On an evening where there were few clear chances for either team, a powerful side volley from Haitian striker Miche-Naider Chéry was all the Oakland Roots needed to secure a 1-0 victory over FC Tulsa on Friday night.
With the win, the Roots were able to record their first clean sheet since August 4, 2023, a 1-0 win at Charleston. The Roots also won their second consecutive match for the first time since last July, when they recorded consecutive wins over Monterey, El Paso, and Las Vegas.
The match also marked the end of a difficult week for Tulsa, which also included a 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies last Saturday and a 5-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday.
Chéry’s blast came in the 20th minute, and was set up by Trayvone Reid’s run down the left sideline. Reid crossed the ball to Baboucarr Njie, whose shot was blocked by Tulsa’s Patrick Seagrist. The ball drifted over to Chéry, who paused for the ball to arrive, then hammered it into the net.
The home side also had a couple of decent chances in the first half. In the 9th minute, Blaine Ferri’s through ball found Stefan Stojanovic as he made his run into the box. But a sliding tackle from behind from Oakland defender Gagi Margvelashvili caused the shot to go over the bar for a corner kick.
The other chance was in the 36th minute, when Tulsa’s Owen Damm was open on the right side of the penalty area, but Paul Blanchette made a diving stop at the near post.
Scoring Struggles Continue in the Second Half
Reid had another chance for Oakland in the 56th minute, on a run that started near midfield. His shot from just inside the penalty area went right into the hands of goalkeeper Michael Creek.
Tulsa’s Justin Portillo had a chance in the 65th minute, when he intercepted a clearance from Memo Diaz inside the penalty arc and fired a low, hard shot that forced Blanchette to make a diving stop.
After the 80th minute, Tulsa pushed more players forward, desperate for the equalizer.
On a corner kick in the 82nd minute, Bradley Bourgeois’s leaping header was on target, but Blanchette made a leap of his own to grab it.
Jeciel Cedeño nearly put the match away for Oakland on a counter attack in the 89th minute, but Creek was able to get his hand on the ball and redirect it over the bar.
Tulsa nearly equalized in the opening minute of stoppage time. Harvey Sinclair’s cross found Boubacar Diallo unmarked, but Diallo paused as he turned to his right to get the shot off with his left foot and the shot went wide.
In the waning moments of stoppage time, the Tulsa goalkeeper came forward to join his teammates on a corner kick. Creek got his head on the ball, but it sailed over the bar.
