Indy Eleven vs FC Edmonton - 04.24

- Opponent: FC Edmonton
- Location: Edmonton
- Attendance: 3,027
- Final Score: 2-0 L
- Starting XI: Busch, Franco, Falvey, Miller, Vukovic, Ring, Ubiparipovic, Smart, Goldsmith, Junior, Zayed
- Substitutions: Thompson 45' (Goldsmith) Speas 61' (Ubiparipovic), Ables 81' (Junior)
- Unused: Cardona, Watson-Siriboe, Lomeli
- Goals: None
- Bookings: Falvey 69' (Yellow), Smart 80' (Yellow)
- Adage goals: None

I have no desire to re-watch this game with Edmonton's horrible stream.

I have no desire to count how many times the ball was just casually given away by the Indy Eleven players.

NASL/Opta Stats - Indy Eleven Unsuccessful Passes

I have no desire to count how many times the matador defense was employed (ole!)...or how many times that led to last ditch defending.

Photo: NASL/FC Edmonton

I have no desire to go back and figure out how many times a player took one extra touch that prevented them from getting a shot on goal.

Whatever optimism I had left about the team making the Championship disappeared today. With 8 games remaining (4 home, 4 away), I don't see how they get enough points to overtake the teams ahead of them. The Eleven have a -7 goal differential in the Fall Season and it's not just an issue of not scoring, but leaking goals too.

But what concerns me is shown in the photo to the right. Yes, that's a penalty kick by Corea. A converted penalty kick. The 5th such converted penalty kick on the season and one that was actually the correct call. What bothers me most is that the team has also had some penalty kicks saved by Busch, only to have the rebound put in the goal. What have they learned from all of the penalty kicks that were saved and then scored? Well, in the case of Vuko, it means stand flat-footed with your hands on your hips. Watch the highlights and you'll see that Falvey and Franco are only slightly better.

Today, I saw this tweet:

"If you don't address the things you're not doing well when you're winning the winning will eventually stop." David Cutcliffe pic.twitter.com/0xqEuy447W

— Derek Jones (@dukecoachdj) September 10, 2017

I would extend that to include that if you don't address the things you're not doing well when you're losing, the losing will continue.

Continuing to stand with your hands on your hips on a penalty kick is just one more small thing that frustrates and concerns me about this team as it hits the final stretch of games in the season. Maybe not mathematically out of it yet, but quickly finding themselves in desperate need for points.

Highlights: