Preview: FC Tulsa vs Louisville City FC – September 7 – ONEOK Field, 7:30 p.m. CT
September 6, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – FC Tulsa News Release
TULSA – With each passing day, the magnitude of every result escalates as the USL Championship Playoffs loom large in mid-October. The memory of a forgettable evening on Saturday will need to be left in Georgia as FC Tulsa will be tested in every aspect tomorrow night by one of the league’s top opponents, Louisville City FC.
FC Tulsa still has a path to the 2022 Playoffs, but it’s one that will require some help. However, before looking for aid from other clubs across the league, Tulsa needs to take care of its own business through the remaining six matches of the season. As midfielder Eric Bird said last week, “There is no margin for error. The last six games are Finals.”
Historically, FC Tulsa has held its own against the Eastern Conference juggernauts from the Bluegrass State. Through five matches dating back to last season, FC Tulsa is 2W-3L-0D against LouCity with both a win and a loss at ONEOK Field. It’s a bit of a new look for Louisville since Cameron Lancaster and Niall McCabe suffered injuries earlier in the season, two players that have haunted FC Tulsa the past two years, limiting LouCity’s offensive firepower a bit.
Speaking of injuries, Wednesday night will be the first match since May that FC Tulsa has a clean bill of health, minus Jorge Corrales who is out for the season. FC Tulsa will need all its depth to beat the top dog in the East, but at home, it’s hard not to give Tulsa a chance at the minimum.
The club is 8W-4L-2D at ONEOK Field, including wins over clubs currently in playoff positions that include Birmingham Legion FC, San Diego Loyal SC, and of course Detroit City FC.
Wednesday night will be massive for FC Tulsa one way or another, and the club will need as many people out at ONEOK as possible to provide a hefty home-field advantage.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE CITY FC
At the moment, Louisville City FC has the highest chance of any club in the league to both make the Finals (40% chance) and win the title (26% chance), according to FiveThirtyEight. The purple and white have earned 58 points this season, trailing USL Championship leaders San Antonio FC by two. LouCity is also the owner of a +33 goal differential, the best in the league, established by its 53 goals scored and 13 clean sheets kept.
The club has struggled a bit recently, uncharacteristically dropping two of its last three matches, but seemed to get back on track with a 3-1 win over Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday. Goalkeeper Kyle Morton has been one of the best in the USL Championship this season, posting a 75.5% save pct. with 11 clean sheets, a mark tying Morton for the second-highest shutout tally in the league.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1) Previous Matchups
FC Tulsa and Louisville City FC have faced off face times in total – four times last season and once back in May of 2022. LouCity has won three of the five matches and Cam Lancaster has been the thorn in the side of FC Tulsa. Louisville has amassed 11 goals against Tulsa over five matches, seven of which have been credited to Lancaster. Unfortunately for the visitors, the striker has been injured since June and likely won’t be able to do any more damage to Tulsa on Wednesday night. For Tulsa, six different players have combined to score eight goals vs. Louisville.
2) Two Top Keepers
Wednesday night will showcase two of the top keepers in the USL Championship this season. FC Tulsa’s Austin Wormell and LouCity’s Kyle Morton have been among the top of the league in many goalkeeper stats, even being tied for the highest save percentage just a week ago. Wormell’s 77.8% save pct. is still the top mark in the league, but Morton’s mark of 75.5% has dropped him down to the fifth as Louisville dropped two straight matches to conclude the month of August. Wormell’s 3.9 saves per 90 minutes are also tied for the most in the USL Championship, while Morton’s 11 clean sheets this season tie him for the second-most in the league.
3) Playoff Scenario
A loss to Atlanta United 2 last Saturday dampened FC Tulsa’s playoff chances, but all hope is not yet lost. Tulsa needs to make up nine points over Detroit City FC or 10 points over Miami FC to make the postseason. The looming matchup between FC Tulsa and Detroit City FC on September 24 poses massive implications regarding the playoff race, but if Tulsa can win its two matches leading up to September 24 and Detroit City fails to come away with points in contests against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies, and New York Red Bulls II, that evening would see FC Tulsa move into playoff position.
HOW TO WATCH
Tickets to Wednesday’s match are still available and can be purchased here – be sure to get yours today in order to take advantage of special pricing! Fans can also tune into the match locally on My41 Tulsa or streamed on ESPN+. Be sure to follow @FCTulsa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for highlights, updates, and more matchday content!
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