2023 Oakland Roots SC season

Oakland Roots SC

2023 season
Chairman	Steven Aldrich
Head coach	Noah Delgado
Stadium	Pioneer Stadium
USLC	Western Conference: 10th
USLC Playoffs	DNQ
U.S. Open Cup	Third round
Home colors Away colors
←  2022 2024  →

The 2023 Oakland Roots SC season was the club's fifth season of existence and fourth in the USL Championship.

During the offseason, the Roots moved from their first home at Laney College Football Stadium in Oakland to Pioneer Stadium on the campus of CSU East Bay in Hayward due to issues with Laney College's stadium having major issues with the artificial turf. ^[1]

Squad Information

Roster

As of July 27, 2023 ^[2]

No.	Pos.	Player	Nation
2	DF	GAM	Baboucarr Njie
3	DF	SLE	Kevin Wright
4	MF	CMR	Joseph Nane
6	DF	USA	Tarek Morad
7	MF	LES	Napo Matsoso
8	MF	BDI	Irakoze Donasiyano
10	MF	RSA	Lindo Mfeka
11	MF	JAM	Trayvone Reid
13	DF	TRI	Neveal Hackshaw
14	DF	USA	Danny Barbir
15	MF	USA	Daniel Gomez
16	MF	USA	Ryan Her
17	FW	USA	Johnny Rodriguez
18	FW	COL	Anuar Peláez
19	MF	USA	Wolfgang Prentice
20	GK	USA	Paul Blanchette
21	DF	MNE	Emrah Klimenta
22	MF	ECU	Jeciel Cedeño
23	MF	USA	Memo Diaz
30	DF	SLV	Bryan Tamacas
34	DF	FRA	Thomas Camier( [A] )
38	FW	USA	Etsgar Cruz( [A] )
39	MF	USA	Javier Bedolla-Vera( [A] )
47	GK	USA	Taylor Bailey
50	DF	USA	Damario McIntosh( [A] )
61	GK	USA	Edwin Rodriguez( [A] )
62	GK	USA	Adan Corona( [A] )
99	MF	USA	Drew Murray

Competitions

USL Championship

Main article: 2023 USL Championship season

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
8	New Mexico United	34	13	14	7	51	49	+2	46	Playoffs
9	Rio Grande Valley FC Toros	34	10	11	13	43	48	−5	43
10	Oakland Roots SC	34	11	14	9	45	48	−3	42
11	Monterey Bay FC	34	11	15	8	42	53	−11	41
12	Las Vegas Lights FC	34	3	21	10	36	66	−30	19

Source: USL Championship Standings
Rules for classification: 1) head-to-head points; 2) head-to-head goal differential; 3) points-per game within conference; 4) total wins; 5) total goal differential; 6) total goals scored; 7) points earned against top four Conference finishers; 8) disciplinary points; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots

Match results

On January 9, 2023, the USL Championship released the regular season schedule for all teams. ^[3]

All times are in Pacific Standard Time.

March

San Antonio FC v Oakland Roots

March 111	San Antonio FC	3–1	Oakland Roots	San Antonio, TX
5:30 PM	Hansen 12' Batista 45'+2', 73'	Report	Diaz 58'	Stadium: Toyota Field Attendance: 8,106 Referee: Matthew Thompson

Rio Grande Valley FC Toros v Oakland Roots

March 192	Rio Grande Valley FC Toros	1–1	Oakland Roots	Edinburg, TX
5:00 PM	Ricketts 14'	Report	Rodriguez 82'	Stadium: H-E-B Park Attendance: 3,460 Referee: Malik Badawi

April

Oakland Roots v New Mexico United

April 13	Oakland Roots	1–0	New Mexico United	Hayward, CA
5:00 PM	Rodriguez 63'	Report	Portillo  51'  71'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 4,695 Referee: Elijio Arreguin

Indy Eleven v Oakland Roots

April 84	Indy Eleven	0–3	Oakland Roots	Indianapolis, IN
4:00 PM		Report	Klimenta  23'  82' Mfeka 43' Formella 71' Rito 78'	Stadium: Michael A. Carroll Stadium Attendance: 9,334 Referee: Matthew Thompson

Oakland Roots v Hartford Athletic

April 155	Oakland Roots	1–2	Hartford Athletic	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Formella 73' (pen.)	Report	Saydee 31' Cedeno 35'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 4,036 Referee: Matthew Corrigan

Loudoun United FC v Oakland Roots

April 236	Loudoun United FC	2–0	Oakland Roots	Leesburg, VA
1:00 PM	Ryan 30' (pen.) Armenakas 58'	Report		Stadium: Segra Field Attendance: 2,061 Referee: Cristian Campo Hernández

Oakland Roots v Miami FC

April 297	Oakland Roots	0–0	Miami FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM		Report		Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 4,540 Referee: Ricardo Fierro

May

Birmingham Legion FC v Oakland Roots

May 68	Birmingham Legion FC	1–4	Oakland Roots	Birmingham, AL
4:30 PM	Kavita   35' Martínez 48'	Report	Formella 45'+3' (pen.) Mfeka 64' Reid 71' Rodriguez 88'	Stadium: Protective Stadium Attendance: 4,186 Referee: Sergii Boiko

Oakland Roots v Orange County SC

May 139	Oakland Roots	3–0	Orange County SC	Hayward, CA
8:00 PM	Formella 30' Morad 43' Rito 78'	Report		Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 5,855 Referee: Corbyn May

Sacramento Republic FC v Oakland Roots

May 2010	Sacramento Republic FC	3–1	Oakland Roots	Sacramento, CA
7:00 PM	Keko 12' Cicerone 51' Herrera 55'	Report	Barbir 62'	Stadium: Heart Health Park Attendance: 10,988 Referee: Elton García

Oakland Roots v San Diego Loyal SC

May 2711	Oakland Roots	2–0	San Diego Loyal SC	Hayward, CA
8:00 PM	Rodriguez 7' Peláez 90'+5'	Report		Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 3,584 Referee: Calin Radosav

June

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC v Oakland Roots

June 212	Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC	0–1	Oakland Roots	Colorado Springs, CO
6:00 PM		Report	Rodriguez 12'	Stadium: Weidner Field Attendance: 8,023 Referee: Ricardo Fierro

Phoenix Rising FC v Oakland Roots

June 1013	Phoenix Rising FC	2–2	Oakland Roots	Phoenix, AZ
7:30 PM	Varela 58' Arteaga 89'	Report	Formella 9' Mfeka 66'	Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium Attendance: 5,748 Referee: Malik Badawi

Oakland Roots v Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

June 1714	Oakland Roots	0–0	Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM		Report		Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 3,446 Referee: Alexis Da Silva

Oakland Roots v Phoenix Rising FC

June 2415	Oakland Roots	1–1	Phoenix Rising FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Formella 82'	Report	Arteaga 90'+3'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 3,002 Referee: Abdou Ndiaye

Oakland Roots v Rio Grande Valley FC Toros

June 2816	Oakland Roots	0–2	Rio Grande Valley FC Toros	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Diaz  90'  90'+2'	Report	Cabrera 72', 80'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 2,838 Referee: Deshun Beard

July

Tampa Bay Rowdies v Oakland Roots

July 817	Tampa Bay Rowdies	3–0	Oakland Roots	St. Petersburg, FL
4:30 PM	Jennings 8', 41', 58'	Report		Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Referee: Natalie Simon

Oakland Roots v Memphis 901 FC

July 1218	Oakland Roots	1–1	Memphis 901 FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Cedeno 33' Hackshaw  90'+8'	Report	Kissiedou 61'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 2,098 Referee: Ricardo Fierro

Monterey Bay FC v Oakland Roots

July 1519	Monterey Bay FC	1–3	Oakland Roots	Seaside, CA
7:00 PM	Dixon 29'	Report	Rodriguez 15' (pen.), 33' Diaz 78'	Stadium: Cardinale Stadium Attendance: 5,046 Referee: Elijio Arreguin

El Paso Locomotive FC v Oakland Roots

July 2220	El Paso Locomotive FC	1–3	Oakland Roots	El Paso, TX
7:00 PM	Petrovic 48'	Report	Mfeka 65' Rodriguez 69' Peláez 85'	Stadium: Southwest University Park Attendance: 6,795 Referee: Eric Tattersall

Oakland Roots v Las Vegas Lights FC

July 2621	Oakland Roots	1–0	Las Vegas Lights FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Peláez 76'	Report		Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 2,356 Referee: Adorae Monroy

Oakland Roots v Detroit City FC

July 2922	Oakland Roots	1–1	Detroit City FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Rodriguez 1'	Report	Carroll 5'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 2,586 Referee: Brad Jensen

August

Charleston Battery v Oakland Roots

August 423	Charleston Battery	0–1	Oakland Roots	Mount Pleasant, SC
4:30 PM		Report	Dodson 41' (o.g.)	Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex Attendance: 2,487 Referee: John Griggs

Oakland Roots v Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

August 1924	Oakland Roots	2–3	Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Diaz 25' Peláez 45'+5' (pen.)	Report	Foster 5' Magee 40', 58'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 4,017 Referee: Alexis Da Silva

New Mexico United v Oakland Roots

August 2325	New Mexico United	1–2	Oakland Roots	Albuquerque, NM
6:00 PM	Rivas 90'+2'	Report	Peláez 42' Reid 52'	Stadium: Isotopes Park Attendance: 7,081 Referee: Joshua Encarnación

Louisville City FC v Oakland Roots

August 2626	Louisville City FC	2–1	Oakland Roots	Louisville, KY
4:30 PM	Ownby 71' Jimenez 90'+8'	Report	Rodriguez 45'+6'	Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,584 Referee: Abdou Ndiaye

September

Oakland Roots v Sacramento Republic FC

September 227	Oakland Roots	0–1	Sacramento Republic FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM		Report	Herrera 3' (pen.)	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 4,140 Referee: Matthew Thompson

Las Vegas Lights FC v Oakland Roots

September 928	Las Vegas Lights FC	3–1	Oakland Roots	Las Vegas, NV
7:30 PM	Gonzalez 56' Bagley 57', 89'	Report	Rodriguez 12' (pen.)	Stadium: Cashman Field Referee: Danielle Chesky

Oakland Roots v FC Tulsa

September 1629	Oakland Roots	0–1	FC Tulsa	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Mfeka  35'  44'	Report	Goodrum 10' Epps  79'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 3,639 Referee: Melvin Rivas

Oakland Roots v Monterey Bay FC

September 2330	Oakland Roots	2–2	Monterey Bay FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Barbir 44' Hackshaw 90'	Report	Dixon 3' Okoli 64'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 4,099 Referee: John Griggs

Oakland Roots v San Antonio FC

September 3031	Oakland Roots	2–2	San Antonio FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Rodriguez 9' Peláez 10'	Report	Patino 55' Oluwaseyi 90'+5' Farr  90'+10'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 5,005 Referee: Brad Jensen

October

Orange County SC v Oakland Roots

October 432	Orange County SC	3–1	Oakland Roots	Irvine, CA
7:00 PM	M. Iloski 45'+2' (pen.) Amang 45'+5' B. Iloski 50'	Report	Peláez 11'	Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium Attendance: 3,378 Referee: Elvis Osmanovic

San Diego Loyal SC v Oakland Roots

October 733	San Diego Loyal SC	4–2	Oakland Roots	San Diego, CA
7:00 PM	Corona 17' Damus 19', 25' Perez 44'	Report	Tamacas 13' Klimenta 82'	Stadium: Torero Stadium Attendance: 5,671 Referee: Danielle Chesky

Oakland Roots v El Paso Locomotive FC

October 1434	Oakland Roots	1–2	El Paso Locomotive FC	Hayward, CA
7:00 PM	Peláez 47' Diaz  65'  90'+2'	Report	Sonupe 7' Dollenmayer 14'	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 6,135 Referee: Abdou Ndiaye

U.S. Open Cup

Main article: 2023 U.S. Open Cup

As a member of the USL Championship, the Oakland Roots entered the U.S. Open Cup in the second round at home against amateur soccer club El Farolito SC. ^[4] After winning 3-1, ^[5] the Roots eventually lost to fellow Championship club Sacramento Republic FC in the third round. ^{[6] [7]}

Oakland Roots SC (USLC) v El Farolito SC (NPSL)

April 4	Oakland Roots SC (USLC)	3–1	El Farolito SC (NPSL)	Hayward, California
7:00 PM PDT	Rodriguez 12' Prentice 19', 24'	Report	Delgado 45' (pen.)	Stadium: Pioneer Stadium Attendance: 875 Referee: Christopher Calderon

Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) v Oakland Roots SC (USLC)

April 26	Sacramento Republic FC (USLC)	1–0	Oakland Roots SC (USLC)	Sacramento, California
7:00 PM PDT	Ross 49'	Report		Stadium: Heart Health Park Attendance: 4,379 Referee: Laura Rodriguez

References

1. Comeaux, Jonathan (June 30, 2023). "Where will the Oakland Roots play next year?". The Oaklandside. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
2. "Squad 2023". oaklandrootssc.com. Oakland Roots SC. January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
3. USL Championship Staff (January 9, 2023). "USL Championship Unveils 2023 Regular Season Schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
4. "First round of 100-Team 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Kicks off with 14 Games on March 21–23" (Press release). United States Soccer Federation. February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
5. Koenig, Michael (April 5, 2023). "2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Oakland Roots hot start delivers first USOC win, 3-1 vs. El Farolito" . Retrieved August 29, 2025.
6. "Second round Pairings and Host Scenarios Set for 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup" (Press release). United States Soccer Federation. February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
7. Comeaux, Jonathan (April 27, 2023). "Offensive struggles continue in Oakland Roots' 0-1 loss to Sac Republic in U.S. Open Cup". RootsBlog. Retrieved August 29, 2025.