Oakland Roots’ leaky defense struck again, this time in a disastrous 3-nil loss to Rhode Island under a sunny Saturday sky. The result brings Roots’ record to 0-1-4 while allowing RIFC’s first win of the season and to out-do its goal total by one before the match.
After a somewhat productive opening 25 minutes, the flood gates opened for Rhode Island–scoring its goals within minutes of each other. The worst result of this young season, and it was matched with an equally bad performance. At this point, confidence within this side is hindered and there’s no clear solution in sight.
Rhode Island struck first in the 40th minute when Kwizera dispossessed Abdi Mohamed way too easily, whipped the ball in to Albert Dikwa to score in point blank range. Two minutes later, Kendall McIntosh turned away a log shot, but it fell opportunly to Clay Holstad for a thunderous strike. Then, at 45+5′, McIntosh was caught off his line as JJ Williams got the ball past him onrushing, and once he won that battle, he had an empty net to dribble towards and poke it home.
It was a beautiful day at the Coliseum, but a series of mistakes at the end of the second half and a lack of intensity through long stretches cost the Roots the opportunity to add to their solitary point this season.
Talking Points
- Foot off the pedal, a similar tone from Gavin Glinton
Oakland Roots actually started the first half with some positivity. Peter Wilson had a shot deflected out for a corner in the 2nd minute, then had a header on target in the 14th minute, while Wolfgang Prentice nearly chipped Koke Vegas in close distance four minutes later. However, that was the last of Oakland’s clear chances throughout the day and they struggled from that point on.
“There’s no sugar coating this; this is an unacceptable lack of responsibility. We had a game plan, and the few moments where we executed it, we created chances and got in behind. For some reason, we decided to take six touches and pass it to the guy right next to us so we could get ourselves in trouble,” Glinton said.
Glinton’s comments have been echoed through the early portion of the season back to last year. For another match, Glinton talked about the lack of effort he’s seeing.
“We’ve talked about our circulation speed, our ability to fight, and picking up second balls, but we were nowhere near them,” Glinton said. “We talked bout our rest defense positioning to stop the counterattacks. We got hit too many times because we didn’t feel like sprinting three seconds earlier, and we put ourselves in a bad position so we’re forced to recover. I’m tired of giving goals where we’ve got easy passes to make and we can break lines, but we want to take extra touches. I’m pissed.”
Glinton called their actions too “casual” in critical moments.
“There’s a casualness in important moments. Where we need to react quicker, we would rather jog two steps and then we’re chasing a play instead of being in control of it,” Glinton said. “
Roots finished with 56 percent of the ball after going into halftime in a 50-50 split, but only generated six shots with one on target. Oakland still has not generated double-digit shot attempts through five matches, while they still haven’t recorded more than three attempts on target.
“We wanted to get more possession, but it’s the type of possession that we need. It’s not guys standing on the ball, taking too many touches, and then sending a pass to the guy next to him to get blown up. We’ve talked about circulation with intent so we can create gaps to get forward. The preparation we need to go the little details isn’t happening on a consistent enough basis,” Glinton said.
After holding a clean sheet in its 0-0 tie with Las Vegas, today was a clear step back for Glinton.
“This is a terrible step backward with the strides we made from a defensive perspective. We didn’t want to give away what we put in last week. Maybe it’s asking too much at times, but I think the match plan is clear, and when you see guys being effective, it leads to us being in dangerous positions. But, for some reason, we don’t want to do the simple things that lead to success,” Glinton said.
Neveal Hackshaw thinks the team needs to be “more nasty.”
“I think we need to be more nasty,” Hackshaw said. “I got kicked like 2-3 times in the first minutes of the game. We need to be the same way; we need to be nasty when we don’t have the ball. It’s about being ruthless.”
- More miscues lead to goals
It was another match where Oakland shot itself in the foot time and again, leading to all three first-half goals by Rhode Island. Mistakes creating easy goals for the opposition has something following Roots through the first five matches of the season.
“Unacceptable first half where we were in control of the goals we gave; overplaying in the back with plenty of time to play forward and we get picked. Second goal, same thing, and then individual defending errors. And the third one, a transition moment where we’re 3v1 with the goal keeper and we get beat to every ball,” Glinton said.
Roots’ confidence seemed to get rattled after Rhode Island’s first goal, leading to RIFC quickly putting the game away.
“I think there was frustration from a big let down because it was a poor goal to give away,” Glinton said. “We need to regroup and get back at it, these are the moments where a game is difficult. I thought after the goal, we stopped working. These are the moments where you have to stand up and be a footballer; there’s character and bravery to be strong on the ball. We’ve got to make sure we are tougher to play against, stand up, and take accountability.”
What can Roots credit to the lack of attention that’s plagued them since last season? When asked if Gavin has noticed something within the group, he responded that he didn’t want to ignore the effort he’s seen in the previous two games.
“To be fair, I thought we were good in a lot of moments through the last 180 minutes before today,” Glinton said. “I think it’s moments where we’re not doing the dirty work that needs to be done. At this level, small details can lead to big cracks and that happened in rapid succession. Again, I wouldn’t say it’s something that’s been consistent throughout these five games, but today was a huge letdown.”
Without the mistakes, it’d be interesting to see what Roots’ results would’ve looked like. Hackshaw doesn’t feel they’ve been outplayed in any of the five matches thus far, and the self-inflicted errors have killed them every time.
“I can say no team in these first five games have outplayed us. It’s always been little mistakes that hurt us. We’ve given away goals and we need to stop that as a team. We need to be more careful with the ball, play more positive passes, and be more confident and brave. That’s what hurt us,” Hackshaw said.
- Again, the integration process is taking time
We’ve written about the jelling process after the last few matches. Today, Jurgen Damm and Julian Bravo received their first starts of the season, while Peter Wilson, Adbi Mohamed, Panos Armenakas, Kai Greene, and EJ Johnson continue to get premier minutes.
In today’s press conference, both Glinton and Neveal Hackshaw acknowledged how the team is still melding together.
“The group has been growing. We’re still getting players back in and together. It was Bobosi’s first match, Peter is continuing to get minutes, and Julian got his first start. We’re continuing to build, and sometimes these setbacks happen,” Glinton said.
“It’s a process. We have over 10 new players and we have to build the chemistry; it takes time. We played poorly; I’m not going to lie. We can do better as a team. I guarantee the results are going to change,” Hackshaw said.
Hackshaw pled to fans to give them patience and to understand that putting together results is no easy task when there are so many changes.
“The fans see the end result; that’s matchday. For us to jell as a team, it’s more about everyone being on board. Everyone needs to respect what the coaches say and not come into a game thinking they are the man. It’s a team sport and what the team wants instead of individual things,” Hackshaw saw.
- Neveal Hackshaw moves positions
Neveal Hackshaw appeared in the central midfield role for the first time this season, allowing Julian Bravo to start in his usual centerback spot opposite Kai Greene. Glinton was hoping that Hackshaw moving up would help their distribution.
“I think Hackshaw being in the midfield gives us an added option in our possession, distribution range, and ability to challenge in the midfield to pick up second balls. Julian as a centerback can do the job, as well as a left back,” Glinton said.
Hackshaw explained the move, reiterating they wanted to improve their passing out of the midfield.
“It was more about distributing the ball and creating triangles between me and the two centerbacks. We wanted to take the pressure off of the centerbacks. I’m comfortable playing the six; that’s my natural position. The gameplan was to control the midfield and distribute the ball,” Hackshaw said.
- Fans’ patience is wearing thin
The boos roaring from the Deep Roots section before halftime, coming out of the break, and at the final whistle were unmistakable. At the end of the 2024 season, the groups represented in the supporters’ section put out a threat to boycott after two straight late-season collapses, yet Roots are staring at just one point out of 15.
“It’s been really difficult to not get points for the fans. We know what they are bringing to the Coliseum and when we travel. It’s been a real focus to bring the right effort consistently. First and foremost, I’m the first to go there and hold my hand up to them because these results are not acceptable. We want to bring them joy. We need to make sure we’re being warriors for however long it takes week in, week out,” Glinton said.
“We’re gutted not to win in this homestand, but we all believe we’ll start winning very soon, and the first one is around the corner.”
Coaches and players were drowed by boos when approaching the Deep Roots at the end of the match.
“I’m sorry to the fans that we lost. I ask them to keep coming and fight for us. I believe in the team and know the results will change,” Hackshaw said. “It hurts that they are booing us, but I applaud my teammates for standing there. The fans want more; they have a standard, and I love that,” Hackshaw said.
“I’m begging, give us the opportunity and give us the time to get the system right.”
The moment led to an interesting interaction between the supporters and Hackshaw. The captain, speaking candidly, elaborated on the moment.
“I told them, we’re going to win, but we need time. Nothing happens before time,” Hackshaw said. “I told them they have high standards and I accept that, please have the high standards for us. You putting pressure on us makes us want to be better. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result, and that hurts them, but it hurts us the same way.”
“Man, I hate to lose. Sometimes, I cry; it hurts. I hate to lose. I just told my teammates, if anyone in here doesn’t hate losing, get out. That’s a mentality thing. Once you get into your system that you hate to lose, it has an effect on everyone. That winning mentality to make the last tackle and to make the pass to score. I asked them to believe in us and give us time.”
Starting Lineups
- Oakland Roots
Jürgen Damm and Julian Bravo make their debuts in the starting lineup. Abdi Mohamed continues to fill in for Riley, while Baboucarr Njie gets his second straight start. Bobosi makes his debut on the bench.
CM Tyler Gibson (injured; should be good to return next week at Tulsa). CB/CM Camden Riley (injured; should be good for next week).
- Rhode Island
Timeline
GAME TIME!!! Can Oakland Roots capture its first win of the season against last year’s Eastern finalists?
Free kick – 1′
Panos out the back
IVAN 1’: Right away (literally as the whistle blew) Panos Armenakas fell to the ground and was fouled, although I didn’t see since it was all so fast. The free kick from 10 yards into the Rhode Island half is a waste.
Corner – 3′
good movement into box, Peter Wilson shot deflected out.
IVAN: Peter Wilson has a tough angle but gets the shot off and the ball goes out for a corner, which Daniel Gomez takes. A foul to Grant Stoneman cancels it out and he looked a bit shaken up, but then jogged off. Setting a physical tone for this game, not unlike many Oakland Roots games to be fair.
IVAN 5’ Neveal Hackshaw can play either center back or in the heart of midfield, and he’s starting to favor drifting into midfield with Julian Bravo being the player to keep the backline at 4 strong. He takes a strong challenge by forward JJ Williams who receives the first yellow card on this sunny Oakland afternoon.
RI free kick good area – 9′
a couple yards outside elbow of box. Pass cleared out
IVAN: Rhode Island free kick on the left edge of the box is blocked by the wall. The ensuing attacking sequence fails to carve out an opening.
IVAN 11’: A looping ball made for an easy catch by Kendall McIntosh near his line, but a rush of Rhode Island players got toward him and conceded a foul.
IVAN 12’: Oakland Roots finding their passing rhythm weaving through the center of the park, although there were points where they opted to take an extra touch and methodically build up rather than push the issue. Still the opening 15 minutes, but there hasn’t been much offense since their early corner kick.
Peter Wilson header on target – 14′
Not a lot of power behind it. Easy grab, but good attempt and ball in by Wolfgang.
RI shot very wide – 14′
IVAN 16’: Roots are doing a good job holding onto possession and building up, until it comes down to the opposition final third. Their left sided attack fizzles out for a Rhode Island throw-in.
Wolfgang good chance in close distance – 18′
Near chips over Vegas off his line. Draws a corner.
IVAN Wolfgang Prentice looks to rectify not having a goal (somehow) in the last game against Las Vegas Lights and nearly chips Koke Vegas, who parries it to his right. Vegas then punches out the corner kick as it once again ends with another Rhode Island player on the ground in their six yard box.
Corner – 19′
Kai Greene called for a foul on an attempted header.
IVAN 23’: Baboucarr Njie looked badly beaten in the left by line by Rhode Island’s JJ Williams, but Njie slid in at the last moment to poke the ball away. Risky move, hopefully he doesn’t need to pull that one out of the bag again.
Nice tackle by Damm but RI retains – 24′
IVAN 26’: Neveal Hackshaw picked up a long blistering run from Frank Nodarse and shielded the ball out for a goal kick, no foul because it was expertly handled.
RI free kick in good area – 30′
Greene yellow carded on the play.
About 7 yards atop penalty area.
RI free kick from 25 yards – 31′
shot goes around wall but trails wide
IVAN 34’: Roots pressured the ball all the way back to Rhode Island’s keeper, and in the build back up Maxi Rodriguez makes a veteran move to draw a foul and possibly get Rhode Island’s momentum back. Not that it’s been seriously interrupted longer than a minute at a time.
RI shot blocked- 36′
From odd angle, never a challenge.
RI on front foot last 10 mins or so – 38′
RI slow header on target – 39′
RI goal – 40′
Product of a bad giveaway by Abdi. Gave it right to their right winger, cross in gets put away. Unlucky, but giveaways have plagued this team.
IVAN: A deserved goal for Rhode Island. Jokes Kwizera dispossed Abdi Mohamed way too easily, whipped the ball in to Albert Dikwa and he scored at point blank range. Just too many chances on that end, and not enough generated on the other.
Another bad goal allowed its 2-nil – 43
McIntosh turns away a long shot, but no one is tracking the rebound. Too easy for RI, they match their amount of goals so far this season already.
IVAN: Double trouble in quick fashion as Rhode Island ballooned their lead. 2-0 thanks to Clay Holstad’s thunderous strike, and this has to be a wakeup call for the Oakland Roots or this will get ugly. Rhode Island aren’t satisfied judging by Maxi Rodriguez barking instructions at his teammates.
Roots play in the box – 45′
Jurgen targets Wolfgang, who heads centrally. Can’t clean it up.
IVAN: Roots withstand another free kick situation but the counter attack comes to nothing because Baboucarr Njie tried to dribble past three or four players who closed him down. Roots win the ball back and Jurgen Damm whips in a cross from the right, but Panos Armenakas can’t get a clean contact. The response to going 2-0 down has to continue and improve from there.
RI makes it three – 45+5′
McIntosh caught off his line. Dribbled around, another easy goal.
IVAN: Things just went from bad to worse. 3-0 Rhode Island as JJ Williams got the ball past an onrushing Kendall McIntosh, and once he won that battle, he had an empty net to dribble towards and poke it home. I don’t see how Oakland Roots salvage anything from this game.
First half notes:
OOF, it’s 3-nil RIFC with 3 goals minutes before halftime. Roots with 3 shots, 1 on target, while RI explodes for 7 shots, 3 on target, and converted 2 big chances. Most of those shots came in the last 15 minutes.
IVAN: Even when it was 0-0 the performance wasn’t good enough. The goals only emphasized that further. There is a disconnect between how Gavin Glinton wants to play and the strengths of these players, but the players deserve their fair share of blame for poor execution. I expect to see one, if not two changes at halftime. More importantly, there needs to be a change in attitude.
Panos out for Sinisterra – 45′
IVAN: Sinisterra on for Armenakas. I appreciate Armenakas’s qualities and effort but little has gone right for him offensively. Sinisterra getting the entire second half is as good of a solution as you can make with a sub.
Corner – 48′
Gomez ball straight to keeper.
RIFC big chance in front by Dikwa – 51′
It should’ve been four, big stop by McIntosh.
Corner – 55′
Ball falls to Gomez, takes a strike but it sails high over the net.
IVAN: Sinisterra is making an impact in at least disrupting Maxi Rodriguez’s role in setting up players to make their dangerous moves. It’s still been mostly Rhode Island dictating the tempo, and at this point that’ll probably be the case for the remainder of this game.
IVAN 58’: JJ Williams connects a through ball to Noah Fuson and McIntosh makes the initial save. The second shot attempt required a goal line clearance from Julian Bravo
EJ on for Damm – 59′
Bobosi makes his debut, on for Bravo
IVAN 60’: Another dangerous Rhode Island attack that pulled multiple Roots players out of position, and Kai Greene had to make the last ditch attempt to rid the danger
RI free kick in good area – 63′
Babou hard tackle called for a foul. About six yards right of the box.
IVAN: Baboucarr Njie crunches Clay Holstad in a challenge that gives Rhode Island another free kick outside the box. Not that they need any more opportunities. It plays into their hands to continue to pull the strings of this match.
VAN 64’: Was Abdi Mohamed’s bicycle kick clearance unnecessary? Probably. Was it cool? Definitely. He’s had a rough game, so we’ll let him have that moment.
IVAN 66’: Yellow card for Maxi Rodriguez for the challenge on Sinisterra.
VAN 69’: Calls for a handball on Clay Holstad in his challenge on Wolfgang Prentice but it was just called an Oakland Roots throw in as the ball went out of play.
RI free kick good area – 72′
About 10 yards outside area on left side. Ball in cleared by a header by Hackshaw.
IVAN 72’ Rodriguez’s free kick from McIntosh’s right side just outside the box bounces out in its initial impact. Roots eventually concede a corner with Jojea Kwizera lurking back post. Nothing comes of it.
RI corner – 73′
Cleared out to Maxi Rodriguez, ball in goes over the net.
Sub, Ali Elmesnaouy on for Gomez. Rasmussen on as well – 74′
IVAN: Ali Elmasnaouy in for Daniel Gomez. Ali is still young himself but an injection of youth could help jolt the Roots into getting a goal late into this one.
For Rhode Island, Clay Holstad leaves the game after making in impact with that impressive second goal and is replaced by Rhode Island’s newest player Rio Hope-Gund, fresh off his contract expiring at New York City.
Roots free kick – 76′
Sinisterra draws it about 20 yards above the area. Baboucarr lines up over it. Pulls a shot about 30 yards over the net, almost hits the Oakland Forever tifo.
IVAN: Yellow card to Marc Ybarra, whose activity has been felt in keeping the Oakland Roots from doing much of anything offensively. It’s a free kick opportunity for Sinisterra about 30 yard outs and it would’ve hit the Oakland Forever tarp if not for the fencing.
RI corner – 77′
IVAN: Noah Fuson has an opportunity but Kai Greene pokes it out for a corner. Rhode Island have found so much success with these breakneck pace runs that keep catching Roots defenders off guard.
Bobosi shot blocked from distance, went into defender at point blank – 79′
IVAN 79’: Despite being wanted in midfield, Hackshaw is back playing center back. Still amnages to pick out a pass toward Sinisterra but the attack is dealt with. At least they’re trying everything, even in a difficult situation.
IVAN 80’: Justin Rasmussen finds Sinisterra at the edge of the box. The Colombian turns several times but everywhere he looks, there’s another yellow shirt denying a shot lane.
IVAN 81’: Rhode Island’s goal was empty for a split moment, but EJ Johnson was unable to get the ball under control in time.
Free kick dangerous area – 84′
EJ does well in drawing it a few feet above the penalty area on the right side. Babou and Rasmussen are lining up over it. Rasmussen with a strike, but it trails over the net.
IVAN: Free kick on the 18 yard line for the Oakland Roots. This needs to result in at least a shot on target, something positive to show for their efforts to take to Oklahoma next week. Njie and Rasmussen stand above the ball. They do a quick 1-2 pass for Rasmussen to strike it, and it goes over the bar.
IVAN 85’: Ali Elmasnaouy tries a cross to play EJ Johnson in behind, but the cross curved the other way. In many ways, this is symbolic of yet another disappointing performance.
Attendance: 4,765
IVAN 89’: When the worst thing to happen to Rhode Island is getting hit in the face with a ball, it’s been a great afternoon for the visitors. In all seriousness, glad the player is ok.