The Oakland Roots fought back after giving up an early goal on a controversial penalty kick, but Sacramento Republic FC held on to earn a 1-0 win on a misty Saturday evening at Pioneer Stadium.
Ninety seconds into the match, Sacramento’s Keko Gontán and Oakland’s Napo Matsoso converged on a loose ball at the edge of the penalty area. Keko went down hard from behind and the referee pointed to the spot.
Oakland goalkeeper Paul Blanchette made the correct guess on the penalty kick by Juan Herrera, but Herrera’s hard, low shot tucked inside the right post.
The Roots spent the rest of the match desperately seeking an equalizer, gradually bringing more and more players forward, including centerback Neveal Hackshaw and, on the final play, Blanchette. But Sacramento’s defense held firm and escaped with the victory.
“Yeah, I think [it was] a harsh call a minute into the game, a PK given away from the goal,” Oakland Roots Head Coach Noah Delgado said after the game. “But that’s part of what we deal with week in and week out. I thought the boys showed tons of character, heart, and tactical awareness and created chances to get back in the game and get a goal—and unfortunately we just didn’t get one.”
It was the Roots’ third consecutive loss to Sacramento this season, including their two USL Championship matches as well as their matchup in the U.S. Open Cup.
“It’s a good team, they’re well coached,” Delgado said. “A lot of that core has been there for a while, they’ve had success with the Open Cup and this year they’ve been in first place the majority of the season. We know they’re good. Probably see them again.”
First Half: After a Slow Start, the Roots Began to Assert Themselves
Sacramento dominated possession early in the match, and Keko nearly scored a second goal in the 10th minute, crashing into Blanchette in pursuit of a loose ball.
But as the half went on, the Roots starting to create chances. Their first came in the 27th minute, when Lindo Mfeka’s free kick from the edge of the penalty arc went straight into the arms of Sacramento goalkeeper Carlos Saldaña.
Thirty seconds later, Saldaña made the save of the match. Johnny Rodriguez tapped Jeciel Cedeño’s cross over to Mfeka at the far post, but Saldaña hurtled himself onto the turf to deflect the shot away.
Cedeño had another chance in the 38th minute, but his shot from the right side hit the side netting.
Second Half: Sacramento’s Defense Hangs On
Sacramento had a couple of decent chances in the second half. In the 57th minute, Blanchette made a diving stop on a shot by Luis Felipe. Twelve minutes later, Zeiko Lewis somehow stayed on his feet while dribbling through a crowd of players in the penalty area and fed the ball to Damià Viader, whose shot from close range sailed over the bar.
But the Roots were the dominant team.
In the 50th minute, Cedeño took a shot from well beyond the penalty area. It went straight into Saldaña’s arms, but he nearly fumbled the ball as Rodriguez waited to pounce on any rebound.
In the 60th minute, Rodriguez hit a side volley from the edge of the six yard box, but it didn’t have enough on it to give Saldaña trouble.
In the 64th minute, a hooking cross from Memo Diaz found Mfeka with a step on his defender, but Mfeka’s one-timer sailed over the bar.
The match ended with Oakland outshooting Sacramento 20-7, with a 6-3 edge in shots on target.
“I’m happy for the boys, you know,” Delgado said. “To go down in the first minute, I thought the boys really showed character. The result is not what we wanted, but I think this will actually help us as we move forward into other games, whether it’s playoff games or getting into the playoffs.”
Syrel Returns to the Roots
Goalkeeper Timothy Syrel was on the substitutes’ bench for the Roots on Saturday after signing a professional contract with the Roots the day before. Syrel was the starting goalkeeper for Oakland’s Project 51O development team and played in one match for the Roots last season, coming on in relief of a red carded Benny Diaz to preserve Oakland’s 1-0 win over LA Galaxy II on May 21st.
“He’s a player with a lot of potential,” Delgado said. “At some point, he might get some minutes. He’s been great in training. Paul’s played a lot of games, a lot of minutes and he’s great, you know. We’ll play it by ear.”
