Tulsa currently sits in 17th spot in the USL Championship Western Conference, with 18 points from 20 games (4 wins, 6 draws, 10 defeats). Rising are 16 places higher, with 41 points from 19 games (12 wins, 5 draws, 2 defeats).
The Roughnecks are on a very, very bad run. Their most recent victory was on April 24 at home to the Switchbacks; and they’ve lost seven of their last eight games. The one exception was a surprise 1-1 draw on the road at Timbers 2 on July 6.
Despite that poor form, the expansion of USL’s playoffs means Tulsa are just eight points behind Orange County in the final playoff spot, and have a game in hand over them.
Tulsa’s formation of choice at home is usually 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-1-1. They have lined up 4-1-4-1 in their last two home games, but started 4-4-1-1 in the three home games immediately preceding them.
Tulsa have scored 27 goals in 20 USL Championship games this season. Rising have surpassed that total in its last eight games alone.
Ten of Tulsa’s 14 goals at ONEOK Field have been scored in the first half, including five in the first 15 minutes.
Nine of Tulsa’s 14 goals conceded at home have been scored in the second half, including five between the 61st and 75th minutes.
On average, the Roughnecks fire off 10 or 11 shots per home game, three to four of which are on target. However, they allow opponents to shoot 12 times per game at ONEOK Field, four to five of which are on target. Seven of their opponent’s shots per game usually occur inside the box.
After a physical game against Austin, Rising can expect another bruising encounter in Oklahoma. The Roughnecks currently lead USL in fouls (329 compared to Rising’s 224).
LAST TIME OUT
Tulsa’s most recent set-back was a 3-1 home defeat against Los Dos last Wednesday. Rodrigo da Costa had given Tulsa an early 3rd minute lead with a left foot shot from inside the penalty area. However, Shultz equalized for the visitors mid-way through the first half; and second half goals from Williams and Hernández sealed the win for Los Dos.
Mason Stajduhar started in goal for Tulsa on Wednesday. This was his 13th start of 2019, although he missed the 5-0 defeat against Rising back in June. As expected in a struggling team, Stajduhar has given up his fair share of goals this season. He concedes on average two goals per game, and has kept just two clean sheets. Currently on loan from Orlando City, Stajduhar was briefly recalled to Florida last month when the team found itself short of goalkeepers thanks to the Gold Cup and injuries.
Only two of the four defenders featuring against Los Dos also started against Rising on June 7. These are former Phoenix Wolves center back Hedrick and Roberts.
Skipper Cyprian Hedrick is the only player to have featured in every single minute of Tulsa’s 2019 campaign, although four others have clocked up 20 appearances. Hedrick’s made 112 clearances in those 20 games – for context, Joey Farrell leads Rising with 52. He starred for OKC Energy and San Antonio before moving to ONEOK Field this season.
Hedrick’s partner, Mallan Roberts, also boasts a high 94 clearances after featuring in all but one of Tulsa’s matches this season. He’s proving himself to be a competent passer from the back (82.4% accuracy), and favors passing left. Like Mustapha Dumbuya, Roberts fled Sierra Leone as a child during the civil war. Settling in Edmonton, he has since gained Canadian citizenship and earned one cap for his new nation. Roberts joined Tulsa ahead of the 2019 season from Richmond Kickers.
Matt Rogers started on the left in midweek, but will miss the clash against Rising after he was sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. He was a 54th minute substitute against Rising back in June, replacing Mompremier. Rogers signed his first professional contract with Tulsa ahead of this season, and has featured in seven of their matches.
Matt Sheldon was the right back against Los Dos. He has previously played in the USL for Saint Louis and Orange County, but spent last year in New Zealand with Waterside Karori. Sheldon is more than twice as likely to draw a foul than commit one.
Young Brazilian Luca Lobo replaced Sheldon in the second half on Wednesday. Lobo played the first 84 minutes of Tulsa’s 5-0 defeat in the Valley on June 7. He came through the youth system of Botafogo, and hasn’t disappointed since arriving in Oklahoma. Lobo’s posting decent numbers in terms of tackling (64%) and duels (55.5%). Joint top goalscorer with 7 goals in 18 games, he is definitely one to watch for the future.
Jeff Addai featured against Los Dos as the Roughnecks defensive midfielder – a role he also played against Rising in June. Originally from Canada, Addai joined Tulsa after a spell in Europe, primarily with German side VfR Mannheim. He hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons to date, winning only 43.3% of duels. Addai is, though, reasonable on the ball (81.5% passing accuracy), and has played in every Tulsa game this year (1,753 minutes).
Two other starting midfielders against Los Dos also lined up against Rising in June. These are Altamirano and da Costa.
Right winger Cristhian Altamirano has found the net on four occasions, and also contributed two assists in 20 USL Championship games. A close season signing from Platense (Honduras), the Honduran international is not the best crosser of the ball, with only 13.6% finding their intended target. However, Altamirano does lead the Roughnecks in terms of shots (31) and interceptions (21).
Rodrigo da Costa started on the opposite flank against Los Dos, compared to central midfield against Rising. A key part of Tulsa’s attack this season, da Costa is their joint top scorer in his first professional season. The Brazilian has bagged seven goals in 2019 and set up another seven. This suggests he has a killer ball instinct, yet his passing as a whole currently registers at only 68.5% accuracy. da Costa is also the only player to score for Tulsa since Altamirano and Silva found the net against Austin Bold on June 1.
The two midfielders that started against Los Dos, but not against Rising on June 7, are Rezende and Reyes.
Calvin Rezende moved to Tulsa earlier this month from El Paso Locomotive. Both of his goals in 2019, plus one assist, came before the move. Rezende was called up to the U.S. national beach soccer squad in 2017. He’s also trained with Crotone (Italy) and Cadiz (Spain). His former U.S. clubs include Miami FC and Penn FC.
Brayan Reyes was an unused subsitute against Rising, but started in central midfield on Wednesday. A solid tackler (85% success), Reyes has been a bit weaker in duels (44.6%). Like Altamirano, he joined Tulsa this year from Honduran side Platense.
Reyes was replaced in the 62nd minute in midweek by Janu Silva. Silva has five goals to date. One was scored with his left, three with his right, and one with his head. Dropped to the bench in midweek, Silva started the previous 19 games for Tulsa, but hasn’t scored since the 3-2 home defeat to Austin Bold on June 1. Surprisingly for a 6-foot-3 player, he’s not the best in the air, winning just 42% of aerial duels. Silva joined Tulsa from Vilafranquense in his native Portugal.
The lone striker on Wednesday was Fredlin Mompremier. A new face at Tulsa in 2019, the Haitian has featured in 11 games, including a start in the Valley as a right winger, but is still awaiting his first goal. An average passer of the ball, Mompremier’s stats this season also suggest he rarely wins the ball either.
Mompremier was replaced in midweek by AJ Ajeakwa. An unused sub in the June game against Rising, Ajeakwa has also struggled this season. The striker has managed to fire off only three shots in 525 minutes, none of which were on target. Ajeakwa has been a regular in the USL’s top tier since 2016, featuring for Orange County, San Antonio and the Switchbacks.
REST OF THE ROSTER
Sam Lewis started in goal against Rising back in June, and could feature on the bench tonight. The 27-year-old joined Tulsa back in December from Penn FC, and has conceded 13 goals in 6 games in 2019, with a 60.6% save success rate. In midweek, though, the Canadian Andrew MacRae served as the back-up keeper. MacRae has recorded a mere 28 minutes against Tacoma Defiance back in March.
Colombian Manny Gonzalez, who started against Rising back in June, was an unused sub against Los Dos. He’s clocked up 1,041 game minutes in 16 appearances this season, including 13 starts. A good passer of the ball (80.2% pass success rate, including 70.8% in the opponents’ half), Gonzalez previously played for Fort Lauderdale Strikers, South Florida Surf, and Miami FC 2.
Left back Moses Makinde has featured 13 times this season, nine of them as a starter. He joined Tulsa from VfB Auerbach (Germany), after spells at Syrianska SC (Sweden) and CS Sportul Snagov (Romania).
Uzo and Yacoubou were left on the bench in midweek.
Tobenna Uzo needs no introduction to Rising fans – he’s the brother of former Arizona United man Uchenna Uzo. The forward has come off the bench in eight games this season, and fired off nine shots, three of which have been on target. However, he’s still awaiting his first goal of 2019.
Walid Yacoubou is a 22-year-old capture from from IFK Holmsund (Sweden). Primarily intended as defensive cover, he’s clocked up 91 minutes in 2 games to date for Tulsa.
Roughnecks have acquired two new players since their June 7 game against Rising. Defender Nicholas Prasad is a Fijian international who moved to Tulsa from SpVgg Bayreuth, a German club in the Regionalliga Bayern Football League. Accra-born forward Panin Boakye was signed from Futebol Clube de Vizela (Portugal). Meanwhile, defensive midfielder Tyrone Blackwell and forward Iddrisu Abdallah have left the club.
From The Ashes Prediction: History will be made. Rising to record an 11th straight win.