Toros set to host fellow one-win side Tulsa

Split Points in Saint Louis

You guessed it, the Toros finished level again this past weekend. Playing on the road against Saint Louis FC, the match ended scoreless. Truth be told, there wasn’t much danger for either side. The teams combined for 20 shots, but only three went on target. All in all, it was a very boring night in the Lou.

Each team took a turn “controlling’ the match, but neither could do much with it. It would’ve been difficult for this match to have been any closer statistically. Possession balanced out to a razor thin 50.1% to 49.9%. The passes were 429 for Saint Louis and 426 for RGV. Fouls finished 11 to 12, in favor of the hosts.

Ballin’ Bulls

Dynamo Theory’s Man of the Match Matias Zaldivar: Big time match from the Toros’ attacking midfielder. He completed 91% of his passes and had a team-high 69 touches. Zaldivar also provided quality delivery from set pieces.

Pablo Aguilar: Playing next to Zaldivar, Aguilar was very active for RGVFC against Saint Louis. He had 68 touches himself and had a decent look towards the end of the match, but he put it over the bar.

Sheldon Sullivan: Becoming a consistent starter at left back, Sullivan did well defensively last Saturday. He made a couple last-second stops and also completed 91% of his passes.

Talkin’ Toros

Jesus “Chuy” Enriquez on the key to defeating Tulsa:

“The key to beating Tulsa is scoring. The chances are going to come and scoring those chances will get us the win.”

The Good Guys: Rio Grande Valley FC (1-6-9)

Draws are still better than losses, right? This truly has been the year of the draw for RGVFC. Not only have a lot of the matches finished level, a lot of them have been low scoring. Saturday was the club’s fifth scoreless draw of the campaign. That speaks on two different things. First, the defense and goalkeeping have been quality. Nico Corti and Michael Nelson have experienced solid performances lately and the back line has been consistent, no matter who is back there. Sheldon Sullivan has moved into the primary starting lineup and has played well. Unfortunately on the other side of things, the attack has been poor. The club typically does well in the midfield and in the buildup to the attack, but they leave much to be desired in the final moments. There is an attacking mindset, but the striking needs to be refined. Chances are there, but if they aren’t converted, draws will continue.

The Bad Guys: Tulsa Roughnecks FC (1-8-8)

Typically, the Roughnecks would be considerable underdogs. But, playing a team that also has one win, they should enter Saturday’s match with some confidence. A week ago, they defeated LA Galaxy II for their first victory of 2018. Then, they battled to a 2-2 draw with Las Vegas Lights FC.

Jhon Pirez appeared on the USL’s Team of the Week after scoring the opener against Los Dos. Joaquin Rivas leads the club in scoring with seven goals and Paris Gee has looked very dangerous in the attack and has a team-high four assists. The Roughnecks sit 29th in goals scored, sadly, one spot ahead of RGVFC.

The Dirty Details

Saturday, 7/7, at 7:30 PM CDT

RGVFC vs. Tulsa Roughnecks FC

Your Weekly Dose of Eloise

Photo credit: My soon-to-be wife