Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Blanks FC Tulsa

July 30, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – FC Tulsa News Release

PITTSBURGH, PA. – As the playoffs grow closer and closer, a confident and improving FC Tulsa side went into Pittsburgh looking to upset Riverhounds SC on Saturday night. The Tulsa defense held one of the most potent attacks in the USL Championship to just one goal, but despite creating chance after chance, the attack was unable to find the scoreboard in a 1-0 loss.

Unlike many soccer matches, this one got off to a blistering start. Both clubs were running up and down the pitch at will and finding space in the final third. Noah Powder created a few chances early on for Lebo Moloto and Rodrigo da Costa, but the final touch never materialized the way FC Tulsa had hoped – more on this later. Likewise, the Hounds earned two good looks on the right side in the first 20 minutes, but put the first into the side netting and the second just wide of the far post.

Pittsburgh’s high press gave Tulsa issues early, but around the 25′ minute, FC Tulsa began to work the ball around and retain a bit more possession. One short pass became two, which evolved into three as Tulsa started to methodically work the ball downfield and make Pittsburgh chase. A great opportunity materialized courtesy of some shifty work between Rodrigo da Costa and Brian Brown a quarter hour in. Da Costa laid the ball off to Brown at the top of the box who was instantly swarmed by four Pittsburgh defenders. Somehow, Brown was able to slide a ball through the forest of legs back to da Costa who fired off a shot, but right into the arms of the Hounds’ keeper.

The 44′ minute nearly yielded the first goal of the match once again for FC Tulsa. Like it did so well last week at Birmingham Legion FC, FC Tulsa took the opportunity to counter brilliantly as Pittsburgh committed men forward and Eric Bird came up with a steal. Bird sent Moloto loose down the left side as Brian Brown emptied the tank with a lung-busting sprint down the middle. Moloto’s pass was just behind Brown into the box, but fell to da Costa on the far side. Da Costa sent a ball towards the far post, but the shot did not have enough on it and a Pittsburgh defender was able to clear it away.

The first half was whistled to a close with Rodrigo da Costa totaling four shots, two of which were on target. FC Tulsa limited Pittsburgh to six total shots and prevented a single attempt from being fired on target.

The breakthrough came in the 55′ minute for Riverhounds…