CCFC Battles FC Tulsa to the Final Whistle in Narrow USL Cup Defeat
USL1 Corpus Christi FC

CCFC Battles FC Tulsa to the Final Whistle in Narrow USL Cup Defeat

Published on May 17, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Corpus Christi FC News Release


CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Corpus Christi FC delivered one of its strongest performances of the season Saturday night but fell just short in a 1-0 defeat to FC Tulsa in USL Cup play at the Corpus Christi Sports Complex.

Facing one of the top sides from the USL Championship, Corpus Christi matched Tulsa stride for stride for much of the night, creating several dangerous opportunities and forcing Tulsa goalkeeper Alexander Tambakis into multiple key saves before a late second-half goal proved to be the difference.

Tulsa threatened early with a flurry of chances in the opening minutes, but goalkeeper Logan Erb stood tall in his professional debut, making several crucial saves to keep the match scoreless. The Houston Dynamo loanee settled into the match quickly and helped Corpus Christi withstand Tulsa's early pressure.

Corpus Christi responded with attacking chances of its own throughout the first half. Andrew Booth tested Tambakis from distance in the 20th minute before Patrick Langlois nearly broke through moments later with a header that forced another save. Nacho Abeal continued the pressure with multiple dangerous runs and shots as the Sharks carried momentum into halftime tied 0-0.

The second half remained tightly contested, with Corpus Christi continuing to push forward. Jake Keegan came close in the 57th minute after a long throw created chaos inside the box, while Abeal narrowly missed the target in the 75th minute as the Sharks searched for the opener.

Tulsa eventually found the breakthrough in the 80th minute when Rémi Cabral finished inside the box off an assist from Jamie Webber to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

Corpus Christi pressed for a late equalizer during eight minutes of stoppage time and nearly found one when Jack Keaney's header was denied in the closing moments. Shannon Gómez also had a late effort sail high as Tulsa escaped with the narrow victory.

The match also featured another milestone moment for the club as Corpus Christi native Kyle Barganski made his first-team debut late in the second half, continuing the club's commitment to developing local talent.

Despite the result, Corpus Christi showed significant improvement against higher-level opposition and remained competitive throughout the match.

"We were much, much better than last week," said Head Coach Eamon Zayed. "I thought we matched one of the better USL Championship teams throughout the game. It's just that final piece - putting the ball in the back of the net."

Zayed also praised the intensity and commitment shown by his squad.

"If we play like that every week, we'll be in every game," Zayed said. "The effort, the intensity, the attitude - I can work with that."

Midfielder Bubu Medina emphasized the positives the team can take from the performance.

"I think we started really well against a very strong opponent," Medina said. "We had a lot of chances, we just didn't finish them. All we can do is keep building and fine-tune our offense."

Midfielder Nacho Abeal echoed the confidence in the group's performance despite the result.

"I'm very proud of the team," Abeal said. "We're going in the right direction. We fought a lot against a very hard team, and we just have to keep working."

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United Soccer League One Stories from May 17, 2026


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