The Oakland Roots soccer team has postponed its next two matches due to a COVID-19 outbreak, the club announced Tuesday.
The Roots, formed in 2018, were forced to reschedule their home games Wednesday and Saturday against Phoenix Rising and Tacoma Defiance. The two fixtures will now he played on August 25 and September 15 respectively, at Las Positas College.
“Several members” of the team’s “covered person’s list” tested positive for COVID-19 and are now isolating at their home to begin the process of recovering, the club said. That list is a bubble formed by the team that includes both players and coaches.
The decision comes in the wake of the team’s Saturday’s home game where they were forced to play with just 13 players due to the United Soccer League’s health and safety protocols. Multiple players were removed from the match just moments before it kicked off.
It’s unclear how much of the Roots personnel is vaccinated. The team tweeted that while they can “encourage, educate, and provide resources,” they cannot force players to receive the shot. They acknowledged that their entire front office is fully inoculated.
The club said that they have followed all CDC, Alameda County and USL health and safety protocols throughout the season.
This is the second time Roots home fixtures have been postponed this season. The first instance occurred when team’s opening night match on June 19 was stopped minutes before kickoff due to the condition of the field.
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