Peralta Community College District's Only Student-Run Publication
Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Secondhand clothes in a variety of sizes and styles sit on a rack in the newly opened clothing exchange, where PCCD students can now access free clothes and shoes. (Photo: Desmond Meagley)
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Desmond Meagley, Staff Writer • March 11, 2024
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What to Expect When Going to a Roots Game

It was cold, dark but the lights and the crowd led the way. I hadn’t been to a roots game since the pandemic started and this was the warmest of welcomes.

We parked on the street completely unaware that Laney offered their parking for free, so instead of parking somewhere stupid like I did, go down to the 12th street parking lot and find a good spot before the game. I made all the mistakes so you don’t have to. 

We also left the house way too late and the line was long. There’s only one gate for the entrance so a crowd of 4,000 people had to be processed by four staffers. I missed the first 20 minutes of the match trying to navigate the line and make it through security. They also don’t take cash so make sure that you have a charged phone and a card ready because cashless payment is the only form the vendors accept. 

The seating at Roots games is separated into sections, with the main sweep of fans taking up the Mosaic section, decked out in Roots and Oakland gear

Across the field are the sections Deep Roots, The Nest and The Grove. The Grove has padded seats and a private bar (a necessity for many). The Grove allows for access to The Nest, where those willing to drop the extra cash can view the game from an elevated platform above the commotion of the crowd and players below. 

Saturday september 11th, The Roots met up with the San Diego Loyal for Pride Night in Oakland, Calif.; A sold-out crowd of over 4000 people came out to see an exhausting match that left both teams walking off the pitch nil-nil. 

When you enter the stadium with the press there’s a totally different set up. I go to the office, pick up my press passes and then I’m off to the press box or the field to find the perfect view of the pitch. This time my dad surprised me with a couple tickets for the game last Saturday and I got the opportunity to see the Roots from the fan’s perspective. They did not disappoint.  

We made it to the game with a full house of Oaklanders ready to see the Roots play against the Loyals. The mosaic, the general admission seats, were packed full of excited and slightly drunk fans ready to see the home team beat up the enemy. 

The Loyals came into the game strong and managed to keep the ball on the Roots half of the field for most of the night. That was just an opportunity to see the impressive goalie work from Paul Angelo Blanchette #20 of the Roots. He managed to hold off two long penalty kicks, a header in the box and several shots on goal.

That’s not to say the Roots didn’t get their shots in. 25 minutes into the first half center-back Emrah Clemente #21 managed to fire a shot past the defense that went just shy of the bottom right post.

Overall it was mostly just a nail biter. That Saturday, we saw two formidable opponents go head to head in an extremely tight game. My favorite part of the night was at the 29 minute of the first half when the Loyals chipped a ball from the left side of the pitch into the penalty box only to be swatted away by Blanhette. We also saw a second place team go head to head with the Roots in 6th and watch them both walk away with nothing on the board.

The atmosphere is unbeatable in the Rootball. If you’re lucky enough to make it to a game you will feel a charge in the air. From excited fans to amped up action the Roots home game air is electric. Get there early as soon as the gates open. Get some empanadas from The Damel and bring some buddies to see an amazing team, and some die-hards screaming and drinking in the crowd.

Since this game the Roots have had some serious matches. They’re currently in fifth place in the Western conference and have one regular season game left. They face off against Sporting Kansas City Saturday the 30th. If Oakland can secure the win then the team will head off USL Western Conference playoffs. 

About the Contributor
Ulysses Smith, Staff Writer
Born and raised in Oakland, Calif. Ulysses’ father is of Scots-Irish and Danish descent and his Mother is African-American. As a child his dad would take him on bike rides to protests, concerts, sporting events and sometimes even bars across the Bay Area, which developed his fascination for culture. Ulysses’ mother is a dedicated public servant and has worked for the public library system for over twenty years. When she was still with Oakland Public Library she had access to free tickets at A’s games and his dad would take him out of school to see them play. They’d end up getting box seats but would sneak down the stands to be next to the real action and developed his lifelong fascination with sports. He played baseball and basketball off and on throughout grade school, coached in his summers and got a chance to play for state but got knocked out of the division 5 playoffs after the first round. A lifetime addicted to music and gardening as well; he’s been playing the guitar since the age of 7 and later learned the basics of music production, bass guitar, banjo and his instrument of choice the drums. He got a green thumb from his father, a horticulture major, and Ed Rosenthal, the godfather of homegrow. To this day no matter what season he has at least two plants growing. He graduated from Realm Charter High School In July 2017 and enrolled in Laney Community College by Fall 2017. His High School eventually ceased operations and was permanently closed in Fall 2019. During his time at Laney he has worked as a private English tutor, a teacher’s aide for the C.I.S. department and as a sports reporter here at the Peralta Citizen.
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