Match Kicks Off at 4 p.m. CT
MIAMI, Fla. – We have waited five long months to say it, but it’s finally time – FC Tulsa is playing a regular season USL Championship match tomorrow evening. The Florida sun will greet a reconfigured Tulsa squad as they step off the plane in the 305 to take on Miami FC at 4 p.m. CT.
Head coach Blair Gavin will make his head coaching debut after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with MLS’ Columbus Crew and three years as an assistant with Phoenix Rising FC before that. His philosophy? Attack relentlessly.
“We want to have an attacking mindset both with and without the ball,” said Gavin. “We are hoping to be proactive in the game and play on the front foot. In attack, we want to play through pressure and if it’s lost quickly, get it back to retain the ball and keep progressing to goal. In defense, we want to be organized and collectively hunt the ball so we can force turnovers and start attacking again.”
To achieve Gavin’s tactical objectives, FC Tulsa’s roster underwent a major overhaul with 13 new players signing with the club and 18 departures from the 2022 roster. Of those 13 additions, six primarily play out in the wide positions. Brett Levis, Justin Malou, and Chase Bromstedt are listed as full-backs while Milo Yosef, Watz Leazard, and Siad Haji have a history of attacking from the wings.
Returning faces FC Tulsa fans will recognize include Rodrigo da Costa and Darío Suárez, who rank first and second in goals scored for the franchise respectively, veterans Jorge Corrales and Eric Bird, along with three of the club’s midseason teenage signings from a year ago who all saw minutes late in the season – Luca Sowinski, Christopher Pearson, and Angel Bernal.
The dawn of a new FC Tulsa era will be ushered in when the clock strikes 4 p.m. tomorrow night in Tulsa. When asked how he wants his team to be defined in 2023, Gavin replied that his guys will give it everything they have and leave nothing left. Miami FC poses the first test for this new group, and all USL Championship eyes will be watching.
SCOUTING MIAMI FC
Miami FC’s 2023 squad remains very similar to the one it utilized to clinch a sixth-place Playoffs spot a season ago. Kyle Murphy (who finished tied for the third-highest USL-C goal mark in 2021), captain Paco Craig, and last season’s club leader in assists, Florain Valot, all return to the club. A new goalkeeper, Adrian Zendejas who was acquired via loan from Charlotte FC of MLS, will replace Connor Sparrow who departed in the offseason.
The match will also mark the first time FC Tulsa faces off against Joaquín Rivas since August 9, 2000 when the Salvadoran competed for Saint Louis FC, a match that Tulsa won on the road by a 2-0 margin. Rivas appeared 95 times during his Tulsa tenure and scored 27 goals for the club.
STAT OF THE MATCH
Forward Marcus Epps needs to log 65 minutes in tomorrow’s match to cross the 10,000 minute mark over his regular season USL Championship career.
WATCH PARTY
The official Watch Party of FC Tulsa will be held at the Tulsan Athletic Club on Saturday. DJ Oreo will begin his set at 3 p.m. and play until the match kicks off at 4 p.m. Pickleball will be free, 83 United will be grilling up food, and Dane Arnold and The Soup will be playing a live show after the match.
Drink specials include Domestic pitchers priced at $10 and 918 Cervezas will be available for $4. In addition, FC Tulsa will be hosting a ticket raffle at the event.
TUNE IN
Fans can watch all of the action on MY41 locally in Tulsa or stream on ESPN+. Be sure to follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up to date with match highlights and more.
