San Diego Loyal v. Oakland Roots (June 29, 2021) - Match Preview

Roots will play away to San Diego Loyal on June 29, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.  Game will be broadcast, as usual, on KOFY TV and ESPN+.  The Loyal play at Torero Park, an absolute dump.

Pathetic.

The Club

San Diego Loyal SC is a brand new soccer team, completely lacking in history.  The Loyal have been around half as long as the Roots--mere children.  It’s a farce that they started right in USL without having to fight their way up the ranks.  This league’s standards have gone completely to shit.

Per Wikipedia, the club has four owners.  The first, the club chairman, is Andrew Vassiliadis, described by the San Diego Union Tribune as “the son of a Greek soccer player and a real-estate mogul.”  He is joined by President & CEO Warren Smith, described by his twitter profile as a “life enthusiast” (someone didn’t go to law school).  Smith apparently co-founded the Sacramento River Cats (AAA affiliate of the SF Giants, although not at the time) and later founded the Sacramento Republic (miserable khaki team) before moving on.  At the current rate of acceleration, each reader of this blog will play for a USL team founded by Warren Smith by 2048. Erstwhile Sp*rs right-back Deandre Yedlin is part owner, as is current manager and Juergen Klinsmann nemesis and one-time Landon Donovan MVP Award-winner Landon Fucking Donovan.

Landon Donovan.  Landon “From Hope There Is Glory” Donovan. 

Landon “so bewitched the venerable Ian Darke that all Darke could come up with, in the most shining moment of his broadcast career, was ‘Go Go USA’” Donovan. 

Landon “second most successful American in the Bundesliga between 1945 and 2018” Donovan. 

Landon “Evertonian for life” Donovan.

Every so often I think of Landon Donovan and remember that I hate him, and then remember that I’m actually thinking of Chris Wondolowski missing against Belgium.  

As a palate cleanser, here’s the Algeria goal, with Ian Darke, but apparently filmed on an SNES Super Scope.

Here’s a link to the goal from FIFA TV with much better quality, but without Ian Darke. It would not embed properly.

Landon Donovan has managed every game for the Loyal in their paltry one-and-a-half season history.  In the 2020 season, Donovan led the team to a 6-5-5 finish in 2020, good enough for fourth in their group, which is to say, not good enough to make the playoffs.  

The club made international headlines last year for walking off the field, forfeiting a match in which they were leading, when neither the referee nor Phoenix Rising manager Rick Schantz would take action in response to a Phoenix Rising player directing homophobic abuse towards San Diego player Collin Martin.  Martin came out in June 2018, and was at the time the only out man in any of the big five US sports leagues.  The Blog in absolutely no uncertain terms applauds the Loyal for this action. This takes incredible character.

2021 Season So Far

It’s tough to keep great young players at this level, and the Loyal’s top goalscorer from 2020, Rubio Rubin, made the jump to Real Salt Lake in MLS.  The Loyal felt that absence, starting their season with four straight losses, outscored 10-3 over that stretch.  However, the Loyal have righted the ship, and Oakland catch them at a terrible time, coming off of three straight wins, and six undefeated.  Those three wins are all over division rivals, including handing Phoenix Rising one of their two losses on the season.  Loyal’s most recent victory came over Las Vegas Lights, managed by Steve “most successful American in the Bundesliga between 1945 and 2018” Cherundolo.  The Roots have an undefeated streak of two (scheduled) games, so that’s also pretty good.  Plus streaks have to end.

The Loyal have spread the goals around, with Jack Blake, Alejandro Guido, and Miguel Berry the only players with more than one.  

The Players

Jack Blake  # 7 - 27-year-old midfielder Jack Blake, of Nottingham, England, leads the Loyal with four goals and two assists, and is second on the team in total playing time among outfield players.  Blake scored only one goal in 2020 with Real Monarchs, so 2021 is something of a return to his 2019 form where he netted eight in 25 matches and led Monarchs to a USL title.  Blake’s two assists is already a single-season career high for him.  

Blake scored a brace against Phoenix Rising on June 19, in a 2-1 win.  Blake’s goals were both absolute facking belters in the 36th and 57th minutes.

Jack Metcalf # 4 -  29-year-old Scouser Metcalf has played every minute of Loyal’s season so far, and played the most minutes of any Loyal player in their debut season just one year ago.  We reached out to Marisa Cali of Fair Weather Pod (give them a listen--https://www.fairweatherpod.com) and the first player she highlighted was Metcalf, playing on the right.  She described Metcalf as “instrumental in each match this season.”  

Charlie Adams # 6 - you’re thinking of Charlie Adam, the 35-year-old Scot with the Donovanesque hairline and the 156 appearances for Stoke City.  Charlie Adams is a different guy--beardy with luxurious long hair.  Wears the captain’s armband for the Loyal.  After Metcalf and Blake, Adams has the most minutes among outfield players for the Loyal this season, and Adams’ ability to control the midfield was highlighted by Cali (again--check out the ska intro https://www.fairweatherpod.com) as key to Loyal’s chances. Adams also appeared in every game for the Loyal last season, and like Blake played some seasons for Real Monarchs from 2016-2018.  

Predictions

FPR

I wish I had more confidence in the Roots’ attack.  At this point just being able to play some games probably helps, but I don’t know if I see a quick turnaround on a 0-0 grindfest to be the key to unlocking the offense.  I can’t predict another shutout, though.  1-1 draw.  Fissore MotM.

RootsBlog

The Roots do not appear to be firing on too many cylinders at the moment. The Loyal appear to be on a roll. But Oakland’s defense has remained stout, allowing just one (obviously offside) goal in two games. And for as good as San Diego’s form is, every single one of their wins is by a single goal. And it looks like anyone can beat anyone else in this division (except for Las Vegas, who cannot beat Phoenix). I think Oakland can hold San Diego to a draw, but it will be a nervy one that no one feels really good about afterwards. 1-1, Flores shares man of the match honors with the goalposts, who are instrumental in keeping San Diego from netting a winner.