Tulsa secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Rhode Island in the USL Championship Group Stage at Oneok Field on Saturday evening. Jovan Kocevski struck early in the eighth minute to give the hosts a lead they would not relinquish. The result keeps Tulsa in fourth place on 35 points from 21 games.
Rhode Island worked hard to find an equaliser but could not break through the defence. Yellow cards came for Webber in the 25th minute and Ian in the 38th, while the hosts saw Elmedkhar and Smith booked later on. Both managers made several changes in the second half, with Ordonez and Cabral among the first replacements.
The statistics tell a familiar story of possession without penetration. Rhode Island dominated 58 per cent of the ball and completed 502 passes compared to Tulsa's 359. Yet the hosts created two big chances while their visitors managed none. Four shots on target produced one goal, whereas five attempts on goal brought nothing.
This win extends Tulsa's recent resilience after a difficult run. They had lost three of their previous five matches before beating Sacramento Republic 1-0 last weekend. The victory keeps them within touching distance of the play-off positions.
Rhode Island remain seventh with 28 points from 20 games. They looked dangerous in build-up with 112 attacks and 19 crosses, but the final ball never quite found its way home. Cup football has its own rules, but this was league football and the points matter.
