4 Things To Watch: Oakland Roots v. OCSC

By Jonathan Comeaux

The Oakland Roots gear up for Orange County SC at Las Positas College, and at 1-5-3 with one goal in the last six matches, the boys are aching for a win against a club it, quite honestly, outplayed in its 1-0 loss back on June 12.  

Oakland has used nine different lineups in nine matches thus far, making predicting starters incredibly difficult for a young team that endured roster issues for the last three matches. 

Tonight’s game starts a 19 match run in 70 days with six matches in hand on the last playoff qualification spot. If the Roots can get a run going, Laney undoubtedly will bring the atmosphere that’ll make the players proud. 

With the Roots’ field undergoing inspection on July 30, indications are that the August 4 match with Phoenix Rising will, in fact, happen. 

With anticipation building, Roots SC could set the mood right tonight. 

1. Who is back?

This writer fell flat on his face expecting a full lineup in the Roots’ 3-0 loss to Los Dos on July 25, so the lineup has to be trending toward key players returning. 

The club is putting its early-season woes in the rear-view mirror, and a win against OCSC will certainly jolt momentum in the right direction. 

Chuy Enriquez, a class act, thanked Roots fans on Instagram for dealing through the hard times—and though it was just a few-second mention, it was refreshing to hear and gave the sense that better days are certainly ahead. 

“… I also wanted to thank you guys for sticking with us through the hard times. I promise you that the good times are right ahead,” said Chuy, an East Palo Alto native. 

4-4-2 diamond has been the formation of choice, and with a team curtailed around versatility, Jordan Ferrell will continue getting better chances to evaluate the roster. 

2. Can Roots out-possess OC again?

It was clear who the better team was in the Roots 1-0 loss to OC. The Roots had 61 percent possession time, 13 shots with six on target, while four players rated about a 7.0: Danny Flores (7.7), Tarek Morad (7.5), Enriquez (7.4), and Matias Fissore (7.1). 

Ronaldo Damus was arguably offside, and sadly OC’s epically slow camera operator panned too late to give us a good look. We’ll say it till we die, he was offside. 

If a full lineup is back, this feels like the perfect opportunity to get back on track. The Roots have scored one goal in the last six matches, but as The Blog predicted—we’re backing the boys to a 3-1 win. 

OC has been leaking goals since its last 2-0 win over Sac Republic on July 10; losing 2-1 to SD Loyal, 2-0 to RGV Toros, tied 2-2- with Repbulic, and lost 3-1 to Las Vegas. 

3. Dealing with Damus

As we mentioned early Saturday morning, the 21-year old Haitian has been a breakout performer in the USL with a team-leading seven goals. 

OC played with a clear defensive style in its 1-0 win over Roots and has shown a propensity to bomb the ball up to the pacey forward. 

LA Galaxy scored its go-ahead goal against Roots with an Axel Picazo breaking down the right-wing past Oakland’s backline. 

4. What does Mbumba have up his sleeve?

Ariel Mbumba is becoming a problem on the field. The 19-year old is a sheer playmaker; he had a jaw-dropping pass against Los Dos that sprung Yohannes Harish in the 50th minute, nearly leading to a goal by Brandon Allen. 

Mbumba seems best in the central midfield role while coming forward along the left side—like in his rocket golazo against Sacramento on June 2. 

Like many players in Ferrell’s lineup, he’s versatile. His skills as a disruptive defender, quick eyes, and a mighty boot enable him to shift around on the field.

His Transfermarkt price of $50,000 surely needs some updating. The teenager has all the potential to play in any league he desires.