They may have only been there for a few days, but the Socceroos are going to be many Oakland locals’ second team at the World Cup as the city pro sports deserted welcomes its new guest.

With a squad now decided upon, Australia’s official World Cup preparations are underway and consigned to Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco.

Training at the state-of-the-art Oakland Roots Sports Club — the former home of NFL’s Oakland Raiders — the Socceroos have embraced the world-class facilities ahead of their final warm-up game against Switzerland on Sunday morning WST.

And the feeling has been mutual among the Oakland community as politicians, officials from Oakland Roots and Soul (the local men’s and women’s teams who own the facility) and fans turned out to watch an open training session.

The Roots and Soul, who compete in the second-tiers of American soccer, have even launched Australia À La Carte, a community-driven food and storytelling initiative bringing a flavour of Australia to the streets of Oakland to celebrate the team’s arrival.

In short, the red carpet has been rolled out by the club and the city alike and Oakland Roots and Soul president Lindsay Barenz said it was amazing to have been chosen by Football Australia as the best possible place to conduct their World Cup preparations.

“We are so proud of our training facility. We’ve worked so hard to perfect this pitch for them, to revise how our gym works, so it can be shared with the Socceroos and our Oakland Roots and Soul, and we’re just really thrilled that the team selected us,” she said.

“People in Oakland and Alameda and the East Bay are very loyal, and when you invest in the community, they want to return that love.

“Being selected by the Socceroos, seeing the Socceroos staying at hotels in our community, eating in our restaurants, giving back to our community, that builds loyalty, and they’re going to feel that love back from our community when it comes to supporting them in our games.”

It’s hard not to be romantic about the way the city is quickly embracing the team, but part of the reason the community are so welcoming may lie in Oakland being abandoned by professionals sports teams in droves.

NBA’s Golden State Warriors moved across the water to San Francisco in 2019, the famed Raiders packed up for Las Vegas in 2020 and Major League Baseball’s Athletics — the focus of Oscar-nominated film Moneyball — followed the NFL side in leaving for Las Vegas in 2024.

Alameda mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft said the city and its fans were still reeling.

“There’s the economic impact. But first and foremost, it was the fans; we have the most dedicated fans who would come out for these games,” she said.

“I have friends who are still flying to Las Vegas to follow the Raiders. They were such dedicated fans, and it did not feel like the teams, the once Oakland A’s, the once Oakland Raiders, really thought too much about the fans.

“They want lovely facilities to play in and other cities to lure them, I get that; but as a team, you’re nothing without your fans, and when the fans lose hope in you and you betray them. That really says something about the organisation.

“We’re hosting this World Cup team, we’re hoping in a couple of years the women’s soccer team is going to be coming and this is a dress rehearsal, will be ready for them.

“It’s a lovely opportunity to show up our region, show up what we have to offer, and hopefully people will just keep coming back.”