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USL FC Tulsa

Preview: FC Tulsa Attempts to Extend Best-Ever Start in Franchise History

August 7, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
FC Tulsa News Release


TULSA - Off to its best start in franchise history, FC Tulsa is hungry for more. Despite beginning the restart with all road matches to date, battling a postponement and more than five hours of weather delays, FC Tulsa stands as one of just four unbeaten teams left in the 35-team USL Championship with a 1-0-2 record.

Fresh from a 2-1 win over Rio Grande Valley FC, FC Tulsa finishes its four-match roadtrip to begin 2020 with a trip out of state, out of Group D and out of the Western Conference to take on Saint Louis FC on Saturday night. It will be the first of three non-Group D matches Tulsa will play in this condensed restart to the campaign.

Attached are FC Tulsa match notes and prematch quotes from FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien and defender Matt Sheldon.

ABOUT SAINT LOUIS FC

Like Tulsa, Saint Louis sits in playoff position, albeit in Group E in the Eastern Conference. STLFC is coming off a dramatic 1-1 draw on Wednesday night in which they equalized in the final minute of the match against Sporting Kansas City II to earn a point at home. It'll be a tight turnaround, however, for Saint Louis with only two days of rest between matches. Many consider Saint Louis forward Tyler Blackwood one of the most dynamic talents in the USL Championship. The English striker leads the club with 3 goals and also scored in the preseason when Tulsa and Saint Louis played.

SERIES HISTORY

Despite now being in the East, Saint Louis FC spent the 2016 and 2018 seasons in the Western Conference and have dominated the series with FC Tulsa. Tulsa's record against STL sits at 2W-7L-1D including a dismal 0W-4L-1D record in Missouri.

GATEWAY TO THE PAST

FC Tulsa defender Matt Sheldon will take the pitch at West Community Stadium on Saturday night for the first time since 2017 when he was a member of Saint Louis FC. Sheldon made 13 appearances for the club and recorded his first USL Championship assist while with Saint Louis. He has played against his former club twice though, once in each of the last two preseasons as a member of Tulsa.

HOW TO WATCH

The match will be broadcast locally on My41 Tulsa and nationally streamed on ESPN+. The club is hosting a free Watch Party at ONEOK Field, open to all fans to come and watch on the stadium's new video board. Concessions, merch and more will be available at the stadium throughout the match.

Check out the FC Tulsa Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 7, 2020


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