The only Australian to previously call the Socceroos’ upcoming World Cup base home has given a ringing endorsement to the facility, giving a unique insight into the environment that awaits Tony Popovic’s side in Oakland, California.
Australia U23 international Panos Armenakas spent the 2025 season with USL side Oakland Roots, featuring 31 times in all competitions for a return of one goal and five assists.
Speaking to football360.com.au, the midfielder – who is now a free agent – described his experience at the club and the training setup that will now form the headquarters for the nation’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
“The weather is going to be amazing,” Armenakas said.
“They’re not going to be in extreme heat. It’ll be warm, but it’s not going to be humid like it would be in Florida or something like that.
“The facilities for me, (they’re) the best in the league for sure.
“Amazing gym setup, a lot of space, physio rooms, meeting rooms. It’s the old Oakland Raiders training facility, so you can imagine the locker room space and the meal areas and stuff like that.
“They’ve got all the equipment you need for the gym, all the space you need, multiple football fields, the grass is in great condition.
“Unless you’re training at LAFC’s facility, it’s going to be hard to beat.
“I know it’s Oakland Roots, but the facilities are amazing. I think they did the right thing by choosing that.
“It’s a big sports town, you get the support from the locals because you’ve decided to use their facilities as well. I think it’s an amazing setup that will be good for the community and also good for the Socceroos.”
He continued: “They have everything; you want the ice baths, the spa, the saunas, the jacuzzi setups, you want the big locker room space, you want a space where they can get out of the hotel and stay there for a little while longer and have their meals and table tennis and pool tables and, you know, the soccer tennis tables and stuff like that.
“They have all of that to relax a little bit. Beautiful trees, you can go for walks… sometimes after training, I’d bring my dog down and walk him as well.
“Other than that, I don’t know if they’re going to be wanting to do much else other than be focused on the World Cup. Obviously it’s very important, but they have everything they need there. It’s not like they’re going to go wanting and not have anything available for them.
“They’re not going to have to go externally to look at how can we get this done? They have everything on site. So I think they’ll feel at home and comfortable.
“The only thing that will probably be difficult is the traffic in California is sometimes tough. depends where they’re staying and time of day that they’re leaving, but they should be okay.”
Oakland may end up being Armenakas’ last USL stop, having also spent time on the books of Phoenix Rising, Loudoun United and Memphis 901 FC.
The 27-year-old departed the club at the end of the 2025 campaign and is now on the look out for a new club, following an experience that delivered more special memories.
“I was looking at some options in and out of the US and then Oakland came,” he explaiend of how he ended up there.
“I knew they were kind of restructuring the team and trying to get some new players and they wanted me to be a part of that. And it looked like everything was cool. California, great weather, close to San Francisco.
“A beautiful stadium now moving into the Coliseum where there’s history there and I love my American sports with the NFL and the baseball, so to be a part of that was amazing.
“Home openers (were) like close to 30,000 people in the Oakland Coliseum so it’s amazing, blacked out with the Oakland jerseys and seeing people with my name on the back. It was pretty cool and my family there for that first game was pretty nice.
“Oakland is a sports city through and through.
“If you’re a sports team, it doesn’t matter what type of sport.
“That’s why it’s sad to see a lot of the teams pack up and leave. I understand the money side, going to Vegas or Sacramento now with the baseball team, but they love their teams through and through even the Roots.
“A big sports city, if you play bad, they’ll let you know but, they’ll show up… and have a lot of soul, a lot of culture and they care a lot.”