An Incredible 90+7′ Minute Goal Highlights an Unbelievable FC Tulsa Comeback on Sunday Night
LEESBURG, VA. – Sunday night marked one of the most incredible comebacks in recent FC Tulsa memory with two goals coming in the 85′ and 90+7′ minutes courtesy of Darío Suárez and Rodrigo da Costa. Down 2-0 in the final moments of the match, Tulsa battled back to earn a point while showing the grit and determination of a club that’s ready to turn its season around and make a run up the standings. As every sports fan knows, nothing is more dangerous than a club that can never be counted out.
The first goal of the match went to Loudoun United within the first 10 minutes. FC Tulsa conceded a corner kick in the 7′ minute and was able to block the initial shot following the set piece. However, Tulsa was unable to properly clear the ball away and Loudoun was able to send in a second ball from the right side. The Loudoun captain Jalen Robinson converted the second-chance opportunity, giving the home team the 1-0 advantage early.
FC Tulsa’s first real chance came in the 27′ minute when Abuchi Obinwa found Bradley Bourgeois streaking down the right flank. Obinwa hit the Tulsa captain in stride and Bourgeois sprinted 40 yards with the ball before unleashing a shot at the top of the box that beat the opposing keeper, Luis Zamudio, but was pushed just wide of the far post.
The Tulsa offense was firing in the final 12 minutes of the first half with JJ Williams acting as the playmaker rather than the target man in the box. Williams created several good looks for his teammates, one of which was a Rodrigo da Costa far-post attempt that prompted an excellent save from the Loudoun keeper. Unfortunately, FC Tulsa was unable to get on the scoreboard after testing the Loudoun defense time and time again.
Williams would, however, get his chance to score right before stoppage time in the first half. Rodrigo da Costa was chopped down inside the box and Tulsa was awarded the penalty kick in the 43′ minute. Williams, FC Tulsa’s leading goalscorer, took the chance for his club and aimed left and low, but Zamudio got down and dirty to make the biggest save of the half and keep FC Tulsa blanked at the break.
In three of its last four matches, FC Tulsa failed to record three shots on target over 90 minutes of play. On Sunday night, the Tulsa offense fired off three shots on target in the first half.
FC Tulsa was able to carry its attacking momentum from the end of the first half over into the second half as the offense opened the half with a flurry of shots, asking serious questions of the Loudoun United defense. But with so many men forward for Tulsa, the club was exposed to a counter attack from the opposition, and Loudoun took advantage.
In the 55′ minute, FC Tulsa was called for a foul just outside of the Loudoun penalty area, a chance taken quickly by the white and red. Tyler Freeman was let loose down the right side of the pitch, and the Loudoun free kick taker picked him out, setting the forward loose with lots of green in front of him. Freeman took it all the way, beating Austin Wormell at his near post for Loudoun United’s second of the night.
But this match was not over. Not even close.
Darío Suárez, who entered the match as a substitute in the 66′ minute, could not be contained by the Loudoun defense. Suárez banged home FC Tulsa’s first goal from a nearly-impossible angle, somehow sliding the ball just inside the near post with a defender on his hip and the keeper to beat. Tulsa now trailed Loudoun United by just one goal and with all the momentum.
Five minutes of stoppage time were announced, but with player after player going down for the home side after the 90′ minute, two extra minutes would be played – enough for FC Tulsa’s all-time goalscorer to add one more to his ledger. Following a corner kick, Darío Suárez was able to come away with the ball following a deflection, make a man miss, and find Rodrigo da Costa in the box.
Just like with Suárez’s initial goal, da Costa found himself with a difficult angle to come through for his club, but drove the ball into the ground with enough power to pop the ball over the keeper and into the corner of the goal in the final play of the match, silencing the crowd. The arms of the Loudoun players went up in the air as their bodies collapsed on the grass, trying to process what FC Tulsa was just able to achieve on their watch.
FC Tulsa may still be searching for its first road win of 2022, but it made a statement in the final minutes on Sunday night – you cannot count this club out just yet.
Below are three takeaways from the match.
1) RODRIGO AT THE DEATH
Rodrigo da Costa’s stunner in the 90+7′ was not only the latest goal that FC Tulsa scored in 2022, but is the latest goal scored in franchise history. The previous record had been set by Janu Silva in 2019, a 90+6′ match winner to give the Roughnecks a 2-1 win over New Mexico United. His goal was also the 30th of his USL Championship career and came in his 100th career USL Championship appearance.
2) SUPER DARÍO IS BACK
It has been a quiet 2022 for forward Darío Suárez to this point with only one goal, but he broke out in a big way on Sunday night. Super Darío’s score off the bench was the 20th of his career and his assist marked his seventh USL Championship helper. It was the second time in Suárez’s career that he both scored and notched an assist in the same match, the other coming back on August 20, 2020 in a 2-2 draw with Austin Bold FC.
3) DANGEROUS DUO
Surprisingly, Sunday marked only the third time in club history that both Darío Suárez and Rodrigo da Costa each scored in the same match. FC Tulsa has not lost any of those matches, going 2W-0L-1D. The two goalscorers have now combined for 50 Tulsa goals over their careers.
UP NEXT
FC Tulsa returns to ONEOK Field for two straight home matches where the club is 5W-2-L-2D on the season. Tulsa hosts Atlanta United 2 on Saturday, July 9 before taking on New Mexico United for the first time in club history on Wednesday, July 13. Charlie Redd and Luna Voodoo get things started on July 9 at 6 p.m. CT as part of the FC Tulsa Summer Concert Series before FC Tulsa’s 7:30 kickoff in downtown Tulsa.
