The Foxes are traveling tonight to take on OKC Energy in Oklahoma City.

The Story So Far

OKC is sitting at 8th in the west, just a few points from a top 4 finish and a few points from being knocked from playoff contention. They sit on a knife’s edge and that makes them dangerous.

The Foxes sit comfortably in third with two games in hand over Reno. If we want to keep our position and challenge the title, we must win this game. As we get further on in the season the positioning should start to separate out, but the western conference seems immune to a normal flow of a league. Every game from here on out is a must-win for most teams and that puts the pressure on us to keep our form.

OKC’s Game

OKC is a team that tends to draw a lot. Their positioning is largely due to the fact that though they have lost 7 games, they have been able to salvage points against some good opposition (us included).

They are not a strong defensive team, letting in 1.4 goals per game but they tend to make up for it by scoring at least 1.5 goals per game. Their conversion rate is significantly high for a team outside the top four at 15.9%. If we don’t watch out, we could be on the receiving end of some goals tonight.

There is very little difference between their home and away form, the main difference being they are drawing more at home than on the road.

Players to Watch

The key to their attack is striker Deshorn Brown (#9) – he alone accounts for a third of their goals at 9 for the season. The stat is all the more impressive because he has not started every game, making just 19 appearances out of 23. Brown is a somewhat interesting player as he not only has experience in the MLS, China, and Europe but he has a starting place on the Jamaican national team.

Along with Brown, they rely heavily on Owayne Omar Gordon who has 5 goals and 6 assists. His part in the attack is significant because it provides the team with another attacking option, but also a source for a creative spark.

OKC is a team with a strong attack, so being on our toes defensively is a must. We need to keep out the constant threat of attack and hit OKC on the counter. It will be interesting to see who we play and where they play.

Our Play

Counter-attacking ball is our best bet. OKC is weak in their defense but strong in attack. It’s likely that they will concentrate their efforts on breaking down our defense, but we can put someone like Alihodzic with Kurimoto and lock down the passing lanes in our half. Along with having our best defenders in position. We can’t have Jackson sitting in our back four this game and I hope Smith has planned for that.

Along with putting our best defenders in the back, I think we need to see pace in our attack – Chavez is on a hot streak after last game, but I think it’s likely that Qudus will get the start. He is a bit stronger when it comes to quick decision making, and he will link up with Jackson and Johnson on the wings. Smith might have other plans, but I think this is our best play against a team with strong attacking elements and a weak defensive system.

Prediction

This is going to be a tough game given our position and the pressure. OKC have traditionally been a tough opponent and I have a hard time seeing us win. I think we will draw 1-1 against OKC.

#SomosZorros