Jamaican Johnson, Bermudian Lewis on target
TAMPA, Florida (CMC) — FC Tulsa’s Reggae Boy Jason Johnson scored only his second goal of the United Soccer League season but it helped inspire a 4-0 rout of Atlanta United II, and pull them within a single point of their second-straight play-off berth here Wednesday night.
Playing at home at Oneok Field, the 31-year-old Johnson scored one of three first-half goals in the space of 23 minutes as Tulsa stunned Atlanta, to erase any doubt over the result.
Rodrigo da Costa opened the scoring in the 17th minute, Johnson added the second four minutes later while Kevin Garcia added the third and Lucas Coutinho scored in second-half injury time.
The victory was Tulsa’s first in seven outings, moving them to 43 points, further consolidating their hold on fourth place.
A draw in their last three matches or a defeat by fifth placed OKC Energy FC on Sunday, will seal Tulsa’s post-season campaign.
Tulsa were in front just passing the quarter-hour mark when OKC lost possession in the box, allowing Joaquin Rivas to square for da Costa who finished off a close range volley.
Johnson added the second in the 21st, smashing a low 11-yard drive past goalkeeper Rocco Rio Novo after 16-year-old full back Caley Wiley headed down a diagonal cross into the Jamaican’s path.
Garcia provided the third, heading home Rivas’s corner before Coutinho swept in da Costa’s superb left-sided cross across the box in the first minute of stoppage at the end.
Bermudian Zeiko Lewis was also on target with his fifth goal of the season as Charleston Battery beat LA Galaxy 3-1 at Patriots Point.
The 27-year-old Lewis, a 62nd minute substitute scored the last of the hosts’ goals in the 89th minute when he drilled home a left-footer from close range following 81st minute substitute Joel Bunting’s cross, after a free run down the right.
Geobel Perez Oquendo had earlier opened the scoring in the second minute before Daniel Aguirre equalised in the 71st and Panamanian Romario Piggott re-established Charleston’s lead a minute later.
Battery lie fifth in the Atlantic Division on 37 points with three games left, but are 12 points adrift of the playoff berths with no hope of reaching the post-season.