Indy Eleven vs Dayton Dutch Lions - 04.10

Summary

- Opponent: Dayton Dutch Lions
- Location: Grand Park
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 6-0 W

- Starting XI: Edwards (C), Satterfield, Kruer, Beasley, Foulk, Smith, Yamazaki, Pinto, Joyce, Sochacki, Jennings

- Substitution: Wyatt 45' (Edwards); Komori 64' (Yamazaki); May 64' (Jennings); Pittman 69' (Pinto); Touhey 69' (Smith)

- Unused: Phillips

Scoring Summary:
IND - Pinto 15' (unassisted)
IND - Kruer 19' (assist Sochacki)
IND - Jennings 22' (assist Joyce)
IND - Yamazaki 28' (assist Sochacki)
IND - Jennings 63' (unassisted)
IND - May 78'  (assist Sochaki)

- Bookings:

None

- Referee: Rachel Glago

- Adage goals: None.

Thoughts and Opinions

After the Racing game, I wondered aloud how Coach Kim might handle tonight's roster. Would the more experienced players like Osswald and Bulger play, or would he roll with the youth in the final game to keep building their experiences. As the roster came out, it was a dramatic emphasis on the youth. Not only were Osswald, Bulger, Chester, or Chatterton not on the starting lineup, they weren't even on the game day roster. In a league that is intended to be an avenue for players to grow - a pathway to the pros - or for some old pros to scratch a competitive itch, tonight's roster was heavy on the pathway to the pros variety. With the chance for the playoffs done and dusted, against the bottom team in the league, getting the youth some experience completely makes sense. 

Dayton arrived with 12 players. No, that isn't a typo. They had 12 players. Total. For those that are bad at math, that means they had just 1 substitute available. Indy had 6 subs, 2 of which were goalkeepers, so they had just 4 field players available. The number of fans were on par with the number of subs, as the stands were the emptiest I have ever seen them. It seemed like everybody was ready to just get through the game and move onto their high school or college seasons. 

Maddy Williams in just three games played finished the season as the team's leading goal scorer with her three goals. In many ways, that might have been part of the problem this season. The past three seasons, the team has never scored less than 30 goals and had only been shutout once. This year, they were shutout 3 times and only scored a total of 22 goals. Indy has some talented forwards, but seemed to struggle at times this year getting shots on target and passed the opposing goalkeepers. Dayton was prone to leaking goals with a -59 goal differential coming into the game (2 GF vs 61 GA). Indy had a couple of 3-nil results against Dayton until tonight's 6-nil result, but never looked as dangerous as they looked tonight. Indy could have doubled the score with just a little bit better finishing.

Dayton has had a rough introduction to the Valley Division this year and tonight was no different. Indy dominated this game from start-to-finish. Very few minutes of the game ever crossed into the Indy defensive half of the field. Emily Edwards spent the majority of the 1st half of the game 35-yards from her own goal and only fielded one long range shot on goal. When she made way for Wyatt, her teammate wasn't required to make a single save. Indy, contrarily, took 32 shots forcing Dayton's goalkeeper Shirley into 16 saves, meaning had 22 shots on target (or 68.75% of their shots found their way towards the goal).

A summary of tonight's goals:

Photo: Robbie Mehling

• Pinto in the 15th minute from a free kick that Sochacki put on frame. Shirley spilled the ball and Pinto put the ball into the goal from within the 6-yard box.
• Kruer in the 19th minute with a forceful header from a corner kick from Sochacki. 
• Jennings in the 22nd minute from a long ball sent from the Indy defensive half by Joyce that Jennings tracked down, pushed around Shirley and calmly passed into the goal from within the 6-yard box.
• Yamazaki in the 28th minute from a free kick by Sochacki. Sochacki put a perfect ball into the box near the penalty spot that Yamazaki headed passed Shirley.
• Jennings in the 63rd minute after Sochacki put a shot on target that Shirley spilled. Jennings had followed up the shot and slammed it into the goal. 
• May in the 78th minute from a cheeky chip over the defenders by Sochacki.

The Valley Division has become a very competitive division, but Dayton was way over their heads this season. This game was never in doubt, mostly from the opening whistle. Indy managed to finish the season with a good performance and Dayton continued their struggles. There's not much else that can be said about this game. Indy's talent was higher, and they played with more intensity. When those things combine, 6-nil results that could have been much much worse are what happen. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

I've said it before this year, but the midfield duo of Pinto and Yamazaki often caught my eye. Tonight was no different. They were all over the place. Distributing the ball and defending when necessary.  Jennings was going to get the edge for the GBGB because the Dayton defense had no answer for her pace and crosses from the right side of the field. She didn't give up on balls, scored a goal herself, and could have had a couple more goals or assists. Clearly, I could talk about the spectacular service and play from Sochacki that had her involved in 5 of the 6 goals. She's shown moments all season, but she was in complete control tonight. Sochacki's delivery from set pieces and corner kicks was perfect, and her distribution was spot on. In a night where the GBGB could have been up for grabs, sometimes I just have to go with the player(s) that I keep noticing as doing positive things. Pinto and Yamazaki have been rocks in the midfield all season, so Jennings and Sochacki have to share the GBGB.