Hello and welcome to the blog’s live coverage of Oakland Soul hosting Pleasanton RAGE at Merritt College. This could be a walk-over game for Oakland with Pleasanton boasting a 1-2-5 overall record walking into the match.
Today marks a critical day for Oakland beyond Soul’s game with United PDX and Oly Town competing in the USL W League Northwest Division–it will be a match that shapes the outcome of its division. Soul needs an Oly Town win to pretty much secure a spot in the postseason. If United PDX ties, Oakland essentially has to win every match other than the season-finale against SF Glens.
Bloom highlight’s Pleasanton’s season in today’s match preview:
Pleasanton have five points on one win and two draws (in theory you could have five draws, but those are the only available combination of results for five points). Their win was a 3-0 win over Academica in Turlock. (Every time I think about “Turlock” I think of Scruffy the Janitor from Futurama saying pronouncing “toilets” and “terlets“, although I also now see he doesn’t pronounce it “terlets.” I have Mandela-effected my own cartoon recall.) Other than that game, Pleasanton have only scored a single goal, which is extremely grim. So that is to say, their list of top scorers on the season is Kennedy Mayo (2), Marivic Lek-Miro, and Emily Fitzgerald. In their last three games they have lost to SF Glens 0-2 (pretty respectable tbh), lost 0-2 to Stockton Cargo (less respectable), and drawn Marin Sirens 0-0 (a defense even worse than Pleasanton’s). Five points has Pleasanton tied with Marin FC for 6th in the table. They will not be making the playoffs.
https://oaklandrootsblog.com/2023/06/18/oakland-soul-vs-pleasanton-rage-match-preview-june-18-2023/
RootsBlog Player of the Match – Sam Tran
It almost goes without saying that Sam Tran is our RootsBlog Player of the Match for scoring a hat trick. Her three-goal performance marked the team’s first hatty in team history and the entire organization’s first hat trick since Jack McInerney against Cal United Strikers in 2019. She bagged two goals in the first 10 minutes of play by scoring in the 4th and 7th minutes before coming through for her third goal in the 67th.
Starting Lineup
Now this looks more like Soul’s starting lineup during its 5-0-0 run. Miranda Nild and Sam Tran return up top with Nayeli Diaz in the 10-role. Sarah Mirr to the left and Jaida Nyby on the right provide width, while Tatianna Cunningham plays the CDM role. Aaliyah Schinaman returns to the starting lineup after suffering an injury against Cal Storm.
Timeline
GAMETIME! Let’s see what Soul can get done with this lineup, I’m going 510-0 for Oakland Soul.
SOUL GOAL – 4′
A BEAUTIFUL TOUCH BY A MIRANDA NILD PAST A DEFENDER. She takes a shot that trickles be the keeper and is cleaned up by Sam Tran for the goal.
SOUL GOAL – 7′
Sam Tran bags her brace on a move in transition.
SOUL GOAL – 13′
Ball cuts back to Nild in the middle of the area for the first-touch shot and goal. It’s 3-0!
Nild goal called off due to offside – 17′
Soul corner – 17′
Soul free kick – 21′
Soul corner – 22′
Mirr shot on target, nice stopovers into the area – 23′
draws corner
Soul corner- 23′
Fumbled by keeper. They eventually clear.
Soul free kick on side of box – 27′
Beautiful footwork by Nild.
Leads to Cunningham taking a shot on target
Nayeli shot on target from distance easily handled – 36′
SOUL GOAL – 38′
Nayeli recieves a cross in the box just a few feet in front of the keeper. Slots it home with her right foot.
Nild shot blocked – 45+1′
Great feed by Urteaga. Nild cuts back to herself, right footed shot blocked.
First half notes:
It’s a blowout already at 4-0 and the count will likely continue building. Sam Tran is one goal from a hat trick, Miranda Nild has one, and Nayeli Diaz has the fourth. Can Sam lock down Soul’s first hat trick?
Nild shot wide – 46′
Mirr shot on target saved and rebounds into play. Geis eventually takes a shot – 50′
Nyby shot trails very wide – 58′
Ceci takes a shot on target – 65′
SOUL GOAL – 67′
Sam Tran hatty! Cleans up her own shot for the score.
First hat trick in Oakland since Jack McInerney.
Jordan Geis shot saved – 71′
Vranesh shot on target – 80ish?
Vranesh shot high – 86′
Brinkman hits crossbar – 88′