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Western Conf. Notebook — Derby Presents Opportunity for OKC

By CHRIS HOCKMAN - chris.hockman@uslsoccer.com, 05/25/18, 9:00AM EDT

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SAFC ready to convert opportunities in Reno; Monarchs and T2 put form on the line


Photo courtesy Steven Christy / OKC Energy FC

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Black Gold Derby is always an important game for Tulsa Roughnecks FC and OKC Energy FC but with the two teams propping up the USL Western Conference entering this weekend, Saturday’s match (8 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+) is an even bigger contest than usual with the derby presenting the opportunity to start building some form. For Energy FC the contest arrives at a good time with the side having broken an eight-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC last Saturday.

“It does boost the confidence ahead of the derby because it does mean more, it’s an important game but it’s just three points and the derby is a different game,” said Energy FC midfielder Callum Ross, who scored the winner against the Switchbacks. “We have to come out at 110 percent against Tulsa and hopefully use that confidence and get another three points.”

Last Saturday's second win of the season has brought a refreshed feeling around the OKC camp with the stress of eight consecutive losses being relieved. The hope for Energy FC is that will allow the side to get into a positive rhythm and improve its shots on target ratio, which currently sits at one in five with OKC having recorded only 21 shots on goal this season, second-fewest in the league.

“Once you get the win obviously you gain more confidence and hopefully everyone can relax a little bit because the pressure mounts when you’ve been losing games,” said Ross. “After we finally got that win hopefully there’s a release of pressure so we can play our normal game and get the ball flowing, playing with a bit of confidence.”

It’s impossible to deny the joy that last week’s win gave the OKC players, it was clear on all their faces after the match, but with such an important game right around the corner, it is important to not rest and sit on that one win.

“In our post-game conversations we immediately turned to where we’re going next, and on Sunday morning you start looking at video and clips of your opponent,” said OKC Head Coach Steve Cooke. “Last week is in the back of your mind and you take the lessons from that into this week.”

SAFC LOOKING TO : After both teams gave up winning positions to settle for a draw last weekend San Antonio FC is eager to keep its undefeated run going and get a much needed three points to boost its USL Cup Playoffs credentials on Saturday night when it visits Reno 1868 FC (10:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+) at Greater Nevada Field.

With both teams in a cluster of four sitting on 14 points in the Western Conference standings, SAFC in eighth and Reno in 10th either side of the playoff line, games like this one could play a major role in which side gets the chance to return to the postseason at the end of the year.

“The league is very tight, so obviously we want to earn three points in every game,” said SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell. “In most of our games we’ve had chances throughout the course of the match, and our job now is to turn those opportunities into goals while making sure we’re still defensively sound to turn those draws into wins.”

Entering Week 11 of the regular season, familiarity with new additions around the league is starting to see team finally click into place. That's certainly true with SAFC, which has built a team that gets along well and that contains strong connections on the pitch, creating a competitive battle for places.

“I think we’ve always had good chemistry, particularly off the field, and now we just have to transfer it onto our performances on the field. Our players are getting to know each other and getting used to playing with each other more and more, and we’re also fortunate to have a lot of depth on the squad,” said Powell. “The team is very competitive and all our players understand that any time they come to train or put the jersey on for a game, it’s an honor to do so and somebody else is trying to earn that place. With that, our competitiveness increases and in turn confidence increases. Players hold each other accountable and that turns into better performances on the field.”

It could be a tough trip for SAFC, which played 120 minutes on Wednesday night before advancing in a penalty shootout against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. San Antonio's reward for that victory, however, is a home draw against Major League Soccer's FC Dallas on Wednesday, June 6 at Toyota Field in the Fourth Round, a big opportunity for the club to shine on a bigger stage as it hosts an MLS side for the first time in the competition in its short history.

Creating a balance between rewarding players for their performances in a game like that while also ensuring the side gets the points it needs in the league for a trip to the USL Cup Playoffs is now the balancing act Powell faces in the next two weeks.

“We see it as an exciting opportunity. If a player has earned it during the course of the season, we look to make sure to earn an opportunity in those games,” said Powell. “We balance it with some guys who play in both [league and cup] games and some who only play one, so we look at who’s available during the week and make a decision that we believe is in the best interest of San Antonio FC and the individual players.”

IN FORM TEAMS BATTLE IN PORTLAND: The storylines for the Portland Timbers 2 and Real Monarchs SLC going into Saturday's clash between the two clubs are those of opposites, with the Monarchs following on from a 2017 season when they won the Regular Season Championship and T2 having stunned the league, already exceeding its 2017 points total and sitting fourth in the USL Western Conference. 

With both sides in excellent form going into the meeting at Providence Park, on Saturday afternoon (5 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+), the Monarchs are aware of the challenge that awaits them from a T2 side that is riding one of its best runs of form in club history.

“The players understand what Portland has done,” said Monarchs Head Coach Mark Briggs. “They see results and the standings and they’re right behind us in the table. It will be a battle against a very good team this weekend.”

For T2 Head Coach Cameron Knowles the key is one word, consistency, something that was severely lacking in 2017. A year ago, Portland suffered 13 of their 23 defeats by a single goal, but this year have found ways to win games of that kind with three of the club's six victories coming by a one-goal margin.

“I just think it’s consistency, in performances from a lot of players, we’ve had a lot of players performing well in their role. It’s consistency in training, we’re working hard and we’ve had some difficult stretches at times, with lots of games but guys have come through it,” said Knowles. “We’ve been healthy and when guys have had to come in they’ve done it, we’ve just been really consistent and that comes through in training and in games.”

After last season's success, Real is proving it wasn't a flash in the pan having taken a four-point lead in both the Western Conference standings and in the race to defend its regular season title. Maintaining that edge on its rivals is the focus for Briggs, whose side is on a four-game winning streak entering Saturday's contest and is looking for a similar performance to its 4-2 victory on March 31 at Rio Tinto Stadium that saw Kalen Ryden score twice and Justin Portillo record two assists.

“The attitude is great and has been since day one this year. The boys understand that we got three points but at the end of the day it’s just three points,” said Briggs. “Now we’re on to Portland and preparing for them. We’re doing tactical preparation and hopefully, their attitude will be exactly the same.”

Portland comes into this match after making history, scoring seven goals in its victory last Friday against the LA Galaxy II, the most goals scored in a single game by the club which earned the club its third win in its last four league outings. With Augustine Williams also having notched a pair of goals in Tuesday night's international exhibition against 2.Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli, the club is carrying a serious attacking threat into every game.

“We’ve got a lot of dangerous pieces, and a lot of guys that can score and so we’ve got difficult decisions to make,” said Knowles. “We’ve got guys that were scoring goals early for us that haven’t seen the field for a couple of games. So we have a lot of threats that can score and that takes some work to manage, our players have been taking their chances which is really important.”

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