December 20, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – FC Tulsa News Release
TULSA – FC Tulsa’s franchise leader in goals, assists, appearances, starts, and minutes is returning to wreak havoc across USL Championship backlines for the fifth consecutive season. Midfielder Rodrigo da Costa will be back in an FC Tulsa kit in 2023.
The playmaking mid from Rio de Janeiro is, by virtually every statistical measurement, the most prolific attacking player in club history. Da Costa’s 33 goals are the most scored by any player over their Tulsa career and his assist total sits at 25 helpers, 15 more than the next-best tally in the record book.
“Rodrigo is a special talent and someone whose ability to open up the game is different than most,” said FC Tulsa head coach Blair Gavin. “He can score goals and create assists out of nothing and having that kind of ability is very important to a team. When you need a touch of magic, Rodrigo delivers.”
A perennial iron man, Da Costa has logged over 2,500 minutes in three of his first four seasons with FC Tulsa. The only season in which he failed to do so was in 2020, the 16-match campaign that was shortened due to the global COVID-19 outbreak. In total, the 29-year-old has amassed 9,492 minutes across 115 appearances for Tulsa and has seen his name etched in the Starting XI on 110 occasions. His naming to the 2019 USL Championship All-League Second Team marked the second postseason award for an FC Tulsa player in club history.
Da Costa is fresh off a 2022 season in which he tied for the club lead in goals (9) and ranked second with four assists in his 33 appearances. The Brazilian also created 60 scoring chances for his teammates, the 11th most in the USL Championship.
“I’m excited to be back in the city that my family and I have called home for the last four years,” said da Costa. “I can’t wait to get back to work and meet the new coaching staff and players. We have an exciting season ahead of us.”
FC Tulsa 2023 Roster:
Goalkeepers: Austin Wormell
Defenders: Bradley Bourgeois, Jorge Corrales, Adrián Diz Pe, Brett Levis, Justin Malou
Midfielders: Eric Bird, Rodrigo da Costa, Collin Fernandez, Blaine Ferri, Luca Sowinski
Forwards: Marcus Epps, Darío Suárez
• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board…
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
