Match 5 in week 6 of the USL regular season ends with us in 6th place in the West. The Foxes have racked up 9 points in 5 games, with 5 of those points coming from the road. At the moment the Foxes are one of just four undefeated teams in the USL and one of only two undefeated teams in the West (NMU being the other, PHX just lost). This is an exciting time to be a Fox, and I think this game shows why.

First Half – FRS 1 – TUL 1

The first half started off fairly routine. The first 25 minutes of the game was a series of back and forth shots from both teams. In the 21st Jemal Johnson had a particularly good chance, and you could tell that this game would be one for goals. Alihodzic was shown a yellow in the 31st for a foul, he pulled the Tulsa man on his butt by the shoulder. He is generally good for a foul, so it seemed inevitable.

Then in the 33rd Chavez took a long pass and laid it off to Caffa who just toed it to Johnson before being pulled down, Johnson then hit an excellent right-footed curler around the goalkeeper into the top right corner. Truly something to behold.

Play continued, with Martin taking a knock but then getting back on to play. Chavez took a knock in the 37th, and Tulsa took advantage of the man advantage and confusion to score in the 39th. Altamirano, a good offensive outlet for their team, lifted a cross towards the far post and it was headed over Cochran and into the near post by Silva. Tulsa was back in it.

Then it was basically a game of fouls until the whistle. Tulsa got one good shot by Altamirano, and we got a freekick for a terrible foul on Jackson by De Costa in the 45th +4, Caffa almost scored a curled freekick from the right side, but it was “saved by the post.” Then there was nearly a fight between Jackson and some Tulsa players after the whistle.

All in all a very entertaining half.

Notes:

Johnson is the type of player that you can’t keep from scoring. He wants goals, and he takes shots to prove it. Some of his shots this season haven’t gone exactly as he wanted, and some of the games he has been out of position, but this game he managed to score one of his signature goals, and it was spectacular. He went on to finish with a brace, but I fully expect him to continue scoring.

The goal by Tulsa was the result of a bad defending. Martin was playing his first game, and he was the one caught napping on the cross. However, he had an overall good game and made some critical interceptions in that first half. I am expecting him to pick up the slack during Zach’s absence and possibly beyond.

Caffa showed us why he is a crucial asset to our team and was one of the best in the USL last season. He had a great assist, despite being taken to the ground, and he almost curled in a seemingly impossible free-kick. The announcer on ESPN+ said, “He can’t, can he?” and of course he almost did.

It seems like we almost fight every game, that’s something Smith needs to remedy if we are going to make the playoffs. Suspensions from fighting are the last thing we need, especially considering we have players prone to yellows (Alihodzic is one).

Second Half – FRS 3 – TUL 1

The second half started with some back and forth and some fouls. In the 50th there was a throw-in and then a cross to Del Campo who headed it just wide. Alihodzic had a hand-ball in the 54th, and Tulsa had a good chance that Cochran was able to keep out with a kick.

Then in the 55th Caffa recovered the ball in the midfield. He ran with it and passed it to Chavez, who laid it off back to him, and he moved it to Jackson out to the right, Jackson crosses it back, and Chavez scores a header at close range, and Fresno is up.

Then it happened. Tulsa won a freekick to the right, and in the 56th minute the floodlights went out in half the stadium. I was there that night, and it was pretty crazy. The lights were out for a good 20 minutes, and play was stopped. Both teams got some time to do warm-ups and have huddles. It was nerve-racking for me personally because I had to go pick up my son from grandma’s house and this was pushing the game to go pretty late.

Lights went back up, and the game got back underway. Cochran caught the cross, and the play continued. In the 59th Caffa got a fast-break with a long ball over the top and tried to chip the goalkeeper but it was deflected over.

In the 59th the corner came up, Del Campo flicked it up, and then Daly missed it, and it came off the head off a Tulsa defender, Johnson lined it up and kicked it midair into the goal, 3-1.

There were a few shots and some subs in the last 30 minutes of the game, but Fresno closed it out dutifully. We saw Chaney come on for Chavez in the 76th, Bustamante comes on for Johnson in the 84th, and new man Kurimoto on for Caffa in the 90th. The game stretched out and then it was all over. Fresno captured three points, and Tulsa dropped from first.

Notes:

The lights going out at the Chuk is apparently not a new thing, it also happened during a Grizzley’s game earlier that week. It was a weird time, but it did mean some time to reflect on the expensive nature of utilities in CA.

Johnson scored a brace, great start to his scoring record, and hopefully more to come.

Chavez is our first striker to score a goal this season. He has won a lot of headers, and actually getting one into the goal is great. For some reason, our strikers rarely boot it into the goal. I wonder if this will mean he gets the pick more often? Who knows.

Kurimoto came on, mostly as a time-wasting effort, but it was nice to see the guy on – I was impressed by his display against Los Dos in the pre-season and I hope he provides some good depth in the midfield.

This was an important game, and it was great to see the Foxes rise to the challenge. I want to see more of that in the future, and especially at home. If the playoffs are our goal this year, we need as many points from home as possible to make up for any we lose on the road.

Player Ratings

Cochran – 6

Not a bad night for Cochran. He had some good saves and tackles. It was unlucky to give up the goal, but there was little he could do about it from the replays.

Martin – 7

He would be higher, except for the error that le8d to the goal. He had an impressive record for the game 3 tackles, 2 clearances, and 5 interceptions. He was no slouch. Zach might have his work cut out for him staying in the team if Martin keeps playing the way he is.

Del Campo – 8

Generally stellar performance. He won 9 duels and lost just 1, tried for goal 2 times, and recorded 1 tackle, 2 clearances, and 1 interception.

Daly – 6

Not a bad night for the center back. He wasn’t always able to win his duels, but he did finish with 1 tackle, 3 clearances, and 1 interception.

Cooper – 6

Cooper had a good night. He had 5 attempted crosses, with 1 connecting. He blocked a shot on target, had 3 clearances, and an interception.

Basuljevic – 5

His passing accuracy was back up this game, and he did create a chance. Otherwise, he lost too many duels and didn’t do much else in the game. He needs to show up for games where we win, so I think we will be looking for more from him in the future.

Alihodzic – 6

He is built and played in a defensive position. He had a strong defensive record with 5 tackles, 1 clearance, and 1 interception. He did, however, lose too many duels and didn’t really help with our attacking set up.

Caffa – 8

Despite a lower passing accuracy than we would like, Caffa was the offensive lynchpin of the team. He had 5 successful crosses, many from corners, and created 6 chances. He also got an assist. Overall a good game that would only have been sweeter with a goal.

Jackson – 7

Jackson had a good game. He did have a passing accuracy of just 76%, but he managed an assist, a few shots, and some chances created. Overall a good game for the winger.

Johnson – 9 MOTM

Johnson had a very low passing accuracy for this game, but he scored two goals and created some chances for others on the team. The scoring form of this game will hopefully carry over to other games.

Chavez – 8

Generally, low passing accuracy and some duels lost brings down his score, but he did get a goal and was instrumental in some of the goals created for Johnson. He had a few tackles and a blocked shot on the defensive side.

Chaney – 5

Not much time for the forward, but he did lose a few duels and give the ball up. He recorded 3 passes and had 100% accuracy.

Bustamante – 4

Hardly any time for Renato but he did lose 2 duels. Passing Accuracy based on a few passes. Needs more time to make an impact.

Kurimoto – NA

Just 1 pass and 3 minutes on the field. More of a time waster than anything but still exciting to see him play.

Final Thoughts

A great game to watch and a sight to behold. Being there for all three goals was something special. We are on a bye week so look forward to OCSC on April 26th.

#SomosZorros