The Oakland Roots wrapped up a difficult week with a scoreless draw with Miami FC at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward on Saturday night. Miami earned its fifth draw in eight league matches so far this season.
Oakland was playing its third match in seven days after losing to Loudoun United in USL Championship play on Sunday and to Sacramento Republic on Wednesday in the US Open Cup. But their opponents faced a similar challenge, having beaten Las Vegas Lights last Sunday, then going through extra time and a penalty kick shootout in their US Open Cup match vs. MLS club Inter Miami on Wednesday.
The first half was mostly uneventful, with Oakland having the only clear chance in the 13th minute. Five Roots players touched the ball in the sequence leading up to Danny Barbir’s shot from 30 yards out. Miami goalkeeper Jake McGuire fully extended himself to deflect Barbir’s blast over the crossbar.
As the second half began, Oakland pushed forward to try and get the game-winning goal, beginning with a cross from Edgardo Rito in the 47th minute that didn’t quite connect and a shot from Darek Formella that sailed over the bar two minutes later.
Miami did not record a shot on goal until the 58th minute, but Dennis Douwuna’s shot from distance rolled right into the arms of goalkeeper Paul Blanchette.
But Blanchette faced a much stiffer test in the 65th minute. Miami flooded the box with five attackers, but the Roots were able to block shot attempts from Florian Valot and Michael Lawrence. The ball rebounded out to Douwuna whose shot from just outside the arc was on target, but Blanchette hurtled his body toward the top right corner in order to swat it away.
Blanchette made another tough stop in the 70th minute. Christian Sorto dribbled the ball to the edge of the arc and fired a shot that bounced in the patch of turf in front of the goal; once again, Blanchette went to ground quickly to swat the ball away.
In the 79th minute, Oakland’s Darek Formella found Lindo Mfeka unmarked in front of goal. Miami’s Curtis Thorn came up to challenge him and Mfeka’s blast sailed over the bar.
Miami’s final chance came one minute later, when Florian Valot’s blast from the top of the arc beat Blanchette, but it bounced off the underside of the crossbar and did not go over the goal line.
After the match, Oakland Roots Head Coach Noah Delgado was asked whether changes will be made after the team was shut out in its third consecutive match.
“Yeah, we’re always looking at different things. We ended the game with a different formation than we usually do. We’re getting good service into the box and getting in behind — now it’s about finishing off some of those opportunities in transition.”
But he also said that he’s optimistic about the team’s progress so far.
“We had some good chances,” he said. “Some good looks. I thought — I felt — it was coming. The team was playing well enough and creating enough. Shoutout to the boys for getting a shutout defensively, I think that’s important. Playing well and creating chances and getting shutouts will only lead to better things.”
