As the Roots return to the Coliseum to face FC Tulsa after an encouraging result at Tampa Bay, the questions are only growing. Injuries, form, and squad selection leave coach Ryan Martin with some real dilemmas. Below are three questions that stand out:
What do Roots do at right back?
Roots are running out of options at right back.
Tyler Gibson left last Saturday’s match, joining Keegan Tingey and Mark Fisher on the trainer’s table. Ryan Martin is short on reliable solutions. The situation is clear: options exist, but none are ideal.
Early in the season, Martin has valued continuity. If this continues, expect center back Michael Edwards to shift to right back and Neveal Hackshaw to enter the starting lineup. It’s a solution Oakland has used twice, but it’s a solution that comes with a cost. Moving Edwards breaks up the strong partnership between David Garcia and himself. The Roots get weaker at two spots in exchange for Hackshaw’s veteran experience.
Jesus de Vicente offers the cleanest alternative. After a difficult debut against Phoenix, de Vicente has appeared in each match and steadily improved. His progression comes at exactly the right time.
If Martin deems de Vicente ready for a larger role, it represents the most seamless option, even if de Vicente typically plays the opposite left side. The only hindrance may be Martin’s preference for experience on the field, like Hackshaw’s.
The final option may be a wild card. Oakland could call up someone from Project 51O, play winger/wingback Jesse Maldonado, or give Ali Elmasnaouy his first minutes of the season. However, with matches against struggling sides Las Vegas and Monterey Bay next week, Martin may save his experimentation for next week.
A caveat in all of this is the condition of Gibson. If his injury in Tampa was minuscule, it seems more than likely to see him continue at the right back spot.
For now, the Roots lack a good answer at right back. Saturday will reveal which Martin chooses.
Who does Martin start in the attack?
At the other end of the pitch, Oakland faces the opposite problem: an abundance of attacking options.
Wolfgang Prentice should remain firmly in the starting 11 after his scorching start. His four goal contributions are currently tied for second in the league, while his three goals lead the team.
Among wingers, Prentice is tied for first in goal contributions and also leads Roots in big chances created. The tally undersells his impact, as his service forced the own goal against Tampa Bay. He has been the engine of Oakland’s attack through the opening five matches.
Could defending Golden Boot winner Peter Wilson’s spot also be secure? Even without a goal this season, his impact of opening up the field and finding space despite soaking up attention is unmistakable. The Orange County match alone showed the void his absence creates in the middle of the field.
Assuming Prentice and Wilson are set, Martin is left with two spots for four players: Faysal Bettache, Florian Valot, Bertin Jacquesson, and Danny Trejo.
Bettache has quietly been one of Roots’ most consistent and strongest performers so far. However, Valot’s debut and Martin’s previous praise for Valot suggest a major role for Valot. Before the season, Martin spoke glowingly of Valot, calling him, “the best-second assist guy in the league… His ability to run and cover ground is still an MLS level. His pressing is fantastic.”
Martin’s extensive praise for Valot suggests a return to the starting lineup. However, Martin’s early-season approach suggests caution. After Bertin Jacquesson’s debut, Martin said the team took their time with him because they “didn’t want to jeopardize his health because we need him for the long haul.”
Earlier in the season, Martin discussed Trejo’s return from injury and the need to tamp down Trejo’s desire to immediately re-enter the starting eleven because “ we also can’t lose him for 6-8 weeks. If we do, then we’re in some trouble.” When discussing Keegan Tingey and Valot, he echoed similar sentiments: “We know it’s a 30-game regular season, plus four more games with the Cup. It’s a long season…We don’t want to fade out.”
All signs point to Martin playing the long game with Valot. I’m expecting Bettache to continue starting, with Valot slowly ramping up his minutes.
With Bettache showing quality in the Central Attacking Midfield spot, it’s worth noting that Valot actually took some touches out wide on the right side. It poses an interesting battle for the right-wing role between Jacquesson, Trejo, and maybe even Valot.
Going into the season, a healthy Trejo was considered a lock for the starting lineup. However, Jacquesson firmly inserted himself into the conversation since his debut against Orange County.
After the Orange County match, Martin spoke about Jacquesson’s ability to beat defenders. He stated, “Him and Trejo are the only two who can really beat people 1-on-1.” Martin also spoke about Jacquesson’s movement, noting he “was really good in getting in behind.” Martin rewarded Jacquesson with the start over Trejo last week.
Early in the season, a clear theme has emerged in Roots’ attack: the lack of a second attacker who can constantly exploit the attention Wilson draws in the box. Someone to make that second run.
Jacquesson fits that profile. His run on the Roots’ first goal against Tampa forced the defender into the error that led to the own goal. His 6’0 frame provides a more imposing physical presence than the 5’9 Trejo.
Martin could continue riding the hot hand and bring Trejo off the bench. It will come with the added benefit of protecting Trejo’s health.
Given the Roots’ injury luck this year, protecting players’ health might matter just as much as maximizing the starting 11’s talent.
Does Peter Wilson end his scoring drought?
Although Wilson seems like a lock for the starting lineup, the question remains: when will the goals come? In fact, Prentice is currently the only out-and-out forward with a goal on the roster.
Last year, Wilson opened the season slowly. He got himself into dangerous positions, but struggled to finish. He did not score his first goal until the seventh game of the season against Orange County. Two goals in three matches came after that, followed by a nearly two-month goal drought. After that, the floodgates broke open: 15 goals in 14 matches to win the Golden Boot.
This year looks familiar. He hasn’t scored yet. Still, everything else is there: the movement, the positioning, the chances. He is tied for second in the league in big chances missed with four. His 17 touches in the opposition box rank in the top 30% of the league.
A pessimist sees waste; an optimist sees a striker who keeps arriving in dangerous areas.
Last year, Wilson credited two factors to his scoring rampage: former coach Benny Feilhaber and his marriage. When speaking about Feilhaber, Wilson said, “He gave me that freedom… It was a system that fit me.” On his marriage, he reflected that, “Maybe I felt accomplished in life, maybe the power of the ring… If you feel good, you usually play good”
Regression to the mean suggests Wilson’s goal will come. He just needs to put one away to open the floodgates, like last season.
Wilson must get one to end the drought, though. Because if he doesn’t, Feilhaber is not walking through the door again. At that point, it might be time to renew his vows.