Bryan Tamacas waving to the fans as the game starts Photo From Oakland Roots Instagram

By Troy Ewers

HAYWARD–It was a big day for Oakland soccer fans as they got to see the home debut of the Oakland Soul, which are the new USWL team in Oakland on the same day Oakland had a big game against Orange County SC. The Roots needed a win to get a confidence boost and jolt their season and they did exactly that and they did it convincingly.

This game started off with Oakland having a clear advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Roots had the ball majority of the game and this resulted in a big 1st half, where Oakland would score twice. The first goal coming from Formella who has been one of the main scorers for Oakland and he scored this goal after a Roots push into the box and shoots past the back line and the goalkeeper.

1-0 Oakland. The second goal comes after a beautiful cross by Mfeka, Morad hits a brilliant header that sees the back of the net. 2-0 Oakland. The first half went by very quickly as there weren’t any fouls in the first half from either team. The second half was more focused on defense, where Orange County had more of an effort pushing the ball.

The OC’s best scoring chances came from this half and by the end of the game both teams had 9 shots each and were almost even on possession time. Oakland would score one more goal going into the final whistle, but it was clear that this game was all Oakland Roots.

The Roots found gaps in the OC defense and created space on offense, Oakland’s defense showed huge growth from past games, especially on the back line and this all was the catalyst for them to flourish this game.

The next game for the Roots will be in Sacramento against Sacramento Republic FC, who are the leaders of the Western conference in the USL Championship.