Oakland Roots snapped its five-match losing streak across all competitions with its 0-0 tie against Las Vegas Lights on Wednesday night, but it still left a lot to be desired. The result leaves Oakland in a two-way tie for 10th place, while the team has now gone scoreless in three of the last four games with just one goal during that span.
Roots nearly opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Bobosi Byaruhanga sent a rocket off the crossbar that ricocheted toward the goal line but not fully across before being cleared.
Las Vegas also sent multiple shot attempts off the woodwork throughout the 90 minutes, and those that did find their way on target were cleaned up thanks to the stellar play of Kendall McIntosh, who made multiple save-of-the-week worthy stops to keep Las Vegas off the scoreboard.
The squad looks to Saturday against El Paso in another critical Western Conference duel.
Here are our talking points from Wednesday.
Oh Roots… rootsy, roots, roots
Roots are still within striking distance of the playoff zone, now three points behind the final three playoff spots. But they are sure losing ground fast, which has become an all too familiar sight for the club over the years.
We’re currently around the time of Roots’ season where fans are looking at the schedule, thinking, “Surely the bleeding will stop.” But it never stops, and they are chasing after eighth place all the way to late October.
Now, that may be dramatic, and I hope it is. But Roots have struggled to create chances for long stretches throughout the season. On top of scoring one goal in four games, they went 302 minutes without a goal in late May to June when going scoreless against Colorado Springs and Miami. They are currently 248 minutes since their first-half goal against Sacramento on July 25.
They now have just three wins through their last 16 total games since their April 25 USL Cup penalty kick loss to Monterey Bay. Going back to the start of May, Oakland has accumulated just 10 points out of the last 36 in the league.
The trademark mid-to-late season collapse has been quite the curse for the club.
It started in 2023 when Roots got up to third place under Noah Delgado in late July and followed with a nine-game winless run to finish in 10th. Then in 2024, Oakland got up to second under Gavin Glinton in early July, but won four of the final 15 matches of the season to finish seventh. 2025 was a slog most of the way with Roots sputtering around 10th most of the season, but were similarly three points back of eighth place in late August under Benny Feilhaber.
This time around, Oakland got off to a record start under Ryan Martin, sitting in second place in early May.
As I watch Oakland continue its slide down the table, I hear Feilhaber’s words from his hallmark interview in October of last year ringing in my mind: “The teams aren’t good enough.”
In Feilhaber’s rant, he compared Roots to Botafogo, calling it a club where “crazy things can only happen to them.”
“…What just happened could only happen to Botafogo. I feel the same thing can be applied to Roots,” Feilhaber said at the time. He went on to pinpoint incorrect investing as the reason Roots has not been able to get it over the line.
Those words certainly seem to ring true in 2026.
That being said, I wholeheartedly feel Martin was the right investment for Roots to create sustained success. But what’s becoming clear is that investing in his roster requires time, and he should have the chance to discover all the right pieces for his system.
Roots made a bet on veteran talent with mainline attackers like Danny Trejo and Florian Valot, but are still waiting for results to come at a consistent level. Attacking wingers, Tucker Lepley and Bertin Jacquesson, also haven’t panned out at this point.
Moreover, it’s been tough for any lineup to develop chemistry, as players like Valot, Trejo, David Garcia, Keegan Tingey, Julian Bravo, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Tyler Gibson, Mark Fisher, and Tommy McCabe have all missed time due to injuries at different points.
That’s a lot of misses and poor circumstances, but there are signs of life.
Peter Wilson has continued producing top-of-the-league numbers under Martin, while Wolfgang Prentice is in the midst of a career year. Garcia and Michael Edwards have shown promise as top-level center backs, while Bobosi and McCabe were looking like a league-best CM partnership in the first three months of the season.
But things aren’t all said and done with 33 points still left for the taking. Oakland has the talent to find its form in the air-tight Western Conference. But for Roots, club history isn’t on their side.
Kendall McIntosh & David Garcia
Alright, sorry for hashing up the trauma, RootsFam. Things weren’t all bad on Wednesday night. Case in point, Kendall McIntosh and David Garcia.
If Roots had any Player of the Match, it was McIntosh, recording huge saves throughout the match.
He made a diving stop in the 21st minute to rob Marc Ybarra of a goal. Then in the 50th minute, McIntosh pawed away a shot by Johnny Rodriguez while falling to the floor before Neveal Hackshaw cleared a goal off the line. He then did well to gather a long shot at his feet in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
Garcia appeared in his first game since April and made the most of his six minutes of regulation. It was an encouraging sign for when the Spaniard returns to full health.
One minute after entering the match, Garcia drew a foul against Oalex Anderson when defending his own penalty area. He then blocked a shot by Abraham Okyere in the box at 90+4′
Starting Lineups
- Oakland Roots
Roots have three changes from Saturday’s match; Faysal Bettache fills in for Tommy McCabe after the veteran midfielder suffered a head injury in the last game, Bertin Jacquesson moves in for Tucker Lepley on the right side, while Julian Bravo returns to the LB spot in place of Jesus de Vicente. Aside from that, no changes. Peter Wilson obviously starts at striker, Wolfgang Prentice locks down the left wing spot, Bobosi Byaruhanga starts opposite Faysal in the midfield, Florian Valot fits into the CAM spot, while the back line from left to right goes Bravo, Neveal Hackshaw, Michael Edwards, and Keegan Tingey.
Notable subs are David Garcia and newcomer Bruno Lapa.
- Las Vegas Lights
Timeline
Corner – 5′
Play short to Bettache, back to Valot and a cross that goes out the back.
Bravo sends a long shot on target – 6′
From about 10 yards above the box.
LV corner – 12′
Bobosi shot hits the crossbar! – 17′
I’ve been waiting for that all season. Bobosi rips a shot from 4 yards above the box, hits the bottom of the crossbar and near the goal line.
Corner – 18′
Valot finds Wilson for a header, but it goes across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick.
Big save McIntosh – 21′
Big chance for LV. Cross from a wide open player out wide on the right, finds Ybarra for a shot on the volley. McIntosh with a diving save
LV corner – 21′
LV owning possession at 65% – 27′
Corner – 40′
Valot not even close to a single Roots player. Ball sails straight through the box and behind everyone.
Jacquesson shot on target – 43′
Good feed in behind from Wilson, leads to Jacquesson pulling a shot from the right side of the box.
First Half Notes:
Oakland Roots have had a couple of good looks, but still not creating enough offensively. Bobosi with a shot off the crossbar, Bravo with a shot on target from distance, and Jacquesson with a shot on target in the box. Roots with 39% possession, 4 shots, 2 on target, 1 off the woodwork, and 5 touches in the box. LV with 2 shots, 1 on target, 4 touches in the box.
Roots a great run into the box, but Jacquesson’s centering pass has no one at the end of it – 47′
Looked like a great play in the making.
Hackshaw critically cuts off a centering pass by Anderson and shuts down a possible scoring chance – 48′
LV corner – 49′
Headed away, leads to an offside call on LV
McIntosh ROBS Johnny of a goal – 50′
Hackshaw with a hug clearance off the line soon after
Tingey being checked out – 51′
Looks distressed. De Vicente is coming on.
LV’s Probo sails a shot – 53′
Bravo a couple of nice dribbles in the box, leads to a shot that was blocked – 58′
Ball definitely hit a defender’s hand, but I don’t think it was going on target anyway.
Corner – 60′
Valot ball goes straight through the box, again.
LV corner – 63′
Ball cycles around and leads to a slow header on target.
Corner – 64′
De Vicente finds Wilson for a leaping header, but he can’t get it on target. Just missed over the crossbar.
LV hits the post on a header attempt – 65′
Really strong header by Anderson. Nice pass finds him between two defenders.
Lapa and Tingey come on – 66′
Jacquesson and Bettache off.
Roots steal a ball high but its leads to nothing – 70′
Wolfy sends a low ball and Wilson cuts it off. If he let it run to Lapa, it could’ve been a big chance.
LV free kick good area – 70′
Pinzon shot hits the crossbar.
Corner – 73′
Lapa taking it. Leads to a punch, draws another
Corner – 74′
De Vicente takes this one, leads to another punch.
Garcia and Kiil come on – 84′
Welcome back Garcia!
Bravo and Prentice off.
Pushes Edwards to RB, Garcia and Hackshaw the CB pair, De Vicente at LB
Bobosi cuts off a potential big chance for LV – 87′
Roots hanging on for dear life – 90+2′
LV continuously attacking the box.
Garcia blocks a shot in the box – 90+4′
Big stop for him.
Long throw-in leads to Lapa whiffing on an attempted volley – 90+5′
Long shot by LV, McIntosh handles it well – 90+5′
LV gets a last corner – 90+7′
Time carrying way over. Last play of the game.
Headed away by Hackshaw.
Roots escape Las Vegas with a point, but have now scored just one goal in four matches. Good to snap a 4-league match and 5-match losing streak, but Oakland really needed a win there.