Match to be Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
TULSA – There is nothing like home-cooking, and FC Tulsa desperately needs to get back to the friendly confines of ONEOK Field where it has earned five points during a three-match unbeaten streak in downtown Tulsa. On Saturday night, FC Tulsa should be offered a boost by a large crowd and the home debut of Donovan Ricketts as the interim head coach.
Against Charleston Battery, who currently resides below FC Tulsa in the Eastern Conference table, Saturday will offer a chance to take all three points and begin a second-half surge back up the standings. The match will be presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma and will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
FC Tulsa will host a free prematch concert just outside the ONEOK Field gates on Elgin Ave. as Freak Juice will perform from 6-7 p.m. CT. There will also be a postmatch Fireworks Show for all fans in attendance.
SCOUTING CHARLESTON BATTERY
After a brutal start to the season that the Battery win just one of its first 12 regular season matches, the South Carolina side has offered its fans a glimmer of hope with a win and a draw in its last two matches, vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and at Tampa Bay Rowdies, respectively. While Charleston still sits in 13th place in the Eastern Conference (out of 14 teams), they won’t be an opponent to overlook due to recent form.
Leading goalscorer Augustine Williams is dangerous, as FC Tulsa found out in the 2022 season opener when he scored the only goal in a 1-0 Charleston victory. Williams has six goals on the year to lead either side while Andrew Booth has served up three assists in 2022.
Similar to FC Tulsa, Charleston has struggled mightily on the road with a 0-4-2 record away from Patriots Point Soccer Stadium.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) Home/Road Splits
It’s been a tale of two seasons for FC Tulsa, one at home and one on the road. Saturday should be favorable for the home side though as Tulsa takes a 4-2-2 record at ONEOK Field into the match. All but one of FC Tulsa’s points this season have been earned at the corner of Elgin and Archer and the team is currently riding a three-match unbeaten streak at home with a win over Detroit City FC and two draws against Tampa Bay Rowdies and Miami FC over its last three home matches.
2) Gotta Get a Goal
With an active scoreless streak sitting at 277 minutes, FC Tulsa is desperately in need of some offense. That streak is the 5th-longest without a goal in franchise history, but the longest in the club’s current FC Tulsa-era. As the team continues to get comfortable under interim head coach Donovan Ricketts style of play, expect the offense to steadily improve with potent attackers like Rodrigo da Costa, JJ Williams and Brian Brown leading the way.
3) Possible Debut of Sean McFarlane
FC Tulsa made a significant player transaction this week when it acquired wingback Sean McFarlane on loan from Miami FC. The paperwork has officially been processed and approved by the league and federation, and McFarlane is now eligible for selection by Ricketts on Saturday night. With plenty of pace and a delicate touch on the ball, Tulsa fans can look forward to possible debut of McFarlane on Saturday.
HOW TO WATCH
Tickets to the match are still available but going fast. Tickets start at just $12 if purchased in advance and $15 on matchday. Your ticket gets you access to the prematch Freak Juice concert and postmatch Fireworks Show.
If you can’t make it to ONEOK Field, catch the match locally on My41 in Tulsa or stream it on ESPN+. As always, fans can follow @FCTulsa on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get team news, in-game updates and match highlights.
