Phoenix Rising vs. Oakland Roots - Match Preview (October 9, 2021)
Oakland Roots travel to Phoenix on October 9 for a 7:30 p.m. fixture against Pacific Division leaders Phoenix Rising. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and TeleXitos. This is the first of the Roots’ final five games.
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Wal Fall opened the scoring in the 43rd slamming home a ball from the top of the box. Mbumba had carried the ball down the left and crossed it to the far side near touch to Enriquez. Bokila drew all the center backs with him into the six-yard box, so when Enriquez’s ball into the box reached Wall Fall he had just enough space in front of the flat-footed center backs to put it between and away from the keeper.
If you can survive the first half at Las Positas with the wind in your face with a draw, you’re in good shape going into the second half. I could not believe that the Roots were going to start the second half with a lead. In the 51st minute, Jeremy Bokila did his Jeremy Bokila thing--making USL defenders soil themselves. Fall pressured the Rising keeper who played a ball to (I think) Quezada who had Bokila already all over him. Quezada had to try to play the ball on the run back towards his own net and it looks like Bokila poked the ball free. Bokila split the two defenders with a firm shot directly at the keeper that bounced free, giving Bokila another shot on the rebound. Bokila did not have any great options on the follow-up. The keeper had regained his footing and would have easily swatted away an attempt to chip the sliding defender. Ultimately he chose well, as the ball rebounded off the defender to an onrushing Jose Hernandez who leathered home an unsaveable shot.
A minute or so later Darnell King scored a worldy volley from outside the box.
In the 61st Memo Diaz put in a phenomenal pass to Enriquez running into the box down the right. Enriquez barely controls the pass but in doing so takes the first defender out of the play entirely. Bokila (with the better angle) stepped up and tooka one-time shot off of Enriquez’s heavy touch and although his shot lacked any meaningful pace, it again forced the keeper into a difficult kick save. The ball fell to Ariel Mbumba just outside the six yard box and completely alone. He did not miss.
Both teams made subs in the last thirty. Phoenix brought on their big guns to chase, and Oakland cycled through some legs. Johnny Rodriguez got on for thirty minutes in what was at the time only his third appearance.
Phoenix’s Form Since the Last Match-Up
Rising have gone 7-0-1 since losing to the Roots on August 25, with the one loss, unfortunately, giving three points to LA Galaxy II.
Adeniran could not believe his fortune, and slotted home the uncontested shot.
Luckily for all of us who treasure Tom Brewitt’s misery, Santi Moar would bag a winner in front of the Boeing signs. Moar’s shot was goal-bound and was probably unsaveable towards the back post, so wasn’t given as an own goal when the Tacoma player redirected the shot to the near post, completely wrong-footing his keeper.
With that win Phoenix locked up the Pacific Division.
Roots’ Form Since the Last Match-Up
Roots have gone 5-2-3 since the Phoenix match
[Source: FBRef]
Not too bad. The loss to Tampa doesn’t mean that much, but the “six-point” loss to LA II and the two points frittered away against Las Vegas, both at Laney, remain gutting.
I was worried from the very start of this one. I don’t recall when the chippiness started, but I saw two different moments that I thought a referee could have easily interpreted as a Roots player throwing hands at a Sac player. I think the Sac players were giving as good as they got, but I don’t worry about Republic going down a man--I only worry about the Roots going down a man. After the last decade I want bad things to happen to Republicans..
Sac people were so mad on the internet about Quincy being offside in the 10th minute, which he absolutely was not. His finish was magnificent. I was sitting at that corner of the pitch and I could not believe what I was seeing. I was sure I was going to see a flag (again, this was just pessimism), or that he wasn’t going to nail that finish but there wasn’t and he did. If Quincy has found end-product to go with this smart movement, good technical play, and leadership, then the Roots are going to smash some teams over this last stretch.
[Source: Jon Comeaux]
Sac scored.
The goal in the sixty-third was believably Emrah Klimenta’s first for the Roots, but less believably Matias Fissore’s first assist. An absolute “peach” per Ricky Lopez-Espin, if Fissore keeps sending in balls like that it will not be his last. Absolute ecstasy at Laney.
I have preached here and on twitter about Emrah Klimenta and what he has done for this club. John Morrisey, who writes the USL tactics twitter (https://twitter.com/usltactics - you should follow him even if he tweets a lot about teams that play 3,000 miles away) solicited requests for advanced stat numbers for USL players. I asked him for Klimenta and Greene, and was surprised by the results:
I am surprised to see that his numbers are so much better than Klimenta’s. If you look at the two charts, you can see that Greene’s is significantly less orange/red. The numbers seem to say that Greene is the more technically sound player, but there is no denying that Klimenta scares opponents into not even trying. That being said, my hope for a “he’s here, he’s there, he’s every-fucking-where” chant is that it will have to be either Kai Greene or Wal Fall, based both on syllables and production.
Pacific Division Run-In
[Source: FBRef]
LA II won their Friday night fixture against Las Vegas in Las Vegas which is predictable if aggravating. That was LA II’s last easy game, and you’d choose our schedule over theirs given a choice.
Sac get San Diego tonight in Sacramento, which also starts at 7:30. San Diego still have a lot to play for. They are up six on Orange County, but OC have a game in hand. Plus every point matters, as the playoffs reseed for homefield after each round based on total points over the regular season. Here’s a look at the playoff structure:
San Diego would host Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the first round and right now El Paso would host LA Galaxy II. If San Diego wins, they would either play away to El Paso (because El Paso has a 9-point lead) or would host LA II, which has to happen because the Pacific 2 seed has to finish above the Pacific 4 seed. It is really unlikely that SD catches ELP on points, so it’s more likely to come up in a Western Conference final, where SD could conceivably host the winner of that bottom bracket. SD is one point ahead of San Antonio, the second team in the Mountain Division. SD would, weirdly, play Colorado Springs at home, then El Paso on the road, but then earn a home match against San Antonio in the conference final. This is by far SD’s best path to losing to Tampa in the final, and they should be trying to secure every point, even after they have put OC away.
Annnnnnnnnyway San Diego should be genuinely trying to beat Sac tonight.
Orange County host Tacoma in the OC tonight and could do us all a huge favor and hold Tacoma to one or none points. Oakland would need a complete Orange County collapse to catch them. I am writing off third in the division unless Orange County lose tonight and Oakland win.
Here’s the run-in spreadsheet, updated through LA II’s win last night.
Predictions
Bloom - The Roots beat Phoenix once in Las Positas, but this is going to be tougher. Phoenix have sealed the Pacific Division and have a seven-point lead over El Paso for playoff jockeying. It would be incredible if they ran out their B-team against Oakland again to spite the rest of the division. It’s a home game, though, and I think Phoenix will try to take all three points in front of their impressive crowds. That said, the Roots undeniably need the points more than the Rising, and the Roots have played absolutely nails soccer at times when they have needed to this season. We all now know that nothing happens in Phoenix games until the second half. Kai Greene opens the scoring in the 87th minute in what will be a disappointing but ultimately productive 3-3 draw.
Lawson - Phoenix is trying to secure the overall number #1 seed, and is at home. I just don’t see it. Phoenix will surely play their big guns this time around. We know Oakland can hang with that squad (see the 1-0 loss at Laney), but I just think there’s too much quality in this Phoenix side. 2-1 Rising.
[Source: Oakland Roots SC]
Roots History Against Phoenix Rising: 1-0-2
Last Match-Up Between These Teams
These teams last met on August 25 at Las Positas with the Roots winning 3-1 in the surest of all signs that the team had turned things around from the dark early days.
Roots History Against Phoenix Rising: 1-0-2
Last Match-Up Between These Teams
These teams last met on August 25 at Las Positas with the Roots winning 3-1 in the surest of all signs that the team had turned things around from the dark early days.
I could just watch these highlights all day. They don’t even really start until the 43rd minute. It was a classic Las Positas match, with only one team able to move the ball in the air per half. There were some sour grapes on the USL subreddit following the match from Phoenix fans pointing out that Solomon Asante was out of the team entirely, and Santi Moar, Darren Mattocks, and Aodhan Quinn all on the bench. Not my damn problem.
Wal Fall opened the scoring in the 43rd slamming home a ball from the top of the box. Mbumba had carried the ball down the left and crossed it to the far side near touch to Enriquez. Bokila drew all the center backs with him into the six-yard box, so when Enriquez’s ball into the box reached Wall Fall he had just enough space in front of the flat-footed center backs to put it between and away from the keeper.
If you can survive the first half at Las Positas with the wind in your face with a draw, you’re in good shape going into the second half. I could not believe that the Roots were going to start the second half with a lead. In the 51st minute, Jeremy Bokila did his Jeremy Bokila thing--making USL defenders soil themselves. Fall pressured the Rising keeper who played a ball to (I think) Quezada who had Bokila already all over him. Quezada had to try to play the ball on the run back towards his own net and it looks like Bokila poked the ball free. Bokila split the two defenders with a firm shot directly at the keeper that bounced free, giving Bokila another shot on the rebound. Bokila did not have any great options on the follow-up. The keeper had regained his footing and would have easily swatted away an attempt to chip the sliding defender. Ultimately he chose well, as the ball rebounded off the defender to an onrushing Jose Hernandez who leathered home an unsaveable shot.
A minute or so later Darnell King scored a worldy volley from outside the box.
In the 61st Memo Diaz put in a phenomenal pass to Enriquez running into the box down the right. Enriquez barely controls the pass but in doing so takes the first defender out of the play entirely. Bokila (with the better angle) stepped up and tooka one-time shot off of Enriquez’s heavy touch and although his shot lacked any meaningful pace, it again forced the keeper into a difficult kick save. The ball fell to Ariel Mbumba just outside the six yard box and completely alone. He did not miss.
Both teams made subs in the last thirty. Phoenix brought on their big guns to chase, and Oakland cycled through some legs. Johnny Rodriguez got on for thirty minutes in what was at the time only his third appearance.
Phoenix’s Form Since the Last Match-Up
Rising have gone 7-0-1 since losing to the Roots on August 25, with the one loss, unfortunately, giving three points to LA Galaxy II.
[Source: FBRef]
On September 25, Phoenix beat Tacoma 2-1 in Tacoma.
We absolutely love to see it.
No one did anything we care about until just around the 77th minute when Darnell King put in an excellent ball that Jon Bakero put in tidily at Tacoma’s back post. Tacoma would level in the 80th when Adeniron got suspiciously far ahead of the Phoenix defenders, but the pass had far too much power and Rising keeper had plenty of time to come out and clear. He didn’t though. Clear that is. Definitely came out.
[Source: USL]
Adeniran could not believe his fortune, and slotted home the uncontested shot.
Luckily for all of us who treasure Tom Brewitt’s misery, Santi Moar would bag a winner in front of the Boeing signs. Moar’s shot was goal-bound and was probably unsaveable towards the back post, so wasn’t given as an own goal when the Tacoma player redirected the shot to the near post, completely wrong-footing his keeper.
Per the blurb on youtube, this is LA Galaxy II’s first win over Phoenix since August of 2016. A recurring theme here is that nothing happened until nearly the end of the first half. Everything went wrong right at the end of the first and only minute of first-half stoppage time, when Tate Schmitt chopped down Remi Cabral who had beaten him and was going through on goal. The referee from the USMNT-Jamaica game would have given it as a yellow and Taylor Twellman would have been INCENSED.
Even with the man advantage it took LA II thirty more minutes to make the breakthrough on an Edward Delgado own goal. The Galaxy II lad tried to put in a low shot across the goal and Delgado went to clear it but got more underneath the ball that he intended and it resulted in an extremely cheeky chip of his own keeper from well out of the goal. Absolutely goal of the season stuff at a different end of the pitch.
Preston Judd and Jorge Hernandez scored in the 88th and the first minute of stoppage time, respectively, when Phoenix had apparently largely given up.
Even with the man advantage it took LA II thirty more minutes to make the breakthrough on an Edward Delgado own goal. The Galaxy II lad tried to put in a low shot across the goal and Delgado went to clear it but got more underneath the ball that he intended and it resulted in an extremely cheeky chip of his own keeper from well out of the goal. Absolutely goal of the season stuff at a different end of the pitch.
Preston Judd and Jorge Hernandez scored in the 88th and the first minute of stoppage time, respectively, when Phoenix had apparently largely given up.
Solomon Asante got through alone on goal in the 24th for “a bit of history”, as described by the commentators. Literally no idea what history that is. Asante did not beat the keeper one-on-one in any event.
In the 32nd, Darren Mattocks chipped the keeper from twenty-one yards out to give Phoenix the lead. That was the last really interesting thing to happen in the game. Based on the highlights it looks like Phoenix had some great opportunities in the first half, and then in the second half Phoenix Keeper Rawls had some incredible saves including this beauty that won save of the week:
In the 32nd, Darren Mattocks chipped the keeper from twenty-one yards out to give Phoenix the lead. That was the last really interesting thing to happen in the game. Based on the highlights it looks like Phoenix had some great opportunities in the first half, and then in the second half Phoenix Keeper Rawls had some incredible saves including this beauty that won save of the week:
The fans have spoken 🗣️
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 8, 2021
Here's the top save from Week 24! pic.twitter.com/eKrqPZ98t3
With that win Phoenix locked up the Pacific Division.
Roots’ Form Since the Last Match-Up
Roots have gone 5-2-3 since the Phoenix match
Not too bad. The loss to Tampa doesn’t mean that much, but the “six-point” loss to LA II and the two points frittered away against Las Vegas, both at Laney, remain gutting.
Sac people were so mad on the internet about Quincy being offside in the 10th minute, which he absolutely was not. His finish was magnificent. I was sitting at that corner of the pitch and I could not believe what I was seeing. I was sure I was going to see a flag (again, this was just pessimism), or that he wasn’t going to nail that finish but there wasn’t and he did. If Quincy has found end-product to go with this smart movement, good technical play, and leadership, then the Roots are going to smash some teams over this last stretch.
Sac scored.
The goal in the sixty-third was believably Emrah Klimenta’s first for the Roots, but less believably Matias Fissore’s first assist. An absolute “peach” per Ricky Lopez-Espin, if Fissore keeps sending in balls like that it will not be his last. Absolute ecstasy at Laney.
[Source: Jon Comeaux]
I have preached here and on twitter about Emrah Klimenta and what he has done for this club. John Morrisey, who writes the USL tactics twitter (https://twitter.com/usltactics - you should follow him even if he tweets a lot about teams that play 3,000 miles away) solicited requests for advanced stat numbers for USL players. I asked him for Klimenta and Greene, and was surprised by the results:
— john morrissey (@USLTactics) October 7, 2021I (a person bad at watching and understanding soccer) did not see this kind of performance out of Greene when he first came to the Roots and I don’t know if it was because I was focusing on a handful of mistakes and/or lapses in coordination as he got settled or if, again, I’m just not very good at this. However, I have definitely noticed improvement in Greene.
I am surprised to see that his numbers are so much better than Klimenta’s. If you look at the two charts, you can see that Greene’s is significantly less orange/red. The numbers seem to say that Greene is the more technically sound player, but there is no denying that Klimenta scares opponents into not even trying. That being said, my hope for a “he’s here, he’s there, he’s every-fucking-where” chant is that it will have to be either Kai Greene or Wal Fall, based both on syllables and production.
Pacific Division Run-In
LA II won their Friday night fixture against Las Vegas in Las Vegas which is predictable if aggravating. That was LA II’s last easy game, and you’d choose our schedule over theirs given a choice.
Sac get San Diego tonight in Sacramento, which also starts at 7:30. San Diego still have a lot to play for. They are up six on Orange County, but OC have a game in hand. Plus every point matters, as the playoffs reseed for homefield after each round based on total points over the regular season. Here’s a look at the playoff structure:
[Source: USL]
San Diego would host Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the first round and right now El Paso would host LA Galaxy II. If San Diego wins, they would either play away to El Paso (because El Paso has a 9-point lead) or would host LA II, which has to happen because the Pacific 2 seed has to finish above the Pacific 4 seed. It is really unlikely that SD catches ELP on points, so it’s more likely to come up in a Western Conference final, where SD could conceivably host the winner of that bottom bracket. SD is one point ahead of San Antonio, the second team in the Mountain Division. SD would, weirdly, play Colorado Springs at home, then El Paso on the road, but then earn a home match against San Antonio in the conference final. This is by far SD’s best path to losing to Tampa in the final, and they should be trying to secure every point, even after they have put OC away.
Annnnnnnnnyway San Diego should be genuinely trying to beat Sac tonight.
Orange County host Tacoma in the OC tonight and could do us all a huge favor and hold Tacoma to one or none points. Oakland would need a complete Orange County collapse to catch them. I am writing off third in the division unless Orange County lose tonight and Oakland win.
Here’s the run-in spreadsheet, updated through LA II’s win last night.
Predictions
Bloom - The Roots beat Phoenix once in Las Positas, but this is going to be tougher. Phoenix have sealed the Pacific Division and have a seven-point lead over El Paso for playoff jockeying. It would be incredible if they ran out their B-team against Oakland again to spite the rest of the division. It’s a home game, though, and I think Phoenix will try to take all three points in front of their impressive crowds. That said, the Roots undeniably need the points more than the Rising, and the Roots have played absolutely nails soccer at times when they have needed to this season. We all now know that nothing happens in Phoenix games until the second half. Kai Greene opens the scoring in the 87th minute in what will be a disappointing but ultimately productive 3-3 draw.
Lawson - Phoenix is trying to secure the overall number #1 seed, and is at home. I just don’t see it. Phoenix will surely play their big guns this time around. We know Oakland can hang with that squad (see the 1-0 loss at Laney), but I just think there’s too much quality in this Phoenix side. 2-1 Rising.
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