2016 Tulsa Roughnecks Season Thread

[Jake]

The Roughnecks are horrible.

[davideinstein]

The Roughnecks are horrible.

Only had a draw tonight because of a bad PK call and an own goal. Plus Los Dos playing their bench. Moves them to a record of 2-10-2 on the season. Worst franchise ever.

[shavethewhales]

Yeah, it was brutal again. They aren't good this year and don't seem to be getting much better, no way around it.

I will say though, at least they got better as the game dragged on. They went from looking like a bunch of rookies who had just had just walked onto the pitch for the first time to a half-way competent team by the end of the match. It's almost like they don't practice at all during the week and this is the only play they get. Maybe that's true.

I mean the start of the game was just silly. They were basically passing the ball to the other team most of the time. There's no strategy, no teamwork, no real effort to do anything but run around for 90 minutes. I think they got better just by observing some general patterns that worked better than shotgunning the ball around.

I just don't get why they suck so bad. I didn't necessarily expect greatness, but you'd think the team would be actually be competent considering the big pageantry all around them. They seem to have everything working for them off the pitch, and I know some of these players are very talented individually. Don't tell me it's because the supporters section isn't cursing loud enough.  

It will be really interesting to see what happens after this season. If we lose Ochoa, Ballew, and Mata then that's probably the end for this attempt at professional soccer in Tulsa.

[davideinstein]

Yeah, it was brutal again. They aren't good this year and don't seem to be getting much better, no way around it.

I will say though, at least they got better as the game dragged on. They went from looking like a bunch of rookies who had just had just walked onto the pitch for the first time to a half-way competent team by the end of the match. It's almost like they don't practice at all during the week and this is the only play they get. Maybe that's true.

I mean the start of the game was just silly. They were basically passing the ball to the other team most of the time. There's no strategy, no teamwork, no real effort to do anything but run around for 90 minutes. I think they got better just by observing some general patterns that worked better than shotgunning the ball around.

I just don't get why they suck so bad. I didn't necessarily expect greatness, but you'd think the team would be actually be competent considering the big pageantry all around them. They seem to have everything working for them off the pitch, and I know some of these players are very talented individually. Don't tell me it's because the supporters section isn't cursing loud enough.  

It will be really interesting to see what happens after this season. If we lose Ochoa, Ballew, and Mata then that's probably the end for this attempt at professional soccer in Tulsa.

It's because there isn't a single person past the head coach dedicated to soccer. It's just a money grab by the Drillers owners and Prodigal in OKC.

[shavethewhales]

Another terrible showing last night. I went out there because I wanted to see the fireworks, but after waiting an extra hour for the game to start after the rain delay they announced they wouldn't be doing them after all. I know that PO'd a lot of people, especially those waiting outside the stadium who never got the memo. There was just one or two announcements before the game started, and nothing on their facebook or twitter feeds about it.

The only thing going for the roughnecks at the moment is the keeper, Mangles, is doing well. Could have been a 10-1 blowout if not for his efforts.

Say what you want about the FO and all the supposed issues with ownership, but this team just plain sucks. Every team in the country is apparently able to come into our stadium and control the game for basically the full 90 mins. It seems like every pass just ends up going to the other team, and our guys spend most of the match just running around trying to provide a bit of resistance for them rather than actually playing. They do seem to get better as the games drag on - as if they are learning how to play from the other team over the course of the game.

It's like they don't prepare or practice at all. I don't know much about this sport in general, but I'm starting to assume it comes down to coaching. It seems like there is enough talent all around, but perhaps the coach just doesn't want to be here.

I don't think the ownership matters, otherwise the Energy would be in the same boat. How many other teams in the USL play in parks or high school stadiums and have only a few hundred show up for most games?

[davideinstein]

Another terrible showing last night. I went out there because I wanted to see the fireworks, but after waiting an extra hour for the game to start after the rain delay they announced they wouldn't be doing them after all. I know that PO'd a lot of people, especially those waiting outside the stadium who never got the memo. There was just one or two announcements before the game started, and nothing on their facebook or twitter feeds about it.

The only thing going for the roughnecks at the moment is the keeper, Mangles, is doing well. Could have been a 10-1 blowout if not for his efforts.

Say what you want about the FO and all the supposed issues with ownership, but this team just plain sucks. Every team in the country is apparently able to come into our stadium and control the game for basically the full 90 mins. It seems like every pass just ends up going to the other team, and our guys spend most of the match just running around trying to provide a bit of resistance for them rather than actually playing. They do seem to get better as the games drag on - as if they are learning how to play from the other team over the course of the game.

It's like they don't prepare or practice at all. I don't know much about this sport in general, but I'm starting to assume it comes down to coaching. It seems like there is enough talent all around, but perhaps the coach just doesn't want to be here.

I don't think the ownership matters, otherwise the Energy would be in the same boat. How many other teams in the USL play in parks or high school stadiums and have only a few hundred show up for most games?

Most of the MLSII teams average way less in attendance but it's getting close in Tulsa. OKC ownership would never want Tulsa to be good. It's minority ownership so they can push MLS in OKC. Coaching isn't the issue. Irving had 14 very successful years at the Wilmington USL franchise. There is literally no one on the payroll for soccer above the head coach and no GM/technical director to make loans or do analysis. Tulsa also has one of the lowest payrolls in the league.

Athletics are in the playoffs on Saturday. Hope to see you there.

[TulsaRufnex]

Hitler reacts to Tulsa Athletics hosting NPSL Playoffs  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij85dk3mMFA

[davideinstein]

Too funny.

[Conan71]

Awesome!

[TulsaRufnex]

http://roughnecksfc.com/

***and no, this isn't me***

[davideinstein]

Franchise is dead. What a waste.

[shavethewhales]

I kinda tuned out a couple months ago when it was clear what this season was going to be. I tried to become a fan even though soccer still isn't as compelling to me as other sports, but man what a train wreck. Even if I did love the sport I don't think I could bear to keep watching at this point. I've still got a free ticket because of the rain delay from the last match I went to, but I doubt I'll use it.

Apparently I'm not the only one. Based on my rough survey of their social media and the latest attendance numbers, everyone else is feeling the same way. From the sounds of it the latest OKC match @ Tulsa only brought in a couple thousand people? That was a near sell-out match last year (the first game was a sell-out, but it was the first ever game). At this rate there will be more OKC fans traveling to Tulsa next year than Tulsa fans showing up to their home pitch. Their social media followers seem to be collapsing as well...

So they have to know that the ship is sinking by now. I can only assume that there will either be massive changes for next year, or they will simply cut losses and give up.

As for the roughnecksfc.com complaints, first of all how did they not control that domain name?    I don't know enough about soccer to critique their player complaints, and I don't know where they can get a better coach, but I definitely do agree with the points about penalties. The team this year has a lot of thugs on it. Remember when they almost beat up a bunch of christian school kids in the pre-season friendly? Call me crazy but I think the site-lines are OK at the ball stadium for the price. Maybe they could come down a little bit on the seats behind the pitcher's mound, but for $10-24 you can get some decent seats. And the merchandise is the same price as everywhere else too...

It sounds like OKC is about to build a big new soccer stadium on the site of the old CO-OP plant south of downtown. So it looks like David's conspiracy theories may be playing out after all...

[TulsaRufnex]

Sprawling Producers Coop in Oklahoma City to be purchased by soccer team owner Bob Funk Jr.
by Steve Lackmeyer Published: August 27, 2016
http://newsok.com/article/5515660

[davideinstein]

Sprawling Producers Coop in Oklahoma City to be purchased by soccer team owner Bob Funk Jr.
by Steve Lackmeyer Published: August 27, 2016
http://newsok.com/article/5515660

Unreal.

[Conan71]

That really cleans up the south side of I-40 near downtown.  It kind of makes you envision the old brownfield sites in the northeast part of downtown north of I-244 with a far better purpose than sitting idle.