Kickoff From ONEOK Field is Set for 5 p.m.
Kickoff From ONEOK Field is Set for 5 p.m.
TULSA – It will be a battle of the undefeated on Saturday night at ONEOK Field when FC Tulsa, who has not lost at ONEOK Field through three matches in 2023, match up with the only undefeated club in the Eastern Conference in the Charleston Battery. The two sides occupy two of the top three scoring spots in the USL Championship through five weeks, setting the stage for a match where goals could pour in furiously.
The key to FC Tulsa’s offensive explosion in 2023 has been none other than the man who has been carving through defenders and finding the back of the net his entire career, Rodrigo da Costa. The club’s all-time leading scorer (36 goals) and assist man (26 assists) has logged either a goal or assist in four of FC Tulsa’s six matches this season. The Brazilian also ranks second in the USL Championship with 13 chances created and 30 crosses whipped in.
With nine goals scored, FC Tulsa sits behind just two USL-C clubs in scoring – Monterey Bay F.C. (11) and the Charleston Battery (10).
For Charleston, offense has primarily funneled through Augustine Williams who leads the Battery with four goals and scored a brace on Wednesday against Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Sierra Leone international has quietly put together an exceptional USL Championship career with 56 goals and 14 assists between regular season and postseason play dating back to 2016.
ONEOK Field is poised to be the site of the visitors’ first loss of the season as FC Tulsa has been virtually unbreakable at home dating back to last year. Tulsa has suffered defeat at home only once dating back to August 26, 2022.
Kickoff from ONEOK is set for 5 p.m. CT.
SCOUTING CHARLESTON
Charleston Battery had to be one of the most intriguing USL Championship clubs entering the 2023 season. The South Carolina side made a plethora of big moves in the offseason, highlighted by the poaching of the 2022 USL-C Head Coach of the Year Ben Pirmann from Memphis 901 FC.
Pirmann instantly bolstered his new club with forward Nick Markanich from MLS’ FC Cincinnati who already has two goals and an assist to his credit. Deklan Wynne also signed with Charleston fresh off a 2022 campaign with Detroit City FC that witnessed the winger from New Zealand total 10 assists and three goals across all competitions. Then, of course, there is Augustine Williams with 19 goals for the Battery in 37 matches since signing with the club last season.
STAT OF THE MATCH
Six players on FC Tulsa’s roster have tallied an assist through its six matches this season – Milo Yosef, Blaine Ferri, Colling Fernandez, Marcus Epps, Moses Dyer, and Rodrigo Da Costa. Tulsa is one of only three clubs with six players or more to have logged an assist in 2023 alongside Birmingham Legion FC and Hartford Athletic.
AVIATION NIGHT
FC Tulsa is hosting Aviation Night on Saturday to honor and celebrate Tulsa’s long-standing history as a cornerstone of American aerospace dating back to the early 1920s. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a limited-edition FC Tulsa Aviation Night t-shirt. Multiple sizes will be available until supplies run out.
HOW TO WATCH
Tickets to the match are still available and fans can take advantage of advanced pricing by securing theirs before matchday. The match will also be broadcasted locally on My41 Tulsa and streamed nationally on ESPN+.
STAY UPDATED
For highlights, polls, updates and more throughout matchday, be sure to follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
