It was a tale of two halves for Roots on Saturday night in El Paso, but despite a second half push Oakland could not find an answer to Locomotive FC’s first half goal by full-time, eventually falling 0-1 in the contest.
Perhaps weary from three games in short succession and back-to-back games facing high heat on the pitch, Roots looked sluggish to begin Saturday’s match.
El Paso deployed an energetic high press from the outset, spending nearly the entire first frame in Roots’ defensive third and completely blanking Oakland’s efforts to sustain movement up the pitch.
Locomotive scored the eventual game-winner in just the 9th minute of the match when Rubio Rubín posted in front of the six-yard box and deflected an inswinging cross on a half-volley that beat Kendall Mcintosh to make it 0-1.
But however poorly Roots appeared to be playing in the first half, they appeared dangerous in equal amounts in the second.
Oakland attacked with much more aggression and pace in the second frame opting to move the ball into the box by any means necessary.
This shift in style led to a number of scoring chances that easily could have drawn the match even, none better than a chance in the 68th minute that saw Tucker Lepley set up a shot inside the box, striking what looked like a sure goal only to be cleared over the bar by an El Paso defender that was in the right place at the right time to bail out the Locomotive netminder.
Roots continued to press until the final moments to find an equalizer that never materialized as the match ended 0-1.
Roots’ next opportunity in their push for the playoffs comes on Saturday, August 15th back home at the Oakland Coliseum versus NorCal rivals Monterey Bay FC at 7 PM PT.
