The Oakland Roots hosted the San Diego Loyal for the first matchup of two on the season. They got they job done once again as they continue to hold the advantage of San Diego in recent matches.

The Loyal couldn’t get anything going and, as a result, were held scoreless for the second time this season. The first time was back on March 25 when Sacramento Republic won 1-0. Fast forward to today, the Loyal face Sacramento at home in just over a week.

San Diego falls to (6-4-2) on the season with 20 points which moves them down in the standings to 4th place. San Antonio FC, who the Loyal face next week in the giant state of Texas, moved up to second with 22 points and (+11) goal difference. El Paso also has 22 points, but their (+6) goal difference puts them in third in the conference.

San Diego missed out on a big three points. They would have had sole possession of second place if that was the outcome. Instead, the Loyal are just three points ahead of Oakland, who are on the rise, winning three of their last four matches.

As mentioned earlier, this match just did not go the Loyal’s way. In the first half, SD struggled to create chances, with led to a low shot total. They started to pick it up late and knocked on the door a few times, but it wasn’t enough to secure a goal.

Johnny Rodriguez scored quickly in the 7th minute, and that proved to be the winner after all. The second goal from Oakland came in the 96th minute after the Loyal had run out of time.

What needs to be talked about was the effort of 16-year-old goalkeeper Duran Ferree. He stepped up in place of injured Koke Vegas Saturday night and showed why he’s a rising star in this game. He kept the Loyal in the match with this huge save late in the match.

.@DuranFerree keeps @SanDiegoLoyal in it!

What a 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥! ❌#OAKvSD pic.twitter.com/Te3xko6EG0

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) May 28, 2023

Ferree might start again next weekend, depending on how long Vegas is out for.

The next match for the Loyal is a week from now, on Saturday, June 3, as San Antonio FC hosts the Loyal for the first of two matches in a two-week span.

Match News & Notes

• SD finished with ten shots and five on target. Oakland ended with 12 shots, with six on target.
• Nick Moon finished as Man of the Match.

Chris Spiering

Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.