All season long Roots head coach Juan Guerra has been patiently waiting for a game like Saturday night’s 4-0 demolition of El Paso Locomotive.
“We’re performance oriented,” noted Guerra after the game. “We created a lot of chances and the ball went in the back of the net. This is all because of the players and the hard work they put in — how resilient they are and how they believe in what we’re doing.”
From the opening whistle, the Roots pressed El Paso, a team built to possess the ball and slowly build up their attack.
“El Paso’s is a team that holds the first spot for possession in the league. This is a team that if you give them the ball, you’re going to suffer,” explained Guerra after the game.
However, Oakland’s frenetic pace and pressure never allowed the Locomotive to get comfortable, and after twenty minutes of pressure, El Paso’s defense began to crack.
The Roots’ first goal was created by Oakland’s assist leader Edgardo Rito. He delivered a delicious cross from out wide into space that striker Óttar Karlsson ran onto and snuck into the near post for the early lead
“I’ve spoken to [Rito] a couple of times about those situations when he has the ball in these areas to put it into space in the box, and I’ll be ready,” Karlsson explained after the game.
El Paso attempted to respond a few minutes later. The Locomotive’s Josué Gómez’s hit a shot that bounced off the crossbar and bounced out of bounds. It ended up being their best chance to score all night.
Oakland kept up the pressure, and soon Edgardo Rito was fouled in the box. Karlsson confidently stepped to the spot put the Roots ahead 2-0. He now leads the league with fifteen goals.
Karlsson’s second goal seemed to suck the life out of El Paso, and Oakland was happy to oblige with the knockout punch two minutes later.
Rito once again crossed in a dangerous ball that Dariusz Formella headed down, but El Paso keeper Evan Newton made a point-blank save. Fortunately for Formella, the ball ricocheted directly to him, and he was able to finish despite being on the ground.
Six minutes later José Hernández put any lingering thoughts about an El Paso comeback to bed, scoring a screamer for Oakland’s fourth goal.
The Roots successfully held El Paso at bay in the second half. Oakland had 14 shots on target for the game and converted four. The Locomotive had six shots, but none on target.
With the victory, Oakland pulled within one point of the final Western Conference playoff spot. Next weekend for the Roots is another vital home game against the Las Vegas Lights.
“I think it’s important that to remember how we came to perform on this level and remember the feeling and the intensity,” noted Karlsson.
“The responsibility we have doesn’t shift at moments or points in the season,” added Guerra. “…Hopefully next week versus Vegas, we can put together another strong performance that leads to a good result, and we keep pushing forward.”
