Roots fans it is game day once again! Roots host Sacramento Republic at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 4th at the iconic Oakland Coliseum in the first of three I-h80 Derbies of the 2025 season. The Roots are celebrating AAPI Heritage Night with, among other things, a halftime perforamance by P-Lo. To RootsBlog’s older readers (which, based on people who stop me at games, is all of you), you’ll know P-Lo from the WingStop Commercial. Here is the song from that commercial:
What I enjoy most about this music video is the energy that E-40 brings to his verse.1 Keep watching until the end so you can really experience the crash test dummy fever dream.
Roots’ last two league fixtures are both wins, and you wouldn’t know it because the vibes are
That is what happens when you get bounced from one cup and way behind the 8 ball in another cup, both against semi-pro teams. But, the Roots have seven points now! Where does that put us?
Around the Western Conference
(I wrote this before Saturday’s results and although I saw this issue coming, did nooooooooothing to prepare for it).
Oh, so it’s basically fine. Two points off of fifth.2 Now, it remains the case that Roots’ form is troubling, and those two cup wins start making a lucky win over Tulsa feel a little more suspect. Still, the damage done by the early season fixtures is pretty close to wiped away, at least as it relates to playoff qualification in the West (a home playoff game is a different question).
Everyone relevant only played in the Jagermeister cup this past weekend, so no new Western Conference results to discuss.
Sacramento’s Form
Republic have only a single league win, which is pretty hilarious through six games, although sitting a point behind Roots with a game in hand makes it somewhat less hilarious. Also Sacramento beat their semi-pro rival in the first week of Group Play in the Jagerbomb Cup and are still alive in the Open Cup, having dispatched the Burrito Lads, both somehow 1-0 home wins. Republic’s one league win was a 2-1 win over New Mexico United, both of Republic’s goals coming after New Mexico went down a man (well, one was a penalty on the foul that resulted in the red card, so that’s sorta an even strength goal). United are tied for first in the West and this is their only loss.
So, how did the game against AV Alta go? We’ll never know, because I’d much rather post highlights from a 2-2 goals fest in the league.
Republic’s goal looks offside to me, but I might be missing something. Republic’s second is a thing of beauty–a spinning volley by Dominik Wagner.
Roots’ Form
Oof.
Some folks have asked why Gagi isn’t starting for the Roots this season. I think those people should watch what Gagi does on the two goals the Roots concede. Is he solely at fault? No. Is he mostly at fault?3 The second one is really atrocious from Gagi, although the whole defense is on its back foot trying to deal with a breakway that Kai Greene could not snuff out despite manhandling a Velocity player. Credit to Gagi for getting the Roots only goal, though. I like the guy and I think he has a place on the team, but I think he is a good player prone to punishing lapses that we just cannot currently afford.
Anyway.
Our league form is still pretty good!
The good news is that the preferred starting lineup still generally loks pretty good. The bad news is that the bench is Panos Armenakas and tumbleweeds. The Roots really haven’t been outplayed since Tulsa (ironically a win) but the offense just cannot create goals reliably and the defense is not lock-down enough to turn 1-goal games into wins.
Lineup and Score Predictions
Bloom
5-2-3
McIntosh; Damm-Greene-Hackshaw-Bravo-Njie; Gibson-Bobosi; Sinisterra-Wilson-Prentice
I wouldn’t mind seeing Rasmussen over Njie. I am just being optimistic that Bravo is healthy, having apparently not traveled to Spokane.
1-0 Roots. Goal from Peter Wilson.
Jon
Peter and I have the exact same lineup, which is the same lineup as the last league win against Orange County. Assuming Bravo is available, I think Glinton runs what might be considered his A-team.
Goalfest. Drama. Roots win 3-2.
Aaron
We have a working hypothesis here at RootsBlog that this team, at present, will thrive* against teams who want to possess the ball, and look like ass against teams with no incentive to try and dominate possession. (* – look ok, be able to snatch a few wins, and generally be good value for a point, at least) This is not meant as a comprehensive explainer of the season to date, but the last few games suggest we are rooting for a team with all the tools to play effectively on the counter, but not really to score through methodical buildup play. Now, I have no idea how this plays out against Sacramento. I have watched the highlights of their match against Phoenix Rising, which makes me think the Roots are going to be in a good position here (lots of footage of Sac’s backline turning it over), but also Sac’s season stats suggest a team that is fine ceding possession. Hopefully a Roots squad out to prove itself can expose some similar weaknesses to what Rising did. 2-1 Roots.