March 17, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Oakland Roots News Release
Oakland Roots on game day
(Oakland Roots, Credit: Oakland Roots SC)
Ilya Alekseev scored just fifty minutes into his professional debut, and Roots salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw versus visiting Charleston Battery on Saturday night in the East Bay.
The night started slow for Oakland. Playing with a thin roster, both Alekseev and Thomas Camier made their professional debuts to fill in for missing starters. From the opening whistle it looked like Charleston would control the night, playing much of the first half in Roots’ defensive zone.
Facing constant pressure, Oakland finally relinquished a goal in the 35th minute when the Battery’s Arturo Rodriguez sent a cross into the box, where his teammate Nicholas Markanich was waiting to head home the finish to give Charleston a 1-0 lead.
But Roots were determined to play stronger in the second half – and they did not dissapoint. At the 50′ mark, Alekseev who was making his professional debut, found some unguarded real estate in front of the Charleston keeper. Memo Diaz capitalized by sending a picture perfect cross from the left side, which Alekseev headed home from in close to knot the game back up at 1-1.
Oakland continued applying pressure in the second half, and nearly found a winner on multiple occasions, including a 90th minute header from Neveal Hackshaw that was cleaned up by the Charleston keeper.
Both teams played to a dramatic finish, but neither side could find a game-winner before the referee blew the final whistle. Roots will now head to Arizona for their first road test of the season when they play Phoenix Rising on Saturday, March 23rd.
Roots will be back home to face Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday, March 30th at 7 p.m.
Talking with Head Coach Noah Delgado
You take a point – I think everybody would take a point today given the lineup and mass changes. Talk about those challenges that you guys faced coming into tonight.
You know obviously we had four guys sick, and out for the game today. Lindo wasn’t available as well to go much, but we’ve talked about it, that we’re gonna need everyone this season. Especially with injuries and the international window opening, players leaving tomorrow, people are gonna have to step up. We just look at the quality, players, understanding and we had guys making their debut tonight which was awesome – and contributing. So you know, these guys played minutes in the preseason, and I think…