Tulsa Athletic defeated FC Baltimore Christos last Saturday with only a single goal separating the two sides. Tulsa’s center back, Romulo Bosquiero, slotted the ball past goalkeeper Michael Zierhoffer after a 30-yard free-kick was deflected into his path.

Tulsa was well-considered the underdog as the number four seed going into the game, with FC Christos earning the number one seed. The win will see the Oklahoma soccer club headed to the NPSL finals next Saturday, where they will play Denton Diablos, who was able to slip past Cleveland FC in a seven-goal fiasco.

The performance from Tulsa was a dominant one, though. Both central midfielders played vital roles in the team’s success with Vini Oliviera working a more holding position to allow teammate Joe Garcia to advance further up the field. The connection between the two center midfielders was near perfect, as they often switched rolls to create space for the other to run into. Beyond the simple five to ten yard passes each player was distributing, they also had no hesitation to play a direct ball to the center forward’s feet and bypassing multiple opposing players in the process.

FC Christos made an honorable push for an equalizer in the second half as they began to find more success sending the ball into the flanks to then be crossed into the box. Tulsa began struggling to control the Christos’ wingers, and multiple chances were created as a result. Tulsa began packing it in towards the end of the game, as their formation changed from a 3-4-3 to a 5-4-1, which ultimately resulted in a change in momentum in favor of Christos. But despite the few chances that were offered to Christos in the second half, a shutout for goalkeeper Bryson Reed and the backline was enough to push Tulsa Athletic not only to the finishing line but also towards the NPSL final.

- Jack Cisneros