RCU Ties Tulsa In Last Home Game Of Regular Season

Despite dominating the second half, Rocket City United relinquished a one goal lead after giving up a late penalty to split the points with FC Tulsa in RCU's final home game of the season.  After a scoreless first half, Brian Kimbugwe's 54th minute header from a Jacob Letsholo free kick service beat the Tulsa goalkeeper to the near post as nearly 850 spectators watched on.

RCU continued to apply pressure while looking for an insurance goal, but Tulsa would equalize during one of Tulsa's few forays into the attacking third in the second half.   In the 72nd minute, a mistimed tackle in the penalty area by Jacob Letsholo left the referee no choice but to award a penalty.  Tulsa's Ernesto Marquez sent RCU goalkeeper Tyler Early the wrong way for the equalizer from the spot. 

My broadcast partner, John Moran, interviews RCU GK Tyler Early following the disappointing 1:1 draw.

RCU applied more pressure that led to Tulsa's Miguel Peralta's ejection after a second bookable offense in the 77th minute.  However, RCU could not capitalize on the 13 minutes of numerical advantage as both Andrew Nkurunungi and Brian Kimbugwe had good looks at goal without success.  Substitute Colby Childress laid a nice one-time pass back for Nkurunungi who missed the target from just outside the area, while shortly thereafter Kimbugwe's header from a poor Tulsa clearance crashed against the crossbar.  That was as close as RCU would get to the game-winner and the match ended with a 1:1 scoreline.

RCU must now win next week at Atlanta and hope for that either Tulsa or Birmingham can steal points from Chattanooga in the coming week to set up a showdown for the NPSL Southeast Region Championship and a place in the NPSL Final Four when RCU travel up to Chattanooga on July 17th.