OAKLAND, Calif. – Oakland Roots SC announced on Friday the club had acquired defender Morey Doner via transfer from fellow USL Championship club Detroit City FC. Doner will be available for selection in Oakland’s USL Jagermeister Cup contest against AV ALTA FC on Saturday night.

Doner joined Le Rouge this offseason having spent the prior three seasons with Monterey Bay FC. He made six regular-season appearances for Detroit, logging 235 minutes of action while recording 16 recoveries, seven clearances and one interception.

Previously, the 31-year-old had played every game of the prior three seasons for Monterey Bay, including playing every minute of the 2023 regular season. Doner has recorded four goals and 10 assists in 9,354 minutes in the Championship’s regular season over his career.

Analysis

Morey Doner’s return to the West Coast is an attempt by Oakland to help shore up a back line that has conceded the most goals in the Championship so far this season. Roots ranks last in the league with 22 goals against an a 16.54 Expected Goals Against mark through 11 outings in the regular season, while also ranking 23rd in shots on target faced (56) and 22nd in total shots faced (141).

With Rhys Williams having solidified his position in the starting lineup on the right side for Le Rouge, Doner heads to Oakland as a potential plug-and-play option for Head Coach Gavin Glinton. Following the departure of influential right back Memo Diaz to El Paso Locomotive FC during the offseason, Doner can be an experienced head alongside Kai Greene to try and help the side improve in the defensive third, bringing a career 59.4 duel success rate and 61.5 tackle success rate to the table.