North Texas Soccer Club took on FC Tulsa of the USL Championship at 2 pm today on field 4 just outside Toyota Stadium. The neighbors from the north took home the 3-1 win.
This is just the 2nd game for North Texas SC who pushed their starters to 60-minute workload mark before making mass subs. In games like this, the outcome matters little and NTX Coach Eric Quill was quite pleased with the level of play by his team against a very athletic club playing a quite different style than their first scrimmage.
Tactics
North Texas SC played in the club’s usual 4-3-3, replicating as they do the tactics, shape, and style of the first team. Otherwise known as Luchi-Ball. around these parts.
Oscar Romero came on at halftime for David Rodriguez, which allowed Rodriguez to come back on for Rayo at the 60-minute mark and keep both player on the proper 60-minute work load. The mass subs at 60 minutes left FCD in the following XI.
There are some names in there that you probably don’t recognize and I’ll give you what I know down below.
FC Tulsa started in a 4-1-4-1 – although one could easily claim it’s a 4-3-3 – but the deep position of their wingers made it seem like the former. Tulsa is quite athletic and plays a direct, run and gun style that includes a fair bit of high-press.
The former Roughnecks provided a good physical and older test for the young NTX side that is just coming together.
Thought and Observations
Dante Sealy and Anders Engebretsen flip-flopped sides all game long. Sealy scored the loan FCD goal after an Alex Bruce shot was saved. Dabid Rodriguez recovered the ball and found Sealy.
David Rodriguez was bright and active, giving Tulsa troubles so they started fouling him a fair amount. The final third still needs a little work, but super positive play from Rodriguez.
Derek Waldeck, who is being converted to a left back from a 6, struggled with pace during the first half. At halftime, coach Quill talked to him about turning his attacking back into the middle where some help could be found and that improved things. Waldeck is going to be a project at LB, so there will be some growing pains this season, particularly early on.
Juan Manual Alvarez, who is a linking-8, played as a 6 so was a little out of comfort. I look forward to seeing him in his natural position. But I can see why FCD took him to Florida.
Alisson, who is a 6, played as a center back and was out of his comfort zone too. There was some disconnect playing with Nkosi Burgess for the first time.
Alex Bruce has a presence, looks like a good player. Prototypical 9.
Good to see Ronaldo Damus back, he just got into town I understand.
Mohamed Sesay is back but he’s just a fill-in. He’s too old for NTX to sign.
I thought I would see Justin Che today, but he’s apparently out for 6 weeks with an injury of some kind.
Some 2nd half names of trialists
Left wing Johnson Jeudy is from Haiti.
Quinn Mello-Bastida is a 6-type player from the Portland area. He just arrived today.
Nico Scargle is a Colombian kid who has been working with the FCD U19s. Center back.
Cuadrado is NTX signing Pedro Conceição Alves. Cuadrado is his brazilian sytle soccer name. He’s a right back.
Philip Ponder is a center back from SMU.
Did Tulsa’s goal come against the starters or the subs mostly?
2 against starters, 1 against subs. Both early goals down the Tulsa right, FCD left.