July 10, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – FC Tulsa News Release
TULSA – The key theme that encapsulated this last week with regards to FC Tulsa was resilience. Tulsa was down by two goals last week on the road and scored twice in the dying moments of the match to secure a point. On Saturday night at ONEOK Field, FC Tulsa found itself tied with Atlanta United 2 and down a man in the 79′ minute. But once again, this club’s intangibles were on full display as the substitute Brian Brown became the late hero and helped FC Tulsa move within two points of a playoff position.
It was FC Tulsa asking all the questions from the opening minutes of the match, bombarding the goal and testing the Atlanta keeper time and time again. The first big chance was courtesy of Tulsa’s leading goalscorer, JJ Williams, but the forward hit the crossbar in the 6′ minute. Williams and Suárez would take turns putting shots on goal for the first 24 minutes until FC Tulsa was finally able to get one in the back of the net.
The scoring play started with a throw-in from captain Bradley Bourgeois, followed by a few passes between the center-backs before Bourgeois made a run down the left flank. He was hit in stride as he darted 40 yards and found Rodrigo da Costa at the top of the box. Da Costa shifted the ball to his favored left foot and let loose a beauty, beating the keeper and getting Tulsa on the board first in the 25′ minute while scoring his seventh goal of the season in the process.
Bourgeois wanted more and made another fantastic run down the left-hand side just three minutes later, unleashing a blistering strike that hit the near post. The woodwork might as well have been wearing an Atlanta jersey on Saturday as it would deny three scoring chances for Tulsa before the night was over.
The first-half hydration break put a stop to the Tulsa momentum as Atlanta United 2 was able to capitalize on a chance in the 37′ minute. Raimar won the position battle for Atlanta against his defender and was able to send in a good ball to forward Luke Brennan who converted the chance and drew the score level.
Atlanta opened the second half with a free kick right outside the box following a foul by Ronald Rodríguez in the 49′ minute. After several minutes of discussion between head official Lorenzo Hernandez, fourth official Brandon Gardner, and FC Tulsa interim head coach Donovan Ricketts, Rodríguez was shown a red card. Rodríguez had been booked in the 17′ minute, however,…