USL FC Tulsa

Preview: FC Tulsa at Rio Grande Valley FC, Friday, June 25, 7:30 p.m. CT

Published on June 24, 2021 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
FC Tulsa News Release


TULSA - It'll be Friday Night Lights in South Texas.

Friday evening presents a great opportunity for FC Tulsa to make a statement to the entire league. The black and gold travel down to Edinburg, TX to take on Western Conference-leading Rio Grande Valley FC. The matchup harkens back to a memorable trip south last season, when FC Tulsa traveled to H-E-B Park to take on the Toros, in a weather-delayed match that lasted until nearly 2 a.m. FC Tulsa came away with its first victory of the season, winning 2-1 after a late penalty.

PREMATCH INTERVIEWS

Attached are FC Tulsa Match Notes and Prematch Quotes from head coach Michael Nsien and midfielder Kembo Kibato.

ABOUT RIO GRANDE VALLEY FC

RGV FC sits atop of the Western Conference and the Mountain Division, but the club from South Texas will walk into H-E-B Park seeking a positive result. Their last two matches have resulted in a loss and a draw. The squad's leading scorer is Elvis Amoh with four goals, the top distributor is James Murphy with three assists, and goalkeeper Tyler Deric has kept three clean sheets to his name. Deric has only conceded eight goals this season, and he is Top 10 in the league in total saves.

LAST TIME AT H-E-B PARK

It will be the second year in a row that FC Tulsa has made a trip to Edinburg, Texas to play Rio Grande Valley FC in the USL Championship. Last year made for quite the trip as FC Tulsa and RGVFC played until nearly 2 a.m. due to an extended severe weather delay in the middle of the match. Ultimately, FC Tulsa scored a penalty late in the second half to come away with a 2-1 victory.

RETURN TO RIO GRANDE

FC Tulsa loanee midfielder Kembo Kibato will return to Rio Grande Valley FC, the team he came to Tulsa on loan from. Kibato played in both of last season's matchups for RGVFC against Tulsa, starting and playing a full 90 minutes in Edinburg, while coming off the bench as a substitute at ONEOK Field. FC Tulsa boasts four former Rio Grande Valley FC players, including Kibato. Midfielder Eric Bird and defenders Bradley Bourgeois and Kevin Garcia all used to play for the Toros early in their careers. The three players all suited up at H-E-B Park in the club's inaugural 2016 season, helping send Rio Grande Valley FC to the USL Championship Playoffs.

SUCCESS AS AN INDEPENDENT

Rio Grande Valley FC has burst onto the scene in 2021, their first season independent of Houston Dynamo FC. In its previous five seasons, RGVFC have been a USL affiliate for MLS' Houston Dynamo, but that partnership has ended and the move is paying dividends. With a revamped roster, the Toros lead the Mountain Division, have the most points of any Western Conference (17), and the second-most points of any USL Championship club.

DA COSTA ON FIRE

FC Tulsa midfielder Rodrigo da Costa has already had six goal involvements this season, three goals and three assists. A quarter of the way through the season, da Costa is on pace for 12 goals and 12 assists. If he reached those numbers, he would accomplish just the sixth "double-double" season (10+ goals, 10+ assists) in USL Championship history and da Costa would become the first-ever USL Championship player to log 10+ assists in two different campaigns.

HOW TO TUNE IN

The match will be broadcast on TV locally on My41 Tulsa and nationally on ESPN+. Fans around the world can watch for free on YouTube. Follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for updates and highlights throughout the match.

Check out the FC Tulsa Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 24, 2021


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