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TULSA – High 5!

Another late winner, another three points and FC Tulsa's winning streak is alive and well after a 2-1 home victory over Indy Eleven on Wednesday night at ONEOK Field. Tonight's winner came courtesy of forward Darío Suárez, who converted an 89' minute penalty kick won by teammate Lucas Coutinho to snatch a fifth win "on the spin." 

In a season that's been chock full of drama, it's the third match-winning goal past the 84' minute in the last month as FC Tulsa continues to inch closer to the top of the Central Division.

The same trends that brought FC Tulsa to a four-match winning streak – scoring the first goal and scoring multiple goals – continued in Wednesday's match starting with Marlon's opener off a cross from Jason Johnson. It was a cool finish from the Brazilian who didn't miss from 10 yards out. 

A dominant first half turned sour midway through the opening 45 minutes when FC Tulsa keeper Sean Lewis took a knock and was forced to the bench for Austin Wormell. Lewis had been an instrumental part of FC Tulsa's four-match winning streak and hadn't allowed a goal in Tulsa's last 194 minutes. 

As the soccer gods would have it, just minutes after having to make the change, Tulsa conceded as Indy equalized the match at 1-1. That was the final tally that Wormell would give up as the Tulsa native made four saves in the victory, including two highlight reel stops late in the match that kept it an equal scoreline.

In the 84' minute, FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien sent in the substitution that eventually made the difference when he brought on midfielder Lucas Coutinho. Coutinho wasted little time making an impact, earning the penalty that Suárez converted. 

FC Tulsa's next match will be its biggest yet as a sixth win in a row on Saturday would leapfrog Tulsa over Birmingham Legion FC and into second place in the Central Division.

Here are three quick takeaways from the match…

1) Late is Great
In the last 31 days, FC Tulsa has had three match winners past the 84' minute. While the previous two came from the boot of Marlon, tonight's drama king was Darío Suárez, who coolly converted the penalty to send FC Tulsa to three points. It's the latest heroics from FC Tulsa who have matched the league's longest win streak in 2021. 

With the victory, FC Tulsa has put together the 31st 5-match winning streak in the USL Championship since 2015 and is the 20th different franchise to accomplish the feat. 

2) Seventh Heaven
Both Marlon and Suárez's goals tonight were their seventh each, giving FC Tulsa three players with at least seven goals (Rodrigo da Costa, 8) the most in the league. Marlon and Super Darío have been two of the offensive architects of the winning streak with three goals apiece during the last five matches. 

FC Tulsa has now scored 10 goals over the five matches while allowing just four. 

3) Wormell to the Rescue 
FC Tulsa had to make a rare call to the bullpen early to bring on keeper Austin Wormell for Sean Lewis who appeared to take a knock midway through the first half. It was Wormell's first appearance since July 29.

The Tulsa native came up big, making four saves in the 56 minutes he played, including two huge stops down the stretch with the match tied at 1-1. Wormell is now 3W-3L-1D in seven appearances in net. 

UP NEXT
FC Tulsa will be right back on the ONEOK Field pitch on Saturday night against Birmingham Legion FC in match that will decide second place for the time being. A win would put FC Tulsa into second while a draw or loss would keep Birmingham there. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and tickets are available.

TULSA – High 5!

Another late winner, another three points and FC Tulsa’s winning streak is alive and well after a 2-1 home victory over Indy Eleven on Wednesday night at ONEOK Field. Tonight’s winner came courtesy of forward Darío Suárez, who converted an 89′ minute penalty kick won by teammate Lucas Coutinho to snatch a fifth win “on the spin.” 

In a season that’s been chock full of drama, it’s the third match-winning goal past the 84′ minute in the last month as FC Tulsa continues to inch closer to the top of the Central Division.

The same trends that brought FC Tulsa to a four-match winning streak – scoring the first goal and scoring multiple goals – continued in Wednesday’s match starting with Marlon’s opener off a cross from Jason Johnson. It was a cool finish from the Brazilian who didn’t miss from 10 yards out. 

A dominant first half turned sour midway through the opening 45 minutes when FC Tulsa keeper Sean Lewis took a knock and was forced to the bench for Austin Wormell. Lewis had been an instrumental part of FC Tulsa’s four-match winning streak and hadn’t allowed a goal in Tulsa’s last 194 minutes. 

As the soccer gods would have it, just minutes after having to make the change, Tulsa conceded as Indy equalized the match at 1-1. That was the final tally that Wormell would give up as the Tulsa native made four saves in the victory, including two highlight reel stops late in the match that kept it an equal scoreline.

In the 84′ minute, FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien sent in the substitution that eventually made the difference when he brought on midfielder Lucas Coutinho. Coutinho wasted little time making an impact, earning the penalty that Suárez converted. 

FC Tulsa’s next match will be its biggest yet as a sixth win in a row on Saturday would leapfrog Tulsa over Birmingham Legion FC and into second place in the Central Division.

Here are three quick takeaways from the match…

1) Late is Great
In the last 31 days, FC Tulsa has had three match winners past the 84′ minute. While the previous two came from the boot of Marlon, tonight’s drama king was Darío Suárez, who coolly converted the penalty to send FC Tulsa to three points. It’s the latest heroics from FC Tulsa who have matched the league’s longest win streak in 2021. 

With the victory, FC Tulsa has put together the 31st 5-match winning streak in the USL Championship since 2015 and is the 20th different franchise to accomplish the feat. 

2) Seventh Heaven
Both Marlon and Suárez’s goals tonight were their seventh each, giving FC Tulsa three players with at least seven goals (Rodrigo da Costa, 8) the most in the league. Marlon and Super Darío have been two of the offensive architects of the winning streak with three goals apiece during the last five matches. 

FC Tulsa has now scored 10 goals over the five matches while allowing just four. 

3) Wormell to the Rescue 
FC Tulsa had to make a rare call to the bullpen early to bring on keeper Austin Wormell for Sean Lewis who appeared to take a knock midway through the first half. It was Wormell’s first appearance since July 29.

The Tulsa native came up big, making four saves in the 56 minutes he played, including two huge stops down the stretch with the match tied at 1-1. Wormell is now 3W-3L-1D in seven appearances in net. 

UP NEXT
FC Tulsa will be right back on the ONEOK Field pitch on Saturday night against Birmingham Legion FC in match that will decide second place for the time being. A win would put FC Tulsa into second while a draw or loss would keep Birmingham there. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and tickets are available.

Not to be outdone by teammate Marlon who notched his seventh goal of the season in the first half, Darío Suárez lines up and slots in a PK in the 89' to put FC Tulsa up late once again, scoring his seventh goal of 2021. Lucas Coutinho earned the PK moments earlier after just entering the action off the bench.

Not to be outdone by teammate Marlon who notched his seventh goal of the season in the first half, Darío Suárez lines up and slots in a PK in the 89′ to put FC Tulsa up late once again, scoring his seventh goal of 2021. Lucas Coutinho earned the PK moments earlier after just entering the action off the bench.

Marlon can't stop scoring at home. The winger opens up the scoring at ONEOK Field once again with his seventh on the season, putting FC Tulsa up 1-0 in the first 10 minutes of the match. Jason Johnson gets credit for the assist, his second with FC Tulsa.

Marlon can’t stop scoring at home. The winger opens up the scoring at ONEOK Field once again with his seventh on the season, putting FC Tulsa up 1-0 in the first 10 minutes of the match. Jason Johnson gets credit for the assist, his second with FC Tulsa.

TULSA – It is all gas and no brakes for FC Tulsa as it continues to establish itself as a mainstay on the top-three podium. 

While the club continues to make up ground at the top of the Central Division, leaving the bottom five spots in its rearview mirror, Indy Eleven pulls into ONEOK Field on Wednesday night looking to exhaust FC Tulsa’s current four-match win streak.

The current streak for FC Tulsa has seen the club completely switch gears. In the six matches prior to the streak, FC Tulsa went just 1W-5L-0D while scoring only six times, and in the four wins since, FC Tulsa has seen its offense accelerate, scoring eight goals with five different players on the scoresheet.

It's the first four-match winning streak in club history and a win over Indy would make Tulsa the second club in the USL Championship to reach five in a row this season. Even without forward Joaquín Rivas who is on international duty with El Salvador, the offense hasn't missed a gear.

Wednesday night will mark the third meeting between FC Tulsa and Indy Eleven this season. The road club claimed a victory in each matchup thus far by a margin of 2-0, splitting the season series one apiece. Indy is a club built around maintaining position in its 3-5-3 formation, and when paired with FC Tulsa’s tendency to counterattack with Marlon and Darío Suárez on the wings, this matchup is sure to provide a high-octane 90 minutes.

Kickoff from ONEOK Field is set for 7:00 p.m. CT.

HOW TO WATCH
TV: MY41
English Radio: SiriusXM FC Ch. 157
Spanish Radio: Que Beuna Tulsa
Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)
Follow: You can follow FC Tulsa @FCTulsa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

SCOUTING INDY ELEVEN
Indy comes into the match with 26 points, good for sixth in the Central Division and three points below the Playoffs line. Coming off a loss last matchup, Indy will be looking to rebound on the road, something Indy has struggled to do this season. Indy is just 4W-3L-3D with a goal differential of -4 on the road this season, conceding 19 times in 10 matches. 

Indy also likes to score late in matches, scoring 68% of its goals in the second half this season. When leading at halftime, FC Tulsa is 9W-0L-0D in 2021, making this an intriguing battle until the final whistle.

Manuel Arteaga leads Indy in goals with six tallies in 54 shot attempts while Gordon Wild on the wing has registered four assists and created 39 chances, both the best on the club. Keeper Jordan Farr enters play with 42 saves while conceding 16 times for a 72.4% save pct. Farr has also come up with three clean sheets this season as well.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

1) Tulsa’s Fab Five
Tulsa’s has won five of the last six, including its current four-match winning streak. In addition to the club’s success in the standings, several players have found individual success driving the team forward. 

FC Tulsa is the only club in USL Championship that has four goal scorers with five goals or more on the season. Rodrigo da Costa remains atop the club list in goals with eight, Marlon and Darío Suárez both have scored six, and Joaquín Rivas has five goals of his own. 

2) Assisting Another
FC Tulsa’s offense has proved that it operates at its best when the ball is being distributed around the pitch. FC Tulsa has scored 34 goals this season and 25 of those goals have been assisted, accounting for 74% of the club’s total scores. With several players possessing the talent to make things happen and score individually, the club functions best when spreading the ball around and providing teammates with the best possible looks. 

3) Biggest in Club History
Last Friday night, FC Tulsa secured the victory in what head coach Michael Nsien called the most important win in club history on the road at Louisville City FC. The surge in momentum that fueled the club shows no sign of slowing after beating one of the best clubs in USL Championship and the leader of the Central Division, resulting in FC Tulsa winning its fourth in a row. With three straight home matches coming up for FC Tulsa at ONEOK Field, FC Tulsa wants to keep the streak alive while battling to move into second place in the Central Division.

TULSA – It is all gas and no brakes for FC Tulsa as it continues to establish itself as a mainstay on the top-three podium. 

While the club continues to make up ground at the top of the Central Division, leaving the bottom five spots in its rearview mirror, Indy Eleven pulls into ONEOK Field on Wednesday night looking to exhaust FC Tulsa’s current four-match win streak.

The current streak for FC Tulsa has seen the club completely switch gears. In the six matches prior to the streak, FC Tulsa went just 1W-5L-0D while scoring only six times, and in the four wins since, FC Tulsa has seen its offense accelerate, scoring eight goals with five different players on the scoresheet.

It’s the first four-match winning streak in club history and a win over Indy would make Tulsa the second club in the USL Championship to reach five in a row this season. Even without forward Joaquín Rivas who is on international duty with El Salvador, the offense hasn’t missed a gear.

Wednesday night will mark the third meeting between FC Tulsa and Indy Eleven this season. The road club claimed a victory in each matchup thus far by a margin of 2-0, splitting the season series one apiece. Indy is a club built around maintaining position in its 3-5-3 formation, and when paired with FC Tulsa’s tendency to counterattack with Marlon and Darío Suárez on the wings, this matchup is sure to provide a high-octane 90 minutes.

Kickoff from ONEOK Field is set for 7:00 p.m. CT.

HOW TO WATCH
TV: MY41
English Radio: SiriusXM FC Ch. 157
Spanish Radio: Que Beuna Tulsa
Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)
Follow: You can follow FC Tulsa @FCTulsa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

SCOUTING INDY ELEVEN
Indy comes into the match with 26 points, good for sixth in the Central Division and three points below the Playoffs line. Coming off a loss last matchup, Indy will be looking to rebound on the road, something Indy has struggled to do this season. Indy is just 4W-3L-3D with a goal differential of -4 on the road this season, conceding 19 times in 10 matches. 

Indy also likes to score late in matches, scoring 68% of its goals in the second half this season. When leading at halftime, FC Tulsa is 9W-0L-0D in 2021, making this an intriguing battle until the final whistle.

Manuel Arteaga leads Indy in goals with six tallies in 54 shot attempts while Gordon Wild on the wing has registered four assists and created 39 chances, both the best on the club. Keeper Jordan Farr enters play with 42 saves while conceding 16 times for a 72.4% save pct. Farr has also come up with three clean sheets this season as well.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

1) Tulsa’s Fab Five
Tulsa’s has won five of the last six, including its current four-match winning streak. In addition to the club’s success in the standings, several players have found individual success driving the team forward. 

FC Tulsa is the only club in USL Championship that has four goal scorers with five goals or more on the season. Rodrigo da Costa remains atop the club list in goals with eight, Marlon and Darío Suárez both have scored six, and Joaquín Rivas has five goals of his own. 

2) Assisting Another
FC Tulsa’s offense has proved that it operates at its best when the ball is being distributed around the pitch. FC Tulsa has scored 34 goals this season and 25 of those goals have been assisted, accounting for 74% of the club’s total scores. With several players possessing the talent to make things happen and score individually, the club functions best when spreading the ball around and providing teammates with the best possible looks. 

3) Biggest in Club History
Last Friday night, FC Tulsa secured the victory in what head coach Michael Nsien called the most important win in club history on the road at Louisville City FC. The surge in momentum that fueled the club shows no sign of slowing after beating one of the best clubs in USL Championship and the leader of the Central Division, resulting in FC Tulsa winning its fourth in a row. With three straight home matches coming up for FC Tulsa at ONEOK Field, FC Tulsa wants to keep the streak alive while battling to move into second place in the Central Division.

Matt Sheldon has been named to the Week 20 Team of the Week bench by USL Championship, marking the second Team of the Week honor for Sheldon in the last 14 days.

In what might be the biggest win in terms of importance in club history, FC Tulsa came away with a massive result, shutting out Louisville City FC on the road. Matt Sheldon was a key element in holding one of the best clubs in the League to zero goals and just four shots on target. 

Sheldon won 9 of 13 duels, including winning three aerial duels. He assisted on Darío Suárez’s goal, the only ball to find the back of the net for either club, to earn his third assist of the season. Sheldon completed 82% of his passes while creating two total chances in the match. With four recoveries, Sheldon was also able to win back possession for FC Tulsa when LouCity threatened in dangerous areas.

Being tasked to stop Jonathan Gómez (one of the best wing-backs in USL Championship) and Jorge Gonzalez Asensi (who has scored two goals of his own this season) is no easy feat, but Sheldon was not deterred and shut down the entire left side of the pitch. He held the two players to just one off-target shot combined and only two “good crosses” recorded. 

Sheldon was named to last week’s Team of the Week as well, one of four FC Tulsa players honored in Week 19. After having never received a Team of the Week nod over his first 79 career matches, Sheldon has now been honored twice over his last three matches played.

Matt Sheldon has been named to the Week 20 Team of the Week bench by USL Championship, marking the second Team of the Week honor for Sheldon in the last 14 days.

In what might be the biggest win in terms of importance in club history, FC Tulsa came away with a massive result, shutting out Louisville City FC on the road. Matt Sheldon was a key element in holding one of the best clubs in the League to zero goals and just four shots on target. 

Sheldon won 9 of 13 duels, including winning three aerial duels. He assisted on Darío Suárez’s goal, the only ball to find the back of the net for either club, to earn his third assist of the season. Sheldon completed 82% of his passes while creating two total chances in the match. With four recoveries, Sheldon was also able to win back possession for FC Tulsa when LouCity threatened in dangerous areas.

Being tasked to stop Jonathan Gómez (one of the best wing-backs in USL Championship) and Jorge Gonzalez Asensi (who has scored two goals of his own this season) is no easy feat, but Sheldon was not deterred and shut down the entire left side of the pitch. He held the two players to just one off-target shot combined and only two “good crosses” recorded. 

Sheldon was named to last week’s Team of the Week as well, one of four FC Tulsa players honored in Week 19. After having never received a Team of the Week nod over his first 79 career matches, Sheldon has now been honored twice over his last three matches played.

Darío Suárez laces one home early from outside the box on the road on Louisville, splitting two defenders and beating the LouCity keeper to his right. The goal is Suárez's sixth of the season, and Matt Sheldon registers his third assist of 2021 on the play as well.

Darío Suárez laces one home early from outside the box on the road on Louisville, splitting two defenders and beating the LouCity keeper to his right. The goal is Suárez’s sixth of the season, and Matt Sheldon registers his third assist of 2021 on the play as well.

Tonight, the two worlds of Joaquín Rivas will collide in his home country of El Salvador as “La Selecta” plays host to the country in which Rivas lives and plays every day – the United States.

El Salvador has not qualified for the FIFA World Cup since 1982, but Rivas will try to provide the spark “La Selecta” needs to reach that milestone for the first time in nearly 30 years. 

“These are the games we all wish to play in and knowing a whole country will be behind us, I get the chills just thinking how amazing that national anthem will sound,” said Rivas.

The FC Tulsa forward is no stranger to the El Salvador Starting XI. In total, Rivas has 14 caps for El Salvador, making 10 starts. Back in July, Rivas proved essential to the overall attacking success over the club’s four matches in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Rivas appeared in all four matches, started three, and netted three goals. Rivas was subbed on against Guatemala and scored late to secure El Salvador the 2-0 win, then netted a brace against Qatar in which he scored both goals within 180 seconds of each other.

Following its matchup with the United States tonight, El Salvador will host Honduras on Sunday, Sept. 5 before heading north to take on Canada on Wednesday, Sept. 8 in Toronto.

"We all know how important taking advantage of home games will be," said Rivas. "We have to play with confidence, especially by keeping the ball as much as we can and also getting our fans connected to the game, because they will be the most important tool to a victory tonight."

For FC Tulsa, Rivas has scored five goals this season and registered one assist in 14 appearances for the club.

Kickoff tonight from Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador is slotted for 9:05 p.m. CT.

Tonight, the two worlds of Joaquín Rivas will collide in his home country of El Salvador as “La Selecta” plays host to the country in which Rivas lives and plays every day – the United States.

El Salvador has not qualified for the FIFA World Cup since 1982, but Rivas will try to provide the spark “La Selecta” needs to reach that milestone for the first time in nearly 30 years. 

“These are the games we all wish to play in and knowing a whole country will be behind us, I get the chills just thinking how amazing that national anthem will sound,” said Rivas.

The FC Tulsa forward is no stranger to the El Salvador Starting XI. In total, Rivas has 14 caps for El Salvador, making 10 starts. Back in July, Rivas proved essential to the overall attacking success over the club’s four matches in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Rivas appeared in all four matches, started three, and netted three goals. Rivas was subbed on against Guatemala and scored late to secure El Salvador the 2-0 win, then netted a brace against Qatar in which he scored both goals within 180 seconds of each other.

Following its matchup with the United States tonight, El Salvador will host Honduras on Sunday, Sept. 5 before heading north to take on Canada on Wednesday, Sept. 8 in Toronto.

“We all know how important taking advantage of home games will be,” said Rivas. “We have to play with confidence, especially by keeping the ball as much as we can and also getting our fans connected to the game, because they will be the most important tool to a victory tonight.”

For FC Tulsa, Rivas has scored five goals this season and registered one assist in 14 appearances for the club.

Kickoff tonight from Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador is slotted for 9:05 p.m. CT.