Jamaican midfielder Trayvone Reid played a crucial role in Oakland Roots SC’s stunning 2-1 victory over high-flying Orange County (OC) SC in the United Soccer League Championship on Saturday.
The 24-year-old scored a penalty to equalize for the Roots in the first half, setting the stage for a dramatic last-minute winner from Gagi Margvelashvili at Pioneer Stadium in East Bay, California.
The victory ended a five-match winless streak for the Roots, propelling them to 10th place with 11 points in the 12-team Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, OC SC remained third with 15 points, tied on goal difference with two other teams.
Roots interim head coach Gavin Glinton praised his team’s resilience. “The goal against was a big deflator for us for a minute, but the guys took a deep breath and got right back to it, and I was happy with that pause – that moment – to just kind of regroup and then get back on with the job,” Glinton said.
Excellent job coming back out
“I thought they did a good job of not letting it affect them and continuing to impose themselves on the opposition. It would have been nice to go in with a lead at the half, but excellent job coming back out and continuing to push and fight in the second half, winning second balls, and not stopping until the end; so I’m proud of the group.”
The visitors opened the scoring in the 21st minute when OC defender Ryan Doghman’s cross from the left found Thomas Amang, who leaped to head the ball into the net. Oakland Roots responded quickly, earning a penalty in the 31st minute after a hard foul in the OC penalty area. Reid confidently converted from the spot to level the match.
With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Roots midfielder Jeciel Cedeno launched a deep lob towards the box in the final moments. Margvelashvili stayed onside, controlled the long ball, and fired it past the OC goalkeeper Patrick Shutler, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and securing a memorable victory.
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