An inspired effort by the Oakland Roots earned the team a 3-1 victory over San Diego Loyal for their most impressive victory of the season.
Unlike most of the season under former coach Juan Guerra, the Roots held onto a lead and earned the full three points. The win vaulted them only a point out of a playoff position with eight games left in the season.
Second-place San Diego took advantage of a Roots miscue in the backline twenty-four minutes into the game to take the lead.
The Loyal’s Tumi Moshobane threaded a ball through the Roots defense to Kyle Vassell, whose shot was pushed wide by Oakland goalkeeper Paul Blanchette. San Diego’s Evan Conway pounced on the rebound and calmly scored.
Instead of being discouraged by the deficit, the Roots responded with twenty minutes of inspired soccer.
Four minutes later, Charlie Dennis swung a ball across the field to an onrushing Juan Azocar. He gracefully touched the ball down, and his shot was slightly deflected by Loyal goalkeeper Koke Vegas but had enough power to find the back of the net.
Oakland continued to attack, and, in the thirty-eight minute, they were rewarded with a second goal.
On a Roots corner kick, the ball bounced around in the box and eventually found the head of Emrah Klimenta, who placed his ball expertly into the far corner for the surprising lead.
San Diego came out on the attack in the second half and had numerous opportunities to tie the game. However, Oakland keeper Blanchette was up to the task making several spectacular saves.
The most stunning of the bunch was in the 56th minute when Loyal’s Evan Conway broke free out wide and got a strike on target slightly deflected by an Oakland defender. But Blanchette adjusted on the fly and pushed the ball wide.
Shortly after, interim Roots coach Noah Delgado started to sub in defensive players and eventually switched to a 5-4-1 to ensure Oakland successfully held onto the victory.
The Roots held off multiple Loyal attempts until the 88th minute when Oakland sub Memo Diaz cleared a ball toward midfield that Edgardo Rito ran onto and found himself one-on-one with the Loyal keeper. He finished, and Oakland celebrated the most impressive victory of the season.
The win moved Oakland to within one point of seventh place El Paso. Next is a road trip to Sacramento with a chance to move into a playoff spot for the first time all year.
