Standings:
FC Tulsa enters the match with a record of 8W-11L-10D, ranking 9th in the Western Conference. El Paso Locomotive FC enters the match with a record of 6W-16L-7D, ranking 12th in the Western Conference.
FC Tulsa’s Last Match:
A seventh-minute goal from Aaron Bibout helped lift FC Tulsa to a 1-0 victory over Oakland Roots SC on Sunday at Pioneer Stadium. With the result, head coach Mario Sanchez and FC Tulsa has improved to 34 points (8-11-10) while Oakland Roots SC remains at 40 points (12-14-4). FC Tulsa caps the weekend in the hunt for a playoff seed, slotting ninth in the conference and one point back of the playoff line. Oakland Roots SC closes the month scoreless, holding to a sixth-place seed after being shutout, 0-9, in September. “I’m so proud of the team for tonight’s performance,” Sanchez said. “They carry great character and continue to fight for the club. The team continues to believe in themselves, and tonight was their reward.” Bibout answered the call early in the contest, firing the opening score seven minutes into action. The play generated as Stefan Stojanovic received a pass near the right edge of the 18-yard box, toeing the endline. With defenders closing in, he delivered a precise back pass to Aaron Bibout, positioned just outside the center of the goalie box. Bibout fired a powerful right-footed shot that soared into the top of the net, leaving the goalkeeper, who had dived to his right, with no chance. The 6-foot-4 attacker has made an immediate impact in back-to-back contests as he scored a goal eight minutes into play against Rhode Island FC in Week 29. The 20-year-old became the first FC Tulsa player to etch goals in back-to-back matches since Diogo Pacheco found paydirt in a pair of matches on June 8 and 19. Bibout matched Oakland Roots SC total shot attempts with three in the first half, while FC Tulsa carried a 6-3 margin. Goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda made a pair of saves in the half, combating shot attempts from Dom Dwyer and Johnny Rodriguez in the 29th and 42nd minute, respectively. Peñaranda showed off his verticality in the 70th minute, springing up and tapping a corner kick attempt, which was floating parallel to the center crossbar up and on top of the net. The stretch was followed by a trio of yellow cards dished out in three minutes as Dwyer and Gagi Margvelashvili netted cards for Oakland in the 73rd and 74th minute, with Diogo Pacheco picking up a card against FC Tulsa in the 76th minute. With both sides ranking top 10 in fouls drawn, the whistle stayed active all night, with FC Tulsa and Oakland Roots SC netting 21 and 16 fouls, respectively. FC Tulsa held off Oakland Roots SC’s comeback aspirations, helding them blank on 11 shot attempts (five on target) during play, with Peñaranda making diving saves in the 87th and 90(+7) minute to stymie any momentum.
Last Match-Up Against El Paso Locomotive FC:
FC Tulsa finds all three points for the second time this season as they defeat El Paso Locomotive 1-0. The first half saw a fairly uneventful match with FC Tulsa having 45% of possession with only 5 shots and one on target from FC Tulsa. No cards were shown to either side. Defender Patrick Seagrist played his 100th USL Championship game tonight in an FC Tulsa kit. Seagrist was acquired by FC Tulsa in August of the 2023 season from Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC previously. Seagrist also played for Memphis 901 FC, Indy Eleven, and was drafted 10th overall by the New York Bulls in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. Adding on to those accolades, Midfielder Boubacar Diallo scored his first goal of the season in the 53rd minute to give FC Tulsa the go-ahead. The goal came as Seagrist shared a long-pass deflected by an El Paso defender and connected with Diallo to open the scoring. After the opening goal, both sides continued to try and get another on the board. Locomotive FC had multiple chances in the latter half, many being saved at the hands of Goalkeeper Michael Creek. Creek gained his first clean sheet of the season and the first for FC Tulsa in 2024.
Players to Watch:
FC Tulsa’s players to watch this match are Forward Aaron Bibout and Defender Bradley Bourgeois. Aaron Bibout joined FC Tulsa in mid August on loan from MLS Next Pro side Ventura County FC. Since joining FC Tulsa, Bibout has played in eight matches, starting seven of them. His loan came on the heel of Forward Phillip Goodrum leaving the team and leaving a striker position open. Bibout has stepped into that role seamlessly. He became the first FC Tulsa player since June to score in back to back matches. His seventh minute goal against Oakland Roots SC secured three points for the visitors. Bibout currently sits tied for third in goals this season with three. He also has 16 shots, 154 passes, eight clearances, two blocks and four interceptions. Defender Bradley Bourgeois has been a key factor of the defense in the 2024 season. The captain has 108 clearances, 26 blocks, 19 interceptions, 18 tackles and 10 shots with three of them coming on target in 25 starts this season. Bourgeois also recently became the all-time leader in matches played, matches started and minutes played for FC Tulsa earlier this season.
El Paso Locomotive FC’s players to watch this match are Forward Amando Moreno and Forward Joaquin Rivas. Moreno currently leads El Paso in goals, with six. He also has one assist and 38 shots in 23 matches started this season. FC Tulsa fans are familiar with Joaquin Rivas as he appeared in 93 matches for the team in 2017, 2018 and 2021. He currently has two goals and one assist with the Locomotive. In the 20 matches he has played this season, he has 14 shots, seven on target, 278 passes, two clearances, two blocks, two interceptions and six tackles.
Up Next:
FC Tulsa returns to ONEOK Field on October 12th to take on New Mexico United at 7:30pm. The club is hosting Youth Sports Night and encourages youth fans to wear their youth team jersey or any other jersey they might have! For tickets visit, fctulsa.com/single-match-tickets/
