Oakland A’s fans will have another opportunity to give owner John Fisher a piece of their minds next month.
But instead of protesting on the baseball diamond, the Oakland faithful will have to take their “sell” chants to a soccer pitch in San Jose.
The Fisher-owned San Jose Earthquakes will host the Oakland Roots of USLC at PayPal Park in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup’s Round of 32 on May 7.
The Bay Area teams were put in the Lopez Division with fellow Northern California USLC squads Sacramento Republic FC and Monterey Bay FC.
“John Fisher’s Earthquakes vs. Oakland. This has reverse boycott vibes written all over it,” ABC7 producer and anchor Casey Pratt wrote on X/Twitter.
“I have a feeling Quakes and Roots fans will both be united when it comes to one particular cause.”
Supporters of both teams seem to be united in their fervor for Fisher on social media with early plans of a boycott mentioned by fan groups such as the Oakland 68s.
“Time for proper action against John Fisher,” the Californian Soccer Project, an X/Twitter account that advocates for soccer around the state, posted. “Fans must unite in chants!”
The newly formed Pioneer League baseball team Oakland Ballers had fun with the announcement, sarcastically writing on Twitter/X, “But, how will we possibly decide who to support?”
The Quakes and Roots have faced off once before, in 2021. The squads played each other in a preseason match in which the Quakes won 3-2 on a Cade Cowell 84th-minute goal.
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Fisher, who recently announced the A’s will play in Sacramento next season, has been a majority owner of the Earthquakes since 2007. The Quakes have made the MLS playoffs five times in the past 17 years.
San Jose has fallen off fast since the team’s playoff appearance last season. The Quakes (1-7) are currently the worst team in the MLS with a league-low three points through eight games. A 3-2 win over the Seattle Sounders on March 23 is the Quakes’ lone win this season.
The Roots are in eighth place in their conference with a record of 2-1-3 and have seven points this season.