OKLAHOMA CITY – OKC Energy’s Kalen Ryden headed home a late goal and the host side defeated the expansion Swope Park Rangers 1-0 on Saturday in front of a crowd of 5,690 at Taft Stadium.

The left back, who had an active match in the attacking third, found the game-winner in the 79th minute to give OKC its first win of the season.

OKC moved to 1-1-1 (4 points) after its first match in two weeks. Swope (2-1-1, 7 points) was the last remaining unbeaten side heading into Saturday but dropped its first game of the season.

With multiple connections between the expansion Rangers and host Energy FC, the matchup was naturally hyped to be the start of a budding rivalry. Both teams came out with some high pressure when they had the opportunity, but it was mostly OKC that challenged in the offensive third.

In the 18th minute, Energy FC nearly gave the home faithful an early goal as Coy Craft struck the left post. The buildup was generated from Sebastian Dalgaard with a searching cross from the right. At the far left of the area, Craft ran in, but he hit the woodwork and came up just shy of giving the host side the upper hand.

Shortly after Swope captain and former OKC midfielder Christian Duke was issued a yellow card, Energy FC pounced on the restart as left back Kalen Ryden aggressively pushed up in the attack. After winning the ball with his chest, he shot right-footed from close range, but his attempt sailed over the crossbar in the 37th minute.

In the 44th minute, Craft hit the post again. Striker Danni Konig set up Craft from the right with a pass above the 18, and Craft’s right-footed shot swerved to the left and clipped the post and ricocheted toward the corner as both teams headed into halftime with a 0-0 score line.

OKC continued to be the instigator in the second half. In the 54th minute, Energy FC’s Chiva Cuevas bent a free kick around the Rangers’ wall and Swope goalkeeper Jon Kempin was able to make the save at the near right post.

Then in the 66th minute, Kempin protected that same post again when OKC worked the ball in off of a throw-in. Konig had a good angle at the near right post, but Kempin saved with his body to force an Energy FC corner kick.

In the 69th minute, Swope worked the ball in, searching for Kris Tyrpak. Ryden tracked back just in time with a clutch clearance to concede a Rangers corner kick.

In the 79th minute, Ryden finally gave Energy FC the lead. Ryden laid the ball off to the right, and when the ball was crossed back in from Dalgaard, Ryden had covered some significant ground to receive the ball near the left post. He headed it across inside the right post for the 1-0 lead.

Swope had multiple chances in the remaining minutes, but OKC was able to preserve the clean sheet.

Upcoming Games:

• April 27: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 at Swope Park Rangers; Children’s Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village, 8 p.m. ET

• May 1: OKC Energy FC at Seattle Sounders FC 2; Starfire Stadium, 10 p.m. ET

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match
Kalen Ryden, OKC Energy FC – Ryden headed home an impressive second-half goal for OKC’s first win of the season. At one stage earlier in the match he also had a key disruption to prevent Swope’s Kris Tyrpak from giving the visitors the advantage.