The first half-hour unfolded slowly, with the home team, New Mexico United, having the better share of play during the initial 30 minutes against Oakland Roots. Despite this slight control, the hosts failed to create any genuinely perilous opportunities to gain an advantage.
Oakland generated the first on-target shot when a Neveal Hackshaw header from a corner kick landed straight into the hands of the New Mexico goalkeeper. Furthermore, Oakland had a couple of set-piece opportunities just outside the box that didn’t pose a threat to their opponent’s goal.
The breakthrough for Oakland came when a perfectly placed ball found Danny Barbir, who delivered a precise cross to Anuar Peláez. Peláez capitalized on the opportunity, scoring the opening goal from a distance of 5 yards, giving Roots a 1-0 lead.
In the moments just before the halftime whistle, Paul Blanchette showcased his goalkeeping prowess for Oakland Roots by making a remarkable save, cementing his team’s lead going into halftime.
Oakland emerged aggressively in the second half, with Danny Barbir connecting with Trayvone Reid to secure Roots’ second goal of the match in the 52nd minute. Holding a 2-0 lead, Oakland effectively managed the game to maintain their advantage as the match progressed.
With just three mInutes left New Mexico pulled one back through Sergio Rivas to make the score 2-1 in the 93rd minute. However in the end, Oakland secured another road victory and all three points, pushing the team back to 3rd place.
Next up, Oakland Roots head to Louisville for a Saturday night match against Louisville City FC.
Oakland Roots SC vs New Mexico United
USL Championship | August 23, 2023
Venue: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Kickoff: 6:00 PM PT
Weather: 82 degrees, cloudy
SCORELINE:
NM: 1
OAK: 2
SCORING SUMMARY:
OAK: 42’ Anuar Peláez
OAK: 52’ Trayvone Reid
NM: 90+’ Sergio Rivas
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
NM: 38’ Josh Suggs (yellow card)
NM: 54’ Justin Portillo (yellow card)
NM: 67’ Sam Hamilton (yellow card)
OAK: 72’ Emrah Klimenta (yellow card)
NM: 90+’ Kyle Colonna (yellow card)
OAK: 90+’ Irakoze Donasiyano (yellow card)
OAKLAND ROOTS LINEUP: Paul Blanchette, Danny Barbir, Neveal Hackshaw, Emrah Klimenta, Bryan Tamacas, Tarek Morad (Irakoze Donasiyano), Daniel Gomez, Memo Diaz, Trayvone Reid (Lindo Mfeka), Anuar Peláezm (Johnny Rodriguez), Jeciel Cedeño (Napo Matsoso)
Unused subs: Ryan Her, Wolfgang Prentice, Taylor Bailey
Shots: 12 | Shots On Goal: 6 | Corner Kicks: 4 | Fouls: 12 | Offside: 0 |
NEW MEXICO UNITED LINEUP: Alexandros Tambakis, Josh Suggs, Sergio Rivas, Amando Moreno (Santi Moar), Will Seymour (Greg Hurst), Kyle Colonna, Jacobo Reyes (Sam Hamilton), Kalen Ryden, Harry Swartz (Zico Bailey), Justin Portillo, Shanyder Borgelin
Unused subs: Michael Wyparlo, Milo Garvanian, Ford Parker
Shots: 11 | Shots On Goal: 7 | Corner Kicks: 5 | Fouls: 12 | Offside: 2 |
