After two seasons the Oakland Roots waved goodbye to the Oakland Coliseum with a chaotic 0-0 draw with San Antonio FC.
The result leaves the Roots unsure of their place in the USL Championship playoffs, but the outcome was always secondary to the occasion here. The bigger uncertainty surrounds where the team will play in the future.
A crowd of 9,718 turned out for this finale, and they were treated to an undulating stalemate that swung on the back of two second-half penalties.
A post-match fireworks display lit up the sky, but melancholy and hubris also hung in the air.
This was a fitting finale for the Roots’ two-year Coliseum sojourn.
On paper, this should have been a good news story: a local sports team stepping up and into the void left by the departure of the Warriors, Raiders and A’s from the city. Instead, this feels more like a missed opportunity.
After the A’s left Oakland in 2024 for Las Vegas, via Sacramento, the Roots took a swing. The deal the soccer team signed to play at the Coliseum ultimately meant it was one they missed.
Despite a promising start that saw nearly 27,000 fans attend their first game at the stadium in March 2025, the Roots often struggled to attract fans to the Coliseum. The team averaged 6,209 fans during the 2025 season and less than 5,000 in 2026.
In a stadium that can hold 63,000, these crowds felt even smaller, and the game-day atmosphere, one of the Roots’ strongest elements, often suffered as a result.
The Special Event License Agreement the Roots signed with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to play at the Coliseum has proved restrictive.
Beers at Roots’ games in the Coliseum top $20, but the team doesn’t see a dime from concession sales inside the stadium. Instead, that money goes to the JPA. Ticket revenues have not covered the team’s expenses.
The Roots’ Coliseum reality has proved far less romantic, and more costly, than the initial idea promised.
There was drama in the team’s farewell.
Against San Antonio, Kendall McIntosh became the first Roots goalkeeper to record four straight clean sheets. This record appeared in doubt when San Antonio earned a 75th-minute penalty.
But a flying save from the Oakland native kept the match scoreless.
“It means so much,” McIntosh said after the game.
“It’s both like a memory that I’ll have forever, and something that I think that I can give to Oakland … Just being part of history and having a memorable moment is special. That’s why we play.”
The save seemed to galvanize the Roots, who had been struggling to keep pace for much of the game. After increased pressure, the Roots had a penalty of their own, but Peter Wilson’s kick was saved, and although the rebound was converted, an offside flag meant the goal was ruled out.
“I was pretty pleased with the performance,” said Roots coach Ryan Martin after the game.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t score before we got the penalty kick. I thought we created enough. We had some good looks, got in to some good places, and just needed to be a little bit more clinical with our final action.”
The tie leaves the Roots in 11th place in the USL Championship Western Conference, four points and three places outside the playoffs. With two games left of the regular season there is still more to play for the Roots.
Off the field the picture is far more unclear with speculation swirling about where the team will play next season.
The most likely scenario is a mooted move to a temporary stadium at the team’s Alameda training center.
“I think there’s some things to work out, I don’t know the full scope and logistics,” Martin said of the Roots stadium search.
“What I do know is if it was at the training ground it’d be fantastic. Selfishly, I live like four blocks from there, so it’d be tremendous. But that’s way above my pay grade.”
This summer the Roots hosted Australia during the 2026 World Cup and drew close to 2,000 fans to an event at Raiders’ former training facility. While not ideal the finances of a temporary stadium on Alameda might prove an attractive solution after the constraints of the Coliseum.
In September, the Roots obtained an exclusive negotiating agreement for the Howard Terminal site with partners Industrial Realty Group. This gives the team a one-year window to negotiate the 55-acre site with the Port of Oakland.
The team’s plans for a 25,000-seat soccer stadium are major league in scale but would take years of development and planning. The A’s failed to turn ambitions into reality at Howard Terminal can the Roots fare better? Oakland needs some good sporting news, but this is a contest that will likely take years to decide.
