It looked like the Oakland Roots were just minutes away from their first 3-0 start in club history, but two late goals from Phoenix Rising FC leveled the match in a 2-2 draw in Arizona on Saturday night.

Alameda Post - An Oakland Roots player dribbles the ball in a match against Phoenix Rising. Photo by Oakland Roots SC.

The fixture started with both sides trading chances working up the pitch, but failing to develop any real scoring chances on either side through the first 20 minutes of play. Oakland nearly took the lead in the 19th minute with a great run into the box from Peter Wilson paired with a deep cross from the left side from Wolfgang Prentice, but the ensuing shot went just wide to the right. This opportunity was immediately followed by another great chance from Bobosi Byaruhanga, shifting the tide of momentum in favor of Oakland.

About halfway through the first frame, the Roots started to dominate the pitch in earnest, spending plenty of time in the attacking third and creating scoring chances in quick succession.

In the 43rd minute, Oakland finally capitalized on their sustained pressure when Prentice finished a shot from in close after receiving a cross from Byaruhanga who drove furiously through the box before delivering service just before reaching the end line to make it 1-0 Roots.

The Roots doubled their lead just moments later in added time of the first half, and Wolfy was involved yet again, earning his third goal contribution of the year after sending a perfect cross into the box from the left side to a leaping Julian Bravo, who finished a bouncing header to make it 2-0.

The pitch continued to appear tilted in Oakland’s favor for a majority of the second half, but a desperation push from Phoenix starting around the 80th minute began to give the Roots’ backline some trouble.

Diego Gómez reduced Oakland’s lead to one in the 85th minute after a Phoenix counterattack led to some open space, giving Gómez plenty of room to deliver a strike from near the top of the box and make it 2-1 Roots.

Phoenix’s late push only intensified after this, and the Rising were able to find a leveling goal from Gunnar Studenthofft well into added time of the second half.

Oakland was able to stave off total heartbreak by reaching the final whistle with the game still tied and a point in their pocket to remain undefeated in 2026.

The Roots will host Orange County SC at the Oakland Coliseum next Saturday, March 28, at 5 p.m.

Summary
Scoring:

OAK: Wolfgang Prentice 43’
OAK: Julian Bravo 45’+
PHX: Diego Gómez 85’
PHX: Gunnar Studenthofft 90’+

Discipline:

PHX: Adrian Pelayo 45’+ (yellow card)
OAK: Mark Fisher 50’ (yellow card)
PHX: Hope Avayevu 58’ (yellow card)
PHX: Jean Eric Moursou 82’ (yellow card)
OAK: David Garcia 86’ (yellow card)
OAK: Peter Wilson 90’+ (yellow card)
PHX: Gunnar Studenthofft 90’+ (yellow card)

Oakland Roots SC

Lineup: Tommy McCabe, David Garcia, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Wolfgang Prentice (Jackson Kiil), Peter Wilson, Mark Fisher (Tyler Gibson), Julian Bravo, Raphael Spiegel, Michael Edwards, Faysal Bettache (Jesus De Vicente), Danny Trejo (Neveal Hackshaw)

Unused subs: Kendall McIntosh, Ali Elmasnaouy, Bradley Roberson

Line: Shots: 15 | Shots On Goal: 4 | Corner Kicks: 4 | Fouls: 14 | Offside: 1

Phoenix Rising FC

Lineup: Chituru Odunze, Adrian Pelayo (Aleksandar Vukovic), John Scearce, Luke Biasi (Anthony Capetillo Hernandez), Collin Smith, Jean Eric Moursou, Hope Avayevu (Gunnar Studenthofft), Diego Gómez, Ihsan Sacko, Darius Johnson, Charlie Dennis

Unused subs: Eziah Ramirez, Pierce Rizzo, Peter Rakovsky, Rafael Czichos, Jamison Ping, Jackson Gaydon

Line: Shots: 12 | Shots On Goal: 6 | Corner Kicks: 5 | Fouls: 15 | Offside: 0