Fifteen matches into the season, the Oakland Roots are one of the more difficult teams in the USL to evaluate. They sit in a playoff position, have established a clear identity under Ryan Martin, and are ahead of last year’s pace. Yet questions remain about their consistency and the attack’s overreliance on two players.
As the season reaches its midway point, here’s what I loved, hated, and remain unsure about after the 2-1 loss to New Mexico United.
Loved: The Recovery Time Ahead for Peter Wilson
It’s been a roller coaster ride for the defending Golden Boot winner. After the highs of scoring two goals against Phoenix to the lows of fearing a serious injury in the same match, Wilson and the Roots avoided disaster.
As Ryan Martin has done with all players coming off injury, Martin erred towards caution. Wilson came off the bench against New Mexico in the second half. His presence gave direction to what had been a rudderless attack in the first half. Wilson won and converted a penalty through his motor and strength. He got a quarter of the Roots’ total touches in the opposition box in a half. He highlighted the massive importance he holds to the Roots’ attack. As the matches without him have demonstrated, the Roots’ attack sputters without Wilson.
The loss to New Mexico was a critical one. Prior to the match, New Mexico sat behind the Roots’ in the standings, but had two games in hand. It was a critical opportunity for Oakland to take away a chance for New Mexico to make up ground. There were not many positives in the match. The silver lining lies in what comes next.
After the New Mexico match, the Roots play July 11 against Spokane Velocity in their final USL Cup match. With the Roots eliminated from the competition, expect the team to field most of its young players. Following the Spokane match, the Roots do not take the field again until July 22 at Lexington SC. When they do, the Roots will have only played in two league matches in 32 days.
As we’ve written about previously, the Roots’ attack revolves around Wolfgang Prentice and Peter Wilson to an unhealthy degree. With either of those two pillars at less than full strength, the offense comes crashing down. The way the schedule breaks buys the Roots time. And time is one of the most critical luxuries the Roots can get right now.
Unsure: What to Think of the Roots’ Season at the Midway Mark
While Wilson’s importance to the team is beyond debate, what to make of Oakland’s season as a whole is less certain.
The Roots hit the midway mark of the year fourth in the Western Conference with 21 points and a 5-6-4 record on the season. As Jon wrote in his post-match article, this puts them four points ahead of their pace last year.
If you told Roots’ supporters that they would reach the midway point of the season in a seed that awards a home-play off game, they would take it without hesitation. Add in the fact that the Roots are only six points out of first place, and it would seem like an opportunity that fans would jump at.
In spite of that, I am unsure what to think of the Roots’ season so far.
There definitely have been highs. The Roots lost only one one league match in the first two months of the season. Peter Wilson proving that last season was not a fluke. Wolfgang Prentice’s ascendance. Jesus de Vicente bouncing back from a difficult start to becoming an indispensable piece in the Roots’ attack.
The highs extended beyond individual performances. The team has put on some noteworthy performances. The midweek demolition of Las Vegas led by Wilson’s hat-trick. June’s shootout against Phoenix. Their gritty draw against Tampa Bay that marked the only points the Rowdies’ dropped at home until June.
Most importantly, the Roots possess a clear identity. After years of lacking one, it is critical that Oakland’s identity is abundantly clear. Finding a clear identity might be more important than their position in the table at this point. Teams can fluctuate in standings. A clear identity is more sustainable.
First and foremost, they are gritty and resilient. The Roots have scored five times in the final ten minutes to secure a draw or victory. They never quit fighting. In a city that prides itself on its blue-collar attitude, that matters. Second, they are a possession-based side that wants to get out in transition and attack teams with its abundance of weapons.
The only issue is that the offense has failed to launch many times this season. Matches against Colorado Springs, Birmingham, Miami, and the first match against Orange County all stand out as listless performances that echoed some of the lows of last year. The problems finishing throughout the season left points on the table that would have afforded Oakland a much more comfortable position in the standings.
And while it is true that if the season ended today, the Roots would host a playoff game, the same amount of points separate them from first to last in the Western Conference.
Two things can be true at once. The Roots are better than last season, but they are still not fully convincing. Inconsistency remains and the margin between hosting a playoff game and falling out of the playoff race is razor thin. But with a new coach, a clear identity, and signs of progress, the Roots enter the second half of the season with something they have lacked for years: a reason to believe the ship is headed in the right direction.
Hated: The Back Line’s Performance
Throughout the season, defensive issues have been another constant in the Roots’ season of inconsistency. They’ve conceded 22 goals this season and logged only two clean sheets.
On Saturday, the Roots fielded a back four that had not seen the field together. Neveal Hackshaw, Michael Edwards, Keegan Tingey, and Julian Bravo started the match. It might be a combination that doesn’t see the field again.
New Mexico constantly exploited the lineup and put forth one of their strongest offensive performances of the season. Their match xG of 1.72 exceeded their season average of 1.16. Their four big chances more than tripled their season average of 1.6. Their 16 shots also tracked ahead of New Mexico’s typical output of 11.8.
The Roots’ defense made one of the league’s most anemic offenses perform at the level of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
To be fair, Saturday’s struggles came under unusual circumstances. Without Danny Trejo and Florian Valot, Martin elected to move Jesus de Vicente up the pitch. De Vicente held up his share of the bargain, creating two chances for the attack. With no David Garcia either, Martin’s options were limited. The Roots’ hand was forced and New Mexico exploited it.
Like the experimentation without Peter Wilson, there is at least some value in the failure. Martin now has game tape showing exactly what this combination looks like on the pitch. The verdict was clear: this is a backline that struggled and may be a combination Oakland is reluctant to visit.
If the Roots’ season has shown anything, it’s that unusual circumstances will arise. Injuries and absences will continue to force Martin’s hand. The experiment didn’t produce the desired result, but it provided valuable information.
As the season progresses, it’s better to be prepared than lucky.