Oakland Roots Announce Initial 2022 Roster Decisions

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The Oakland Roots announced its initial roster decisions for the 2022 season on Thursday, declaring that they have picked up contract extensions for Taylor Bailey, Paul Blanchette, Matias Fissore, Kai Greene, Ariel Mbumba, and Johnny Rodriguez.

Players under multi-year deals include Akeem Ward, Memo Diaz, Tarek Morad, Max Ornstil, and Jose Hernandez, while Hernandez carries a contract option for 2023. 

The Roots currently only have 12 players listed on its roster, meaning players like Emrah Klimenta, Lindo Mfeka, Quincy Amarikwa, Joseph Nane, and Chuy Enriquez have yet to be hammered down. 

According to sources, the organization is still in conversation with a "couple more players" from the 2021 roster. Negotiations are considered ongoing. 

“I’m very excited about the strong core that we will have returning,” said Technical Director Jordan Ferrell, via the team's official site. “The group we had this past season was special and keeping continuity while adding important pieces will keep the club on the trajectory to go further in 2022. The work to build the most competitive roster possible is underway and we know that this group of returning players are the foundation of a special team for next season and beyond.”

Fissore, 31, emerged as a leader of the club after signing out of Argentina's San Martín Tucumán. He averaged 32.5 accurate passes and 1.2 successful tackles per match this season. In 2021, he appeared in 2,176 total minutes in 29 appearances, started 24 times, recorded two assists and earned an overall FotMob rating of 7.03. 

Blanchette, 27, was a late addition on July 6 after former keeper Ben Beaury elected to part ways with the club. His extension doesn't come as a surprise after unseating Zeus de la Paz for the starting job.

This season, Blanchette started 21 times and finished with six clean sheets and was a top-10 keeper in the USL in Goals Allowed Rate. He finished with a 6.79 FotMob rating and recorded six clean sheets. 

Diaz, 26, led the club with an average rating of 7.06 by FotMob.com while ending the playoffs with a 7.76 rating. He appeared in 2,157 total minutes in 31 appearances and 25 starts, scoring once and drew three penalty kick opportunities. 

He grew into an influential role in Jordan Ferrell's system, often appearing at wingback but earned time in the midfield and an attacking role when the organization suffered a COVID-19 outbreak. 


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