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Oakland Roots win 2-1 over New Mexico United, 2-0-0 start for first time in team history

Jonathan Comeaux

YES, BOYS!

Oakland Roots have started a season 2-0-0 for the first time in club history, beating New Mexico United 2-1 in front of 14,419 fans. Oakland finds itself in newfound territory, sitting atop the Western Conference with a two-point gap on the next four teams following Saturday’s slate of games.

Roots got on the board first in just seven minutes when Wolfgang Prentice put away a perfect header at the end of some terrific interplay. The play started with Tommy McCabe sending in a low pass to Tyler Gibson, who sent a backheel pass to Mark Fisher along the right side. Fisher sent a long cross on the button over a defender to find Prentice in front of the 6-yard box. Prentice floated his header to the opposite post for the opening goal.

Oakland nearly scored again in the 35th minute on some more great touch work. This time, Prentice fed Peter Wilson making a run toward the net, but Wilson’s shot couldn’t get by New Mexico goal keeper Kristopher Shakes, rushing off his line.

Despite New Mexico dominating possession in the second half, Roots still broke through in the 80th minute for its second goal. It started with Danny Trejo absolutely turning a defender inside out down the right side, whipping in a low cross to Jackson Kiil. The former Stanford Cardinal forward sent a shot on goal on his first touch, causing a diving save out of Shakes. The ball bounced off Wilson and into New Mexico’s Arturo Astorga, causing it to trickle into the net. It goes down as an own goal on Astorga.

New Mexico got one back just two minutes later, when Jake LaCava fed Justin Rennicks on a run into the box to roll one past Raphael Spiegel.

Here are our talking points and our RootsBlog Man of the Match.

I just can’t get enough

Can you feel it, RootsFam? Can you feel the electricity building around this team?

One word continues coming to mind when thinking about this team: camaraderie.

It’s something that eventually proved not to exist in Roots’ squads from previous years. But this time around, it’s a topic many people around the organization have quickly noticed. Without a doubt, it is something driving this year’s group.

“When Nana [Attakora] and I went out and brought in new players, and kept a lot of players that were still here, the biggest question was, could we find really good people that wanted to be a part of this project. They all have a belief that this is where they want to be and that we can create something special here,” head coach Ryan Martin said.

Martin mentioned that culture-building started very early, with players describing their life journeys before arriving in Oakland.

“It started with the recruitment process, and then throughout the preseason, we put them in situations where they could interact. It was deeper than just conversations. We did some things where they told their history of their journey and how they got here. We asked them to share some things that people might not know and that they might have in common. It could be something as simple as a pet peeve, so they can laugh. We tried to create deep, meaningful relationships so when things get hard, they know the guy next to them will have their back,” he said.

Tommy McCabe reiterated Martin’s words, saying the connections they are establishing is something they want to lean on when the times get tough.

“When you start preseason with a new coach, the big thing we’ve built on is how we create connections and how we understand each other’s stories. When you talk about suffering in tough moments, if you know the person you’re standing next to, what they care about, and what’s valuable to them, it can go a long way. That’s something we grew a lot over the preseason. It’s a close group,” McCabe said.

Back on Media Day on February 24, Tyler Gibson was asked to compare how this year’s team was building toward the season with what he saw in 2025. Gibson mentioned that they were already spending more time together.

“It’s been a night-and-day difference coming into this season compared to last year. Just the locker room and the group, I think we’ve already hung out more off the field. We actually enjoy each other’s company a lot more in the preseason than we did all of last year. I tell everyone that I think it’s a really good group, good people, and everyone is determined to win,” Gibson said.

System versatility

Oakland has visibly run multiple formations through its two matches, while the contrast between Weeks 1 and 2 was clear to see. Against Monterey the previous week, Roots dominated possession, finishing with 61 percent of the ball. On Saturday against New Mexico, it was nearly the opposite, coming away with just 36 percent possession.

Martin came to Roots after deploying one of the most possession and pass-heavy schemes in the USL Championship. But against New Mexico, Oakland showed they can get it done in more than one way.

“In six or seven years as a head coach, I’ve evolved quite a bit, I’d like to think. At the end of the day, possession only gets you so far. My big focus two years ago transitioned from how much possession we can create, to how many times we can get it to what we call the “Gold Zone.” We don’t want to be a top possession team; we want to be a top attacking team,” Martin said.

Martin mentioned that they eyed things to clean up from their match at Monterey.

“We created some pretty big chances. When you look back at the xG last weekend, it was quite low. That was something that we really wanted to improve. We wanted to get Peter [Wilson] more service, which we feel like we accomplished,” Martin said.

McCabe points out that teams in the Western Conference have more differing playing styles than in the Eastern Conference, where he played in Loudoun.

“That’s one of the things I was looking forward to. Coming out West, I think there’s more variety than how teams set up in the East. I think what’s unique is that every game is going to be a bit different, so we have to be adaptable. Teams want to impose their style with the ball a bit more in the West, so we have to be comfortable defending at times, but we also have to earn the ability to dominate with the ball. We didn’t do that enough tonight, but we were quite good defensively around the box,” McCabe.

Another packed Coliseum night

A total of 14,419 patrons filled the Coliseum, giving Oakland its second-largest attendance of all time after bringing in 26,575 in 2025’s opener. It’s nights like these where Roots show its potential as a sporting franchise and the heights it can reach.

Martin has been vocal about how the Oakland support was a big reason why he took the job, and he soaked up the atmosphere on Saturday night.

“That was special for the league as a whole. The fans really represented Oakland as a sports town. It helped give our guys a little extra juice to close out the game. I was in awe of what I saw. I’ve seen a lot of crowded stadiums, but not one with the collective energy and the collective belief in the city and the club,” Martin said.

McCabe wants to help provide a product that the fans can be proud of, and with more wins, keep them coming back.

“The atmosphere was incredible,” McCabe said. “I just spoke to my girlfriend and some friends; this was their first Oakland Roots game, and they were all blown away. We’ve been together for a variety of stops, and this was by far the best we’ve been to. The crowd was really special. I’m happy we can get a win for them so they can feel inspired by the commitment that we give to the club, so they want to keep coming back. The best way to do that is with wins and the performances we put in, so they can be proud of what they are seeing. We definitely feed off their energy.”

Danny Trejo nearing “full-go”

Danny Trejo entered the match in the 60th minute and was a catalyst in Roots’ goal 20 minutes later. He also made an immediate impact in their previous game at Monterey after entering in the 71st.

Trejo battled lingering injuries to close 2025 and has also had to ease through some issues at the start of this season. Martin mentioned that they are being “patient” with Trejo right now.

“We’re being patient with Danny Trejo. He wants to start and wants to be a big contributor, but we also can’t lose him for 6-8 weeks. If we do, then we’re in some trouble,” Martin said.

Martin added that Trejo is progressing toward “full-go.”

“He’s just been limited minute-wise. We maxed out his minutes in the last two games. We’re progressing; he is probably closer to full-go next week in terms of no minute restriction. But we’ve maxed out his minute restriction, and whatever I can get out of him, I did,” Martin said.

Florian Valot & Keegan Tingey injury updates

Roots’ newcomers Florian Valot and Keegan Tingey missed their second straight game, and it remains unclear when they will make their Oakland debuts.

Martin provided an update on both players, saying he doesn’t think they are far off from returning.

“We’re progressing,” Martin said. “I don’t think we’re far off on both guys. They weren’t overly serious, but we know it’s a 30-game regular season, plus four more games with the Cup. It’s a long season and everyone is excited, but the reality is we go bac to work on Monday and have to play again next weekend. We don’t want to fade out.”

RootsBlog Man of the Match: Ryan Martin

Our unconventional choice for RootsBlog Man of the Match is head coach Ryan Martin for leading Oakland Roots to its first two-game winning streak to start a season in club history. It’s been an incredible start to Martin’s tenure, having Roots fans feel like they are finally ascending to one of the league’s best teams.

The game itself was impressive, with Roots absorbing pressure and staying composed despite only finishing with 36 percent of the ball. It’s a testament to the work Martin has done to make sure his team is well-drilled and understands the system they are executing.

Well done, Mr. Martin.

Starting Lineup

No changes for Oakland Roots. Mark Fisher and Julian Bravo get their second look in the fullback roles, while David Garcia and Michael Edwards man the center-back spots. Tyler Gibson appears on the right side, once again, with Wolfgang Prentice on the opposite side. Faysal Bettache is in the #10 spot; he kicked out to the left against Monterey, so it will be interesting to see how he operates. Other non-surprises are Tommy McCabe and Bobosi Byaruhanga in the midfield spots and PIeter Wilson up top. Let’s see if Peter can get a bit more action than he did in Monterey.

Timeline

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