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Matchday Report: First-Half Flurry Sends Tulsa Past Atlanta

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 10/20/21, 10:02PM EDT

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Three goals in six minutes key 4-0 victory for hosts that move side to doorstep of postseason berth

TULSA, Okla. – Rodrigo da Costa had one goal and one assist while Joaquin Rivas chipped in a pair of assist as FC Tulsa moved within a point of claiming a place in the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs with a 4-0 win against Atlanta United 2 on Wednesday night at ONEOK Field.

Neither side created much in the opening 15 minutes, but Tulsa broke the game open with a run of three goals in the space of six minutes to take control of the contest around the midway point of the half. The opener came in the 17th minute when Bradley Bourgeois surged forward in the right channel to lead and attack, and after the hosts had lost possession, the captain challenged to win it back and deflected the ball to Rivas in the right side of the penalty area. The El Salvador international controlled and quickly centered for Da Costa, who tucked home a first-time finish.

Four minutes later Jason Johnson doubled the lead as a cross into the penalty area from the left was headed by an Atlanta defender toward the Jamaican forward, who fired back on the volley from the edge of the penalty area into the bottom-right corner of the net. The hosts went close to a third a couple of minutes later as both Marlon and Da Costa were denied by good saves from Atlanta goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, but off the ensuing corner kick after Da Costa’s effort had been parried wide, Rivas’ delivery from the right to the back post found Kevin Garcia at the back post for a header just inside the left post.

Da Costa had a chance to add another goal with six minutes to go before halftime as he got in behind the Atlanta back line by was stopped by Rios Novo, who then stayed with the rebound and grabbed possession off the feet of the Brazilian as he regained possession inside the box. A couple of minutes later, meanwhile, Rivas almost notched his third assist of the half with another corner kick from the right, but Johnny Fenwick’s flicked header hit the top of the angle between the crossbar and the left post and went behind for a goal kick.

Playing its final game of the regular season, Atlanta controlled the majority of the possession in the contest but didn’t seriously threaten in the attacking third until the opening minute of the second half when Darwin Matheus’ header off an angled cross from the right by Abdoulaye Diop looped over the crossbar. Robbie Mertz also sent a header over for the visitors with 20 minutes to go off a cross from the left by Caleb Wiley, while Tulsa’s Ciaran Winter curled a shot just wide of the right post in the 82nd minute from 20 yards in the lone notable chance for the hosts after the break.

Tulsa put the game away in second-half however, as on a counterattack down the left Da Costa broke into space and delivered a sweeping ball through the penalty area that found Lucas Coutinho at the far post. The second-half substitute cut past a defender onto his left foot and shot low to the right corner of the net to give the hosts their fourth and on the doorstep of clinching a postseason berth.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Rodrigo da Costa, FC Tulsa – The Brazilian had a goal and assist and had three shots and four key passes on the night while winning 8 of 13 duels and completing 20 of 29 passes overall for the hosts.

Scoring Summary
TUL
– Rodrigo da Costa (Joaquin Rivas) 17’
TUL – Jason Johnson 21’
TUL – Kevin Garcia (Joaquin Rivas) 23’
TUL – Lucas Coutinho (Rodrigo da Costa) 90+1’

Full Box Score

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