Of course the new era of the Oakland Coliseum was christened with something to remember. It just had to be. This is an old stadium. The outside world will tell you it’s decrepit, even unfit for sports. Professional teams in the NFL and MLB have abandoned the 59-year-old stadium. But it’s also a place full of memories and great sporting moments that this city can still cling onto.
And on March 22, Justin Rasmussen added another. He really could have nodded it back to the open man on the edge of the box, or hooked it back into the mixer - with two teammates wide open at the back post. Instead, Rasmussen, a left back for the USL's Oakland Roots, swung one foot over another, judging the shape, spin, and flight on the ball, and bashed a bicycle kick into the top corner. And in response, 26,575 people rose to their feet in unison. Another memory for the collection.
From the outside, it may appear to be a story of fight and resilience. And in many ways it is. Three major franchises - count them off: the Oakland A's, the Oakland Raiders and the Golden State Warriors - have left the city in the past five years. The Roots remain, flying the flag for sports in this town that has long embraced its teams.
But in reality, the Roots have always been here, deeply embedded - indeed, deeply rooted in Oakland.
“As someone born and raised in Oakland, it's a huge disappointment," Tommy Hodul, the Roots' senior vice resident of communications and Oakland native, told GOAL. "I grew up an A's fan, I grew up a Warriors fan. I grew up a Raiders fan. And it's like, even with how great it is for the Oakland Roots, it's still not the best thing for our city."
