The Oakland Roots walk out of Saturday’s game at El Paso Locomotive with a point after tying 1-1, bringing their record to 1-4-3 and seven points. Oakland is now two points shy of a seventh-place playoff qualification spot and five games unbeaten against USL Championship teams.
Both teams undoubtedly feel like they left goals on the field, especially with El Paso banging a penalty kick off of the post right before halftime in the 45th minute. But despite the Locomotive controlling 59 percent possession and taking 14 shots, Oakland had several opportunities after Darek Formella’s goal in the 13th minute–which was an impressive left-footed banger on the volley.
If we’re imposing our opinion on readers, the Roots had several moments on the counter and progressive moves into wide areas which may have left more to be desired. Roots likely feel like they had two or three goals in the first 30 minutes, while El Paso similarly believes they missed out on their share of scores as well.
After the goal, Oakland had a pair of chances in the 19th and 20th minutes from corners. In the 19th, Edgardo “With a G, not a U” Rito helped draw a corner after Jose Hernandez pressed to keep the ball in Oakland’s attacking area. He sent a pass to Rito, whose shot attempt was deflected out for a corner. Chuy Enriquez pass from the corner made contact with Joseph Nane’s hip while charging towards the net, but the ball clanged off of the left post.
In the following corner attempt, Enriquez nearly connected again with a pass targeting Formella, who looked to push the ball in with his a right-foot on the volley, once again. But on his shot, El Paso goal keeper Evan Newton was able to bat the ball away.
Enriquez was a focal point of Oakland Roots’ attack in the first half-hour. He looked good on the counter in the 24th minute when Alejandro Fuenmayor defended a ball all the way toward Ottar Magnus Karlsson, who passed to Nane, who then found Chuy charging down the right wing on a first-touch pass. Enriquez tried to center a pass toward Rito and Karlsson, but the keeper was there for the stop.
Enriquez had another run into the area in the 25th minute and tried to whip a pass to Karlsson, but it was defended for another corner.
El Paso’s goal in the 31st came against the run of play from a set piece. Luis Solignac received the long ball in the area against Danny Barbir and scored after his chip-attempt knocked off of Barbir’s chin and past Roots’ keeper Benny Diaz–who came out of net to play the ball.
It may have seemed like Diaz was too far out of net on first glance, but him pressing the attacker forced Solignac into a chip attempt. If Diaz wasn’t there, Solignac would’ve had a clear shot attempt with his right foot and was, perhaps, bailed out with a fortunate bounce.
El Paso drew their penalty kick in the 44th minute after Fuenmayor misplayed a run into the area by Josue Gomez, who drew the PK by Fuenmayor over-pursuing his mistake and running through Gomez’s back. But Gomez stepped to the ball for the spot kick and guessed the correct direction, but his attempt knocked off of the left post.
Roots’ pressing high continued in the second half. Enriquez had another steal at 58′ around El Paso’s attacking area, but his pass toward Karlsson rolled out the back. In the 59th, Rito helped draw a corner, which was taken quickly to Chuy–whose left-footed pass was perfectly placed toward Karlsson, but his header sailed over the net.
In the 65th, Enriquez flashed more individual brilliance after receiving a throw-in between three defenders. Chuy was able to dribble his way free to the right corner flag, sending a pass between two El Paso players toward Rito, but his shot went straight to the keeper near the right post.
Roots had another opportunity for a counter attack in the 70th minute, playing it to Ottar charging through the back line. But with two defenders on Karlsson, El Paso deflected it out for a corner. Formella was called for a foul on the corner pass to him.
The final 17 minutes featured Benny Diaz, no pun intended, saving the game for Roots. He had back-to-back big saves in the 73rd minute when Sebastian Velasquez’s shot from distance rebounded off of Diaz and back into play. Charging on the ball was Solignac, whose attempt was stopped by Diaz’s right leg. He had another critical save in the 85th when Solignac took a shot between Rito and Fuenmayor, but Diaz was positioned well for the stop.
The final opportunity of the match may have left Roots’ supporters feeling robbed of an extra two points. In the 87th, Chuy worked his way free on the right side with a step over the left his defender in the dust, sending a pass to Karlsson in the area.
Karlsson was clearly having his jersey tugged by El Paso’s Yuma when moving to position himself for Enriquez’s cross. Ottar, looking for a foul, threw his hands in the air as he fell to ground in response to Yuma’s pull–but no call was made. Oakland, yet again, screwed by referees.
You make the call, was it a foul?
RootsBlog Man of the Match: Benny Diaz
Benny Diaz earns RootsBlog’s vote for Man of the Match due to his huge saves that kept Oakland in the match. He made a big stop in the 15th minute in close distance, to go along with two big saves in the 73rd minute and one more in the 85th. He earned a 6.9 FotMob rating, but the computers won’t recognize the significance of his stops. We’re not faulting the goal conceded on Diaz, and instead think his approach on the ball forced Solignac into a chip attempt.
In 90 minutes, Diaz recorded four saves with three diving and completed 24 of 37 passes, 9/21 long balls, six throws, and eight recoveries.
FotMob Top-10 Player Rating
- 1. Chuy Enriquez, 8.1
In 90 minutes, Enriquez completed 20 of 28 passes with four key passes, 4/7 crosses, took four corners, had 5/6 successful dribbles, dribbled past one defender, won 10/13 ground duels, 1/2 tackles, two interceptions, five recoveries, drew three fouls, and finished with 52 total touches.
2. Darek Formella, 7.9
In 89 minutes, Formella scored once with two shots and both on target, one big chance missed, completed 20 of 28 passes, 1/5 long balls, had 1/2 successful dribbles and dribbled past one defender, won 1/2 tackles, 3/6 ground duels, one interception, five recoveries, and finished with 40 total touches.
3. Juan Carlos Azocar, 7.5
In 90 minutes, Azocar had one shot on target and completed 18 of 28 passes, 1/5 long balls, had 3/5 successful dribbles, won 7/10 ground duels, 2/2 aerial duels, two clearances by header, three interceptions, six recoveries, drew two fouls, and finished with 60 total touches.
4. Joseph Nane, 7.5
In 90 minutes, Nane had one shot attempt and completed 23 of 30 passes,1/4 long balls, had 1/1 successful dribble and dribbled past one defender, won 2/4 tackles, 7/11 ground duels, 1/1 aerial duel, one clearance by header, nine recoveries, drew two fouls, and finished with 42 total touches.
5. Danny Barbir, 7.3
In 90 minutes, Barbir completed 33 of 46, 5/14 long balls, had 1/1 successful dribble, won 2/3 tackles, 4/4 ground duels, four clearances with one by header, two interceptions, three recoveries, two interceptions, and finished with 58 total touches.
6. Emrah Klimenta, 7.1
In 90 minutes, Klimenta completed 34 of 37 passes (92 percent), had 1/1 successful dribble and dribbled past one defender, one successful tackle in as many attempts, blocked two shots, three clearances with one by header, two interceptions, seven recoveries, and finished with 46 total touches.
7. Benny Diaz, 6.9
In 90 minutes, Diaz recorded four saves with three diving and completed 24 of 37 passes, 9/21 long balls, six throws, and eight recoveries.
8. Jose Hernandez, 6.9
In 90 minutes, Hernandez completed 35 of 37 passes (95 percent) with one key pass, 3/3 long balls, 1/2 successful dribbles and dribbled past five defenders, had 1/3 successful tackles, won 6/12 ground duels one interception, three recoveries, drew two fouls, and finished with 48 total touches.
9. Edgardo Rito, 6.8
In 90 minutes, Rito completed 20 of 25 passes, took one corner, had 2/5 successful dribbles and past one defender, won 4/10 ground duels, one clearance, two interceptions, six recoveries, drew one foul, and finished with 46 total touches.
10. Alejandro Fuenmayor, 6.6
In 80 minutes, Fuenmayor completed 27 of 34 passes, 5/11 long balls, dribbled past one defender, won one tackle in as many attempts, one clearance, four interceptions, six recoveries, drew one foul, conceded the penalty kick, and finished with 47 total touches.