FC Tulsa’s Last Road Match of the Season Kicks Off at 6 p.m. CT
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Only three FC Tulsa matches remain on the 2022 calendar uncovered by a red X as the end of the season continues to approach. Saturday night marks the final road match of Tulsa’s current campaign as the club packs its bags for the Hoosier State to take on Indy Eleven one final time this year.
The first meeting between the clubs this season was a nail-biter, deadlocked at 0-0 throughout the first 89 minutes of the contest. However, Machuca saved the Tulsa faithful from a mundane drive home with a 90’ minute winner that sent ONEOK Field into a frenzy. FC Tulsa fans have become accustomed to a fantastic final fifteen minutes as the club has scored 18 goals beyond the 75’ minute this season, the most in the USL Championship.
Dating back to last season, the all-time series between FC Tulsa and Indy Eleven has been a fun matchup for both Tulsa fans and neutrals. FC Tulsa leads the all-time series with a 3W-1L-1D record and seven of the combined 10 goals between the two sides have been scored beyond the 70’ minute, three of which proved to be match winners.
For FC Tulsa, perhaps its two greatest offensive players in club history have been as hot as anyone in the league. Despite the emergence of FC Tulsa’s youngest players on the pitch last weekend, it is clear the offense still runs through Rodrigo da Costa and Darío Suárez. Da Costa has scored or assisted in each of FC Tulsa’s last three outings while Suárez has scored in six of the club’s last eight outings. Suárez now trails Joaquín Rivas by just one goal for the second-highest mark in franchise history, despite appearing in 21 fewer matches than Rivas.
The action kicks off from Michael A. Carroll Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT.
SCOUTING INDY ELEVEN
The last third of the season has seen Indy Eleven achieve the results the club was expected to when it brought head coach Mark Lowery on board ahead of the 2022 campaign. Over its last seven matches, Indy has picked up 16 of its 38 points, a stretch that included wins over both conference leaders Louisville City FC and San Antonio FC as well as Birmingham Legion FC. Five different players have accounted for the club’s last five goals as Indy has found its groove as of late despite still having scored 34 goals this season, better than only New York Red Bulls II in the USL Championship. Stefano Pinho leads the side with 10 goals while league legend Solomon Asanté has racked up a club-high six assists on the season.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) Let the Kids Play
Luca Sowinski, Angel Bernal, and Aimiar Membrila will all look to build on strong starts to their USL Championship careers on Saturday night after each made his USL Championship debut last weekend in Detroit. Christopher Pearson also put in a 63-minute shift, marking his first professional start as all four teenagers left their mark in the club’s 2-2 draw.
2) Internationals Are Back
Defenders Ronald Rodríguez and Noah Powder are back and available for selection this weekend after both members of the Tulsa backline were away on international duty last weekend. Powder was called up to represent Trinidad and Tobago in the 2022 King’s Cup where the left-back appeared as a winger in T&T’s first of two matches in the tournament, both of which resulted in losses to Tajikistan and host-nation Thailand. Rodríguez joined El Salvador for a Friendly in Washington, D.C. against Peru, unfortunately also ending in defeat for Tulsa’s center-back.
3) Back-to-Back Double Digits-Seasons
Rodrigo da Costa needs just one more goal to reach 10 goals on the season. Following last year’s 11-goal performance, one more goal would make da Costa the first man in FC Tulsa history to log back-to-back double-digit scoring seasons. Darío Suárez could potentially do the same if the Cuban forward can muster two more goals over his next three matches.
HOW TO WATCH
Fans can catch the match locally on My41 Tulsa or stream the action on ESPN+. Be sure to follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for highlights, updates, and more matchday content!
