TULSA, Oklahoma (October 6, 2018) — Rio Grande Valley FC (7-12-13, 34 points) will take on Tulsa Roughnecks FC (3-16-12, 21 points) on October 6. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at ONEOK Field. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
RGV FC is coming off a solid home performance where they kept the loyal Toros fans excited throughout 90 minutes. The 2-1 win over Fresno FC marked the final home game of the season for RGV FC, forward Carlos Small and midfielder Jesus Enriquez led the attack with one goal apiece. The first strike for RGV FC came off the head of Enriquez on a diving effort just a couple feet from the goal. Enriquez now leads the team with six total goals on the season.
Tulsa FC are coming into the matchup following a 0-2 shutout loss to Reno 1868 FC. The Roughnecks have had a difficult season thus far tallying 16 total losses despite having a mixture of veteran and young players to rely on for balance. The leading scorer for the Roughnecks is midfielderJoaquin Rivas with 11 total goals. RGV FC Head Coach Gerson Echeverry commented on Rivas and the potential threat he poses for the defense; “He is a crafty player, he is a lefty with a beautiful left foot. He can beat you off the dribble, he can beat you with bombs from outside. He is a player you need to reference where so much happens with him, he roams around in all different parts of the midfield and likes to sometimes join in late, so we need to definitely keep an eye on him and make sure that he is a guy that we don’t let just run crazy on us.”
Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention but are not letting up on the pitch. RGV FC has much left to prove and is looking to get another good road victory. Echeverry added on the topic of playing hard, also on the last meeting between the two team which resulted in a 1-1 draw; “Yes, it’s a difficult match. Obviously last time that we were here, we thought we had the better of the game, however, we scored a goal and 30 seconds later they tied it up. Then we had a couple of opportunities to maybe get the “W” and unfortunately you know, we came up short. It’s a pretty technical team, a team that has a mixture of some very technical players and some athleticism. It’s a dangerous team. Right now, they are not necessarily making the playoffs. Right now, a lot of those guys are playing for pride and playing at home and that still makes them very dangerous.”
Individually the players have made it clear that they are not done competing yet despite their standing in the league, adding that there is importance to gaining minutes on the field. MidfielderPablo Aguilar added the following about the subject, “Yes, getting minutes for all of us is really important. Individually trying to get as many minutes as you can is very important. Against this team in Oklahoma getting minutes is going to be good for us because I think we are going to be able to play our game. I think we are going to be able to get the result but yeah making the best out of the minutes we get these last few games.” Respectively Bryce Marion was interviewed on the topic and had this to say; “Definitely, being on the field is always paramount toward developing as a young player. No matter where you are, you always want to get on the field, we all love playing soccer. We know we are eliminated from playoffs, but it is still a great opportunity for us to go and have great success and wear the badge with honor and do as much as we can to get the three points.”
As the season nears the end, RGV FC is grinding to get results and show their talent level on the pitch, a site that is met with open arms by any training staff. We continue to have determination in the remainder of the 2018 season.
Updates on the match will be provided via Twitter at @RGVFC or by following #SomosToros. To see more matchday information, visit https://www.rgvfc.com .
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