901 FC vs. FC Tulsa preview: second game of three game home stand

Saturday night’s home game against Detroit City was not quite the fun occasion many were expecting. Yes, the Beale Street Boys ran their unbeaten streak to 10 straight league games (a club record) but it just felt like it could have been so much more. And at the end of the day there are very few 0-0 soccer games that have any sort of juice.

Stephen Glass said after the game that they were disappointed in their performance on Saturday night but that it was important for them to come away with a point. Luckily, with a stretch of three games in eight days they can move on quickly from that game and focus on Tulsa coming to town.

Managing three games in eight days is always a tough challenge but Glass pointed out that 901 FC has already shown they can manage it, having done so several times this year during their run in the US Open Cup. One thing that Memphis fans will be keeping an eye on is the health of Aaron Molloy, who did not play on Saturday night against Detroit. Coach Glass didn’t say much other than he wasn’t available but did say that, prior to Saturday’s game against Detroit, Molloy had played every minute of the season (that includes a pair of Open Cup games that went into extra time). No doubt many fans will be hoping Saturday was just a night off and that Molloy will be back on the field sooner rather than later.

While 901 FC has been streaking of late, it’s been the exact opposite for Tulsa. Following their 2-1 loss at the hands of the Beale Street Boys, they executed a trade by sending Rodridgo da Costa to Memphis in exchange for Philip Goodrum. The move seemed to pay immediate dividends for Tulsa as the very next game they went on the road and beat Louisville City by a score of 2-1 with Goodrum netting the winner in the 89th minute. Since then it’s been a struggle. They went to Monterey Bay and got a 0-0 draw but have dropped both games since: 3-1 away to Loudoun United (Goodrum got the goal) and then a 3-0 shellacking at home to Orange County SC. Fatigue could be a factor on Wednesday night as this game at AutoZone Park will be Tulsa’s fourth road game in their last five games.