Saint Louis FC Takes On Tulsa Roughnecks FC Tonight

Saint Louis FC is in Oklahoma tonight to take on the Tulsa Roughnecks in a United Soccer League match. Kickoff is set for 7:30 uppm with the game being streamed live on YouTube.

To say that Saint Louis FC’s match with Tulsa tonight is an important one is, well not misleading, but more of an obvious statement. Three points in the last five games has dropped the hometown squad to 7th place in the USL’s Western Conference. As we move into the second half of the season every game from here on out is an important one for Dale Schilly and his team.

In last week’s game at home against FC Cincinnati, STLFC again gave up a costly early goal to the opponent. While the Cincinnati goal scorer was pretty obviously offside on the play, the fact remained that it put our lads in a hole early again. Getting a late goal back helped make the push at the end of the match exciting, but the team still came away empty-handed.

The last meeting between Tulsa and Saint Louis, the season’s third,  was memorable for everyone involved. STLFC scored seven goals in recording a 7-1 win at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.. Irvin Herrera and Seth Rudolph each recorded two goals on the day while Vince Cicciarreli, Jamel Haardware and Jordan Roberts also scored. The seven goals was the most a team has scored in USL play this season.

In the second meeting between the teams, Hererra scored four goals in a 5-2 win at Tulsa’s home field. The teams also met back in April, a 0-0 draw in the home opener in St. Louis.

Saint Louis FC needs a win tonight to stay in the USL West playoff race. With 23 points, the team sits just above Orange County Blues FC and Real Monarchs SLC. Those two teams are tied for 8th place in the conference with 22 points. The top eight teams in each conference back the playoffs.

What’s The Enemy Saying?

The Tulsa World has already called the 2016 season the “season that got away” for the Tulsa Roughnecks. The Roughnecks have dealt with a slew of injuries this season with only four players on the roster that have appeared in every game this season for the club.

Tulsa played Rio Grande Valley FC to a 0-0 tie in their last game out with wind gusts up to 25 mph on the pitch during the match. Rio Grande Valley is currently fourth in the USL West with 28 points.

What To Expect In Saint Louis FC v Tulsa

After scoring seven goals in the last meeting between the teams, coupled with their recent streak of less-than-stellar results, expect Saint Louis FC to come out on the attack tonight. Alexander Mangels is expected to be back in goal for the Roughnecks. The starting rookie keeper missed the June match after being injured in a U.S. Open Cup contest. He currently leads the USL with 68 saves and a .829 save percentage.

Sammy Ochoa, Tulsa’s leading scorer with eight goals and five assists on the season, will be in the Roughnecks lineup after missing their previous game while serving a one-game suspension for yellow cards.

Tulsa presumably has a new starting center back in Isaiah Schafer. A new addition to the roster, Schafer played a full 90 minutes at the position for the Roughnecks in their last game. The 26-year old previously spent time with VPS of the Finnish Veikkausliiga and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

STLFC’s Irvin Herrera has scored six of his nine goals on the season against Tulsa. With the Tulsa defense keying on him, it could leave room for his teammates to make their mark on the contest.

Greg Dopka has been assigned as the head referee for the contest tonight. STLFC fans will remember him from the U.S. Open Cup contest earlier this year against Minnesota United.

Saint Louis FC head coach Dale Schilly vows that his team will find its form in his weekly Buggin’ The Coaches interview. He stressed that the team just needs to work through some things in this tough stretch of the season. In regards to the Tulsa matchup, he emphasized that he is confident in the ability of his players up top to push against Tulsa’s back four defenders. You can watch the full interview below.

Saint Louis FC coach Dale Schilly talks about his team and their July 15 match at Tulsa

How To Watch Saint Louis vs Tulsa

Stream the Saint Louis FC vs Tulsa Roughnecks game live tonight via YouTube and through the USL Match Center. The game is set to kickoff at 7: 30 pm CST. We’ve embedded that feed below.

Saint Louis FC vs Tulsa Roughnecks July 15, 2016

 

Saint Louis FC is back in action at World Wide Technology Soccer Park on July 23 as they host the Colorado Springs Switchbacks at Marshall Wireless Stadium. The “Movie Night” game will feature a movie poster giveaway and a paparazzi fan photo shoot. Tickets are available online through SaintLouisFC.com or by calling 636-680-0997. Be sure to ask about the July Flex Ticket package that includes four general admission tickets, two flex tickets and a really cool Saint Louis FC cooler backpack for $69.

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