After back-to-back contests on the road, Saturday’s home game versus New Mexico United was likely not the contest Roots fans were hoping for in their return to the Coliseum for the first time in nearly three weeks. Following the 0-3 loss, Oakland has fallen in three of their last four USL Championship matches and sits in 11th place in the Western Conference table holding a 3-1-7 record on the 2025 season.
Roots will have another crack at a lower division opponent for their next action, as they prepare to face USL League One side AV Alta FC in their second Group Stage fixture of this year’s USL Jägermeister Cup on Saturday. Before then, we draw some takeaways from Oakland’s meeting with New Mexico:
You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take
The final score was more lopsided than the actual facts and figures of the match would suggest it should have been. While Roots failed to find the back of the net, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Oakland put up 10 shots in the contest, tying their season high. Four of those shots found their way to the target, making Saturday only the second time this season that Roots have fallen when reaching that mark. New Mexico’s keeper was stellar between the posts, but if Oakland keeps putting shots towards their mark, the goals will start to follow.
Down Quick
Soccer is a difficult enough task as it is, and playing down two goals makes it even harder. It only took six minutes versus New Mexico to go down those two goals, and that deficit allowed United to dig their heels in and dictate the tempo and style of the match moving forward. Roots have allowed three goals in the first 15 minutes of play in their last three contests — a trend that Oakland needs to buck rapidly. Stronger starts will allow Roots a chance to settle into games, and perhaps play from in front rather than chasing leads.
A Tale of Two Halves
On multiple occasions this season, it seems as if there are two completely different Roots squads playing in the first and second halves of matches. This was surely the case on Saturday, as Oakland looked flat and uninspired in the first half, only to come out in the second and dominate the pitch for a majority of the frame. If whatever is happening at halftime to bring Roots to life could begin happening before kickoff, Oakland would instantly become a very tough team to play.
