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Johnny Rodriguez (scored only goal tonight for Roots) Photo from Oakland Roots Instagram

Oakland Fights Off RGV For A Draw

By Troy Ewers

Second game of the Oakland Roots season is against the RGV FC Toros (Rio Grande Valley) in Rio Grande Valley. Last game Oakland lost to the defending USL Champs, San Antonio FC in a match that saw a combination of sloppy defense from the Roots and a couple lucky breaks for San Antonio and the spotlight this week was on the defense of Oakland looking more disciplined. In the first 15 minutes of this game, it looked like the same sloppy play as the week before.

In minute 14, RGV’s Jonathan Ricketts scores from a corner kick where Oakland’s back line loses track of their men allowing an easy goal for the Toros. This was the issue last game, so seeing this be the reason for Oakland to go down one this early was a red flag for anyone who supports the Roots.

After the goal RGV kept attacking Oakland’s defensive rotation scheme, but after 20 minutes momentum picked up for Oakland, they forced RGV’s goalkeeper Deric to make two high pressure saves on breakaway shots. Even though Oakland stayed on the offensive for the remainder of the first half, it was a stalemate nonetheless and the first half ended 1-0, Rio Grande Valley Toros.

The second half can be summed up in one word: Slow. Between seven yellow cards between both teams (Oakland with five and RGV with two) and both teams having an injury, the pace of the rest of this game was slow. Occasionally, Oakland would get big moments, like when Deric had to save three straight shots from Oakland’s forwards in minute 56, but not until the 80th minute any real action would happen.

82’, Oakland goes on a strong attack, with Rito taking the ball up the side and after a gorgeous breakaway pass to Johnny Rodriguez, Rodriguez taps the ball through Deric’s legs and there’s the equalizer, 1-1. The game would go on and frustration on both sides took hold.

Five of the seven yellow cards would come in the final ten minutes of this match, all the cards coming from these two teams making sketchy defensive decisions. In the last play of stoppage time, Oakland’s Trayvone Reid has an open shot to get a walk off victory for the Roots, but the ball rings off the post and the ball is cleared, game over, 1-1.

A tragic ending, but if you’re in the Oakland Roots’ dressing room, you’re happy with the amount of resilience this team has. It’s too early for “must win” games, but the effort shown by the Oakland Roots is a huge takeaway and huge morale booster going into next week’s home opener against Memphis. Only negative Oakland has to improve on going forward is not starting off so sloppy on defense.

Back to back games, I see a team scrambling and then maybe 20 minutes in, they turn on a switch and play aggressive, but disciplined soccer. If Oakland plays like they did after 20 minutes of this game, at the opening whistle of the next game, I can actually see a victory happening before April. Current Roots record: 0-1-1.

The Oakland Roots opened up their regular season at Toyota Field in San Antonio on Sat Mar 11, 2023

The Defending Champions Dominate Oakland’s Season Opener

Written By Troy Ewers

The Oakland Roots’ season opener started against last year’s USL Championship trophy winners, San Antonio FC in Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas and it was a game to hopefully learn from. Learn what not to do. The game ended 3-1 with San Antonio visibly outplaying Oakland.

Between sloppy penalties and San Antonio’s Lamar Batista scoring two highlight reel goals, the game from opening whistle to the final, the game was all San Antonio FC. The first 18 minutes Oakland didn’t develop offense and on top of that Joseph Nane and Elgardo Rito got yellow cards in the first 16 minutes, so it was clear Oakland couldn’t get their footing.

In minute 12, Niko Hansen of San Antonio FC scored the first goal of the game off an attack starting at midfield and the momentum at this point felt lopsided. Last year when San Antonio scored the first goal of the game, they didn’t lose and this stayed true.

In stoppage time on a corner kick, Lamar Batista bicycle kicked a goal which silenced the Roots’ chance of a Cinderella moment. In the second half of the game it was a slow and sloppy game from both sides, because it was hot and humid, reported to be 88 degrees at 8pm in San Antonio, and both teams at this point had little in the gas tank, but in the 57th minute Oakland’s Guillermo Diaz gets a beautiful pass and cleans it up scoring the only goal of the night for Oakland and even after this brilliant display of offense, the Roots never built anymore steam.

After a stalemate in minute 74, Lamar Batista accidentally had an amazing goal where he lobbed the ball all the way from midfield and Oakland’s goalkeeper Blanchette couldn’t get a grasp on the ball and Batista scored. The final whistle would sound after seven minutes of stoppage and San Antonio FC would win 3-1.

The takeaways from this game are that Oakland couldn’t keep up with the defending USL champions. Oakland on paper had a better game. 66% possession time, even shots on goal with San Antonio, and more corner kicks, but visibly Oakland never had an advantage.

The thing that they can learn from this game is to stay more disciplined, because the categories they didn’t win at were yellow cards. This season will be interesting for the Oakland Roots, but if there’s more discipline, their defense can help them develop more of an offense. The two Batista goals for San Antonio weren’t flukes but don’t happen again if these two play again, so Oakland’s defense is a highlight and with less yellows, you can see a different outcome. Oakland’s next game will be against Rio Grande.