Oakland Coliseum: The Prinx Tires USL Cup may not be officially over for the Oakland Roots, but Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of rival Sacramento Republic FC basically ends this chapter of the USL Cup for Oakland. I would say that the Oakland Roots gave it their all, but giving Monterey Bay their lone moment of joy this season and falling to Sacramento will leave a little bit of a disappointing taste once the year is over.
This was the first on-field loss for the Oakland Roots since falling 1-0 to Orange County SC on March 28th in the fourth week of the season.
Rest in peace to the 2026 Prinx Tries USL Cup. We knew you for such a short time, but you truly brought a shining light of something to our lives. Thankfully, USL League play is back next week. Where is a Jägermeister shot when you need one?
Here are our top-10 player ratings from Saturday.
1. Florian Valot, 7.3
You can tell what type of game Saturday was with Florian Valot taking the top rating this week, as the veteran Frenchman was good, but not great in the 1-0 defeat. Valot took the most shots at three and managed two of those on frame. Still no goals or assists yet for the 33-year-old.
2. Neveal Hackshaw, 7.0
I’ll say it. Neveal Hackshaw was the best Oakland Root on Saturday evening, as the defender may have had his best game of the season. Hackshaw commanded the backline and had six defensive contributions alongside seven recoveries. Did it help that Sacramento Republic didn’t have any burners on the outside to take advantage of Hackshaw’s weakness? Of course, but Hackshaw continues to be at least serviceable next to Michael Edwards.
3. Tommy McCabe, 7.0
Tommy McCabe will rest when he is dead. This appears to be the Ryan Martin preferred treatment for Tommy McCabe, and the captain hasn’t missed a minute of playing time this season. We will see at the end of the year if this minute’s load was a mistake or not, but McCabe continues to be the engine that powers the Oakland Roots.
4. Michael Edwards, 6.9
The Oakland Roots defense only gave up one goal on Saturday evening, and over this season, that has usually been good enough for a victory. That wasn’t the case against Sacramento, but Michael Edwards and Neveal Hackshaw still performed well in defeat.
5. Keegan Tingey, 6.9
First full 90 minutes of the season for Keegan Tingey, and it appears the free agent signing is finally getting into full game shape. Tingey made the start at left back and continues to build his chemistry with Tommy McCabe. The 25-year-old was only 71% on passing accuracy and that will be something to watch against Orange County SC.
6. Danny Trejo, 6.8
Danny Trejo only had 17 minutes of game time, but the veteran striker nearly had the equalizer in the final minutes after bouncing a rocket shot off the left post. With the depth in attack for the Oakland Roots I could see these super sub minutes being the future for Trejo. Allow him to use his full tank for about 20 minutes if you need a goal late in a contest, but the days of starting Trejo could be over.
7. Tyler Gibson, 6.6
Tyler Gibson returned to the starting lineup this week and played a full 90 minutes. This was the first time this season Gibson has played a full contest and the first since the 3-0 home victory over Lexington SC last October. Gibson gave great heart in his defending this week and looks to be nearly recovered from his injuries earlier this season. I don’t think he is the season-long starter at right back, but he has become a serviceable veteran off the bench.
8. Jesus de Vicente, 6.4
Danny Phantom, Casper The Friendly Ghost, Jesus de Vicente, and Moaning Myrtle. Truly, some of the top ghost performances in recent memory. In all seriousness, de Vicente really didn’t stand out on Saturday evening. The 25-year-old from Spain played 31 minutes and had 1 defensive contribution in that span.
9. Tucker Lepley, 6.3
First start for Tucker Lepley, as the midfielder saw his first full game action in months, according to head coach Ryan Martin. The 24-year-old on loan from the LA Galaxy started on the right side before eventually making his way to the midfield after Ali Elmasnaouy was subbed off at halftime. Lepley brings energy and it will be interesting to see what position he eventually ends up in.
10. Charlie Wachs, Debut
Full disclosure here. Charlie Wachs doesn’t have a score this week, but the 16-year-old Oakland native did make his professional debut in the 82nd minute. The Bishop O’Dowd sophomore is one of the youngest players to make a debut for the Roots. The youngster definitely shows potential and it will be interesting to see how he develops over this season. Many other California teams were eyeing Wachs before the Roots made sure to keep him in-house.