsa and will look to put in another big performance in El Paso to earn the team its first road result of 2022.
The match will also include a pre-match happy hour special at the Scoreboard Bar behind the FC Tulsa bench. From 6:30 p.m. until kickoff at 7:30 p.m., domestic beers will be priced at $4 and craft beers will be available for $6.
SCOUTING EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC
It was an offseason of change for El Paso as head coach Mark Lowry moved to Indy Eleven and many veteran players left for Indy and other USL Championship clubs. So far, it appears those changes have weakened the Locomotive with team going from the Western Conference’s second-best record in 2021 to outside the Playoffs picture early in 2022.
El Paso’s problem has been similar to FC Tulsa’s, a lack of quality defending. Currently, Locomotive FC have given up 16 goals in eight matches, 2.0 per match, tied for the second-most on a per match basis in the league. However, that defense has looked better of late, only giving up one goal in eachof its last three matches.
Offensively, El Paso has had no problem scoring, with 17 total goals scored this year. Five players have multiple goals for Locomotive FC this season including Aaron Gómez and Dylan Mares who each lead the team with three apiece.
3 THINGS TO KNOW
1) Getting Off to a Better Start
During its current three-match losing streak in league play, FC Tulsa has been bitten by falling behind early in matches. In each, Tulsa has allowed its opponents to take the lead in the opening 12 minutes. Playing from behind is clearly not a recipe for success, as FC Tulsa has won just three matches in which it trailed since the start of the 2020 season. Head coach Michael Nsien and players have spoken at length over the last two weeks about needing to be more engaged at the start of matches. Translating those words into action will be critical to success, especially on the road.
2) 90 Minutes of Defending
It might seem like a broken record at this point, but FC Tulsa has to improve defensively if it wants to achieve its goals in 2022. There’s no better time than against one of the league’s most lethal offenses to begin that trend. In its last five USL Championship matches, a win and four losses, FC Tulsa has allowed 13 goals. Historically, some of the team’s best defensive performances have come on the road, including road victories over Louisville City FC, Indy Eleven and Birmingham Legion FC over the last calendar year. Wednesday appears to be a prime opportunity against an El Paso team still searching for its form.
3) Hitting the Reset Button
Coming off an 11-day break following three-match losing streak, FC Tulsa players have had a chance to physically and mentally hit the reset button with the first quarter of the season in the books. Nothing can be done about the eight matches which have already happened, but there are still 26 matches left to write a new script in 2022. The break has also given Nsien and his staff a chance to evaluate the talent on the field and possibly implement some tweaks to the lineup. Regardless of who is in the lineup, Wednesday provides the chance for FC Tulsa to re-establish its identity.
HOW TO WATCH
Like all FC Tulsa matches, Wednesday’s match will air locally on My41 in Tulsa and stream digitally on ESPN+. The match will kick off at 8 p.m. CT with El Paso being located in the Mountain Time zone.
You can also head down to The Tulsan Bar and catch the action at the Official Watch Party of FC Tulsa.
FC Tulsa will have updates and highlights posted throughout the match on its social media channels – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
