The Oakland Roots emphatically ended a three-match goalscoring drought and a four-match winless streak on Saturday night, delivering a 4-1 thumping of host Birmingham Legion FC.
The host side came into the match in second place in the Eastern Conference, and their 14 goals were tied for the conference lead.
Birmingham controlled most of the possession early in the match, but there were few clear chances for either side. The hosts did pick up yellow cards for Mikey Lopez on a rough tackle in the 6th minute and Phanuel Kavita for dissent in the 35th minute.
But as the first half went on, Oakland started asserting itself offensively and Birmingham settled into a counter attacking mode. Oakland’s Edgardo Rito was at the center of the Roots’ resurgence.
In the 42nd minute, Rito had the Roots’ first good chance on a breakaway, after he tracked down a long pass from Kevin Wright. Birmingham goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel ranged far out of his goal and was able to get his body in the way of Rito’s shot attempt for an Oakland corner kick. The two players collided at the end of the play, but neither was charged with a foul.
The pivotal moment of the match came in the first minute of first half stoppage time. Lindo Mfeka flicked the ball on to Rito, who trapped the ball with his right foot and fired a shot that deflected off Kavita’s hand. The Roots not only were awarded a penalty kick, but Kavita was sent off after earning his second yellow card of the night.
Darek Formella converted the penalty kick for his third goal of the season. Van Oekel guessed correctly, but couldn’t get a hand on Formella’s low, hard shot that tucked inside the post.
Ten-Man Birmingham Struggles in the Second Half
At first, Birmingham responded well to adversity. They equalized just three minutes into the second half, after earning a free kick from 30 yards out. As a crowd of players rushed into the box, Tyler Pasher’s cross was headed home by Enzo Martinez at the near post.
But as the match went on, the Roots took full advantage of the extra man on the field, as well as the home side’s fatigue from playing a midweek match.
The Roots grabbed the lead for good after earning a second penalty in the 62nd minute. Birmingham’s Gabriel Alves grabbed Bryan Tamacas’s jersey as he made his run into the box.
Formella once again took the penalty. Van Oekel made the stop, but Mfeka beat everyone to the rebound and fired it in at the far post.
Roots attackers were getting more room to run now, and Oakland was able to add a third goal in the 71st minute. Trayvone Reid made a run from midfield to the edge of the penalty area, then passed it to Rito on the right. Van Oekel made a diving stop on Rito’s shot, but Reid slammed home the rebound for his first goal as a member of the Roots.
Johnny Rodriguez saw his first game action since April 15, entering the match in the 85th minute and scoring three minutes later. His shot from distance deflected off of the foot of Birmingham defender Ben Reveno as Van Oekel looked on in agony. The goal also enabled Rodriguez to stay even with Formella for the team lead in goals this season.
After four consecutive matches against Eastern Conference opposition, the Roots return to Pioneer Stadium in Hayward to host Orange County SC next Saturday night at 8 PM, the first of five consecutive matches against Western Conference teams. Their women’s team, Oakland Soul, open the doubleheader at 5 PM when they take on Olympic Club of San Francisco.
