Hello and welcome to our mid-week live coverage of Oakland Roots hosting Orange County SC from Laney College Stadium. It marks the second meeting between the two sides as both teams look to creep up the table and into playoff contention. Oakland walks in at 2-7-4 with 13 points and two more matches played than Orange Count, which sits at 3-5-3 and 14 points.
Roots have lost just one out of the last 10 matches, but haven’t won since their 4-1 victory against Loudoun United on April 16. Óttar Magnús Karlsson remains tied for the league lead in goals with eight.
Some benefit to the Roots is that Orange County played on Friday and is traveling from Atlanta, where they tied 0-0. Bloom highlighted this match in his match preview earlier today:
As we harp on, traveling across time zones really messes teams up. That said, this is still a trash result. Atlanta are the second-worst defense in the league, and this was their first clean sheet of the season (also Orange County’s first clean sheet, lol). In fact, it was their first game since April 2 in which they conceded fewer than two. Possibly more embarrassing, Orange County only led xG 1.06-0.93 and had only a single shot on target, which is to say, they did not get particularly unlucky. Happy to be hosting Orange County on a short week where they traveled to the East Coast.
https://oaklandrootsblog.com/2022/06/01/oakland-roots-vs-orange-county-s-c-match-preview-june-1-2022/
Postgame interviews
Juan Guerra
Ottar Magnus Karlsson
RootsBlog Man of the Match
Ottar Magnus Karlsson
Who else would it be? The Big Fucking Viking came to save the day with a perfect free kick from around 10 yards above the area–burying his shot to the right post. He finished a terrific comeback, finishing his second free kick goal over Orange County this season. He’s not the Oakland Roots all-time leading scorer and holds the USL Championship lead with 10 goals.
Key Events
- OTTAR BRINGS EM BACK FROM DEATH
- AZOCAR GOAL – STOPPAGE
- OC goal – 65′
Free header from a corner.
- OC goal – 36′
PK after a handball.
- ROOTS GOAL – 9′
ROOTS GOAL. Ball trickles around, Ottar gets a foot on it and it goes in off Rakovsky’s hands and in.
- Oakland Roots Starting 11
Matias Fissore and Chuy Enriquez back in the lineup! Darek Formella gets the start opposite of Enriquez, while Emrah Klimenta starts as the right-sided centerback alongside Tarek Morad and Danny Barbir. Juan Carlos Azocar has yet to miss a game this season. There’s some heavy hearts tonight after the announcement of Memo Diaz’s father,
- Orange County Starting 11
Timeline
Gametime! It’s yet another critical match for Oakland Roots. It’s an opportunity to prove that their results don’t match their talent level.
OC corner – 2′
cleared out
Azocar ball in – 7′
Targets Ottar, can’t finish.
Formella targets Ottar, header whiffs
Roots corner – 9′
ROOTS GOAL. Ball trickles around, Ottar gets a foot on it and it goes in off Rakovsky’s hands and in.
Formella shot on target – 30′
Low shot, saved.
OC penalty 32′
Handball called on the Morad. Torres shoots straight down middle for the goal.
Benny save – 33′
leads to a corner.
Formella yellow card – 36′
dispute with ref
This ref sucks.
Roots corner – 44′
Roots set piece on edge of area – 45′
Azocar draws foul. Chuy shot in target tipped over.
Roots corner – 45+1′
foul on Roots.
First half notes
Roots have 4 shots, all on target, 1 big chance missed with 58% possession time. Likely Formella shot on target the big chance missed. Does well to convert a corner but would like a bit better finishing. A handball saves OC, who has 4 shots with 1 on target.
Formella shot on target – 51′
nicr pass from Emrah.
Barbir header cleared off line – 53′
Benny Diaz being checked out. Good to continue.
OC set piece – 59′
Caught by Benny.
OC corner -64′
Too easy OC goal. Wide open for the free header in the area. Unmarked set piece.
Johnsen on for Mati
Lindo on for Chuy – 69′
Roots set piece on left side of area – 72′
Azocar ball straight to keeper.
OC shot saved – 73′
OC set piece – 82′
sails over net.
Johnny on for Barbir – 83′
Roots corner – 90
Nothing.
AZOCAR TIES IT IN STOPPAGE!!!
Roots set piece 10 yards above area
OTTAR OH MY GOD