Another Crucial Three Points Hang in the Balance as a Hot FC Tulsa Side Matches Up with a Struggling Indy Squad
Another Crucial Three Points Hang in the Balance as a Hot FC Tulsa Side Matches Up with a Struggling Indy Squad
TULSA – Three monumental matches await FC Tulsa over an eight-day stretch, all at ONEOK Field. Riding the momentum of its gutsy victory in Miami on August 10, FC Tulsa is primed to make a run up the Eastern Conference standings, starting Saturday night as Indy Eleven makes the 635-mile trip south.
On matchday, it will have been 38 days since FC Tulsa’s last match at home. Over that span, Tulsa played three matches on the road, winning two of them. The playoff gap between FC Tulsa and Miami has closed over the past two months as FC Tulsa has won three of its last five outings and earned points in five of its last eight.
Before we look too far down the road to the playoffs, FC Tulsa must take care of business against Indy Eleven in front of the home crowd, one that is expected to be one of the biggest of the season. The two clubs have yet to face off this season with the second leg in Indianapolis scheduled to take place on October 1.
Indy is winless over its last 11 outings and has posted a 2W-8L-2D record on the road this season. Comparatively, six of FC Tulsa’s eight wins have come at home in 2022 and the club has only lost one match at ONEOK Field in the last four months.
Tulsa and Indy matched up four times a season ago, resulting in a 2W-1L-1D series finish for the good guys.
Saturday will also be Greenwood Night at ONEOK Field, featuring limited-edition Greenwood Ave. jerseys which FC Tulsa players will wear during warmups, a prematch concert from Thaddeus Johnson at the Greenwood Plaza off Greenwood Avenue, and over 40 local businesses from Greenwood set up across the ONEOK concourse!
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
SCOUTING INDY ELEVEN
Coming into Saturday night in 8th place in the Eastern Conference and six points behind FC Tulsa in the standings, Indy Eleven has its work cut out for it to make the playoffs in 2022. Indy has not won a match since June 4, making it 11 outings for the club without a victory. Tied for the third-lowest goal tally and owning the lowest shot total in the USL Championship, it’s clear to see Indy has struggled offensively this season. The Indianapolis side is also still searching for its first win over any club currently above it in the Eastern Conference standings at kickoff.
In his first season with Indy after spending 2021 with Austin Bold FC, Stefano Pinho leads the club with seven goals and is tied with USL Championship legend Solomon Asanté with three assists.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR
1) Lewis–Powder Reunion
Saturday’s matchup will mark Sean Lewis’ ONEOK reunion with the FC Tulsa supporters. Lewis was traded to Indy Eleven back on July 5 in exchange for wing-back Noah Powder. Since the trade, Lewis has made four starts for Indy, allowing eight goals while making 18 saves for a 75% save pct. Although the blame does not fall entirely on Lewis, he is 0W-3L-1D in between the posts with his new club.
For Tulsa, Powder has also made four starts with one goal (the match-winner in Miami last time out) to go along with six chances created and four interceptions made. Saturday makes it back-to-back matches in which Tulsa faces off against a club that it previously executed a trade with earlier in the season (Miami FC last week in which the clubs swapped Joaquín Rivas and Sean McFarlane in June).
2) Playoff Race
Coming off what FC Tulsa players described as a “must-win” match on August 10, Tulsa has put itself right back into the playoff mix. Detroit City FC and Miami FC are the two clubs in FC Tulsa’s sights, leading the black and gold by 9 and 11 points respectively. When determining strength of schedule based on remaining opponents’ win percentage, FC Tulsa has the easiest remaining schedule to close out the year, Miami has the second easiest, and Detroit has the most difficult. All three clubs are in action on Saturday as Detroit City hosts Louisville City FC at 6:30 p.m. CT while Miami FC is on the road at Hartford Athletic for a 6:00 p.m. CT kick.
3) $1 Beer All Night
Saturday night will mark the first $1 Beer Night of the season! With a $10 ticket to the Midfield Terrace section, fans can start snagging beers when gates open at 6:30 p.m. CT for just a dollar all night long. Fans will be asked to present their I.D. to the usher when entering the Midfield Terrace, and we ask that all fans drink responsibly.
HOW TO WATCH
The best way to catch every FC Tulsa home match is with a ticket to witness all the action in person! Between the playoffs looming, Greenwood Night, and $1 Beer Night, it will be an evening you won’t want to miss. If you can’t make it out, tune in locally to My41 Tulsa or stream all the action on ESPN+. Also, be sure to follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for match updates, highlights, polls, and more!
