Vs. FC Tulsa at ONEOK Field
Saturday, June 4
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN+
Miami, Fla. (Friday, June 3) – The Miami Football Club travel to Oklahoma, aiming to retrieve three points from ONEOK Field against FC Tulsa on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. The fixture marks the first time Miami FC takes on Tulsa.
MFC finds itself in a three-game unbeaten streak for the first time in league play this year. The run commenced on May 18, when the Orange and Blue drew 1-1 against Detroit City FC at FIU Stadium. Miami captured three points on the road at Charleston after a 4-0 victory on May 21 and found another point at home against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC last weekend.
Long night at home against Pittsburgh
Head coach Anthony Pulis and his group endured a prolonged Saturday evening, kicking off their game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds at 9:57 p.m. ET instead of its intended start time at 7 p.m. ET due two a thunderstorm. Additionally, the floodlights shut off seconds before the start of the second half, dragging out the match for about 20 more minutes.
“It was a challenging evening,” said Pulis after the game. “It was a difficult one to navigate, but you have to be flexible and adaptable.”
The fixture ended ten minutes into Sunday morning in an exhausting 2-2 draw. Center-back Junior Palacios scored his first goal at the pro level, and Reid picked up the scraps from a forward Josh pérez shot let loose by the keeper.
Miami sees improvement in front of goal
The South Florida side has seen an improvement in front of goal, finding the back of the net seven times in its previous three fixtures. Forward Adonijah Reid snapped Miami FC’s 350-minute goal drought with a last-second strike against Detroit City FC. And ever since, Miami has looked more dangerous in attack.
Reid has been at the forefront of Miami’s attacking efforts as of late, contributing to four of the team’s last seven goals. The Canadian international was named to the starting lineup for the first time this season against Charleston after his late equalizer against Detroit. He proved himself by dishing out two assists that night. The 21-year-old earned another start against Pittsburgh and scored Miami’s second goal.
Junior Palacios earns Team of the Week honors
As previously mentioned, Palacios scored his first-ever professional goal in Miami FC’s 2-2 draw against the Hounds last weekend. He also won eight of nine duels and three out of four aerial duels. As a result, the Colombian international made it to the USL Championship’s Team of the Week week 12.
About FC Tulsa
Just as FC Tulsa’s nickname indicates, the Roughnecks have endured a long fight so far this season.
The team kicked off with a 1-0 defeat in its home opener against Charleston Battery. In response, the Roughnecks found nine out of 12 points. However, they tumbled onto a five-game losing streak, including a 2-1 loss against FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup Third Round. Since then, Tulsa defeated Detroit 3-1 at home, fell to Orange County 5-1 and Louisville City 4-1 on the road, and drew against Tampa Bay Rowdies at home last weekend.
Tulsa makes up poor defending – most goals conceded so far in the USL Championship (29) – with efficiency in front of goal. The team ranks 12th in the league with 19, three goals ahead of Miami FC. Forward Jerome Williams and midfielder Rodrigo da Costa have taken care of the scoring this season, each bringing five goals to the table.
Up Next for Miami FC
The Orange and Blue return to Miami for back-to-back home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium.
Miami takes on Indy Eleven on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET and Florida rivals Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Buy tickets for both games here.
