Oakland Roots

Soccer in Oakland

Oakland’s soccer history dates back to the late 19th century, with early activity in Northern California spurred by amateur clubs and the formation of the California State Football Association in 1902. The early 1900s also saw matches played by British ship crews in the Bay Area, further popularizing the sport. Professional soccer arrived in Oakland in 1967 with the Oakland Clippers of the National Professional Soccer League, who won the 1967 championship before joining the North American Soccer League. The Oakland Buccaneers began play in the 1976 season as an expansion franchise for the American Soccer League (ASL) but folded following the season due to financial issues. The Oakland Stompers followed to play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) 1978 season, but relocated to Edmonton the following year.

Founding and early vision

Oakland Roots SC was founded by Edreece Arghandiwal and Benno Nagel, two Oakland natives with a shared passion for soccer and community-building. Arghandiwal, an entrepreneur with a background in marketing, and Nagel, a former professional coach with experience in Europe and the North American Soccer League (NASL), combined their complementary skill sets to establish a club rooted in local identity. Arghandiwal's connection to the sport was influenced by his family's involvement in Afghan soccer—his father managed a club, and his uncle played for the national team—while Nagel brought technical expertise and coaching experience to the project.

Nagel, who had long championed the idea of professional soccer in Oakland, believed the city was a natural fit. “I think Oakland for soccer makes a lot of sense on a lot of levels,” he said. “If you announced that tomorrow at 3 p.m. Club América and Chivas were going to play at the Oakland Coliseum and tickets were on sale for 24 hours, you would sell it out. That’s how big soccer is here.” He emphasized that the club’s success would hinge on its connection to the community, noting, “The reason we got a lot of people interested in what we were doing was because we brought them into the conversation and asked them, ‘What do you want to see?’”

The idea for the club emerged from conversations between the two at a Bay Area Afghan-American community soccer tournament. Both co-founders saw an opportunity to create a professional team that authentically represented Oakland’s culture and diversity. Recognizing the city's rich but underrepresented soccer tradition and large youth participation base, they envisioned a club that would embody Oakland’s values both on and off the field.

The formation of a new professional soccer team based in Oakland was announced in July 2018, and the name Oakland Roots was revealed that October, when the club officially launched and unveiled its crest, designed by Matthew Wolff. Early efforts focused on building a strong local identity, including a partnership with Oakland-based lifestyle brand Oaklandish, which produced official merchandise and helped generate community interest. The club also launched creative outreach initiatives such as a radio station and locally themed marketing videos. In spring 2019, the Roots signed their first players, including three Oakland natives—Devante Dubose, Julio Cervantes, and Yohannes Harish—in preparation for their inaugural season. The club followed with the addition of several higher-profile players, including San Jose native and former MLS midfielder Benji Joya, Honduran World Cup veteran and former San Jose Earthquakes player Victor Bernardez, and former MLS first-round draft pick Jack McInerney. On May 9, 2019, the Roots announced Bay Area native and former MLS player and Colorado Rapids technical director Paul Bravo as their first head coach.

National Independent Soccer Association

The club opened the inaugural 2019–20 NISA season as the league's first game, at home in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 4,500. McInerney would score a first-half perfect hat-trick in a match that would eventually end up in a 3–3 draw.

Oakland Roots played eight games in their inaugural season: six in NISA and two friendlies against Mexican clubs FC Juarez and Atlético Zacatepec. The club picked up their first win at home against Atlético Zacatepec by a score of 2–0.

Oakland Roots sold out all four of their home games in the 2019 fall season averaging 4,927 fans, including a record 5,723 in their final home game, a 1–1 draw vs Los Angeles Force.

On October 31, 2019, Oakland Roots and Bravo mutually agreed to part ways. On December 3, 2019, Oakland Roots announced Jordan Ferrell as the club's new head coach.

The Roots opened their second season at home once again in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,603. The match against Chattanooga FC would end in a 1–1 draw when McInerney scored in the 93rd minute of the match after the Roots were forced to play a man down from a first-half red card. The Roots followed this up by winning their first-ever NISA league match the following weekend vs Michigan Stars FC 2–1.

On April 27, 2020, following an extended stoppage of play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NISA announced the cancellation of the 2020 spring season.

In the abridged 2020 fall regular season, Oakland finished first in the three team Western Conference, with Matthew Fondy leading the team with two goals. The Roots finished atop its group in the NISA Fall Championship, and beat Chattanooga FC in the national semifinal, before falling to Detroit City FC, 2–1, in the final.

USL Championship

On September 15, 2020, the team announced they would be moving from the third-division NISA to the second-division USL Championship. Initially, in 2017, the USL approved a bid from real estate developer Mark Hall to bring a soccer team to Concord, California, instead of Oakland. The team, called USL East Bay, planned to play in a 15,000+ seat soccer-specific stadium complex before the development idea was scrapped in May 2020. The team's territorial rights were later sold to the Roots. In November 2020, Oakland Roots announced the signing of Oakland born, Richmond, California raised midfielder Saalih Muhammad via a transfer from New Mexico United as the club's first USL Championship player.