Michael Nelson Saves PK in Loss
Michael Nelson Saves PK in Loss
TULSA – Despite nasty weather in the forecast and a rescheduled kickoff time, over 4,300 fans filed into ONEOK Field on Saturday night to watch FC Tulsa host Orange County. The evening took a sour turn for the home crowd as FC Tulsa fell to the California side 3-0, despite another brilliant outing from Michael Nelson.
FC Tulsa opened up in a 5-2-3 formation to begin play for the first time this season. Shape changes have been a common theme for Blair Gavin in his first season as a head coach, and Saturday’s tactical swap yielded 54% of the possession to Tulsa over the first 25 minutes of the match.
Unfortunately, it did not result in FC Tulsa finding the opening goal. Orange County SC found the back of the net in the 26′ minute by way of Milan Iloski’s sixth goal of the season. A brief scuffle between the two sides ensued, but all fizzled out rather quickly and play resumed after Milo Yosef was shown yellow for the part he played in the dust-up.
Michael Nelson, who has come up big for FC Tulsa so many times already this season, answered the call once again for his club when Tulsa was whistled for a penalty inside its own box in the 37′ minute. For the second time in as many matches, the 6’3″ goalkeeper saved the penalty attempt and was greeted by head taps and shoulder bumps galore for keeping the deficit at 1-0. Nelson would end the night with three saves.
FC Tulsa earned the first true scoring chance of the second half when Marcus Epps was fouled right outside the penalty area. Yosef elected to take the attempt and drove his shot low with pace, but inches wide of the far post.
The visitors earned themselves not only one golden opportunity to double its lead in the 67′ minute, but two when a shot launched from 24 yards out clattered off the post, then the rebound was nearly poked in. However, the quick thinking and cat-like reflexes of Nelson were once again on full display as he cleared the danger.
Orange County would eventually find its second goal in the 90′ minute off the boot of Markus Nakkim, then earned its second penalty attempt of the evening six minutes later.. This time, the chance was converted and the score increased to 3-0 where it was finalized.
FC Tulsa dropped to 2W-6L-7D while Orange County improved to 4W-8L-4D.
GOALS
26′ OC – Milan Ilosky (assist: Kyle Scott)
90′ OC Markus Nakkim
90+6′ OC – Thomas Amang (PK)
LINEUPS
FC Tulsa: Nelson, Bromstedt, Ruxi, McCabe, Malou, Yosef, Bird, Ferri, Epps, Dyer, Goodrum (Subs Used: Weah, Armour, Pearson, Fernandez)
Orange County SC: Shutler, Doghman, Powers, Nakkim, Lambe, Partida, Scott, Casiple, Osundina, Iloski, McNulty (Subs Used: Amang, Iloski, Pederson, Chattha, Pederson)
UP NEXT
FC Tulsa is on the road in midweek action next Wednesday, June 21 at Memphis 901 FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
