Oakland Roots took a 1-nil loss to Orange County to end its USL Jägermeister Cup campaign on Saturday. Despite looking productive with 11 shots, six on target, and a clinical counterattack by OCSC in the 30th minute ultimately led to Roots’ demise.
“The positive is that I don’t think we lost that game because of a lack of being mentally prepared for it or taking the opponent too lightly. I don’t think taking the foot off the gas is the reason we didn’t have a good performance. I was pleased from a mental perspective in what they gave, but from a soccer perspective, it just wasn’t us, especially on the offensive half of things,” coach Benny Feilhaber said.
On Orange County’s buildup to goal, the ball worked to Cameron Dunbar around midfield before sending a pass through Roots’ back line to Bryce Jamison charging in behind. Jamison did well to hold off Camden Riley as he worked toward the box, lofting an accurate shot past Raphael Spiegel for the score.
Roots had the game’s first chance in the sixth minute when Morey Doner took a shot on target, which bounced to newcomer Faysal Bettache for a header on target to force a quick double save from OC goalkeeper Tetsuya Kandono. Oakland finished with five shot attempts, with four of them on target in the first half.
Oakland had another close look in the 55th minute when 21-year-old striker EJ Johnson forced a goal-line save by Orange County after dribbling around Kandono. Johnson had another shot on target near the end of the match at 90+5′ after weaving between two defenders, but his shot went straight to Kandono.
Despite recording six more shots with three on target, Roots were unable to find an equalizer. Here are our talking points coming out of Saturday’s match.
Talking Points
- Productive looks, but not at the end of them
Oakland continuously showed ease in pushing the ball downfield against Orange County, working the wide channels before attempting numerous centering passes. Roots wound up taking 24 touches inside the opponent’s box compared to OC’s 10, proving they can move the ball down toward the endline with much more ease than Gavin Glinton’s final days at the helm.
But the issue, however, was turning productive moments into clinical finishes.
“Our offense was slow, passes weren’t getting to anyone with the intensity with which we want those passes to be played. We weren’t offering offensive advantages for guys receiving the balls and playing side-to-side instead of north and south,” Feilhaber said.
Oakland worked the ball out wide to Morey Doner and Jurgen Damm in the first half time and again. Doner finished with 71 touches in his 77 minutes, while Damm had 23 in 45 minutes. Wolfgang Prentice kicked out wide after starting in the #9 role, finishing with 48 total touches after having just 11 in the first half.
Although Roots were able to easily take the ball into dangerous areas, the execution was lacking in finishing plays.
“I just don’t think the execution of the moment was there,” Feilhaber said. “I think they understand the game plan. I don’t think it’s a tactical thing. A lot in the second half, we were getting into those areas of the field, but the service and the runs in the box weren’t as good as they needed to be. If they are going to sit in a low block for the entire second half, it’s hard to break them down through the middle. In moments like that, it’s quality over quantity.”
Ali Elmasnaouy reiterated that they needed to be a little faster to break Orange County’s low block in the second half.
“Overall, we’re just a couple of steps off it,” Elmasnaouy said. “We’re a little bit too slow and coach was telling us to be a little bit quicker to move the ball. Orange County was sitting back, so we needed to move the ball faster to shift them. We just weren’t quite dynamic enough, but I think we had the right attitude coming in. We had some good ideas, but sometimes it’s difficult to put them away.”
- Faysal Bettache shows quality in first game
Faysal Bettache made his Oakland Roots debut after being acquired in a transfer from FC Tulsa on July 22. He had a productive outing with 90 minutes, already outdoing his amount of USL Championship minutes in Tulsa.
Bettache finished with two shots on target, created one scoring chance, completed seven passes into the final third, and took three touches in the box.
“I’ve coached against him for two years in MLS Next Pro. I knew Faysal quite a bit from his time at St. Louis City II and Tacoma Defiance. He’s got an innate quality to hold the ball at his feet and find different passes that others can’t,” Feilhaber described.
Feilhaber went on to compare Bettache to teammate Panos Armenakas.
“You can compare him a little bit to Panos with his ability to pick out the last pass and create a shot for himself,” Feilhaber said. “I think we saw that in training this week. We wanted to put him out there for as long as possible; it bodes well that he was able to get through the 90 minutes.”
Bettache appeared to roam the field at different points on Saturday, taking touches along the left side, right side, and centrally.
“I see him mostly as one of those #10 positions that Panos and Danny [Gomez] have been playing quite a bit,” Feilhaber said. “I think he offers something a little different than both of them in certain ways. They all can play in the #6 as well, so they are very versatile in that sense. He offers something a little bit different. We’ll see the chemistry between the players and how they fit.”
Feilhaber doesn’t think they’ve finalized where exactly they think Bettache will fit best.
“The decision is definitely not made yet as to where he can play. I think he can play in any of those four central positions, for sure.”
- Ali Elmasnaouy’s first appearance post-contract
Ali Elmasnaouy finalized his first pro contract leading into Saturday’s game while also making his eighth straight start under Feilhaber. It’s a revelation that has surprised some in Oakland’s fanbase, but it’s an ascent people on the inside have long expected.
“He’s a great footballer. He reads the ball really well, has a great touch, and a desire to play the ball forward. He’s just got a lot of quality and the sky is the limit. He’s just 20 years old and has shown he can improve in every single game. He takes in information and is very coachable. I have a lot of ambition for him to find a lot of success in his career. I’m excited to work with him,” Feilhaber said.
Elmasnaouy burst onto the scene for Roots when scoring the game-winning goal against El Farolito in last year’s U.S. Open Cup. Last year, Ali had just seven appearances and one start for 179 minutes. This time around, Elmasnaouy already has 14 appearances and is approaching 1,000 minutes with over 770 thus far.
Reflecting back to Elmasnaouy’s game-winner against El Farolito, the 20-year-old Berkeley High graduate acknowledged that the newness of being a professional soccer player is wearing off.
“It’s great to be recognized with a contract, but being midseason means you have to focus on the season. We have a larger goal of going into the playoffs, so it feels like that newness has worn off,” Elmasnaouy said.
“I feel like I’ve been a part of the team because I started in the preseason, and I didn’t do that last year.”
It’s been over a year since Elmasnaouy scored the goal against El Farolito in April 2024. Ali now has starting experience, the trust of the coaching staff, and a shorter hairdo.
“That was literally my first moment on Oakland Roots. I barely understood the first team and was so new to it. I was barely training and got the first 15 minutes of my career. Now I feel like I want to be an important member of the team and help us win. Back then, I was just happy to step on the field. Now, I know that I’m hear, can’t feel like a newcomer, and try to have a positive impact like everyone else.”
Elmasnaouy only had six appearances under Gavin Glinton, largely appearing as a substitute. Since Feilhaber’s arrival, the stance on Ali clearly changed from prospect to everyday starter.
“Being played Benny’s first week showed unbelievable trust in me,” Elmasnaouy said. “I really do feel blessed to have a coaching staff that believes in me. It gives me the confidence to go out there and do my best and also gives me the drive to do right by them. They’ve given me this responsibility, so I need to go out there and do well. Like they are helping me, so I need to help them. It’s honestly unreal to have the support.”
Despite being one of the shining stars of the team right now, Elmasnaouy understands that nothing is given and someone can take his spot if he’s not working up to standard.
“I still feel like I’m fighting for my spot every week and need to prove myself in training. I definitely know I need to perform on the weekend and during the week to keep my spot. No one’s spot is solidified. We have quality and depth, so we know the coaches aren’t afraid to make a change. It keeps you sharp,” Elmasnaouy said.
- Jürgen Damm update
Jürgen Damm came off at halftime after making his first appearance since June 21 against Birmingham. He appeared to be limping toward Roots’ bench as the second half got underway.
Feilhaber commented that Damm has been dealing with a lingering ankle injury.
“He’s okay. I don’t think he picked up anything new, but his ankle still wasn’t 100 percent” Feilhaber said. “I think he expected it to feel better than it did, so it was a little bit surprising. I haven’t gotten the medical part of it yet, but he looked a little uncomfortable in the first half.”
Feilhaber added that they wanted to give Damm at least 45 minutes, which they were able to accomplish. The break until August 9, hopefully, gives Damm enough time to recuperate from what may be a persistent problem.
“We want to make sure we give him opportunities to get back into fitness. We wanted to give him at least 45; I was hoping to keep him a bit longer. But because he didn’t look quite himself, I thought it made sense to take him off,” Feilhaber said.
Postgame Press Conference
Starting Lineups
- Oakland Roots
It’s a squad that has some rotation, but is overall very strong with a lot of starters. Of note, no Peter Wilson in the entire lineup, but Faysal Bettache makes his debut. Jürgen Damm is back in, while I’m interested to see if Wolfgang Prentice is the #9 without Wilson. Kai Greene returns to the starting 11, while there’s no rest for Elmasnaouy–he gets the nod again.
- Orange County
Timeline
Morey Doner play in the box, he takes a shot on target that deflects back to Faysal, who heads it on target – 6′
Starts with Jurgen Damm, who finds Panos in the middle of the field. Armenakas quickly kicks it out wide to Doner running in behind. Doner’s shot was saved and flies to Faysal.
Wolfgang then played in for a shot, but hes called offside.
OC corner – 10′
Header sails wide
Good buildup by Roots, but broken up in the box – 14′
Doner draws free kick in good area – 16′
On the right side, about 11 yards outside of elbow area.
Panos passes to Riley at far post, who heads it on target, but Gagi was called for a foul.
Corner – 20′
Doner does well to draw it, beating a defender one-on-one.
Ball eventually feeds back to Panos, who sends a pass to Faysal. He takes a shot on target, but its slow and easily handled.
OC takes a shot on target – 21′
Wastes a good opportunity. Shot from atop the box rolls straight to Spiegel.
Ali takes a longshot on target, about 10 yards above the area – 23′
Ball almost bobbled by the keeper, but it was easily handled.
Ali draws a foul about 15 yards outside area – 24′
Panos ball in punched away.
OC corner – 26′
header away, OC retains.
Roots getting into good areas again. Doner fed on wing and sends central, but knocked away by a defender – 28′
Faysal looks for Wolfgang making a run into the box, but slightly overcooked – 30′
OC goal – 30′
OC does well to work the ball through the field. Dunbar gets the ball centrally and feeds the ball forward. OC’s Bryce Jamison take a shot a couple of yards outside the box and it sails past Spiegel. Jamison does well to hold off Riley to send an accurate shot in with Spigel off his line.
Ali draws free kick about 7 yards above area – 33′
Panos rolls it low to Jurgen Damm, but he’s called for a foul.
OC shot wide – 34′
Panos draws foul about 20 yards above area, plus it low to Ali and it leads to a turnover – 42′
Panos works the ball wide and finds Doner. He sends a low pass centrally and its cleared away. Common trend today – 45′
Damm draws a corner – 45+1′
Ball in bouncing around the area but eventually cleared.
First Half Notes:
Oakland Roots trail, arguably against the run of play. Roots have done well working the ball down the wide channels, leading to 61% possession, 5 shots, and 4 on target. Orange County clinical in the counter attack on Jamison’s goal. OC with 4 shots, 2 on target.
Damm is off, seems to be limping- 46′
EJ Johnson on.
Bobosi on for Gibson
Doner draws foul on right side – 47′
Near sideline.
Panos ball in cleared.
OC header on target- 49′
Bobosi low shot cleared – 51′
EJ shot cleared off the line- 55′
Good work around the GK by Johnson.
Corner – 61′
cleared out
OC longshot on target – 62′
Ali off for Gomez – 68′
Panos shot sails – 70′
Ball falls to him atop box. Takes it on a bounce
OC corner – 76′
Ilya on for Doner- 77′
Free kick good area – 81′
Drawn by Hackshaw 8 yards above area on left side.
Caught by GK
Riley down behind the play. They are checking him out.
Riley off for Saldana – 84′
Near giveaway Spiegel – 89′
shot hits crossbar. Lucky to not be down 2-nil.
Corner – 90′
Ilya shot sails – 90+1′
EJ shot on target – 90+4′
Weaves between 2 defenders and makes good contact on the shot, but goes straight at the GK.
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