SPORTS

AZ United comes up short in road loss to Tulsa Roughnecks FC

Arizona United fans cheer for their team against Chula Vista F.C. during the U.S. Open Cup second-round game at Scottsdale Stadium May 20, 2015.

Despite two goals from team-leading scorer Long Tan, Arizona United SC fell to Tulsa Roughnecks FC, 6-3 on Sunday in Tulsa, Okla.

Midfielder Jose "Chiva" Cuevas added a goal of his own and is now tied for second on the team in goal scoring.

Arizona United (7-12-1, 22 points) came out of the opening kickoff attacking early. In the sixth minute, forward Long Tan dribbled through the defense and got into the box, firing a shot that was deflected by the defense. On the subsequent corner, defender Brock Granger rushed into the six-yard box unmarked and got his head on a cross, but his shot sailed high.

The Roughnecks then opened the match's scoring in the 13th minute. Adam Black took a free kick from about 20 yards away and to the right of the net to put Tulsa (8-9-4, 28 points) ahead. The ball traveled through a heap of bodies without being deflected and slipped past Arizona goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski.

That one-goal lead lasted just over ten minutes. Cuevas fired a free kick from the left side of the pitch, toward the far right post. Tan ran in front of the goalkeeper and distracted him enough to allow the ball to roll into the net inside the right post.

Despite Arizona gaining some momentum back with the equalizer, Tulsa responded with two goals of their own before the first half off the boots of Cristian Mata and Sammy Ochoa.

Tan pulled United back with his first goal of the evening, a 58th-minute penalty kick, to make it 3-2. Tulsa responded with a 67th-minute goal from Brady Ballew to make the match 4-2. Just a minute later, Tan scored his second goal of the evening to pull Arizona back within a goal again.

But the United offense couldn't find the back of the net the rest of the match. The Roughnecks added two more goals (Ochoa in the 73rd minute and Laurie Bell in stoppage time) en route to the 6-3 victory.

Arizona goes back on the road for one more match to finish this three-match road swing. The club kicks off against LA Galaxy II on Sunday, August 9. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. United returns back home on Saturday, August 15 in a match against Orange County Blues FC.