The Oakland Roots looked out of sync in their 2-0 loss to Hartford Athletic on Saturday evening.
Oakland has now lost three consecutive matches for the first time since Gavin Glinton took over the head coaching position on April 29. They haven’t scored in 284 minutes of play.
In addition to their recent woes, on this trip the Roots also faced the challenge of a thin bench. Dom Dwyer and Lindo Mfeka did not make the cross-country trip and Camden Riley was serving his suspension for his red card in the San Antonio match.
Hartford Takes Over the Match Early in the First Half
In the past few matches, Oakland has struggled to maintain meaningful possession early in the game. The same trend continued in Hartford, with the home side looking dangerous from the start.
Hartford nearly scored in the 19th minute, when Mamadou Dieng spun away from Neveal Hackshaw to hit a one-timer that was heading for the far post. Goalkeeper Paul Blanchette went into full extension to deflect it out of danger.
The home side broke through less than a minute later. Blanchette made another diving save on a shot from distance by Triston Hodge, but Oakland’s backline was caught flat-footed as Marlon Hairston blasted the rebound into the net from point blank range.
Hartford nearly doubled their lead in the 38th minute, Mamadou Dieng timed his run perfectly to the near post to meet Marcus Epps’ cross, but his shot banged off the post.
Oakland’s best chance came in the 44th minute, when Memo Diaz’s free kick gave Gagi Margvelashvili a chance to head the ball toward goal, but too softly to trouble Hartford goalkeeper Renan Ribeiro.
Epps nearly scored right before halftime, but his shot hit teammate Danny Barrera in the face and Blanchette was eventually able to claim the rebound.
A Big Break in the Second Half
The Roots got a huge break in the 51st minute, when Hartford was reduced to 10 men after Jordan Scarlett received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Donasiyano Irakoze.
The home side reacted immediately to Scarlett’s ejection, dropping more players back into the defensive zone and counterattacking only occasionally.
In between the red card and Hartford’s second goal, the Roots did earn three corner kicks. Shots by Rafael Baca, Johnny Rodriguez, and Diaz went wide, and shots by Njie and Diaz were blocked.
But while the Roots had most of the possession in the second half, they weren’t able to generate very many chances or accelerate the pace to wear down their shorthanded opponent.
Hartford put the match away in the 77th minute. After a free kick into the box, Thomas Vancaeyezeele grabbed a loose ball, took a couple of dribbles and fed the ball to Kyle Edwards who trapped the ball with his foot and pivoted around for the finish.
The Roots’ chances came after Hartford’s second goal. Second half substitutes worked together to create a chance in the 87th minute, when Trayvone Reid sent in a cross that was headed down by Miche-Naider Chéry but right into Ribeiro’s arms.
In the 4th minute of stoppage time, Diaz’s cross found Reid alone for a one-timer at the far post, but Ribeiro made the quick reaction save from extremely close range.
Reid had one final chance right before the final whistle. His free kick from distance hit the post and the rebound caromed back into the penalty area. Two Oakland attackers took shots, but they were blocked by Hartford defenders.
Baca Makes His First Appearance for Oakland
Former Cruz Azul star Rafael Baca made his Oakland debut and played well before being replaced by Ali Elmasnaouy in the 73rd minute.
Baca set up a couple of goal chances, including one for Johnny Rodriguez in the 70th minute and another in the 59th minute, when he set up a header for Baboucarr Njie that was saved by Ribeiro.
Next Week
The Roots host one of the teams that is chasing them for a playoff spot when they take on FC Tulsa on Sunday, Sept. 29th at 3 PM.
