USL FC Tulsa

Preview: FC Tulsa vs. OKC Energy FC, Saturday, October 30, ONEOK Field

October 29, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
FC Tulsa News Release


TULSA - Derby Day. Time to show the world who the best pro soccer club in Oklahoma is....again.

With playoff seeding officially locked down for FC Tulsa and the couch from which OKC will be watching the Playoffs officially picked out, all eyes and minds are on the 23rd Black Gold Derby. Not only is it soccer club vs soccer club, but city vs city. ONEOK Field will be full, the fans will be loud, and the players will be ready to fight. As Joaquín Rivas said, "We're ready to go to war on Saturday."

The Wrench is on the line tomorrow night as each club has one win this season and they have drawn once. FC Tulsa took the season opener thanks to a brace from Rivas, the all-time leading scorer between both clubs in the Derby's history. FC Tulsa has only lost to OKC Energy FC once since 2018 and it came in the most recent matchup. A win or a draw on Saturday results in a successful FC Tulsa defense of the Wrench and would mark the third time the Tulsa side won the trophy.

Both clubs enter the Derby looking to get their offenses back on track, but the previous results mean little in a match like this one. All players will be locked in and solely focused on the rivalry. FC Tulsa keeper Austin Wormell is coming off a club-high eight save match at Memphis on Wednesday night, passing Sean Lewis's previous season-high tally of seven back in August. Another converted PK in that match, this time banged home by Marlon, puts FC Tulsa in the top three in the League in penalties earned and in second for penalties converted.

FC Tulsa is viewing Saturday night like a playoff match. The atmosphere will be a playoff atmosphere and the players know what this rivalry means. A short two-day turnaround between matches does not feel like a typical two-day turnaround with a match like this one. 12 players on FC Tulsa's roster this season made appearances in the Derby last season, so for much of the club, the personal history runs deeper than just this season.

It will be a blackout on Saturday night, meaning all fans should wear their black gear to the match. $1 hot dogs will be available from the time the gates open at 6 p.m. until they run out, so get to the stadium early and get ready to make some noise. The final regular season

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

Attached are FC Tulsa Match Notes and prematch quotes from Michael Nsien, forward Joaquín Rivas and defender Mo Jadama.

SCOUTING OKC ENERGY FC

OKC comes into the match just 1W-3L-5D in its last nine matches. Its sole victory over Indy Eleven in that stretch was the only time OKC scored more than one goal in a match. It ranks second to last in the League with just 30 goals scored in 31 matches and has drawn 13 times, more than any other club in the USL Championship.

Nearly all of Energy FC's offense comes from one man - Villyan Bijev. The Bulgarian forward leads the club in all offensive categories: goals (12), assists (6), shots (54), and chances created (30). OKC's keeper, C.J. Cochran, is another bright spot in its squad. Cochran boasts an impressive 73.2% save pct. and his 90 saves is the sixth-most in the League.

Defend The Wrench

After winning the Wrench in 2020, the trophy awarded the season series winner between the two Oklahoma clubs, FC Tulsa looks for its first successful defense of the golden prize in club history. The Roughnecks won the Wrench in its 2017 Playoffs campaign, but it was successfully regained by OKC the following season. With a win or a draw, FC Tulsa retains the Wrench because of its goal differential advantage. However, should OKC win its first match on the road since September 1, it will be taking the Wrench back to Oklahoma City with it on Sunday.

Black Gold Derby History

Since FC Tulsa's inception as the Roughnecks in 2015, Energy FC has dominated the Black Gold Derby until recently. FC Tulsa is only 5W-9L-8D against OKC all-time, but the Tulsa club had not lost to its rivals since 2018 up until their last matchup in July. Since August 8, 2018, FC Tulsa has only been beaten one time by OKC and earned the Wrench last season for just the second time in club history.

Tampa Bay Bound

Following its defeat at the hands of Memphis on Wednesday night, FC Tulsa officially locked up the fourth seed in the Central Division, finalizing its trip to Tampa Bay to take on the Rowdies. The Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match is slated for Saturday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The last time FC Tulsa played the Rowdies was in 1984 when the two clubs were in the NASL.

HOW TO WATCH

TV: MY41

Spanish Radio: Que Buena Tulsa

Stream: ESPN+ (US), YouTube (International)

Follow: You can follow @FCTulsa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Check out the FC Tulsa Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 29, 2021


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