Oakland Roots SC
American professional soccer team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oakland Roots Sports Club is an American professional soccer club based in Oakland, California. The club competes in the USL Championship (USLC) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 2018 by Edreece Arghandiwal and Benno Nagel, the club began play in the 2019–20 season in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) before joining the USL Championship in 2021. The club plays its home matches at the Oakland Coliseum, with a reduced capacity of 15,000 for soccer games.
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| Full name | Oakland Roots Sports Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | July 2018 | ||
| Stadium | Oakland Coliseum[1] | ||
| Capacity | 15,000 | ||
| Owner | |||
| President | Lindsay Barenz | ||
| Head coach | Gavin Glinton | ||
| League | USL Championship | ||
| 2024 | 7th, Western Conference Playoffs: Conference Quarterfinals | ||
| Website | oaklandrootssc.com | ||
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History
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Perspective
Soccer in Oakland
Oakland’s soccer history dates back to the late 19th century, with early activity in Northern California spurred by amateur clubs and the formation of the California State Football Association in 1902.[3] The early 1900s also saw matches played by British ship crews in the Bay Area, further popularizing the sport.[4] Professional soccer arrived in Oakland in 1967 with the Oakland Clippers of the National Professional Soccer League, who won the 1967 championship before joining the North American Soccer League.[5][6] The Oakland Buccaneers began play in the 1976 season as an expansion franchise for the American Soccer League (ASL) but folded following the season due to financial issues.[7] The Oakland Stompers followed to play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) 1978 season, but relocated to Edmonton the following year.[8][9]
Founding and early vision
Oakland Roots SC was founded by Edreece Arghandiwal and Benno Nagel, two Oakland natives with a shared passion for soccer and community-building.[10] Arghandiwal, an entrepreneur with a background in marketing, and Nagel, a former professional coach with experience in Europe and the North American Soccer League (NASL), combined their complementary skill sets to establish a club rooted in local identity.[11][12] Arghandiwal's connection to the sport was influenced by his family's involvement in Afghan soccer—his father managed a club, and his uncle played for the national team—while Nagel brought technical expertise and coaching experience to the project.[11]
Nagel, who had long championed the idea of professional soccer in Oakland, believed the city was a natural fit. “I think Oakland for soccer makes a lot of sense on a lot of levels,” he said. “If you announced that tomorrow at 3 p.m. Club América and Chivas were going to play at the Oakland Coliseum and tickets were on sale for 24 hours, you would sell it out. That’s how big soccer is here.” He emphasized that the club’s success would hinge on its connection to the community, noting, “The reason we got a lot of people interested in what we were doing was because we brought them into the conversation and asked them, ‘What do you want to see?’”[13]
The idea for the club emerged from conversations between the two at a Bay Area Afghan-American community soccer tournament.[12] Both co-founders saw an opportunity to create a professional team that authentically represented Oakland’s culture and diversity.[11] Recognizing the city's rich but underrepresented soccer tradition and large youth participation base, they envisioned a club that would embody Oakland’s values both on and off the field.[14]
The formation of a new professional soccer team based in Oakland was announced in July 2018, and the name Oakland Roots was revealed that October, when the club officially launched and unveiled its crest, designed by Matthew Wolff.[15][16] Early efforts focused on building a strong local identity, including a partnership with Oakland-based lifestyle brand Oaklandish, which produced official merchandise and helped generate community interest.[14] The club also launched creative outreach initiatives such as a radio station and locally themed marketing videos.[14] In spring 2019, the Roots signed their first players, including three Oakland natives—Devante Dubose, Julio Cervantes, and Yohannes Harish—in preparation for their inaugural season.[17][18] The club followed with the addition of several higher-profile players, including San Jose native and former MLS midfielder Benji Joya, Honduran World Cup veteran and former San Jose Earthquake player Victor Bernardez, and former MLS first-round draft pick Jack McInerney.[19][20][21] On May 9, 2019, the Roots announced Bay Area native and former MLS player and Colorado Rapids technical director Paul Bravo as their first head coach.[22]
National Independent Soccer Association
The club opened the inaugural 2019–20 NISA season as the league's first game, at home in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 4,500. McInerney would score a first-half perfect hat-trick in a match that would eventually end up in a 3–3 draw.[23]
Oakland Roots played eight games in their inaugural season: six in NISA and two friendlies against Mexican clubs FC Juarez and Atlético Zacatepec. The club picked up their first win at home against Atlético Zacatepec by a score of 2–0.[24]
Oakland Roots sold out all four of their home games in the 2019 fall season averaging 4,927 fans, including a record 5,723 in their final home game, a 1–1 draw vs Los Angeles Force.[25]
On October 31, 2019, Oakland Roots and Bravo mutually agreed to part ways.[26] On December 3, 2019, Oakland Roots announced Jordan Ferrell as the club's new head coach.[27]
The Roots opened their second season at home once again in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,603. The match against Chattanooga FC would end in a 1–1 draw when McInerney scored in the 93rd minute of the match after the Roots were forced to play a man down from a first-half red card.[28] The Roots followed this up by winning their first-ever NISA league match the following weekend vs Michigan Stars FC 2–1.[29]
On April 27, 2020, following an extended stoppage of play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NISA announced the cancellation of the 2020 spring season.[30][31]
In the abridged 2020 fall regular season, Oakland finished first in the three team Western Conference, with Matthew Fondy leading the team with two goals.[32][33] The Roots finished atop its group in the NISA Fall Championship, and beat Chattanooga FC in the national semifinal, before falling to Detroit City FC, 2–1, in the final.[34][35]
USL Championship
On September 15, 2020, the team announced they would be moving from the third-division NISA to the second-division USL Championship.[36]
Initially, in 2017, the USL approved a bid from real estate developer Mark Hall to bring a soccer team to Concord, California, instead of Oakland.[37][38] The team, called USL East Bay, planned to play in a 15,000+ seat soccer-specific stadium complex before the development idea was scrapped in May 2020.[39][40] The team's territorial rights were later sold to the Roots.
In November 2020, Oakland Roots announced the signing of Oakland born, Richmond, California raised midfielder Saalih Muhammad via a transfer from New Mexico United as the club's first USL Championship player.[41] This was followed by the early December signings of Oakland raised Max Ornstil and re-signings of Yohannes Harish and Tarn Weir, as well as many others.[42]
In April 2021, Marshawn Lynch joined the Roots ownership group.[43]
Oakland Roots picked up their first USL Championship win on May 23 at LA Galaxy II when striker Jeremy Bokila scored in stoppage time to give Oakland the 3–2 win.[44] The team was set to kick off the USL Championship home season on June 19 against Sacramento Republic FC, but the match was called off due to field issues.[45] This was then followed by multiple games being called off due to USL health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 Pandemic.[46]
The team went on to play multiple games at Las Positas College before finishing the season back home at Laney. The club had just one win through their first 13 games. The club placed dead last in the USL Power Rankings in August.[47]
The team initiated a massive turnaround with a 2-1 victory at Merritt College, propelled by goals from Ornstil and Harish. Following this triumph, Oakland proceeded to secure 34 points in 19 games, ultimately earning the final Pacific Division playoff position on the last day of the season after a 1-0 win against Sporting Kansas City II.[48]
Oakland upset the Mountain Division Champions El Paso Locomotive in the first round of the playoffs, breaking a 470-day home unbeaten run by the Texas side. The Roots’ playoff run came to an end the following weekend when the team lost 6–5 on penalties against Orange County SC after 120 minutes of scoreless action.[49]
On December 21, 2021, the Roots announced they were leasing the former Oakland Raiders practice facility in Alameda, California as their training facility.[50]
On December 30, 2021, the Roots announced Juan Guerra as the club's fourth head coach.[51]
On October 23, 2022, the Roots upset San Diego Loyal 3–0 in the first round of the playoffs. This punched their ticket to play San Antonio, where they lost 3–0. [52]
On September 18, 2023, the team announced that Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong joined the ownership group for the Roots.[53] Additionally, the team opened for community investment and ownership that month.[2]
On October 26, 2023, the team announced that NBA Head Coach Jason Kidd joined the ownership group for the Roots.[54]
Record
| Season | League | Div. | Pos. | P | W | D | L | GS | GA | Pts. | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Top goalscorer | Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | League | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–20 | NISA | Fall, West Coast[a] | 4th | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 3 | Did not qualify | Cancelled |  Jack McInerney |
8 | Paul Bravo |
| Spring[b] | 1st | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | Cancelled | Jordan Ferrell | |||||
| 2020–21 | Fall, Western[c] | 1st | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | Runner-up | Matthew Fondy |
2 | |||
| 2021 | USL Championship | Pacific Division | 4th | 32 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 36 | 41 | 41 | Conf. Semi-Finals |  Jeremy Bokila |
5 | ||
| 2022 | Western Conference | 7th | 34 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 51 | 46 | 46 | Conf. Semi-Finals | R2 |  Óttar Magnús Karlsson |
19 |  Juan Guerra (6–12–7) Noah Delgado (5–1–3) | |
| 2023 | Western Conference | 10th | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 45 | 48 | 42 | Did not qualify | R3 | Johnny Rodriguez |
12 | Noah Delgado | |
| 2024 | Western Conference | 7th | 34 | 13 | 5 | 16 | 37 | 57 | 44 | Conf. Quarter-Finals | Ro32 | Johnny Rodriguez |
12 | Noah Delgado (2–5–1) Gavin Glinton (11–11–4) | |
Stadium
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Perspective
Roots home matches were played at Laney College Football Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium located near Lake Merritt, from their inauguration through the 2022 season. For Roots games the pitch was widened using a modular turf system. The stadium had room for 3,500 seated and up to 5,500+ with standing room.[55]
In 2023, Laney College installed a new turf system which proved incompatible with the modular system used by the Roots. This led the club to shift home matches to Pioneer Stadium on the campus of CSU East Bay for the entirety of the 2023 season.[56]
The Roots currently play at the Oakland Coliseum,[57] following the Athletics move to Sacramento's Sutter Health Park in preparation of a move to Las Vegas.[58][59] The club has covered the baseball diamond with grass, allowing for a full regulation-sized pitch to be installed following along the former third base line.[60] Although the club typically only sells seats in the lower-level bowl, for matches with high-attendance, the second deck is also opened up to allow for a higher seating capacity.
On March 22nd, the Roots had an attendance of over 26,000 facing against San Antonio FC.[61]
Average attendance
| Year | Reg. Season |
|---|---|
| 2019 Fall | 4,927 |
| 2020 Spring | 5,193 |
| 2020 Fall | N/A |
| 2021 | 4,344* |
| 2022 | 4,664 |
| 2023 | 3,894 |
| 2024 | 4,018 |
- For games at Laney and Merritt only
Club culture
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Perspective
 | This section contains promotional content. (July 2020) |
Local sporting and music culture has featured the club's crest, designed by Matthew Wolff. Roots merchandise has been featured in two G-Eazy videos “West Coast” and "Bang".[62][63] A Roots shirt also appeared in Zion I "Flame Go" Video a few months later.[64] Oakland native Damian Lillard wore Oakland Roots merchandise before a game in the 2019 NBA playoffs.[65] Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B performed before the club's final home game of 2019.[55] Kevon Looney of the Golden State Warriors wore a Roots t-shirt on the bench during a regular season NBA game.[66] Roots merchandise featured in Kehlani's video "All me" on February 13, 2020.[67] Underground rappers Murs and The Grouch performed prior to the team's March 7, 2020 match against Michigan Stars FC.[68]
The club partners with local non-profit organizations as part of a community outreach effort.[69] The club joined the Common Goal movement on June 30, 2020, as the first soccer club in the United States to do so.[70] The team pledged to donate one percent of the team's payroll and one percent of all future ticket revenue to help address social inequality.
Roots Justice Fund
The club created the Oakland Roots Justice Fund is a charitable fund to support racial and gender justice. The club stated the fund would support new and existing initiatives by the Roots and community partners to "support causes at the intersection of racial and gender justice."[71] The fund was established with donations by the Roots investor group.[72]
Supporters
Oakland Roots supporters groups include La Brigada Del Pueblo, Oakland 68s, Homegrown Hooligans, Forever Oakland, and Los Roots. La Union 1852 is an umbrella of three supporters groups, including Homegrown Hooligans, Forever Oakland, and Los Roots.[73]
Associated teams
Project 51O
The Oakland Roots reserve team, Project 51O, was launched on December 9, 2019.[74] Originally set to compete in the National Premier Soccer League for the 2020 season, the team only played one match, a win over Napa Valley 1839 FC, before the season was halted and eventually cancelled due to COVID-19.[75][76]
On September 17, 2020, the team announced it would compete in USL League Two beginning with the 2021 season.[77] They eventually would forgo the season and start play in 2022.
Oakland Soul SC
On May 24, 2022, Oakland Roots SC launched their women's team, Oakland Soul, to play in the USL W League beginning in the 2023 season.[78] The team plans to join the USL Super League, a new professional women's league, in 2025 upon completion of a new stadium shared with Roots SC.[79]
Sponsorship
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | Nike | Oaklandish |
| 2021–2022 | Puma | Elevance Health |
| 2023 | Meyba | |
| 2024– | Charly |
Players and staff
Current roster
- As of March 11, 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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- ^ USL Academy Contract
Retired numbers
- 24 – Rickey Henderson - Oakland Sports Legend
Technical staff
- Gavin Glinton — Head Coach
- Jesse Cormier — Assistant Coach
- Oscar Rivera — Assistant Coach
- Sergio Valle — Goalkeeper Coach
- Jordan Ferrell — Technical Director
- Nana Attakora — Director of Player Personnel
- Eric Yamamoto — VP of Soccer
Coaching records
- As of April 29, 2024
| Name | Nat. | From | To | P | W | D | L | GS | GA | %W | Honors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Bravo | United States |
May 9, 2019[80] | October 31, 2019[81] | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 0.00 | ||
| Jordan Ferrell | United States |
December 3, 2019[82] | November 16, 2020 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 55.56 | 2020 Fall NISA Western Conference Champion | |
| Dario Pot |  Croatia |
November 16, 2020[83] | April 25, 2021[84] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||
| Jordan Ferrell | United States |
April 25, 2021 | December 30, 2021[85] | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 37 | 43 | 35.29 | ||
| Juan Guerra |  Venezuela |
December 30, 2021[85] | August 18, 2022[86] | 26 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 38 | 38 | 23.08 | ||
| Noah Delgado (interim) | United States |
August 18, 2022[86] | November 30, 2022 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 13 | 58.33 | ||
| Noah Delgado | United States |
December 1, 2022[87] | April 28, 2024 | 45 | 15 | 10 | 20 | 57 | 65 | 33.33 | ||
| Gavin Glinton (interim) | Turks and Caicos Islands |
April 28, 2024[88] | November 12, 2024 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 35 | 42.31 | ||
| Gavin Glinton | Turks and Caicos Islands |
November 12, 2024[89] | present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Honors
League
National Independent Soccer Association
- Western Conference
- Champion (1): 2020
Team Awards
- Player of the Year
- 2019: Jack McInerney
- 2020: Matthew Fondy
- 2021: Emrah Klimenta
- 2022: Óttar Magnús Karlsson
- 2023: Paul Blanchette
- 2024: Johnny Rodriguez
- Goal of the Year
- 2019: Ryan Masch
- 2020: Angel Heredia
- 2021: Johnny Rodriguez
- 2022: Johnny Rodriguez
- 2023: Johnny Rodriguez
- 2024: Ilya Alekseev
- Roots Righteous Award
- 2019: Kevin Gonzalez
- 2020: Julio Cervantes
- 2021: Tarn Weir, Jesús Enríquez
- 2022: Matias Fissore
- 2023: Irakoze Donasiyano
- 2024: Daniel Gomez
- Oakland Branch Award
- 2021: Memo Diaz
- 2022: Jesús Enríquez
- 2023: Paul Blanchette
- Project 51O Player of the Year
- 2022: Javier Ruiz Duran
- 2023: Etsgar Cruz
- 2024: Ali Elmasnaouy
References
External links
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