The Roots left Phoenix with a 4-3 victory in a back-and-forth match. Peter Wilson’s role unlocked the attack, but his injury will force the team to find another way forward.
Loved: Peter Wilson’s Role and Impact
Peter Wilson won the Roots the match on Saturday. His two goals, assist, and earned penalty only tell part of the story.
Wilson is a difference-maker. That’s something the Roots and their fans know all too well. What was more interesting was how Ryan Martin deployed Wilson in this match.
On Saturday, the Roots frequently dropped Wilson deeper into the midfield, a tactical adjustment that addressed two of Oakland’s biggest problems: progressing the ball forward and breaking down set defenses. Below is Wilson’s touchmap against Phoenix:
Compare that to the match against Birmingham, where Wilson was deployed as he typically is:
Given Oakland’s recent offensive difficulties, the adjustment was a smart response. Wilson provided an extra passing option in the midfield. His 29 touches and 14 attempted passes both exceeded his season averages.
More importantly, deploying Wilson in this manner consistently forced Phoenix to make a decision: follow Wilson into the midfield or stay put. If the defender stayed put, Wilson progressed the ball forward or used the space to deliver passes. When the defense followed him, it created space behind the defense for others to exploit. Danny Trejo took advantage throughout the match, receiving balls over the top, attacking off line-breaking passes, and taking players on one-on-one in the added space.
The Roots’ third goal also demonstrated this. In the build-up, Wilson drops deeper and pulls his defender with him, creating space that Florian Valot runs into. As Wilson arrives into the box late, two defenders stay with him and leave space for Valot to relocate to and head the ball in.
After weeks of struggling to find offense, the Roots employed a tactic that unlocked the Phoenix defense. The only drawback is that it relied so heavily on Wilson’s gravity. With Wilson’s availability murky after being stretchered off the field, it will be back to the drawing board for Ryan Martin.
Unsure: How do the Roots Lineup Without Wilson?
If Wilson misses an extended period of time, the question becomes: how do the Roots line up?
Previously, we wrote positively about Martin’s experimentation without Wilson in the USL Cup match against Las Vegas and the league match against Miami FC. Due to those matches, Martin has tape on utilizing Danny Trejo as a lone striker and starting Florian Valot and Faysal Bettache together.
We’ve written previously about the Roots’ struggles with Trejo operating as the lone striker, while the Valot and Bettache duo produced more dangerous moments than the Trejo lineup.
If the match took place earlier in the season, Jackson Kiil would be in the conversation. After logging double digit minutes in eight of the Roots’ first nine matches as a substitute, he has not appeared as a sub for more than ten minutes in the past month and a half. Martin has not used him in two of the last five matches. On Saturday, Martin elected to sub in Bradley Roberson to see out the game.
There is no clear option to replace Wilson. There shouldn’t be. He’s arguably the best striker in the league.
Fortunately, the Roots have a week to evaluate options before traveling to New Mexico for a match on the Fourth of July.
Time and time again this season, Ryan Martin has made adjustments that work. Deploying Wilson deeper against Phoenix and attacking Orange County in transition are both examples. He will use the time effectively to find the best way forward without Wilson.
Trejo’s performance on Saturday and first goal of the season may further complicate things. The Roots may elect to try him out operating centrally one more time.
No lineup will be able to replace the presence of Wilson. The goal simply is to find one can that can tread water until his return.
Hated: How Peter Wilson’s Injury Recontextualizes the Past Month
While Wilson’s injury complicates roster decisions going forward, it also recontextualizes the last month of the season.
The Roots 3-2 loss to Orange County on May 23 now stings even more. Orange County sits atop the Western Conference by two points with a game in-hand. The match was winnable, but missed scoring opportunities and a costly error playing out from the back proved decisive.
The loss to Orange County stung, but the recent homestand now looks like the real missed opportunity. The Roots managed just two points from matches against Colorado Springs, Birmingham, and Miami. Those results were disappointing at the time. They look far worse now. Birmingham entered the match on three days’ rest and on a cross-country trip, while Miami was missing two key contributors due to World Cup duty. With Wilson potentially facing an extended absence, those dropped points now carry much greater weight.
The injury comes before a critical stretch in the Roots’ schedule. In July, the Roots face New Mexico (5th), Lexington (11th), and Sacramento (8th). Six points separate these teams. If the Roots had handled business on the homestand, they would have a buffer to handle a possible Wilson absence. Instead, they enter a critical stretch of the season without their most important player and little margin for error.
Still, the defining characteristic of this season has been resilience. The Roots consistently respond to adversity. Oakland has scored five times in the final ten minutes to secure a draw or victory. They’ve gone down in multiple games only to rally back. While finishing and defensive concentration have been uneven, grit has been the one constant.
If Wilson misses significant time, the Roots will need that resilience more than ever. The dropped points from the homestand cannot be recovered. They can only focus on the upcoming matches without their star striker. Still, the Roots have spent the entire season proving they respond when adversity strikes.
They will need to respond one more time.