September 29, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Oakland Roots News Release
When Oakland Roots take the field at Laney College this Saturday against Birmingham Legion, they will be playing for more than just the city they so proudly represent. As the 2022 United Soccer League Championship regular season draws to a close, the Team from The Town is right in the thick of a seven-team playoff race, meaning each and every point could be the difference between the postseason or an early vacation. Following the tilt against Legion, Roots will travel east for the last two matches of the season, squaring off against Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Hartford Athletic.
After upsetting the Western Conference’s top seed El Paso Locomotive, and narrowly falling in penalty kicks to eventual champions Orange County SC in last year’s postseason, Roots have proven their playoff mettle with aplomb. However, if the club is to embark on another postseason journey, the players must first complete the task at hand: making it into the dance.
The road to the crux of the season has been circuitous and chock full of adversity. Entering the 2022 season, Roots welcomed a new coaching staff into the fold, as well as a fresh crop of talent eager to make a name for themselves in The Town. The arrivals included two loanees from Italian second division side Venezia FC, lethal Icelandic poacher Óttar Magnús Karlsson and the savvy Mikael Tørset Johnsen, as well as swashbuckling wingbacks Edgardo Rito and Juan Carlos Azocar. Defenders Alejandro Fuenmayor, Tarek Morad, and Danny Barbir added a wealth of experience to the backline, sporting over 250 Major League Soccer and USL appearances between them, linking up with captain Emrah Klimenta and the evergreen Paul Blanchette in net to provide a stable foundation for an exciting brand of possession football.
The 2022 season also saw the return of José Hernández, Lindo Mfeka, and Matías Fissore in the center of the park, as well as the additions of USL League One standout Charlie Dennis, and the experienced Dariusz Formella to complete a formidable attacking strikeforce that already boasted Roots veterans Jesus “Chuy” Enríquez and Johnny Rodriguez. The local roots of past years remained intact, with Bay Area natives Klimenta, Max Ornstil, Enríquez, and 17 year-old phenom Javi Mariona putting on for Oakland, East Palo Alto, and Santa Clara.
A new season in The Town brought both promise and the weight of expectation. Oakland…