Standings: FC Tulsa enters the match with a record of 8W-12L-10D, ranking 9th in the Western Conference. North Carolina FC enters the match with a record of 10W-11L-9D, ranking 10th in the Eastern Conference.
FC Tulsa’s Last Match: It was a game of inches on Saturday as FC Tulsa fell to El Paso Locomotive FC, 1-0, off of a match-winner that narrowly crossed the goal line. El Paso Locomotive FC notched the game-winner in the 19th minute after a Robert Coronado shot attempt – which came from a penalty kick – was stopped after passing the goal line. With the result, head coach Mario Sanchez and FC Tulsa close the week with 34 points (8-12-10) while El Paso Locomotive FC improved to 28 points (7-16-7). FC Tulsa currently remains in ninth in the conference while El Paso Locomotive keeps its playoff hopes alive carrying 28 points (7-16-7). “We talked about how this was going to be a war,” Sanchez said. “They’re mathematically alive, and they’re fighting for their life. We expected it. We knew the whole week it was going to be a very, very physical game, and it’s a credit to them, they made it difficult, did what they had to do, and they found a way to get a goal.” Forward Aaron Bibout – who entered the match with two straight scoring matches – pitched an active open for FC Tulsa, firing a shot on target in the first minute. However, the shot was saved in the bottom right of the goal. The save sparked a change in pace, as El Paso Locomotive FC took control of the possession battle with two-thirds of possession through 15 minutes. The stint peaked in the 12th minute as goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda and FC Tulsa led a three-save effort, with Peñaranda making a diving save to the left corner, Owen Damm blocking a shot at the center of the box and Lucas Stauffer of El Paso ringing the top crossbar on the final attempt. The visitors continued their bolt to the box and found daylight in the 18th minute as they were awarded a penalty kick off of a Patrick Seagrist handball. Peñaranda saved the low-rising attempt from Amaury Escoto and kicked out a second attempt from Robert Coronado, however, the attempt crossed the goal line – marking the match-opening goal. El Paso Locomotive FC found the top crossbar again from Escoto in the 42nd minute, marking the last of its eight shot attempts in the half. Stefan Stojanovic nearly knotted up play in the 50th minute, producing a 1-on-1 in transition, but missed to the right of the goal. Milo Yosef also created a transition opportunity in the 61st minute but had to exit play after planting awkwardly on the attack. FC Tulsa went down a man nine minutes later as Bradley Bourgeois collected his second yellow card of the match – resulting in the home club carrying 10 players in the 70th minute. The home club generated multiple chances down the stretch, producing five shots with three on target in the closing 10 minutes – but could not find the back of the net.
Last Match-Up Against North Carolina FC: This is the first meeting between the two sides as North Carolina is in their first season with the USL Championship after spending the last three years in USL League One.
Players to Watch: FC Tulsa’s players to watch this match are Aaron Bibout and Stefan Stojanovic. Bibout tallied four shots in last Saturday’s match against El Paso Locomotive FC. Bibout joined FC Tulsa this summer on loan from MLS Next Pro side Ventura County SC. Since joining FC Tulsa he has three goals and 19 shots. Forward Stefan Stojanovic has been a consistent piece in the offense this season. He has played in all 30 of FC Tulsa’s matches in the 2024 season and leads the team in shots and shots on target. Stojanovic has four goals, three assists, 35 shots with 19 on target.
North Carolina FC’s players to watch this match are Oalex Anderson and Rodrigo Da Costa. Anderson leads the team in goals with 10 and shots with 66. 31 of his shots have been on target. Da Costa is a familiar face to FC Tulsa fans. He spent five seasons with FC Tulsa and is second in all-time matches played, matches started and minutes played. He is second only to current FC Tulsa Captain Bradley Bourgeois, who didn’t travel with the team as he is serving a red card suspension this match. This season with North Carolina, Rodrigo Da Costa has five goals, four assists, 31 shots, 13 shots on target and 33 chances created. 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/
