RootsBlog

  When we here at the Blog gamed out Oakland’s run-in, and the potential ways they could qualify for the playoffs, I think we all wrote off Roots’ matchup with Phoenix as a loss. It takes a lot of hubris to predict a win at Wild Horse Pass, and none of us wanted to tempt the sports gods/set ourselves up for disappointment. And in the end, a one-goal edge for Phoenix is probably a fair reflection of how the match played out (in fact, Phoenix wasted several opportunities to add to their lead). But boy oh boy did Oakland leave some opportunities out there on the pitch. As they did against Sacramento Republic, Oakland again attacked through the half-spaces. We saw early in that game that Oakland’s preference appeared to be to keep the ball central, before Sac adjusted and forced Oakland wide. That preference reappeared in this match, as Oakland regularly advanced the ball through the channels in the first half. Oakland also made intelligent use of the wide areas, though, as Soya Takaha...

Photo credit Oakland Roots SC The Oakland Roots took a narrow 1-0 loss to Phoenix Rising on Saturday night at the Rising Soccer Complex at Wild Horse Pass in... Chandler... On the outskirts of Phoenix without a wifi signal.  The loss brings Roots' record to 9-7-12, still with 34 points and one point behind LA Galaxy II for a fourth-place qualification spot. Meanwhile, Tacoma sits with 33 points after defeating Sac Republic 4-1 last night.  The Roots had its chances, including a shot from Lindo Mfeka that rang off of the crossbar and ricocheted a foot in front of the end line. But so did Phoenix Rising, particularly in the first half, controlling the action in the opening 45 minutes to have 15 shots compared to Oakland's five.  Roots SC was able to make their presence felt in the second half, finishing the night with 14 shots, four on target, 11 chances created, and three big opportunities. Goalie Paul Blanchette was critical for the Roots, recording seven saves on the nig...

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. Also, we have a Discord! You can contact the blog on twitter or instagram or u/spawn_more_overlords on reddit to get an invite. [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. Recap Match Notes Post-Match Interviews 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 ...