The Oakland Roots did just enough to earn the three points in their 1-0 win over Las Vegas Lights FC on Wednesday night at Pioneer Stadium.
The visitors have the worst record in the entire 24-team USL Championship, with only 1 win and 8 draws in 20 matches this season.
“I thought we were okay,” Head Coach Noah Delgado said after the match. “You know it’s a tricky game, Vegas. I told the boys they have some good stuff going forward. We felt we made errors in some areas, but overall just a tricky, tricky game. I thought we were just okay, but I’m proud of the boys for pulling it out late.”
Anuar Peláez entered the match as a substitute in the 72nd minute and scored the only goal of the match four minutes later. The goal was set up by a ball from near midfield by Danny Gomez, who found Peláez with space between two defenders. The pass bounced twice off the turf, and Peláez’s one-timer on the third bounce beat goalkeeper Leo Diaz at the far post.
“We put Peláez in a little bit earlier than last game,” Delgado said. “What a ball in from behind. We always harp on running in behind and penetrating. He ran in behind them. Great finish, great goal.”
Roots Have Most of the Chances in the First Half
In the first half, Las Vegas showed an abundance of caution, seemingly content with keeping the Roots off the scoreboard.
Oakland nearly scored in the 13th minute, when Matsoso stole a slow pass from Las Vegas defender Timothie Zali. Matsoso dumped the ball off to Johnny Rodriguez, whose shot from just inside the penalty area beat Cruz, but Zali was able to head it off the line.
The Roots argued for a hand ball in the 28th minute, when Las Vegas’s Tyler Bagley stuck his elbow out to block a shot by Neveal Hackshaw, after a Memo Diaz free kick into the penalty area.
Las Vegas had one decent chance just seconds before the end of first half stoppage time. Andrew Carleton’s free kick into the box found Zali at the back post, while Oakland goalkeeper Paul Blanchette backtracked to get back into position. Zali got his head on the ball, but his header went wide.
Las Vegas Look Dangerous in the Second Half
The visitors began asserting themselves early in the second half, with shots on target from Issa Rayyan in the 49th minute and Marcelo Lage two minutes later.
They came closest in the 61st minute, when Carleton attempted a shot from near midfield that sailed over Blanchette’s head, but Blanchette was able to tap the ball away to safety as he fell into the netting.
In the 67th minute, Las Vegas’s Josh Dolling got behind the Oakland backline. Memo Diaz got back to challenge him and Dolling’s shot attempt went straight into Blanchette’s arms.
Las Vegas had another chance one minute before Peláez’s goal. Tabort Etaka Preston had a breakaway, after a giveaway by Hackshaw. Blanchette came out and Preston’s shot went wide, as a wide open Dolling screamed at him for not passing him the ball for the easy tap-in.
Both teams had chances in stoppage time. Peláez’s had another chance in the 93rd minute on a breakaway with Bryan Tamacas, but his shot sailed wide.
Cruz set up Las Vegas’s last chance in the 4th minute of stoppage time. His goal kick went the length of the field. The ball bounced high off the turf to Dolling, who pushed it toward goal. The shot was on target. Carleton gave it one final push into the net, but he was in an offside position when he did it.
The Formella Trade
Delgado also commented on the trade that was announced yesterday, sending the Roots’ second leading scorer Darek Formella to conference rival Phoenix Rising for defender Baboucarr Njie.
“Formella’s a very good player, a great guy,” Delgado said. “It’s very hard, you know, just something that we thought would be good for the club. You know, just with depth issues and obviously if Tamacas is leaving on national team duty again, Babou is someone that we think could help out the team.”
