# 2020–21 Oakland Roots SC season

The 2020–21 Oakland Roots SC season was the club's second in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) and second overall.
On September 15, 2020, Oakland announced that it would be joining the second division USL Championship in 2021. The Roots became the fourth NISA team to cease league play during an on-going season and second to-do so in order to join the USLC after Miami FC made the same jump one year prior.

## Roster
### Players

    As of September 6, 2020
| No. | Position | Player | Nation |
| 1 | GK | Christian Herrera | United States |
| 2 | DF | Daniel Navarro | United States |
| 5 | DF | Nana Attakora (Captain) | Canada |
| 06 | FW | Matthew Fondy | United States |
| 8 | MF | Angel Heredia | United States |
| 9 | FW | Jack McInerney | United States |
| 10 | MF | Nelson Blanco | El Salvador |
| 11 | FW | Tristan Bowen | United States |
| 12 | MF | Peter Pearson | United States |
| 16 | MF | Niall Irwin | Republic of Ireland |
| 19 | FW | Josiah Romero | United States |
| 22 | MF | Diego Casillas (on loan from Reno 1868 FC) | Mexico |
| 27 | FW | Julio Cervantes | Mexico |
| 32 | MF | Manny González | Colombia |
| 33 | DF | Robert Hines II | United States |
| 44 | MF | Ariel Mbumba | DR Congo |
| 47 | GK | Taylor Bailey | United States |
| 49 | DF | Tarn Weir | United States |
| 50 | DF | David Abidor | United States |
| 61 | FW | Johnny Rodriguez | United States |
| 88 | DF | Seo-In Kim | South Korea |
| 90 | GK | Kevin Gonzalez | United States |
| 91 | MF | Yohannes Harish | Eritrea |
| 98 | MF | Jonathan Orozco | United States |

### Staff

* Jordan Ferrell – Head coach
* Dario Pot – Assistant coach
* Kristopher Hall – Assistant coach
* Yuta Tanaka – Strength and conditioning coach

## Transfers
### In

| No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee/notes | Date |
| 88 | MF | Seo-In Kim | SK Zápy | Free transfer | July 31, 2020 |
| 10 | MF | Nelson Blanco | San Diego 1904 FC | Free transfer | August 6, 2020 |
| 22 | MF | Diego Casillas | Reno 1868 FC | Loan for Fall season | September 3, 2020 |
| 61 | FW | Johnny Rodriguez | Cal State Northridge Matadors | Free transfer | September 3, 2020 |
| 1 | GK | Christian Herrera | Tacoma Defiance | End of loan | |

### Out

| No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee/notes | Date |
| 24 | DF | Nikolai Littleton | Unattached | Retired | July 14, 2020 |
| 3 | DF | Wilfred Williams | Chattanooga FC | Free transfer | August 31, 2020 |
| 4 | DF | Doueugui Mala | Unattached | Not re-signed | |
| 13 | DF | Francesco Tiozzo | Adriese | Free transfer | September 4, 2020 |
| 15 | MF | Khadim Seye | Unattached | Not re-signed | |
| 17 | MF | David Ochoa | Unattached | Not re-signed | |
| 22 | FW | Alex Garuba | Unattached | Not re-signed | |
| 5 | DF | Nana Attakora | Unattached | Retired | November 17, 2020 |
| 22 | MF | Diego Casillas | Reno 1868 FC | End of loan | November 30, 2020 |

## Justice Match

On July 30, 2020, Oakland announced it would be hosting and broadcasting a special event prior to the regular season start called the "Justice Match" on August 29. The scrimmage featured Roots players mixed into two teams with retired local women's professional players and local women's soccer ambassadors that both played and coached, including former USWNT player Aly Wagner, Miranda Nild of the Thailand women's national football team, and former Afghanistan captain Hailai Arghandiwal.
The event was postponed on August 26 due to unhealthy air quality from the 2020 California wildfires. It was later rescheduled for October 10.

## Competitions
### NISA Fall Season

On June 4, NISA announced details for the 2020 Fall Season. The eight member teams would be split into conferences, Eastern and Western, with the Roots playing in the later.
The Fall regular season schedule was announced on July 31, 2020. The team is set to play two regular season games, both on the road, against the rest of the Western Conference.

#### Standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Oakland Roots SC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 |
| 2 | California United Strikers FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Force | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 1 |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: September 13, 2020. Source: Match reports

#### Matches
### Fall Playoffs

All eight NISA teams qualified for the 2020 Fall tournament, which will be hosted at Keyworth Stadium in Detroit, Michigan, beginning on September 21 ending with the final on October 2.

#### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Oakland Roots SC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | Advance to semifinals |
| 2 | Detroit City FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 6 | Advance to semifinals |
| 3 | Michigan Stars FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | |
| 4 | New Amsterdam FC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 1 | |

#### Knockout stage
## Squad statistics

    As of Match played October 2, 2020

### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Fall Season | Fall Season | Fall Playoffs | Fall Playoffs |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| 1 | GK | USA | Christian Herrera | 7 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 |
| 47 | GK | USA | Taylor Bailey | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 90 | GK | USA | Kevin Gonzalez | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| Defenders ||||||||||
| 2 | DF | USA | Daniel Navarro | 4 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | CAN | Nana Attakora | 5 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 33 | DF | USA | Robert Hines II | 4 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 49 | DF | USA | Tarn Weir | 7 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 |
| 50 | DF | USA | David Abidor | 7 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 |
| Midfielders ||||||||||
| 8 | MF | USA | Angel Heredia | 5 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+3 | 1 |
| 10 | MF | SLV | Nelson Blanco | 7 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 | 1+4 | 1 |
| 12 | MF | USA | Peter Pearson | 7 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | IRL | Niall Irwin | 3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | MEX | Diego Casillas | 6 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | COL | Manny González | 6 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 |
| 44 | MF | COD | Ariel Mbumba | 7 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 |
| 88 | MF | KOR | Seo-In Kim | 2 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 |
| 91 | MF | ERI | Yohannes Harish | 6 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 |
| 98 | MF | USA | Jonathan Orozco | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| Forwards ||||||||||
| 06 | FW | USA | Matthew Fondy | 7 | 5 | 2+0 | 2 | 4+1 | 3 |
| 9 | FW | USA | Jack McInerney | 7 | 2 | 2+0 | 1 | 2+3 | 1 |
| 11 | FW | USA | Tristan Bowen | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | USA | Josiah Romero | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | MEX | Julio Cervantes | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 61 | FW | USA | Johnny Rodriguez | 6 | 2 | 0+2 | 0 | 3+1 | 2 |

### Goal scorers

| Place | Position | Number | Name | Fall Season | Fall Playoffs | Total |
| 1 | FW | 06 | Matthew Fondy | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | FW | 9 | Jack McInerney | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | FW | 61 | Johnny Rodriguez | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | MF | 8 | Angel Heredia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | MF | 10 | Nelson Blanco | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | MF | 88 | Seo-In Kim | 0 | 1 | 1 |

### Disciplinary record

| Number | Position | Name | Fall Season | Fall Season | Fall Playoff | Fall Playoff | Total | Total |
| 2 | DF | Daniel Navarro | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Jack McInerney | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Nelson Blanco | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | Peter Pearson | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | Niall Irwin | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | Diego Casillas | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 44 | MF | Ariel Mbumba | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 49 | DF | Tarn Weir | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 50 | DF | David Abidor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 91 | MF | Yohannes Harish | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |