Roots fell 0-2 to Lexington SC during their Wednesday league fixture on the road, conceding two goals in the second half to drop to sixth place in the USL Championship Western Conference.
Oakland started their matchup at Lexington SC looking refreshed and in control, but as the match progressed, Lexington turned the tides, eventually seizing momentum and keeping it en route to their victory.
For the first phase of the contest, Roots were dominant in possession and near the 20-minute mark began finding consistent opportunities to test the Lexington keeper.
But this momentum did not last, as Lexington started finding attacking success of their own, culminating in a shot that rifled off of the left post as the first half winded to a close.
Lexington capitalized on the momentum they had built in the end of the first half by opening up the scoring early in the second, when good buildup in the attacking third led to a low shot attempt from outside of the Oakland box which was redirected by Phillip Goodrum halfway through its flight and into the twine in the 50th minute to make it 0-1 Lexington.
Following the goal, Roots began to build back some of the momentum they had lost, looking hungry for an equalizer.
But Lexington doubled their lead despite this push from Oakland when a counterattack on a turnover directly following a Roots corner kick led to a three on one rush which resulted in an easy chip shot over Kendall McIntosh from Blaine Ferri to make it 0-2 in the 63rd minute.
Oakland had a few key scoring opportunities turned away by Lexington keeper Oliver Semmle in the final phase of play, disallowing Roots the hope of a potential comeback as the final whistle blew.
Roots will have just three days now to regroup, as they face a quick turnaround for their next match at the Oakland Coliseum versus NorCal rivals Sacramento Republic FC this Saturday, July 25th at 7 PM PT.
