Oakland Roots electrify over 26,000 fans at Coliseum home opener

The Oakland Coliseum got here again to life on Saturday 22 March, when the Oakland Roots Kicked his milestone 2025 residence opener with everybody’s favourite ‘Final Dive Bar’. The official presence was 26,575, a file with one recreation for the at the moment lively franchises of the United Soccer League.

The parking zone across the Colosseum was full of followers ecstatic to be backwards. The aromas that come up from folks’s grills, the suppliers of scorching meals attempting to draw folks’s consideration, babies who play the ball, flags fly excessive, the loud eclectic sounds of stay Mexican bands and audio system who performed Bay Music, collided harmoniously.

“It is nice for the roots to convey the vibes again to the Coliseum,” mentioned Jorge Ixta, a roots fan for the reason that group began in Oakland in 2018.

Among the many 26,000 followers, native celebrities corresponding to Rafael Casal, W Kamau Bell and Richmond Rapper IAMSU! the group cheered. Oakland Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and councilors Janani Ramacandran, Rowena Brown and Ken Houston had been additionally current. Political candidates Barbara Lee, Loren Taylor and Kara Murray-Badal additionally appeared. The earlier presence file of the roots was 6,408, positioned throughout a double header with Oakland Soul on 8 June 2024.

“That is our Coliseum of Gladiators. That is our epicenter of tradition within the East Bay. I got here right here since I used to be a small youngster and checked out Dennis Eckersley, Terry Steinbach, Ricky Henderson, Jose Canseco, a number of the biggest baseball gamers of on a regular basis, the Raaiders,” That is the Raiders, “” That is the Raiders, “” That is the Raiders, “” That is the Raiders, “” That is the Raiders, “” That is the Raiders, “” That is the Raidel, “” “I’s Raidel,” “”. “” ” Dying or leaving was so devastating. And now to listen to {that a} residence -grown group of individuals from right here, owned by folks from right here, is unbelievable. So we’ve to be right here. We have now to do his day one right here. “

It has been fairly a journey for the group that began taking part in at Laney School in 2018, survived the Pandemie and moved to play in Cal State Bay in Hayward for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The roots have a one season contract to play within the Colosseum, which they will construct a stadium in Oakland.

Inside the Colosseum, followers of all ages roam the busy corridors to get on their seats. On the similar time, others patiently waited in lengthy rows to get meals from completely different suppliers of Bay Space. Whereas others held the loud “Let’s Go Oakland” in the course of the recreation.

One of many empty concessions in part 105 was became a pop-up artwork exhibition wherein the roots invited the artwork division of Fremont Excessive College to show their multi-year portrait challenge with the title Faces of Fremont. The pop gallery can be proven with rotating artists for each residence recreation. Oakland -artist and photographer Brittsoense will current her artwork in honor of Ladies’s Empowerment Night time.

The most important spotlight of the evening was the remainder efficiency of TOO $ Hort, which was within the metropolis that promoted the approaching launch of the movie Freaky Tales. Too $ Hort not too long ago turned a member of the possession pool of the Ballers.

Too $ Hort was accompanied by turf dancers who not too long ago carried out with Kendrick Lamar on the Tremendous Bowl Half -Time Present and Cheerleaders of Castlemont and Fremont Excessive Colleges.

“We’d like sports activities in Oakland as a result of we’re right here within the metropolis of sport followers,” mentioned $ hort. “We love our groups. We have now the sort of followers who’ve impactgames as a result of we’re so passionately supporting our groups.”

San Antonio FC first scored within the fifth minute on a strike by Alex Grieve. The primary aim of the roots within the Colosseum got here solely two minutes later and was a spectacular one. The ball went excessive within the penalty space of ​​a nook kick and Justin Rasmussen hit him within the internet with a bicycle kick. However that will be the one depend of the house group of the sport, and Luke Hakenson of San Antonio had the decisive assault within the 69th minute.

Though the roots 2-1 misplaced to San Antonio FC, the evening was closed with a illustration of Oakland music theme Fireworks with traces of Mistah Fab, seemed Da Sneak, Infantile Gambino, Goapele, Inexperienced Day and others via the Oakland Roots Official DJ Shabazz.

View photos from the sport beneath.

Correction: Justin Rasmussen scored the aim of the roots.