Super-sub Jeremy Bokila scored minutes after entering the game, and the Oakland Roots stunned the top-seeded El Paso Locomotive in their first-round USL playoff game in Texas.
“People can continue to overlook us, and that’s great, but we’re not concerned with how other people see us,” said Oakland Roots head coach Jordan Ferrell after the upset.
In the 76th minute, Quincy Amarikwa bounced a ball to Chuy Enriquez, who lofted a ball to Bokila running behind the El Paso defense.
He held off the Locomotive defender and nutmegged the keeper to score the decisive goal.
Heading into the game, El Paso looked to be in pole position to advance. Besides finishing first in the Western Conference Mountain Division, the Locomotive had not lost a game at home since July 2020, a streak of 25 matches.
On the other side, the Roots had to claw their way into a playoff spot on the season’s final day and required LA Galaxy II to lose to secure the final spot in the postseason.
“That’s what’s gotten us here and that with that approach, we weren’t concerned about El Paso’s home streak, their ranking, our ranking, anything like that,” explained Ferrell.
“It’s a match-up of two teams, and I think that it feels good to come here to a strong footballing side like El Paso; I think they’re one of the best teams in the country and to get a good result,” added Ferrell.
First half
The Locomotive, which featured a high octane offense all season, came out on the attack. However, the Roots had the best chance in the first minutes. Forward Johnny Rodriguez was able to take a clean shot on target that forced a fine save from El Paso keeper Logan Ketterer.
Until the halftime whistle, the Locomotive had the majority of the possession with eight shots. However, the Roots defense was up to the task.
Second half
Ten minutes into the second half, Oakland had another quality chance when Memo Diaz sent a ball into the box that found the head of Emrah Klimenta. However, Ketterer was able to push away his shot.
From there, the Locomotive upped the attacking pressure with several chances on goal. The best of them was in the 71st minute. El Paso’s Diego Luna had a shot from a tight angle that forced an excellent save from Roots goalie Paul Blanchette.
In the 74th minute, Bokila, the Roots leading scorer with five goals, came off the bench. He converted his first opportunity to give Oakland a lead they would not relent.
“It’s a tough thing to say because no player wants to come off the bench, every player wants to start, and I recognize that as a coach,” acknowledged Ferrell. “It’s a challenge for me selecting a group, but Bokila’s insertion in the second half made the world of difference.”
From that point, the Roots were able to hold off El Paso. Oakland’s José Hernández and Matías Fissore both had good chances to add to the lead but could not finish.
After five minutes of extra time, referee Ismir Pekmic blew the whistle, and the underdog Roots celebrated their stunning upset over El Paso.
Not overlooked anymore
With the victory, Oakland’s nightmare to dream inaugural season continued, and the Roots head coach was already looking forward to their next game.
“It feels good, but now we await the winner of tomorrow night,” Ferrell added.
The Roots will next face off against the winner of the Orange County SC vs. the Colorado Switchbacks in the Western Conference semifinals.
