Tulsa Roughnecks

2019 US Open Cup Round 2: Sean McFarlane orchestrates Austin Bold’s 2-0 win over Tulsa Roughnecks

May 21, 2019 by Zach Smith

Andre Lima and Sean McFarlane of Austin Bold FC celebrate a goal against Tulsa Roughnecks FC in the Second Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Austin Bold FC

Austin Bold FC head coach Marcelo Serrano knew the risks of putting two aggressive forwards out for the first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game in Austin in four years. His decision paid off big time.

Sonny Guadarrama opened the scoring in the first half and his attacking partner, Andre Lima, doubled the lead late in the second half to help the Bold down the Tulsa Roughnecks 2-0 on Tuesday night.

“It was a great performance, we had so many chances,” Serrano said. “We had a clean sheet and we’re moving forward as a team.”

Austin will get a rematch when it hosts San Antonio FC — a team they beat 1-0 earlier in the USL season — in the Third Round of the US Open Cup on May 29.

.@AustinBoldFC takes the victory 2-0 over the @RoughnecksFC and will move on to compete against the @SanAntonioFC or @LaredoHeatSC!?#USOC2019 | ? Highlights ⤵ pic.twitter.com/kIjeSfUu2O

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) May 15, 2019

Tuesday was a dominant performance by the Austin offense, which was largely the same lineup that beat the OKC Energy FC in league play the previous Friday. The Bold outshot the Roughnecks 25-10 and had seven shots on target.

Pulling the strings was right back Sean McFarlane, who assisted on both goals.

His first assist saw his pass get dummied by Kléber and allowed Guadarrama to take one touch and find the bottom corner of the net in the 34th minute. He then sent in a low cross in front of the net for Lima to tap in the 74th minute.

Players from Austin Bold FC celebrate a goal against Tulsa Roughnecks FC in the Second Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Austin Bold FC

“Every game, he’s becoming more and more dangerous, and it can be hard to find players like that,” Guadarrama said. “He’s obviously got talent, and coach is helping him get even more out of what he can give.”

Bold academy singing Beto Avila, an 18-year-old Austin native, made his professional debut in the match, subbing in for Guadarrama in the second half and picking up the second assist on the goal by Lima.

Despite signing less than a month ago, former Lonestar SC and Houston Dynamo Academy player has proven he can make an impact.

“I’m glad that coach is strong enough to give the kids a chance,” Guadarrama said. “A lot of coaches don’t because they’re worried about the result. he’s keeping his word on playing local talent. I think they deserve it.”

Austin has yet to lose a game at Bold Stadium at Circuit of the Americas. The winner of the next round could see an MLS team come to the brand-new soccer stadium.

“It’s always fun to play against San Antonio, and it’s a big game because we know that if we win, we take that big step that I think every team in the USL wants to go out and play an MLS team,” Guadarrama said.

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: FC Wichita makes NPSL history with upset of Tulsa Roughnecks

May 20, 2018 by Jordan Beech

FC Wichita left it late, but walked out winners, 4-3, over Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Wednesday night in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Both teams finished with 10 men on the pitch.

With the victory, FC Wichita earned the right to play in the Third Round of the US Open Cup for the first time in club history. What’s more, Wichita made league history becoming just the second amateur NPSL team to upset a pro team in the tournament since the league was founded in 2003. (Jacksonville Armada FC defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies on the same night, but the Armada are a pro team). Chattanooga FC upset the Wilmington Hammerheads (then of the USL) in 2014 and 2015.

“We knew coming in, after last year’s near result , that we were a stronger team now than we were last year,” said Wichita CEO Blake Shumaker. “We believe our first fourteen, fifteen, deep is USL quality. We felt like if we stayed together and got guys behind the ball to defend then we’d have a chance to win.”

Franck Tayou bagged a brace to push Wichita past Tulsa, including the match-winner in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. He nicked the ball off the feet of TRFC goalkeeper Chase Gentry before curling in a ball to the far post from no angle.

“As soon as I saw Sosa on the side, I knew he was going to put the ball in. It was just a matter of finding the ball,” explained Tayou on the lead up to his match-winner. “The defender froze because he thought his keeper was going to come out, and he hesitated. I kept running, and once I took my first touch, I just turned around and found the back of the net.”

Despite two golden chances in the final moments of the match, Tulsa was unable to level the affair as Mark Weir came up with a pair of clutch saves.

Jhon Pirez had Tulsa in front inside the first 38 minutes after scoring goals on either side of a goal by Wichita’s Thomas Wells in the 35th minute. The Roughnecks went into the locker rooms for halftime leading 2-1.

The lead wouldn’t last long, however, as Tayou tallied his first of the match quickly after the restart off a corner. The ball fell to the forward’s feet after a goalmouth scramble and he managed to place it in the back of the net.

Just like the last time Wichita levelled the contest, however, Tulsa was able to restore their advantage soon after. In the 51st minute Nemanja Vukovic connected with Riggs Lennon to put TRFC back on top. It was Vukovic’s second assist of the night.

90+2’ – NELSON LANDAVERDE FOR THE WIN! pic.twitter.com/1kKGBJd6T5

— FC Wichita (@FCWichita) May 20, 2018

Wichita, playing with 10 men due to a second yellow card to Eddie Gomez in the 49th minute, managed to knot the match up at 3-3 from a free kick by Nelson Landaverde in the 61st minute. Vukovic would pick up his second yellow for dissent soon after, and both teams would finish out the match playing with 10 men.

“We had nothing to lose,” said Tayou about battling back while playing down a man. “When we went a man down, we never panicked. That mentality kept us fighting, and eventually all our hard work was rewarded.”

With the match looking destined for extra time, Tayou then took matters into his own hands. His late winner, coupled with Weir’s late saves, sealed FC Wichita’s first win over an USL team in Open Cup play in club history.

The match was a high-intensity affair, with 13 yellow cards issued, with 8 cards issued to Tulsa and five to Wichita. Players had to be separated following the official’s final whistle.

Wichita will now travel to the Lone Star State to face NTX Rayados after the Texas-based squad dispatched OKC Energy in Second Round action.

2017 US Open Cup Round 4: Defending champ FC Dallas advances thanks to late Roughnecks own goal

June 15, 2017 by Adam Uthe

An own goal in second half stoppage time from Tulsa Roughnecks’ (USL) defender Modou Jadama sent FC Dallas (MLS) through to the Round of 16 of the US Open Cup with a 2-1 win after they had squandered several scoring opportunities throughout the second half. For the second straight year it looked as though FC Dallas would need extra time while playing at Southern Methodist University’s Westcott Field, but the pressure they applied to the Roughnecks paid off in the dying seconds of the match.

Both teams looked sluggish from the start; quite possibly due to the mid-90s heat radiating at kickoff. Neither managed to create much until the 28th minute when Tulsa captain Juan Pablo Caffa got free in the box and hit a well struck volley first time that rolled just wide of goal.

The chance seemed to wake the home side and three minutes later Dallas midfielder Coy Craft found himself in space on the left, via a pass from Ryan Hollingshead, and fired low and hard from the edge of the box to give the Hoops the 1-0 lead. Four minutes later, Cristian Colman broke through the Tulsa back line but was denied from point blank by Roughnecks goalkeeper Fabian Cerda. Reggie Cannon almost gave Dallas an insurance goal just before half, beating two defenders with two deft touches, but he lost control in the box and the opportunity was wasted.

The defending champion FC Dallas battled the Tulsa Roughnecks at Southern Methodist University in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Dallas

As the sun set in the second half, both teams seemed to find a second wind; and not just in a positive way. Juan Pablo Caffa earned a yellow card in the 56th minute for arguing with the official. It seemed to fire up his team, because three minutes later — moments after Dallas replaced veteran playmaker with Carlos Remeno — Tulsa midfielder Kosuke Kimura got a good look in the box and tied the game up 1-1.

Dallas coach Oscar Pareja wasted no time and emptied his bench, bringing first team regulars Michael Barrios and Tesho Akindele on for homegrown stud Paxton Pomkyal and Coy Craft, respectively, in the 63rd minute. The switches worked and Dallas created several dangerous chances in the ensuing minutes, but failed to convert any of them.

They continued to press the visitors, but continually came up empty and it looked as though 90 minutes would not be enough to settle things; just as last year when Dallas needed a penalty kick shootout to take down another USL side in the OKC Energy in the Fourth Round.

In the second minute of stoppage time, Barrios put a low cross across the box that was redirected into the back of the net by Jadama. The referee blew the whistle almost immediately after play resumed and the defending champions could breathe a sigh of relief.

2017 US Open Cup Round 3: Fabian Cerda of Tulsa Roughnecks wins TheCup.us Player of Round by single vote

June 12, 2017 by Josh Hakala

Fabian Cerda of the Tulsa Roughnecks (yellow) gets a hug from a teammate prior to the team's penalty kick shootout against San Antonio FC in the Third Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Credit: Lori Scholl — Fabian Cerda of the Tulsa Roughnecks (yellow) gets a hug from a teammate prior to the team’s penalty kick shootout against San Antonio FC in the Third Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Credit: Lori Scholl

In one of the closest votes in the website’s history, Fabian Cerda of the Tulsa Roughnecks edged fellow goalkeeper Phil Saunders of Christos FC for TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

The award, which is voted on by the staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters, was decided by a single first-place vote, which is worth three points, versus a second-place vote which is worth one point.

Other Round 4 performances that were under consideration were Saunders, who fell one vote short of winning his second straight Player of the Round honor. He made 10 saves for Christos FC in a 1-0 road win over the PDL’s Chicago FC United. Other players receiving strong consideration were Tommy Heinemann of San Francisco Deltas (NASL) and Sebastian Dalgaard of Saint Louis FC (USL).

Cerda, a 28-year-old first-year backup goalkeeper with the Roughnecks, made three saves and kept a clean sheet over 120 minutes in a scoreless draw with San Antonio FC, the top team in the USL. After the game finished scoreless in Tulsa, Cerda made two saves in the penalty kick shootout and scored on his own attempt in the tiebreaker to help the Roughnecks advance to Round 4 with a 7-6 win. By advancing, Tulsa will face defending US Open Cup champion FC Dallas, which will be the first time the Roughnecks will take on a team from Major League Soccer.

“It was not only about me, it was about the whole team together won the game,” Cerda said through an interpretor. “It came down to penalties and of course I saved two but the guys who converted the penalties they did good too.”

Goalkeepers taking penalty kicks are pretty uncommon in the US Open Cup and for Cerda, they’re even more rare for him. According to Cerda, prior to his spot kick against San Antonio, he took one penalty kick at a youth tournament years ago.

Cerda becomes the first Chilean to win TheCup.us Player of the Round and he is the first Tulsa Roughneck to win the honor. He started his professional career in his home country, coming up through CD Universidad Catolica’s youth system. He played for Catolica from 2009 through 2015 before moving to Trasandino last season.

Cerda was part of an amusing story while playing in a game for Trasandino. During a league game against Deportes Melipilla, a player from the opposing team took a shot toward goal and a dog who had run onto the field stopped the ball at far post. Cerda, as one can see from the video that has received more than 220,000 views, lets the ball go because it was clearly rolling wide of the goal. However, Cerda expressed his frustration that some were suggesting that the dog made the save for him.

After his time with Trasandino, Cerda decided to travel to the United States and sign with Tulsa this past offseason. He made his Roughnecks debut on April 22 in a 1-0 road win against Rio Grande Valley FC, and his Open Cup debut against San Antonio.

Cerda is no stranger to domestic cup competitions. He was part of the Catolica team that won the 2011 Copa Chile title. While he didn’t play in the Final, the second leg had to be decided by penalty kicks and Catolica won their fourth domestic cup title in team history and its first since 1995.

Cerda knows that the Roughnecks will have their hands full when they travel to take on the defending Open Cup champions on the road in Round 4, but he’s still confident.

“Of course with all the respect to FC Dallas and all the respect they have earned, but we have enough quality to beat them,” said Cerda. “I have faith that this team can make history and keep going further in the .”

2017 TheCup.us Player of the Round winners

Round 1: Peter Caringi III (Christos FC)
Round 2: Phil Saunders (Christos FC)
Round 3: Fabian Cerda (Tulsa Roughnecks)

2017 US Open Cup Round 3: Defense reigns as Tulsa Roughnecks eliminate first-place San Antonio in PKs

June 1, 2017 by Roger Graham

It took 120 minutes and eight rounds of penalty kicks on Wednesday night, but Tulsa Roughnecks FC managed to sneak past visiting San Antonio FC in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Tulsa prevailed 7-6 in a penalty shootout after a scoreless match at the University of Tulsa that featured only three shots on goal in regulation.

The home side secured its first US Open Cup victory over another professional team when goalkeeper Fabian Cerda denied his opposite number, San Antonio’s Diego Restrepo, in the eighth round of the shootout.

Tulsa coach David Vaudreuil said his team, which featured some players hampered by a flu bug, hasn’t practiced penalty kicks regularly.

“We only did a little bit yesterday. I wanted to see how the guys did them and where they put the shots,” said Vaudreuil, who won the US Open Cup as a member of D.C. United in 1996. “It’s not realistic to practice them for a game situation.”

That practice paid off for the Roughnecks, who were successful in seven of their eight penalty kicks.

Cerda kept Tulsa in the shootout by denying San Antonio’s Mark O’Ojong one round after Roughnecks teammate Pasha Kondrakhin skied his shot over the crossbar. He saved Restrepo’s shot in the eighth round to propel Tulsa into the next round and a June 14 match at MLS side FC Dallas.

Vaudreuil said the Roughnecks weren’t able to press as much as they would have liked after a difficult stretch of games, but they tried to maintain possession against San Antonio.
Both teams had chances in the first half, but were unable to convert.

Tulsa was denied a penalty kick on two occasions in the second half, once on a potential handball on Sebastien Ibeagha in the 64th minute and again three minutes later when Joey Calistri was knocked down in the box.

San Antonio has its best chance in overtime, when Victor Araujo saw his shot from the top of the box saved by Cerda.

Defense dominated the added 30 minutes, setting the stage for Tulsa’s dramatic victory in penalty kicks.

With the win, Tulsa will move on to the Fourth Round for the first time where they will face the defending champions from FC Dallas on the road. The game is scheduled for June 14.

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Kondrakhin’s brace helps Tulsa Roughnecks cruise past OKC Energy U-23s

May 21, 2017 by William Schulz

The Tulsa Roughnecks of the United Soccer League took a commanding lead in the first half and took care of business at home the rest of the way with a 5-3 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup win over the Oklahoma City Energy U23s on Wednesday night.

Pavel Kondrakhin scored twice for the Roughnecks in the victory.

The University of Tulsa found itself host to the US Open Cup for the second time in as many weeks for OKC Energy U23s vs. Tulsa at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Complex. Both teams came into the match fresh off of weekend victories.

Oklahoma City began the first half unafraid of the Roughnecks, and both sides came out swinging. All that changed when Jaime Ayala scored the opener in the 8th minute. From that point on, Tulsa sat firmly in the driver’s seat, doubling their lead within five minutes thanks to Christian Mata.

Oklahoma City found themselves without meaningful possession for long periods during the rest of the first half, only managing to break into the final third on breakaway counters that came to nothing. Tulsa scored a third in stoppage time thanks to a lovely one-two play from Christian Mata finished by Kondrakhin.

The second half started in much the same way the first had, with both teams playing aggressively and openly culminating in a Roughnecks goal for Kondrakhin. This time, however, the Energy came charging back with a vengeance. Suddenly Oklahoma City had the lion’s share of possession and the better of the scoring chances. The Energy finally got on the scoreboard thanks to Mark Lindstrom, and they kept the pressure high.

Within the next 15 minutes, Oklahoma City managed to force an own goal and score again via Christian Okeke. The match also turned physical during this stretch, with four yellow cards shown between the two clubs.

In the end, Tulsa held on to emerge victorious by a score of 5 to 3. The Tulsa Roughnecks will go on to host San Antonio FC on Wednesday, May 31. The winner of that match will take on the defending US Open Cup champion FC Dallas (MLS) in Round 4.

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: Des Moines Menace add to upset resume, 2-0 over Tulsa Roughnecks

May 23, 2016 by Ian Knighton

For the seventh time in the club’s history, the Des Moines Menace of the Premier Development League (PDL) have beaten a pro team to advance to the next round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This time, it was a 2-0 result at home against the USL’s Tulsa Roughnecks.

With seven upsets over professional teams — four against Division 2 teams (4-3-0), three against Div. 3 clubs (2-1-1, 1-0 PKs) — they are second only to the Michigan Bucks (9) for most among all amateur clubs in the Modern Era (1995-present).

The early minutes of the match were mostly dominated by the Roughnecks, but neither team would have a real shot on goal until the 14th minute when Des Moines’ Heath Preston fired an attempt just side of the net.

Tulsa continued to control the ball through the first half, which went into the break tied at 0-0.

The second half of the match would bring plenty of action.

In the 48th minute, Tulsa coach David Irving was sent off. The sending off of Irving was the first of many officiating decisions that would not be in the Roughnecks favor. Defender Mason Grimes would receive a yellow in the 56th minute followed by a red card being shown to forward Taylor Morgan just 10 minutes later.

It would quickly get worse for Tulsa as Des Moines’ Sean Hoek opened the scoring just two minutes after his squad went up a man. The Roughnecks managed to hold off an attacking Menace side until the 81st minute when a bullet shot from Elvir Ibisevic would put the match away for the Menace. The remaining nine minutes and stoppage time proved to be not enough for the 10-man Tulsa club to mount a comeback.

The win moves Des Moines on to the next round of the Open Cup where they will host San Antonio FC on June 1. Here, they will hope to add another pro team to their list of upsets and earn a fourth date with a Major League Soccer team in the Fourth Round.

2013 US Open Cup Round 3: OKC Energy gets 1-0 win over Tulsa Roughnecks in Oklahoma derby with ‘fantastic strike’ (video)

May 29, 2015 by Jay F. Marks

The Oklahoma City Energy FC booked a place in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a thunderbolt of a goal from substitute striker Peter Toth in the 83rd minute.

Toth’s late goal – which coach Jimmy Neilson called a “fantastic strike” – settled a 1-0 match that seemed destined for overtime as Energy FC and in-state rival Tulsa Roughnecks FC struggled to threaten each other’s nets.

Toth, who entered the game in the 61st minute, said he received the ball from his left and saw an opportunity for a shot from about 30 yards out.

“I was trying to put it in the corner,” he said. “I think pretty much I did it.”

With the win, Oklahoma City moves on to play MLS leader FC Dallas in the Fourth Round of the nation’s oldest tournament. That game will be played June 16 in Fort Worth, Texas.

On Wednesday, both Oklahoma-based USL sides played tight defense, marshalling their forces at the top of the box to limit their opponents’ scoring chances.

The teams were credited with 12 shots on goal (nine for Oklahoma City), but only a couple of those posed any serious scoring threats.

Oklahoma City’s most dangerous attack before Toth’s winner came from defender Michael Harris’ acrobatic flip throw-in, which Tulsa goalkeeper Zac Lubin awkwardly swatted away in the game’s opening minutes.

Lubin, who has Open Cup experience winning TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Kitsap Pumas (PDL) in 2011, rarely was troubled after that, even though Energy FC coach Neilson insisted his team dominated the first half.

“I’ve got to give Tulsa credit. In the second half, they came out strong, with a lot of good energy, and made it very, very difficult for us,” he said. “It became very, very intense. Not the prettiest game, but the intensity was there. Both teams were fighting for every inch on the field.”

Tulsa’s chance came in the 54th minute, when Roughnecks midfielder Eli Galbraith-Knapp launched a stinging shot on goal. Energy FC goalkeeper Evan Newton bobbled the shot, but managed to cover it before an onrushing Tulsa player could reach it.

Galbraith-Knapp also had a chance for a late equalizer, but was unable to get onto the end of a well-flighted corner kick to the far post in the 88th minute.

In the end, Neilson said, Toth’s “fantastic” strike secured the win for Energy FC.

“It doesn’t surprise us,” Neilson said. “He’s doing that day in and day out in training.”
He said Toth entered the game as a box-to-box midfielder before settling into his favored role underneath the striker.

Neilson, who won the 2012 US Open Cup as a player with Sporting Kansas City (MLS), said Oklahoma City had to shuffle its lineup a bit because of injuries, but he praised his team for its effort.

“They found a way to win out there. They battled and they gave everything they had,” he said. “Again, not the prettiest game, but who cares? We move on to the next round.”

Defender Cyprian Hedrick said Energy FC’s back four fought hard, winning a lot of first and second balls to thwart Tulsa attacks.

“Our job was to come out here and get it done,” he said. “We did that and got a shutout.”

Neilson said his team relishes the opportunity to play FC Dallas, which currently leads MLS’s Supporters Shield race, in the next round of the Open Cup.

“It’s going to be a big challenge and a handful, but it’s going to be a fantastic experience for everyone,” he said.

Neilson said he hopes his team can surprise the higher-division team as an underdog.

“We know in soccer, anything can happen,” he said.

Post-game recap

REPLAY: OKC ENERGY AT TULSA ROUGHNECKS

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Banana kick goal helps Tulsa Roughnecks edge Seacoast United Phantoms, 1-0

May 21, 2015 by Brian O'Connell

Chad Bond’s strike from the corner flag proved to be enough to send Tulsa Roughnecks FC through to the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after beating Seacoast United Phantoms 1-0 at Tulsa University on Wednesday.

Bond’s ‘banana kick’ broke a scoreless match in the 58th minute while goalkeeper Zac Lubin, a former TheCup.us Player of the Round, kept the sheet clean to steer the Roughnecks to a Second Round victory.

Tulsa will face the Oklahoma City Energy FC in the Third Round on Wednesday, May 27.

Despite travelling nearly 1,600 miles to face their second round opponent, Seacoast entered the match intent on extending their first Open Cup run since 2006. And they wasted little time announcing their intentions.

Inside of 12 minutes, Phantoms midfielder Anthony Grant broke through and circled Lubin in a bid for the opener. But his shot was cleared off the line to deny the guests of seizing the momentum early.

The Roughnecks found a golden chance of their own three minutes later. Gibson Bardsley powered a header from close range only to watch it smack off the crossbar.

After Bardley’s effort, the Roughnecks began to settle in and put pressure on the Phantoms’ backline. But Abel Perez nearly stole a goal for the Phantoms when he fired a shot that seemed destined for the back of the net. But Perez’s attempt met a fate similar Bardsley’s header when it hit the post.

Given that Tulsa had handily won the possession battle during the first half, Seacoast had to like its chances with the match still scoreless going into the second stanza. But any hope that they’d be able to pocket a goal and park the bus vanished just before the hour mark.

On a 58th minute corner kick, Bond whipped an inswinger that, somehow, curled into the back of the net, much to the delight of his teammates and the home crowd.

Tulsa nearly widened the gap in the 65th minute when Lucas Cordeiro fired a shot that slipped out of the grasp of Dominic DiMaggio and hit the crossbar.

With only a goal separating them from sending it to extra time, the Phantoms refused to back down. In the 70th minute, they tested the Roughnecks’ defense with consecutive corner kicks. But those opportunities went to waste, as the hosts held off their guests to get the victory.