Oakland Roots took a point on Saturday night, tying FC Tulsa in a gritty 1-1 draw at the Coliseum. Roots ended the night in sixth place of the USL Championship Western Conference at 2-3-1, but nine points keep them tied with fifth-place Sacramento Republic and fourth-place Phoenix Rising.
Oakland began the match hot when Michael Edwards sent a long pass from deep in Roots’ own defensive zone to Wolfgang Prentice, sprinting past Tulsa’s back line. alone in the back. Prentice caught up to the ball bouncing off the field, heading it by the keeper in the fourth minute.
But from there, the injury bug came back to bite Roots. Oakland had to shift its system multiple times in the first half after Julian Bravo went off in the 11th minute, followed by David Garcia suffering a knock of his own in the 38th. Then, with the pitch tilted in Tulsa’s favor, Neveal Hackshaw was red-carded following a tackle attempt to stop a breakaway by Remi Cabral in first-half stoppage time.
“When you look at it, even last week, the resilience of the group is incredible. I just told them I was incredibly proud of the way they fought for over half of the game a man down. We got a point, and even had some good spells, even a man down. Fatigue obviously came into it; two injuries, two substitutions in the first half, plus a red card — to come away with a point against the defending Western Conference champions, it’s a good night at the office. The fight to get something was impressive,” coach Ryan Martin said.
Dropping back into a defensive position to begin the second half, Roots were able to thwart many of Tulsa’s advances with several important saves by Raphael Spiegel. They finally capitalized in the 70th minute when a cross from the right side into the box from Owen Damm found Bailey Sparks in point-blank range, heading it home to level the match at 1-1.
Here are our talking points from Saturday night.
The soccer gods giveth and taketh away
Roots sure looked like they were heading onto a big performance after Wolfgang’s goal in the fourth minute of action. But as quickly as things seemed to be coming together, just as quickly they fell apart.
Bravo’s injury in the 11th minute resulted in Hackshaw entering the field as their left-side center back, pushing Michael Edwards to the right back spot, and Jesus de Vicente to his natural left back role after starting on the opposite side.
Then, de Vicente flipped the field, once again, after Garcia went down in the 38th. It caused Edwards to return to the RCB role, Wolfgang moved from left wing to left back, Faysal Bettache came in as the Central Attacking Midfielder, while Danny Trejo switched from the CAM spot to the left wing.
But the changes weren’t done. Following Hackshaw’s red card at 45+4′, Martin had to shift players around to an even greater level — going to a back-five with Bobosi Byaruhanga playing deeper than ever. At that point, Oakland somewhat sacrificed the CAM role to move Bettache to the right wing.
But despite all those changes and hardships, Roots still ground out a result. It’s something Martin is finding solace in.
“We counted it. Between Bobo, Jesus, and Mikey, they played at least four different positions or sides at some point throughout the night. It’s difficult to do that in the middle of the game. But what’s more impressive is the response. You can piss and moan when things start happening, but they didn’t. We’d shift them from left to right and go five in the back, and their response was to just get on with it. It shows the mentality of the group. They are disappointed we didn’t get three points, and when you’re in that mindset, it’s a recipe for good things going forward,” Martin said.
The injury bug and reinforcements
Bravo and Garcia’s injury adds to the team’s long list of woes through the season’s six matches. They join Keegan Tingey, Mark Fisher, and Tyler Gibson on Oakland’s growing list of players out of action.
Each of those players lines up in the full back and center back roles. When asked about the injuries along the back, Martin said he will talk with Director of Soccer, Nana Attakora, regarding potential reinforcements.
“We’ll talk to Nana and the medical staff to see how serious these are, and we’ll make decisions after that. It’s obviously an area of concern,” Martin said. “I’ll speak with Nana, we’ll have a conversation and see where it goes.”
Martin also mentioned that Tingey is “close” to returning, while Fisher is a “couple of weeks away.”
“Tingey is close to coming back, which helps us out quite a bit. Fisher is a couple of weeks away, and he can play center back and right back as well, so he gives us some flexibility,” Martin said.
As for Gibson, Martin said he is considered “day-to-day.” With Garcia, Martin indicated he hit his knee off the sideline boards, and he’ll undergo an MRI to determine its severity.
“Tyler is day-to-day, so I don’t think he’ll be far out. I guess David hit his knee on the sign, so we’re not sure what that looks like. He’ll get a scan tomorrow, but we have him in there with the doctors now. We’ll know more on Monday,” Martin said.
Wolfgang Prentice surging
Is Wolfgang Prentice nearing his peak? His form certainly gives that indication.
“He’s been incredible for us. We knew we’d want to get in behind them, and he got into a good place to score. He’s getting into really good places and creating a lot of chances. His work rate is incredible with the amount of ground he covers with high-speed running. He was playing left back by the end of the game and just got on with it. His performance tonight was spectacular,” Martin said.
Now with his fourth goal of the season, Prentice is tied for sixth place in the USL Championship’s Golden Boot race. He’s just one goal short of matching his total from last year, and certainly feels empowered to land more.
“Of course, I’m always happy to be on the scoresheet. I’ve had some good form so far, but I want to keep it going. I don’t want to stop at just four goals, I want to keep it going and stay sharp,” Prentice said.
His fourth-minute header goal was another example of his brilliant execution. It was similar to his header goal against New Mexico on March 14, while his recent score against Tampa Bay required more precise technical work.
“I’m just feeling really comfortable. Last year was good growth for me to have a full year in the Championship. It’s really translated over to this year, just to continue growing,” Prentice said. “As soon as I saw the ball come over, it took a huge skip. I saw the goalie come out, and I thought I would try the header. It was an instinctive moment just to try it.”
Because of Oakland’s injury issues, Prentice had to shift back to the left fullback role. Despite surging on the offensive end, position versatility isn’t foreign to him. Wolfgang appeared as a fullback in 2023 under Noah Delgado, while he was also a Central Attacking Midfielder during his stops at Northern Colorado Hailstorm and Forward Madison, respectively, in 2022 and 2023-2024.
“It comes back to people having to step up. Switching positions is not an easy thing to do. I think we all sucked it up and did the best we could to deal with it. We had to change our game, which wasn’t ideal, but we did what we could. On another day, I don’t think Tulsa could’ve dealt with us. We had them on their heels, but we just have to keep going,” Prentice said.
Raphael Spiegel’s best game in a Roots uniform
Raphael Spiegel was critical in Roots’ 1-1 tie. He finished with FotMob’s highest rating with an 8.2, recording seven saves, with each of them coming from shots inside the box. He also acted as a sweeper twice, had two high claims, and 15 recoveries.
It was a performance that ranks as his best so far in an Oakland Roots uniform, becoming a moment of redemption after his red card against Orange County.
Martin praised Spiegel for his resilience and ownership of the situation.
“I thought he was very good. The goalkeeping position is difficult in general; you get punished for one bad moment, and everyone talks about it. He owned up to the Orange County game and took responsibility. In life, all you can do is try to be better the next day, and that’s what I’ve asked of him. To his credit, he put his head down and came back strong. I was pleased with Rafa,” Martin said.
Michael Edwards emerging as leader
Michael Edwards has been an important piece to the Roots’ puzzle this season, appearing in all 540 minutes thus far. Only he, Bobosi Byaruhanga, and Tommy McCabe have done so at this point.
Aside from his dependability to stay on the field and his versatility to play in multiple spots, Martin mentioned that the defender is also emerging as a leader on the team. According to Oakland’s head coach, Edwards was the one who suggested some changes after they went down a man.
“It was Mikey who suggested that we maybe go with Florian [Valot] and Tommy [McCabe] at the 2, and maybe push Faysal a little higher when we were a man down. I thought it was a good idea, and it was easy for me to say, ‘Let’s try it, that makes a lot of sense.'” Martin said.
With Roots’ string of injuries at the right back spot, Edwards has been continuously pushing out wide.
“We’re asking him to do a lot. With Hackshaw getting a red card and David getting an injury, he had to work with someone he hadn’t worked with before. He did a good job in terms of leading,” Martin said.
His long ball to Prentice, along with his positional versatility, have both been signs of his potential. Martin said their goal for him is to get him back to MLS, or to become the “best” center back in the USL.
“He came down from an MLS team, so why didn’t he make it at an MLS level? How can we help put him in a position to get him back to the MLS, or be the best center back in the USL? That’s our goal for him, and with that comes high expectations, responsibility, and standards around communication, shifting the lines, keeping our compactness, and decision-making on how to build and where to go. He’s on the right path,” Martin said.
Martin said that Edwards’ passing ability was one of the reasons they identified him as a “no-brainer” for their roster.
“That was one of the reasons we brought him here. His ability to break lines and his range of passing. When Nana had a discussion about how we wanted to build out this year, he was a name that was a no-brainer to try to get here. We see what he can become. In our environment and the culture we’re trying to create, it will push him to where he wants to get,” Martin said.
Peter Wilson pressing
It marked another match where Peter Wilson couldn’t get off the schneid and break his scoring drought.
He had some great chances on Saturday night, but just couldn’t find the mark. Wilson was 1-on-1 with Tulsa GK Dane Jacomen in the 21st minute, but his shot went narrowly wide. Then, again in the 69th minute, Wilson had a shot in close distance saved by Jacomen.
Wilson looked noticeably dejected in his 21st-minute miss. It was a moment that perhaps hurt his spirits after missing opportunities at Tampa Bay.
Martin spoke about where Roots fell short against Tulsa, commenting that they “lacked composure” in both of the last two games. He also mentioned that he thinks Wilson could’ve dribbled around Jacomen to make things easier for him.
“To be honest, something we discussed after the Tampa game as well was a lack of composure. We got into some really good positions to score, but sometimes guys rush the final action. Guys try to get into the box, and what we call the Gold Zone, which is the wide areas of the 18-yard box, but when you get there, the top players slow the game down. Composure is the biggest one, we are getting in some really good places,” Martin said.
“Even Peter’s big chance tonight was like a lack of composure. I thought he could’ve dribbled the goalkeeper and tap that one in. That’s something we’ll hammer, but the good news is we’re getting to those spots. Now it’s how do we take the next step forward?”
Still, Martin acknowledges that Wilson is still making a great impact on the field despite not scoring goals. He compared his current form to when hockey players are “gripping the stick too tight,” which leads to missed chances.
“I thanked him for the efforts he’s putting in,” Martin said. “The runs he makes in behind, the amount of contact he’s taking, the work he does pressing, and the effort he shows in the air. The first thing I said was thanking him, the second was to smile, it will come. I read a story about it in hockey that when players are pressing because they aren’t scoring, they will grip the stick harder than normal. So, we don’t want pressure on him. Even if he isn’t scoring a goal, he still does a lot for the team. He will score goals, and we appreciate all he does, not just his goal scoring. He’s getting in the right spot; now it’s just finishing it.”
Press Conference
Starting Lineups
- Oakland Roots
Three changes for Oakland Roots from its previous lineup against Tampa Bay. Jesus de Vicente moves into the playing right back spot in place of Tyler Gibson. Faysal Bettache moves to the bench as well, while I’m curious to see who lines up at the CAM spot. It looks like a potentially potent attack with Peter Wilson, Wolfgang Prentice, Danny Trejo, and Bertin Jaqueson. That’s a lot of speed, I like it. Aside from that, no changes. Michael Edwards and David Garcia are the center back pairing, Julian Bravo at left back, while the midfield is once again Tommy McCabe and Bobosi Byaruhanga. Raphael Spiegel returns in goal. Florian Valot is also on the bench.
- FC Tulsa
Timeline
McCabe slow to get up early – 2′
WOLFGANG GOAL – 4′
Michael Edwards with a beautiful longball from deep in Roots own zone to Wolfy. Header on the bounce for the goal
Bravo goes down twice – 11′
Hackshaw coming on
Tulsa corner – 12″
Roots playing with 10 – 13′
Save by Spiegel
on comes Hackshaw – 13′
Edwards to RB, Hackshaw to LCB, de Vicente to LB
Wilson misses a big chance narrowly wide – 21′
Trejo shot on target – 31′
through close defense.
Tulsa shot very wide- 32′
Spiegel to hop on a shot on volley – 34′
Was probably going wide anyways, but good for Spiegel to rotate
Garcia being checked out – 38′
Garcia off for Faysal
De Vicente to the right side, Edwards to RCB, Wolfy to LB? Faysal to CAM, Trejo to LW
Roots corner – 45+2′
Hackshaw red carded – 45+4′
Cabral was through in behind on a ball over the top. Hackshaw slides through him from behind.
Tulsa free kick outside the box – 45+6′
about 3 feet outside the area.
Play short, Spiegel HUGE save
First half notes:
Well, Roots start strong with a great goal by Wolfgang Prentice, but things have been rough since. 2 injuries and a red card to Hackshaw leaves Oakland seriously short handed. Bravo went off early, then David Garcia. De Vicente goes from RB to LB, back to RB. Edwards and Hackshaw were the CB pairing until Hackshaw went off. Wolfgang forced to drop deeper to LB.
Roots 56% possession, 4 shots, 2 on target, could have 2 goals. Tulsa with 5 shots, 3 on target, big saves by Spiegel.
Tulsa hits the post – 48′
Tulsa corner – 49′
Tulsa ball across the face – 53′
Tulsa ball hits the crossbar – 53′
Tulsa header goes straight at Spiegel – 54′
Roots clear a ball away in front of the net – 57′
Kiil and Valot on for Trejo and Jaquesson – 62′
Bettache shot on target from distance – 63′
Tulsa owning 77% possession – 65′
Free kick from midfield – 68′
Wilson shot on target in close distance after quick throw in by Valot – 69′
Tulsa equalizer – 70′
Nice cross from Owen Damm to a header by Bailey Sparks in point-blank distance. Felt like something was coming from Tulsa, they’ve pressed the action.
Tulsa shot trails wide – 73′
Roots defense is busy this half.
Tulsa shot blocked wide for a corner – 75′
Tulsa header loops over – 77′
Spiegel getting checked out – 78′
Roots near giveaway, huge save by Spiegel on shot in the box – 86′
Tulsa header wide – 87′
Spiegel down again – 88′
Valot nice cross almost finds Wilson – 89′
Spiegel another dive – 89′
Stops another header in front
Tulsa free kick along left side – 90+3′
punched away by Spiegel.
Free kick along left side – 90+4′
Tulsa redirected shot targets far post, but goes wide – 90+5′