The Roots closed out their USL Cup campaign with a 3-1 loss to Spokane Velocity, finishing fourth in their group with a 1-1-2 record. Although Oakland had nothing left to play for, Saturday’s match offered a few clues about the club’s present and future.
Loved: Seeing the Young Guys Play
With nothing to play for in the USL Cup, the Roots did what they needed to do: get the young guys playing time.
Emilio Martinez and Bradley Roberson started for the Roots, while Ali Elmasnaouy, Charlie Wachs, Luka Rosic, and Alejandro Caracheo Luna all saw the field as subs.
The results were a mixed bag, but that’s to be expected. The most important thing was to get them game-time reps, as these opportunities are extremely limited with the tight Western Conference playoff picture.
Martinez’s performance best encapsulated the experience and captured exactly why these matches matter.
Martinez appeared calm on the ball and completed 67/71 of his passes, trailing only Neveal Hackshaw and Tommy McCabe in completed passes. On the defensive end, he made his impact felt. He led the team in interceptions and recoveries. He especially made his presence felt early in the match, where he had multiple sliding interventions that deflected dangerous crosses out of bounds.
Still, the game offered him some moments to learn from. In the final moments of the match, Martinez engaged in a duel with former Root Anuar Pelaez after a direct ball. Pelaez used his grown-man strength to win the duel and convert the scoring opportunity for Spokane’s third goal of the afternoon.
Again, these moments are to be expected and they are valuable. Development isn’t about perfect performances. It’s about exposing players to situations they’ll eventually need to handle. Those moments are exactly why these opportunities matter. The lessons gained from the 90 minutes are difficult to replicate on a training pitch.
The only disappointing part is that it took the final USL Cup match of the year to see it.
Unsure: What to Make of Ali Elmasnaouy
While the match provided a straightforward opportunity for many of the Roots’ young players to gain valuable experience, it only clouded the picture surrounding Ali Elmasnaouy.
Elmasnaouy did not start, but came off the bench and played for 26 minutes. It was a productive appearance, as Elmasnaouy contributed on both sides of the pitch. He completed 24/25 passes, drew two fouls, and won 4/5 ground duels.
In a match with nothing to play for, the lack of a start indicates just how far down the depth chart Elmasnaouy has fallen. At minimum Bobosi Byaruhanga, Tommy McCabe, Tyler Gibson, Tucker Lepley and Florian Valot are ahead of Elmasnaouy.
Yet the most revealing part of his afternoon was not his performance. It was where he played.
Coach Ryan Martin subbed Elmasnaouy on for Faysal Bettache. At the same time, Martin subbed Charlie Wachs on for Jackson Kiil. Wachs took the more central position, while Elmasnaouy played in a much more outside role than typical. His heat map lays it out:
It may not matter. Many of the young players on Saturday played out of position. Martinez and Luka Rosic are listed as midfielders, but Martinez played center back and Rosic came in as an outside back.
Still, with the season Elmasnaouy has had so far, one can’t help but ponder what Saturday reflects about Martin’s views on Elmasnaouy.
Saturday did little to clarify Elmasnaouy’s place in the squad. If anything, it reinforced the growing belief that regular minutes elsewhere may be the best thing for his development.
Hated: Another Moment on the Raphael Spiegel Experience
How’s the saying go?
Death, taxes, and an interesting Raphael Spiegel moment?
With Kendall McIntosh injured, Raphael Spiegel drew the start for the Roots.
With the Roots still in the midst of a goalkeeping competition, any start is a chance for either player to gain the upper hand in the competition. Spiegel failed to seize the moment.
Instead, Spiegel took the Roots down what’s becoming an extremely familiar road: moments of brilliance and moments of self-inflicted chaos.
The good: Spiegel made two big saves in the match.
The bad: Spiegel committed an error that led to Spokane’s first goal. In the 34 minute, Spiegel attempted to play a loose ball out of the back. The pass took a deflection off of Luis Gil and fell into the path of Neco Brett, who put the ball into the back of the net.
The latest mistake comes months after Spiegel’s infamous red card for launching a second ball onto the field to stop a breakaway. It also marks his third error leading directly to a goal across all competition.
There’s something to be said about this sense of foreboding doom that looms over matches with Spiegel in goal. While he is extremely capable of great moments, there is a constant sense that the team is one moment away from catastrophe.
With Spiegel at goal, the team is living on a knife’s edge.
McIntosh has his own flaws. His height leads to struggles on set pieces and against shots to the upper corners. But at this point, the choice feels straightforward.
The Roots are in a playoff race where every point matters. With the Roots seven points from first and six points from last in the Western Conference, reducing avoidable mistakes has to be the priority.
If healthy, McIntosh should start going forward.
In a situation where every game matters, it’s better to dance with the devil you know than the one you don’t.