Hello and welcome to the blog’s live coverage of Oakland Roots visiting Louisville City FC. It’s an important Saturday for third-place Oakland with other Western Conference teams in home-playoff contention also playing, like Orange County, San Diego, and Colorado Springs. Defeating the fifth-place Eastern side and defending finalists, Louisville, will be no easy task.
Roots come into the match at 11-7-7 with 40 points after defeating New Mexico 2-1 on Wednesday. Louisville, meanwhile, is coming off a 2-0 loss to Birmingham and tied the previous two. They haven’t won since a 3-0 win over Tulsa on August 4 and are undoubtedly looking to get back to their winning ways.
Bloom highlighted Louisville’s run of form in today’s match preview, where he named Cameron Lancaster, Wilson Harris, Amadou Dia, and Brian Ownby as his players to watch.
Not very good! Louisville has not been able to put together any particularly good runs of form this year, and now, with nine games remaining, you have to consider this a disappointing regular season for Louisville. Playoffs basically give you a second life, and Louisville will almost certainly still make the playoffs. But Louisville sit in fifth on the wrong side of games in hand of several of the teams they are chasing.
https://oaklandrootsblog.com/2023/08/26/louisville-city-vs-oakland-roots-match-preview-august-26-2023/
Initial Takeaways
- Too bad to give it away, but it wasn’t a strong performance. It was all Louisville for most of the first half before Roots scored right before halftime, while the host team completely dominated the second half aside from a couple of shots on target for Oakland–Johnny in 48th and Pelaez in second-half stoppage. It arguably should’ve been a much more lopsided score; Louisville had 23 shots, 10 shots on target, and 3 big scoring chances.
- Paul Blanchette was amazing, recording nine saves with two by dives. He would’ve been our MOTM with a tie or win.
- Roots are now tied for points with San Diego at 40. Orange County beat Sacramento 2-nil to secure third place with 43 points. Oakland up four points on sixth-place Colorado Springs, five points clear of Phoenix and El Paso.
Starting Lineups
- Oakland Roots Starting 11
Johnny returns to the starting lineup, but there’s more changes. Lindo Mfeka moves to the right side to give Cedeño a rest, Trayvone Reid continues at left wing. At left back is Wolfgang Prentice with Memo Diaz at right back, giving Bryan Tamacas a rest–he’s not included on the subs list. In the midfield continues Tarek Morad, while Napo Matsoso returns to the starting lineup, giving Oakland defensive stability. Matsoso facing his former club.
- Louisville City Starting 11
Timeline
GAME TIME! Can Oakland Roots take down the fifth-ranked Eastern side?
Paul huge save – 5′
Stops a 1-o-1 on Wynder.
Barbir shot from distance blocked – 9′
Wolfy shot high – 11′
Good work in transition by Roots.
Paul easy save – 13′
Paul double save – 16′
Jesus, I love this man.
End to end action with both teams moving quickly in transition.
LOU free kick – 22′
On left side about 10 yards outside area, Paul leaps to claim it at its high point. Looks like a receiver out there.
LOU corner – 24′
cleared for another corner.
LOU corner – 25′
Kept in. Continuous crosses into area cleared.
Reid shot on target – 28′
From distance, not a challenge
LOU corner – 34′
punched away by Paul, Louisville retains possession. Ball in grabbed by Paul.
Paul diving save, grabs it easily – 37′
LOU free header high – 42′
LOU free kick – 44′
Cleared
LOU shot from distanc wide – 45+1′
No LOU goal – 45+2′
Ball in and it trickles into net. Players make contact with Paul but there’s no call, ball comes out of Paul’s possession.
They call it a no-goal after a long deliberation.
ROOTS GOAL – stoppage
Memo a PERFECT ball in to Johnny for the goal. Completely against the run of play.
First half notes:
Roots score completely against the run of play and weren’t creating much. But Oakland builds into matches and did so again.
Roots with 43 percent possession, 4 shots, 2 on target. Louisville with 9 shots, 5 on target, missed 2 big scoring chances.
Johnny shot on target – 48′
Nice pass to him from Memo in area. Shot from a few feet in front on left side.
LOU corner – 50′
Cleared high, volley shot sails.
LOU free kick – 53′
On right side about 15 yards outside area.
Ball in batted around, eventually claimed by Paul.
LOU shot wide after giveaway – 56′
Paul save – 63′
Ownby shot on target, redirects a low pass to him on net.
LOU shot high – 64′
Pouwels sails it, open in the box. Needs to do better.
Roots block multiple shots – 67′
LOU shot from distance, Paul on it. Was probably going wide – 68′
Koze, Gomez, and Cedeño on for Wolfy, Lindo, Napo – 70′
LOU goal – 71′
Ownby scores after a giveaway in the back. Kose passed back to Hackshaw and it was bad.
LOU free kick – 73′
Paul there.
Reid shot on target – 76′
Great chance for Roots. Draws a corner.
Roots corner – 77′
Cycled around, leads to another.
Roots corner – 78′
cleared, keep possession.
Pelaez on for Johnny – 81′
LOU corner – 81′
Leads to a shot high.
Her on for Reid – 85′
LOU corner – 90′
LOU free kick – 90+1′
On left side, ball in header tipped onto the post by Paul. He’s amazing.
PELAEZ NEARLY STEALS IT – 90+4′
Long shot nearly bent it in. Tipped over the bar.
LOU free kick – 90+6′
Foul in a good shooting area for Louisville. Wall blocked it.
LOU corner – 90+7′
Louisville scores at the death. How was there no whistle.