It’s a season of change for the Oakland Roots as they embark on their third USL campaign. The club will be looking to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season but will have to do so with a host of new faces on the roster.
Many fan favorites are gone, including 19-goal scorer Óttar Magnús Karlsson and longtime midfielders Chuy Enriquez, Jose Hernandez, and Matias Fissore.
The club added Colombian forward Anuar José Peláez Paba to fill the hole in the attack. Several experienced midfielders and defenders with USL pedigrees and international experience will join a sprinkling of young prospects to fill out the roster.
According to Roots Technical Director Jordan Ferrell, the club prioritized becoming a younger team in 2023, with an average age of 25 ½ on the squad, down from 27 years old last year.
DELGADO NAMED HEAD COACH
But before assembling the squad, Oakland needed to name their permanent head coach after the departure of Juan Guerra late in the 2022 campaign.
Ferrell noted that the team conducted an extensive coaching search before taking the interim title off of head coach Noah Delgado, who successfully picked up the reigns from Guerra to guide Oakland into the playoffs.
On media day, Delgado noted that the team with be flexible in its formation depending on the game and the opponent. In general, he wants Oakland to be a possession-based team that can attack centrally but also out wide. The Roots will also press high up the field while being well organized defensively. The head coach has also prioritized taking advantage of set pieces this year.
The technical staff focused on assembling a roster with tactical flexibility and players that fit into multiple positions on the pitch.
Here is a look at the Oakland Roots 2023 roster:
FORWARD
At the top of the pitch, Peláez Paba joins fellow forwards Dariusz Formella and Johnny Rodriguez, who both had disappointing seasons in 2022, with Formella scoring 4 goals as a regular starter and Rodriguez 2 in more limited playing time.
The club will look for Peláez Paba to be the club’s true number 9, stretching the opponent’s defense with penetrating runs. Delgado lauded Peláez Paba’s work ethic, describing him as “blue collar” with his work rate either on the ball or attempting to claim it back. Peláez Paba scored 15 goals in 47 appearances during his last two years in the Venezuelan first division.
MIDFIELD
Maestro Linda Mfeka will find a completely new roster of players to fit in around him. This year Mfeka is focusing on keeping healthy on and off the pitch. He noted at media day that he completely changed his diet in the offseason thanks to teammate Joseph Nane.
Some of the new faces that will join the duo in the midfield include:
Irakoze Donasiyano – A former MLS SuperDraft pick by Nashville SC, the University of Virginia product played for USL sides OKC Energy and Phoenix Rising the past two seasons. He also made his first appearance for the Burundi Men’s National Team, his native country, late last year.
Napo Matsoso – Another MLS SuperDraft pick, Matsoso played the past four years at Louisville City, adding 11 goals and four assists. He helped his club raise the 2018 USL Championship trophy. He has also made a pair of appearances for Lesotho’s Men’s National Team.
Trayvon Reid – The 22-year-old midfielder with excellent pace is an exciting prospect, according to Ferrell. He played for Harbour View FC in his native Jamaica, helping his club to the league title last year.
Daniel Gomez – Signed from the Roots development squad, Project 51O, Gomez will push more experienced players in practice for playing time.
DEFENSE
The one part of the pitch where the Roots focused on retaining players was in the defensive third, where Emrah Klimenta will anchor the defense again with Tarek Morad and Danny Barbir.
It’s expected that the Roots will continue to employ the 3-back formation in many games in 2023, so the returning wingers Edgardo Rito and Memo Diaz will have plenty of opportunities to move up and contribute to the attack. Rito contributed 5 goals and 8 assists in 2022.
Once again, Oakland stuck with experienced players with international pedigree to fill out the back line. They include:
Bryan Tamacas – The Salvadoran international earned 62 caps for his national team while playing in his country’s domestic league. Delgado was formerly an assistant coach with El Salvador and made it a top priority to bring in Tamacas.
Neveal Hackshaw – Another international player for his native Trinidad and Tobago, Hackshaw has 8 years of USL Championship experience with the Charleston Battery and Indy Eleven. He has twice been named to the Championship’s All-League team.
Kevin Wright – A Sierra Leone international, Wright was a product of the Chelsea youth academy before playing in England’s League Two for Carlisle United and Norway for Fredrikstad. He spent a couple of seasons in the Swedish first and second tiers of soccer before playing for Greek club Apollon Smyrnis in 2022.
GOALKEEPER
There is no doubt who is the first-choice goalkeeper for Oakland this year. Paul Blanchette reassumed his position as the number-one choice last year after spending the first few months of 2022 behind FC Tijuana loanee Benny Diaz. After Diaz’s recall to Mexico, Blanchette again showed his ability to block shots and keep his team in games. Taylor Bailey will once again fill in as the backup goalkeeper.
FIRST UP FOR OAKLAND…
Oakland Roots face a stiff test for their first match of the season, traveling to face the 2022 champions San Antonio FC on Saturday. The Texas club also booted Oakland from the playoffs on the way to the final. Kickoff is at 5:30 pm PST (ESPN Plus and KTVU Plus).
