FC Tulsa on Saturday flipped the script from the first meeting with Louisville City FC, scoring three first-half goals and staving off a furious rally to claim a 3-2 win. The match mirrored the June 19 game, only with LouCity and Tulsa reversing roles.
The result concerned interim head coach Danny Cruz, primarily because of how City (6-3-2) conceded its goals. But he also left Oklahoma with a handful of teaching moments he can use in training. The boys in purple have the opportunity for a quick bounce back with two more matches this coming week.
Here is what we learned from Saturday’s loss and how those issues impact LouCity in the coming days:
“Unacceptable” start to the game
Cruz expressed his understandable frustration with his team’s energy in the opening segment of the match. LouCity looked timid in possession, unsure of where and when to probe with progressive passes, and the result was a team regularly scampering back to defend odd numbers after losing the ball. This was the exact opposite to the start in the first meeting with Tulsa, when City thumped in three goals in the first 10 minutes. As with most concerns about this squad in recent seasons, there is no reason to think it can’t find solutions and improve as the campaign progresses. But Cruz has tangible worries to work on in training and film sessions, including more industrious starts.
“Leaking goals” and finding fixes
This wasn’t the first time LouCity struggled with turnovers in dangerous areas that led to quick transition goals for the opposition, and Cruz pointed that out Saturday evening. The boys in purple want to build from the back through short passes that move the opponent’s shape, allowing Sean Totsch’s diagonal long passes to exploit open areas out wide for LouCity attackers. But against teams that press high up the field, City labors at times finding — and hitting — passing channels and moving play into the attacking half. The fullbacks are high up the flanks to receive Totsch’s passes and spread out the opponent, but the lack of closer-in options and escape valves making up for their distance leads to the occasional giveaways and favorable breaks for opponents.
It’s already difficult to maintain organization and shape as a pressing team, which LouCity wants to be out of possession. So keeping the ball in situations when five or six players are ahead of the play becomes absolutely vital. LouCity sharpening that aspect of its game should help close the door and cut back on, as Cruz put it, “leaking goals” via transition.
There is fight
The good news after a tough loss like this: LouCity showed mettle. A 3-0 deficit is a mountain to climb, but the boys in purple focused on the movement and passing they know, chipping away with two goals from persistence. Anyone who watched would come away thinking a draw would’ve been a fairer result, though perhaps the scoreline might’ve hit 4-4 with the number of chances both teams created. The bottom line is City continued the effort despite the large margin after 40 minutes, and that bodes well for the rest of the season.
Cameron Lancaster’s value
No one needs to be convinced of the worth of the club’s all-time leading scorer, but Saturday’s match offered a hearty reminder. Lancaster’s ability to drift into openings and create chances is unparalleled, and his goal from a header in the space between two Tulsa defenders in the second half hammered home that point. He’ll want back the two direct free kicks and three open back-post headers on corners that went unfinished, but there’s no question the Englishman knows how and where to position himself to be a threat. Like the fight shown by his entire team, Lancaster’s appearance off the bench is a sign of potential good to come.
