Tulsa Roughnecks (4W, 5D, 4L ) visit the Valley tonight in 12th place on 17 points. That’s nine places but only three points behind Rising in 3rd.
This is the first game of 2019 between both clubs. Rising did the double over Tulsa in 2018.
Last Saturday, Roughnecks raced into a two-goal lead at home to Austin Bold, before conceding three goals in the last 30 minutes to suffer their first home defeat of the season.
They’ve only won one game on the road to date: an impressive 5-3 victory at Orange County back in March. However, Tulsa have drawn their last three away games at Reno (2-2), San Antonio (1-1), and Vegas (0-0).
Adopting a 4-4-1-1 formation in six of their seven road trips to date, Roughnecks average ten shots per game away from home, up to four of which are on target.
Joint-fifth in USL for goals scored (24), they also have the third highest shot conversion rate (22%). By comparison, Rising convert on average 16% of their shots into goals.
Eight of Tulsa’s 12 away goals this season have been scored in the second half. However, they are more likely to concede in the first half.
Joint third for fouls conceded (199), the Roughnecks are also third for yellow cards collected (29).
LAST TIME OUT
There’s been phenomenal roster turnover at ONEOK. Only one of the 24 players on the 2019 roster was at Tulsa last season. That’s forward DJ Dean who has made one appearance this season. As a result, all 11 starters and the three playing substitutes last Saturday were offseason additions.
Mason Stajduhar started in goal for Roughnecks last weekend against Austin. Currently on loan from Orlando City, the 21-year-old has kept two clean sheets in nine appearances this season. He’s also conceded 15 goals. A 2015 homegrown signing for Orlando City, Stajduhar was diagnosed with Localized Ewing Sarcoma (a form of bone cancer) in November 2017, which he has now thankfully beaten. Capped at U-18 and U-20 levels by the United States, his rival for the goalkeeper’s jersey is Sean Lewis. Lewis has started 4 games this season, but the 26-year old former Jackson Armada and Penn FC keeper was a unused substitute last week.
Captain Cyprian Hedrick has clocked up a perfect 1,170 minutes of game time for Tulsa in 2019. The 29-year-old Cameroonian center back boasts an 80% tackle success rate this season, but has already collected 5 yellow cards (the worst disciplinary record at the club). Hedrick played 22 games for Phoenix Wolves in 2013, before spending three seasons at OKC Energy. He joined Tulsa from San Antonio, and scored against Rising for the Texas club last September.
Fellow center back Mallon Roberts has also played every minute of USL play in 2019. Born in Sierra Leone, the 27-year-old moved to Tulsa from Richmond Kickers. Roberts previously spent four seasons at FC Edmonton and a 6-month loan at Ottawa Fury. Capped by Canada in a World Cup Qualifying match against Dominica in 2015, Roberts was called up by Sierra Leone for two African Cup of Nations games in 2014, but was unable to attend due to the ebola epidemic and coaching disputes.
Left back Moses Makinde joined Tulsa from VfB Auerbach who play in the Regionalliga Nordorst (the fourth tier of German football). He previously played college soccer at North Carolina University and has also starred for Syrianska SC (Sweden) and CS Sportul Snagov (Romania).
Tulsa’s defender grabbing the headlines this season is Luca Lobo. Joining from Botafogo (Brazil), Lobo has already scored seven goals in four of the first five games this season, despite primarily playing as a right back. One goal was scored with his left foot, two with his right, and four with his head. Boasting an impressive 46.7% shot-to-goal conversion rate, Rising will have to watch him carefully inside the penalty area.
Midfielders Jeff Addai and Cristhian Altamirano have featured in all 13 league games for Tulsa in 2019, but have been subbed off two and four times respectively.
Defensive midfielder Addai boasts an impressive 88.6% pass success rate. The Canadian’s former clubs include Ottawa Fury (2015) and VfR Mannheim of Germany (2016-17).
Honduran left-sided midfielder Cristhian Altamirano previously played for several Honduran clubs – Deportes Savio, Olimpia, Vida, Marathón, Platense, Real Sociedad, and Real Espãna. Capped six times for the Honduras national football team, the attacking midfielder often draws fouls through his deceptive ball-play and pace. Altamirano has already contributed 4 goals this season, including the 17th minute opener last week against Bold.
Colombian Manny Gonzalez started his ninth game of the season last weekend. He currently leads the club for the most passes per game (47.4), with a 78.4% pass success rate. Gonzalez’s former clubs include Fort Lauderdale Strikers (2013-16), South Florida Surf (2017), and Miami FC 2 (2018).
22-year-old Fredlin Mompremier joined from Fairleigh Dickinson University in January. He’s still to score for Tulsa, but bagged five goals in 24 appearance for the FD Knights, and ten goals in 26 games for Ocean City Nor’easters (USL League Two) in 2017-18. Primarily a forward, the versatile former Haiti U-20 international featured in midfield last weekend.
Roughnecks principal forward against Bold was Janú Silva. Joining from União Desportiva Vilafranquense (Portugal), Silva has featured in all 13 league games this season, and is Tulsa’s second top scorer with 5 goals. All five goals were scored inside the box. Nine of his 17 shots this season have also been on target. Silva scored Roughnecks’ second goal last Saturday – a left footed shot from the left side of the six-yard box to the centre of the goal.
Rodrigo da Costa played just behind Silva against Austin. The Brazilian attacking midfielder has contributed four goals and seven assists in 13 games, but was subbed for the first time with six minutes of regular time remaining last weekend.
Three Roughnecks players were called into substitute action last Saturday. Defender Anthony Legendre and midfielder Brayan Reyes came on for Makinde and Manny Gonzalez respectively in the 76th minute. Forward AJ Ajeakwa replaced da Costa in the 84th minute.
Legendre initially honed his skills in Ottawa Fury’s Academy, before competing collegiately at Algonquin College in Ontario, where he was named Rookie of the Year in 2017. A 2018 move to New Zealand proved disastrous due to visa issues. So far this season, Legendere has started four games, supplemented by two appearances off the bench.
27 year-old Reyes has featured in nine games for Roughnecks this season, including seven games as a substitute. He previously played for Hungarian clubs Szeged and Hajdúböszörmény, and also Platense (Honduras). Reyes is known for his solid tackling (81.8% success rate)
AJ Ajeakwa moved to ONEOK Field after two seasons with Colorado Springs Switchbacks (51 games, eight goals). The former Orange County Blues man is still to make his mark in front of goal for Tulsa, but has contributed two assists in 2019.
OTHER ROSTER MEMBERS
Midfielder Fabian Bastidas previously played for Uruguayan clubs Bella Vista, River Plate, and Villa Teresa before moving to ONEOK in January. He’s clocked up 509 minutes game time in nine appearances this season, including seven starts.
Forward Tobenna Uzo is the brother of former Arizona United man Uchenna Uzo. The Nigerian has made five appearances this season since joining from Colorado Springs Switchbacks, but all six of his shots to date have failed to hit the back of the net.
From The Ashes Prediction: Rising maintains the dollar beer streak, but doesn’t make it easy. 2-1 home win.