Football Season Guide

Oakland Roots missed out on the playoffs last season as their form completely collapsed in the closing weeks of the campaign, with a run of 2 wins in 13 games, seeing them miss out by just a single place. While this is not necessarily a side that would expect to be pushing high up the table given their short and somewhat modest history, changing that momentum will be the immediate task of the management early in the season. Indeed, there has been a change of coach, with former Loudoun United manager Ryan Martin stepping into the job. The 42-year-old has overseen 215 first-team matches in a six-year spell in his former role. He has shown himself to be a tactically versatile manager, but last season with Loudoun typically opted for a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formation. Martin has drawn heavily from Loudoun in the transfer market. As many as 3 players have followed the manager from his former club, with Tommy McCabe, Keegan Tingey and Florian Valot all hooking up with the manager once more. This should offer some immediate synergy, particularly given these 3 players were among Loudoun’s 4 most used last term, with Valot finishing the season with a club-leading 8 assists. Given Loudoun made the playoffs, albeit in the Eastern Conference, these players should add quality. The players who have left, meanwhile, are replaceable. Daniel Gomez’s spot will be taken by the far more productive Valot, while the departures of the Gagi Margvelashvili, Morey Doner and Cam Riley signal a fundamental change in the defence. After conceding 52 times in the USL – the joint worst record across both conferences – this was required. Michael Edwards has arrived from Colorado in MLS but arguably a more promising signing is David Garcia from Spokane. He is stepping up a level but is seen as an arrival who should make a significant difference in the heart of the rearguard. Tingey will have a key role on the left, meanwhile.