Oakland Roots take a point in Charleston, tying 3-3 with the Battery. The result brings Oakland up to 25 points, now five points back of current eighth-place Phoenix Rising, which plays in the late slate of matches against Sacramento Republic.
Charleston scored first in the 26th minute when Cal Jennings headed home a free header inside the six-yard box. However, Roots tied it up right before halftime after Panos Armenakas drew a penalty kick, leading to EJ Johnson scoring his first goal in an Oakland uniform.
Battery regained the lead right out of the break, this time when MD Meyers was found unmarked in front of Oakland’s new for an easy goal.
But Roots weren’t done. After entering at halftime, Peter Wilson brought his team back from the dead with back-to-back goals in the 52nd and 55th minutes.
Wilson got his first at the end of great work in transition. Charging down the field, Armenakas played a pass to Faysal Bettache, who sent an inch-perfect pass to Wilson inside the box, clipping it past the keeper to tie it at 2-2.
Three minutes later, Wilson bagged his brace when Wolfgang Prentice made a long run in possession down the left side, playing a ball across the face of the net to Peter charging into the six-yard box for the tap-in–giving Oakland a 3-2 lead.
In the 75th, Rubio Rubin tied it up at 3-3 when sending a rocket straight at Roots GK Kendall McIntosh from an odd angle. Rubin’s shot hit off McIntosh’s palms, ricocheting backwards into the net.
Regarding our talking points, please be patient, RootsFam. It’s a mental health recovery type of weekend for this writer. Write-up likely coming Sunday night or Monday.
RootsBlog Player of the Match – Peter Wilson
We name Peter Wilson our RootsBlog Player of the Match for bagging a brace in his first appearance as a married man. He now has nine goals and three assists in the USL Championship, tied for 12th in the league with 12 goal contributions.
Wilson’s finishing came up huge for Oakland in just 45 minutes of action. Although he had just 10 touches, three of them came in the box. He logged two shots on targets, both goals, and completed all four of his pass attempts.
Starting Lineups
- Oakland Roots
Danny Trejo and Jurgen Damm have been ruled out with lower body injuries. Peter Wilson surprisingly moves to the bench, but is returning from being absent following his marriage. Wolfgang Prentice is on the bench, meaning EJ Johnson gets the start. Big opportunity for the 22 year old striker. Ali Elmasnaouy and Bobosi Byaruhanga return to the starting lineup. Ilya Alekseev gets the start with Damm out.
- Charleston Battery
Timeline
McIntosh big save on a redirected shot in close distance – 7′
MD Meyers with the first-touch shot
Charleston dominating possession with 87 percent – 10′
Charleston free kick – 9′
Shot hits off the post and straight to McIntosh, thankfully.
Gomez takes a shot that’s deflected – 14′
Roots settling into the game a bit more. Elmasnaouy with good work atop the box.
Charleston corner – 16′
Ball falls near post and nearly goes in. Looks like McIntosh got a piece of it.
Big diving save from McIntosh – 20′
Ycaza with the shot within the box
Charleston corner – 24′
Roots clear ball to the top of the box. Battery takes a shot that’s blocked and goes out for a throw.
Charleston scores easily – 26′
Cal Jennings makes it look easy. Charleston’s Dossantos plays down the left side, cross across the box, and Jenning is unmarked for the free header. Just too easy for Charleston in the first half.
Roots free kick – 29′
On the left side, a few yards outside the box near the end line. Good range for a right-footed shot.
Gomez ball goes straight to the first defender, cleared out. Wasted opportunity.
Roots free kick – 29′
Hard four by Houssou, luckily doesn’t pick up his second yellow.
Longer distance on the right side. Panos sends a long pass, eventually falls to Gomez. He takes a shot that’s blocked, leads to a CH counterattack but Roots retain ball around midfield.
Charleston corner – 34′
Roots are looking terrible defensively.
Hackshaw clears a potential goal off the line – 35′
Long ball leads to McIntosh rushing out for a punch. Ball deflects to Grant Smith, his header saved off the goal line by Hackshaw.
Charleston corner – 37′
Plays short, leads to nothing.
Charleston corner – 41′
Roots best look of the game – 42′
Panos with a GREAT pass to Ilya Alekseev making a run into the box. Ilya just doesn’t get good contact on it, and toes the ball straight to the keeper.
Ilya is playing everywhere. Making runs as a striker, has played on both sides – 44′
Another hard foul by Charleston on a player with a yellow, but no call on Akpunonu – 45+1
Roots could be up two players. Feilhaber is going off on the referee. Absolutely horrid officiating to eat the whistle on two clear-cut deserved second yellows.
Free kick – 45+2′
Panos ball falls to Gagi atop the box. Gagi takes a shot on the volley out of the air and it skims by the right post.
ROOTS PENALTY – 45+5′
Panos Armenakas draws a foul after a sloppy touch by Ycaza.
EJ Johnson steps to the spot. Going for his first Roots goal.
EJ sends it to the right side, it’s tied!
First Half Notes:
Oakland ties the match on a penalty kick. Definitely needed with Charleston dominating much of the action with 7 shots, 5 on target, 64 percent of the ball. Roots with 6 shots, 2 on target, looked a bit better as the first half wore on. Absolutely horrid officiating with Charleston getting away with 2 hard fouls on players already on a yellow.
Wolfgang and Peter Wilson sub in – 46′
Johnson and Ilya off.
Wow. Charleston scores – 46′
Meyers makes Oakland pay early in the second half. Blackstock with a ball from down the left side and nobody is there to mark Meyers in front of the net. Just too easy.
Bettache sends a longshot high – 49′
PETER WILSON GOAL – 52′
WILSOOOOOOOON. Great work in transition from Panos to Bettache, who sends an inch-perfect pass to Wilson inside the box. He clips it by the keeper, it’s tied 2-2!
ROOTS GOAL – 55′
OH MY GOD, WILSON X2. This time, Wolfgang takes a long dribble into the box and sends an absolutely perfect pass across the face of the goal to Wilson running into the 6-yard box for the tap in. OAKLAND LEADS!
Charleston corner – 62′
McIntosh misses the punch and ball clips off the post. Very fortunate to not give up an own goal there.
Charleston second corer – 62′
Ball in cleared out but Charleston retains possession.
Another good look in the box, but Wolfy takes a heavy touch and his centering pass goes to no one – 64′
Wolfy takes a shot/pass from the left side to the far post, goes a few yards wide of the post – 65′
Charleston shot very wide – 68′
Charleston corner – 70′
Gibson in for Elmasnaouy – 73′
Charleston corner – 73′
Punched away by McIntosh.
Rubin scores for Charleston – 75′
Not a good game from McIntosh. Rubin with a hard shot on the right side in an odd angle. It hits off McIntosh’s palms and ricochets into the net.
Charleston’s Torres takes a long shot that goes narrowly wide – 77′
Charleston with a lot of possession near Roots’ box – 80′
Roots counterattack squandered – 80′
Bobosi plays a pass to Wolfy, but he can’t get a shot off.
Jennings with a shot on target – 82′
Jenning’s another good look on a through-ball into the box. McIntosh rushes off his line to stop the shot with his foot – 83′
Cam Riley subs in for Bettache.
Charleston corner – 83′
Torres with a shot on target, curling ball from outside the box – 86′