FC Tulsa
- Thread starter drboobay
- Start date
I wondered how they've been doing. Obviously haven't gone to a match in a few years. I just see the commercials on Fox23.
They're currently 3rd in the west and until this past Saturday when they inexplicably gave up 3 goals to las Vegas, they had conceded the fewest goals in USL. They have a couple games in hand over 1st in the west and 1 over 2nd place. They are creative in the attack and they actually have some creative forwards and MFs. They still lose possession in the MF too easily for my liking and I'd like to see them be able to hold the ball better. But they have guys who can flat out find the back of the net this year and it's more than just 1 player and they finally have a backline worthy of being called pro soccer players.
This goal is stupid good. The GK is a little out of position and he actually cheats to the near post where he positioned his wall to take away that shot before the shot is taken (it's actually pretty common to see). But that doesn't take away from how skilled this shot was to bend as much as it did and carom in off the post. I thought the wall was in the wrong place but it wasn't.
FC Tulsa won 2-1 over Monterrey Bay. MB scored in the 8' and held FC Tulsa at bay (no pun intended) for the rest of the 1st half. FC Tulsa came out of halftime and scored 2x in the 47' and 48' to take a 2-1 lead and they basically held MB without much outside of long balls and hopeful attempts over the top. FC Tulsa probably should have scored a 3rd at the very end as Calheira basically outmuscled a center back after a clearance and was 1 on 1 with the keeper. Defender recovered and made a really nice tackle to knock the ball out for a corner. Tulsa is now atop the western conference with a game in hand over the team they're tied with at 27 points.
Calheira is the real deal as a goal scorer.
Calheira is the real deal as a goal scorer.
He is pretty good but most of his goals are from the spot. He could finish better in the run of play. But he has enough help around him that it works.
Lots more thoughts when I have a keyboard.
Keyboard! I have been watching this team all season. If memory serves, they started the season with a back four and Rogers and Damm playing as traditional fullbacks. Bautista and Cissoko as center backs. This was an exceptionally stingy defense. But they were having trouble creating scoring opportunities. Still they found their way to 1-0 and 2-1 wins. Then came several really good player moves creating depth across the squad. They moved to a back three with Damm and Staufer as wingbacks and they are more fun to watch. They are moving the ball around a lot better and creating more opportunities. But they are also giving a little more in terms of opportunities to the opposition.
I think the strength of the team is the fullbacks and wingbacks. They are really stacked with versatile players, Stauffer, Damm, St. Clair, Rogers. Even Seagrist is a solid option. Their depth is really good. I don't like being out in the heat, but enjoying watching them on ESPN3. Hope to get out there before long. If we hear from the ownership they are serious about pursuing USL D1, I will be in for season tickets next season even if I only show up during the more temperate parts of the year.
I think the strength of the team is the fullbacks and wingbacks. They are really stacked with versatile players, Stauffer, Damm, St. Clair, Rogers. Even Seagrist is a solid option. Their depth is really good. I don't like being out in the heat, but enjoying watching them on ESPN3. Hope to get out there before long. If we hear from the ownership they are serious about pursuing USL D1, I will be in for season tickets next season even if I only show up during the more temperate parts of the year.
If they are serious about D1 then I would consider season tix as well. It also means they'll be in a soccer specific stadium with better sight lines. I like OneOK for baseball...it's terrible for soccer. The sideline seats are too low for a great vantage point to see plays develop, and the endline seats, they're OK. Never sit in the lawn.
Went to St. Louis City for a game last year and we sat about MF in the upper deck. Just a fantastic vantage point and the way the stadium is situated, you weren't far from the field at all even up there. Also saw a game at FC Dallas last season and we had 2nd row seats about the 18. Good when the play was in your end, you could hear the players talking and griping. Not great when play was in the opposite corner. Tulsa doesn't need 25k seats even, but they should commit to 20k for the stadium and make it affordable. I think I paid $25 for the tickets in Dallas and $30 for the ones in St. L. St. Louis also offers you the ability to buy a refillable drink cup and you can just go down and refill it with the soft drink of your choice. I also felt that the food prices were reasonable inside the stadium.
Tulsa can do a stadium right and put it in the right location and people will come unless you price them out of it.
Don't know who watched the game this weekend but FC Tulsa earned a fantastic 1-1 draw vs Louisville City in Louisville this weekend. Lou City is always one of the very best USL sides and is at the top of the eastern conference. Lou City scored at 90+2 and FC Tulsa found an equalizer at 90+5 off a corner. This team has been extremely resilient like that all season long. El Medekahr scored the equalizer off the corner (Lou City gonna have to figure out how to defend them because he was completely unmarked at the top of the 6). Lou City dominated the possession but the shots and shots on goal were much closer which tells me FC Tulsa decided to absorb the pressure and pick their spots to attack and counter. FC Tulsa sits atop the western conference standings right now. They have another tough match this week against Indy 11.
Is he at Louisville now? He is a good player but I also don't see him committed to tracking back and defending if needed. I know you don't want your 9 dropping deep to defend but there are times it's needed.
Yeah, sort of reminds me of Chucky Lozano in style of play but he's not nearly as talented with the ball at his feet as Chucky is.
It's pretty expensive with bad sight lines to be honest, plus they've started charging for parking in the OSU Tulsa lot so add another $10-15 to the total cost. Plus, it's been hot as hell.
But that win was something else the other night. Late equalizer plus a stoppage time winner (like really at the death winner as the prescribed stoppage time was just about up when they took that free kick). That shot was something else.
Won a game on the road last night vs Monterrey Bay who is in a playoff spot currently in the west. FC Tulsa struck early at the 12' mark and then gave up 2 quick goals coming out of halftime to go down 2-1. FC Tulsa equalized in the 71' and then scored the game winner on a PK in the 86'. Monterrey dominated possession in the game (60/40) but shot attempts and shots on goal were pretty even while FC Tulsa held a slight advantage in corner kicks for. This game had a total of 8 yellow cards and each team had 20+ fouls so it apparently got physical and chippy.
FC Tulsa is now 8pts clear of 2nd place in the west and they have a key game on Saturday vs New Mexico which is currently in 5th in the west.
FC Tulsa is now 8pts clear of 2nd place in the west and they have a key game on Saturday vs New Mexico which is currently in 5th in the west.
Well when you run a promotion "When we win, we all win" and try to pass off $30 tickets as a good price when those seats on the sideline are the absolute worst seats in the joint. Your 40-50 yds from the action, it's a low sight line so you can't really watch plays develop...I mean who is paying that. What you don't see are the grass areas in the outfield are packed, the play ground behind the south goal (and scoreboard) is packed, the splash pad area is packed. People are going, they're just not actually watching the game. Again, I don't think I paid that much for my ticket to a St. Louis City FC game last season and we sat in the upper deck, just about midfield and the sight line was fantastic. And again, the parking situation and them charging for the spots at OSU Tulsa (and the amount they're charging) is less than ideal when a family of 4 and buying tickets is running you $100 easy, plus they want $10-15 to park, plus with as hot as it's been you're absolutely buying water at some point in the game at $4/bottle. I don't know if they've relented but they should absolutely allow you to bring in a personal water bottle (even if you have to bring it in empty so you're not smuggling alcohol in) and have bottle filling stations.
Plus, this weekend was one of the 1st tournament, league and friendly match weekends for the new youth season. These are the likely target groups for much of FC Tulsa's marketing and ticketing promos. Last thing we ever wanted to do was go sit outside in the blazing heat after being in the heat at the fields all day.
It also doesn't help that their only marketing is via social media. And you might occasionally get an email because you bought tickets from them previously. They need to do some TV marketing because I'd bet there still a large part of the population of Tulsa who have no idea there's a pro soccer team in town, when they're playing, where they play, let alone that right now said team is in first place by a good margin in their conference. I mean they were down 2-1 at half the other day and then proceeded to score 3 goals in about 10 minutes in the 2nd half (and one was an absolute banger from 25 yards) to go up 4-2 before adding a 5th late...over the team in 5th place in the west, so not a scrub terrible team. The fact they're moving players in and out of the roster trying to improve tells me the Crafts are serious about trying to win and position themselves for that USL D1 when the time comes and trying to get some community and business partnerships in place to help finance the 15k seat stadium needed for that endeavor.
I thought about going Saturday but decided against it as it was probably 3rd on my list of preferred activities that evening. I really wanted to go to the TU vs SMU game as well but the timing was wrong as Saturday was DCI FInals night and the drum corps I am an alum of won their first DCI championship in their 85th Anniversary year. Boston went BOOM!
There is a peculiar anti-FC Tulsa crowd among the hardcore athletic crowd. It isn't like they would draw much, but it is still more than you think. Then some people go to the game and have nostalgia for a game they played that was way more awesome than it was in the 1980s or 1990s men's league.
No, but I sort of recall TU signing a kid that was signed to a development contract with FC Tulsa, kind of the same deal that Anthony Harper has with them and they are still able to maintain their college eligibility.
I can't for sure tell you about the Athletics, there might still be one or two as part of the group. As for FC Tulsa, they have expanded their search area and the level of player they are going after and signing...and they're constantly tinkering with their roster to make it the best they can as they have a good chance of winning a championship this season.
I think they brought in a couple of TU players for a few years trying to have that local community connection to try to get more people at games. I think they realize now that the only way to bring fans to the game is to win games and they're doing their best to do that. As we've mentioned before, they have a ton of presence on Facebook and Instagram but I think they need to get the local TV stations advertising their games and tickets and the fact that they're in 1st place.
I was there for the first time in years.Sat near midfield and the current field configuration is not nearly as bad as you describe. I would pick a seat higher up next time. Otherwise I like the location and we got 7 goals and a big win! I plan to go back. Level of play is really good with this squad.Well when you run a promotion "When we win, we all win" and try to pass off $30 tickets as a good price when those seats on the sideline are the absolute worst seats in the joint. Your 40-50 yds from the action, it's a low sight line so you can't really watch plays develop...I mean who is paying that. What you don't see are the grass areas in the outfield are packed, the play ground behind the south goal (and scoreboard) is packed, the splash pad area is packed. People are going, they're just not actually watching the game. Again, I don't think I paid that much for my ticket to a St. Louis City FC game last season and we sat in the upper deck, just about midfield and the sight line was fantastic. And again, the parking situation and them charging for the spots at OSU Tulsa (and the amount they're charging) is less than ideal when a family of 4 and buying tickets is running you $100 easy, plus they want $10-15 to park, plus with as hot as it's been you're absolutely buying water at some point in the game at $4/bottle. I don't know if they've relented but they should absolutely allow you to bring in a personal water bottle (even if you have to bring it in empty so you're not smuggling alcohol in) and have bottle filling stations.
Plus, this weekend was one of the 1st tournament, league and friendly match weekends for the new youth season. These are the likely target groups for much of FC Tulsa's marketing and ticketing promos. Last thing we ever wanted to do was go sit outside in the blazing heat after being in the heat at the fields all day.
It also doesn't help that their only marketing is via social media. And you might occasionally get an email because you bought tickets from them previously. They need to do some TV marketing because I'd bet there still a large part of the population of Tulsa who have no idea there's a pro soccer team in town, when they're playing, where they play, let alone that right now said team is in first place by a good margin in their conference. I mean they were down 2-1 at half the other day and then proceeded to score 3 goals in about 10 minutes in the 2nd half (and one was an absolute banger from 25 yards) to go up 4-2 before adding a 5th late...over the team in 5th place in the west, so not a scrub terrible team. The fact they're moving players in and out of the roster trying to improve tells me the Crafts are serious about trying to win and position themselves for that USL D1 when the time comes and trying to get some community and business partnerships in place to help finance the 15k seat stadium needed for that endeavor.
I thought about going Saturday but decided against it as it was probably 3rd on my list of preferred activities that evening. I really wanted to go to the TU vs SMU game as well but the timing was wrong as Saturday was DCI FInals night and the drum corps I am an alum of won their first DCI championship in their 85th Anniversary year. Boston went BOOM!
They have been the surprise of the league this year. They were picked at the bottom or near it.
As for "expanding the search", they brought in the greatest player in the history of Bartlesville Wesleyan, and he has been a great player for them. Here is an excellent interview with him.
As for "expanding the search", they brought in the greatest player in the history of Bartlesville Wesleyan, and he has been a great player for them. Here is an excellent interview with him.