Game Notes: Oakland Roots scrape out a point in New Mexico

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Photo courtesy of Oakland Roots SC

It wasn’t pretty, but no matter how you cut it, a points’ a point. NMU certainly looked the better side of the 1-1 draw after holding 60 percent possession, 16 shots, six on target, and 14 chances created.

Roots' head coach and technical director Jordan Ferrell feels they walked out with two points lost and thinks the system is "coming together."

"It’s a decent result, but I think tonight we feel like we dropped two. It’s not a good feeling, but it’s a better feeling than we’ve had recently where we’ve been happy to get one point. I think it shows how this group is coming together. This is a difficult place to play with the elevation and this is a very good team that doesn’t concede many goals. I think we want to keep building, the momentum we have right now is very important with where we’re at this season," said Ferrell. 

Oakland Roots’ captain Wal Fall scored a Goal of the Year candidate from a free-kick near 30 yards out in the 34th minute. Other than that, the Roots seldom found opportunities with five shots, three on target, with two chances created. 

"Yeah he’s our captain, and obviously it’s taken a while this season for us to get him there but the goals are one thing and you see the leadership on the field which makes a big difference for us. How he makes other players around him better, he’s a big piece that’s been missing for us. As he continues catching a rhythm he’ll keep showing why he’s so important for us," said Ferrell. 

New Mexico scored in the sixth minute when Devon Sandoval landed a header on a pass from David Najem after Roots' goalkeeper Paul Blanchette batted away a corner. 

It was all Black and Yellow until the Roots' goal at 34 minutes. At 26 minutes, New Mexico held 70 percent possession and racked up seven shots with six on target. Blanchette was critical throughout the night. 

"Paul has been really solid for us, he’s just steady. He made a lot of really good decisions that helped the team and in those moments made some really big saves that helped us get out of that period and settle into the game. Once that happened, we didn't have to call on him as much," said Ferrell.

Paul has been really solid for us, he’s just steady. He made a lot of really good decisions that helped the team and in those moments made some really big saves that helped us get out of that period and settle into the game. Once that happened, we didn't have to call on him as much.

At 28 minutes, Quincy Amarikwa had Oakland's attack's first positive look when Soya Takahashi looked to play a ball into him, but he was offside.

Prior to Fall's Worldy, Chuy Enriquez was able to draw a foul in his back at 33’ by Andrew Tinari. Wal stepped up knowing it was his distance, whipping his shot over the wall to the top left bin. 

New Mexico goalie Alexandros Tambakis threw his arms up helplessly after conceding the shot. 

After that, the Roots started to show some attacking energy before the half, increasing their possession time to 45 percent.

The Roots had a chance for a buildup in the 55th minute of the second half after Blanchette unloaded a beautiful downfield pass to Amarikwa. The veteran forward then flicked a backheel pass to Chuy, who sent a pass to Hernandez--sending a pass in the direction of Brandon Allen, but the ball deflected out.

Amarikwa had a shot on target in the 57th but to the keeper's feet. 

A couple of minutes earlier, Roots' forward Johnny Rodriguez then entered for Allen in the 55th minute to make his USL and 2021 debut. 

He had a look toward net in the 62nd minute after Fall retrieved an errant pass by Tambakis, but Austin Yearwood closed out well. 

Yohannes Harish, similarly, had a slight opening in traffic during the 73rd minute but couldn't get a shot off.

Fall had one last shot attempt stuffed at the very start of the 90th minute after receiving a pass back from Lindo Mfeka.

FotMob's top five ratings

    1. Wal Fall, 7.4
    2. Jose Hernandez, 7.2
    3. Kai Greene, 7.0
    4. Matias Fissore, 6.9
    5. Lindo Mfeka, 6.9    

 

 

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