A pair of goals from Lindo Mfeka enabled the Oakland Roots to deliver their second consecutive signature win, a 3-2 triumph over the host Sacramento Republic on Saturday night.
Last week, they earned a 1-0 win over one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Tonight they defeated one of the best in the West.
The match was Oakland’s best overall performance of the season, at least until the last 11 minutes of the second half, as well as the 8+ minutes of stoppage time, when the home side mounted a furious comeback that nearly enabled them to earn at least a draw.
Strong Offensive Showing for Roots in the First Half
The Roots had to overcome a potentially lethal mistake in the first minute of the match, as Neveal Hackshaw’s errant back pass from 30 yards out required goalkeeper Tim Syrel to hurry back to keep it out of the net.
Mfeka opened the scoring in the 20th minute. Camden Riley made a run down the right side and delivered a cross toward Johnny Rodriguez, who used his chest to redirect the ball down to Mfeka. The South African paused, then delivered a lethal strike that took one bounce off the turf before nestling just inside the right post.
The Roots nearly doubled their margin in the 27th minute. Trayvone Reid made a run into the box, but was taken down from behind by Sacramento’s Jonathan Ricketts. On the subsequent penalty kick, Rodriguez used a stutter step to try and see which way Sacramento goalkeeper Danny Vitiello was diving, but Vitiello waited him out and dove to his right to grab the ball before it went into the net.
Syrel was yellow carded in the 33rd minute after taking down Sacramento’s Sebastián Herrera to stop a potential break away just outside the penalty area.
Oakland’s second goal came in the 48th minute, with Mfeka making a run down the middle of the penalty area and letting go a powerful blast that went over Vitiello’s head.
Mfeka nearly earned a hat trick in the 54th minute. His shot beat Vitiello, but bounced off the underside of the crossbar.
Jeciel Cedeño gave Oakland a three-goal lead in the 65th minute. Rodriguez let Baboucarr Njie’s cross go by, leaving Cedeño open just outside the six-yard box. His blast split a pair of Sacramento defenders before landing just inside the near post.
Subs Help Sacramento Get Back Into the Match
Things got interesting again in the 79th minute, when Sacramento substitute Trevor Amann headed home a cross from Cristian Parano.
Two minutes later, Amann and Parano nearly struck again. Amann chased down a long ball from Parano at the edge of the box, but Syrel prevented him from getting a shot off. Rafael Jauregui grabbed the rebound, but his shot from the top of the penalty area went wide.
Amann scored again in the second minute of stoppage time, on a pass by Nick Ross. Amann received the ball with his back to the goal, turned and fired a shot from the edge of the six-yard arc.
But Oakland was able to hang onto the lead until the final whistle blew.
