Indy Eleven vs Lexington SC - 04.05

Summary

- Opponent: Lexington SC
- Location: Grand Park Event Center
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 5-0 W

- Starting XI: Edwards, Chatterton, Bahr (C), Kruer, Albert, Yamazaki, Pinto, Smith, Chester, Williams-Osswald, Soderstrom-Bulger

- Substitution: Komori 61' (Chester); Adam 61' (Chatterton); Sochacki 73' (Bulger); Joyce 73' (Yamazaki); Beasley 79' (Smith); Budish 79' (Osswald); White 79' (Albert)

- Unused: Wyatt, Molloy

Scoring Summary:
IND – Pinto 6' (assist Smith)
IND - Osswald 26' (assist Yamazaki)
IND - Osswald 44' (assist Bulger)
IND - Chester 45' (unassisted)
IND - Sochacki 85' (assist Bahr)

- Bookings:

LEX - Sexton 36' (Yellow)

- Referee: ??

- Adage goals: None.

Thoughts and Opinions

In the midst of an unprecedented losing streak for The Girls in Blue, having Lexington show up at Grand Park was not the team Indy was most eager to see. Former Coach and former teammates on the other side of the ball, and the second of three times playing the team from Lexington, creates a chess match of tactics. Coming into the night, Indy likely would have preferred to see Dayton, a team that's conceded a lot of goals this season, but you have to play the team in front of you when they're scheduled. By the end of the night, Indy had defeated Lexington 5-nil and showed that when they play to their potential, they're still a good team. 

Photo: Don Thompson Photography

The game within the game was always what intrigued me about the games against Lexington this year. In the first outing a few weeks ago, Indy was without Chester, Bulger (Soderstrom), and Osswald (Williams) so that was a new wrinkle for Lexington to defend. But, Coach Dolinsky really knows what all those players are capable of providing to Indy. But, I've always been impressed with Osswald's tactical IQ and I knew she would be able to figure out and adjust to whatever Coach Dolinsky wanted his defenders to do against her and Bulger. Whoever could win the chess match, the game within the game, was going to be the one to come out on top tonight. That, and if Indy could be clinical and avoid the woodwork like last week's game...

It was Indy that got out of the gates fast, scoring a 6th minute goal off the boot of Pinto who took a long-range shot that found the lower right corner of the goal. Unlike their male counterparts who scored an early goal on Wednesday and then became more defensive-minded, Coach Kim and the women are not inclined to do that. Knowing that Coach Dolinsky also wants to attack and then attack some more, the potential for more goals by both teams was high with 84 minutes to go. In the early stages of the game, Coach Dolinsky had his Lexington side overloading the midfield when they were in possession, regularly leaving just two defenders back. Indy's early goal and propensity to go forward caused him to rethink that strategy for a little bit, but quickly dropped back into that tactic. 

Interestingly, both coaches could be easily heard barking commands to their players over the sparse crowd, telling each other what they were doing or wanting to do. The chess match is a bit more interesting when you can hear what your opponent is thinking.

Osswald doubled the advantage in the 26th minute that she admitted to me was intended to be a cross that she mishit slightly. So instead of the ball finding a path along the 6-yard box for an on-rushing teammate, it drifted towards the goal. Garrity was unable to push it over the bar cleanly and it dropped into the goal after a couple of deflections off the post and her knee. Given that it was headed into the goal without the touches from the goalkeeper, Osswald was given credit for the goal. 

Photo: Don Thompson Photography

As the half began to close, Lexington's Garrity made a questionable decision trying to play out of the back that nearly resulted in a goal by Bulger who hadn't given up on the ball. Garrity just barely got the ball out of her feet and across the end line for a corner kick. Looking flustered by conceding two goals and nearly giving up a third, Indy's forwards smelled blood in the water and became persistent. Immediately before the clock ran out of regulation time, Osswald brought down a ball near the six-yard box, took a touch to her left that freed a window when her defender overran the ball, and Osswald put a left-footed shot under the outstretched leg of the recovering defender and passed Garrity who was leaning the wrong direction. Seconds later, Chester intercepted a ball being played out of the back by Lexington and immediately ran at the goal. A slight push of the ball to the left, and she uncorked a left-footed shot to the right side of the goal. At halftime, Coach Dolinsky had his backup keeper, Bolton, warming up, realizing his starting net minder was rattled having given up 4 goals in the half.

After the break, Coach Dolinsky made two other changes in addition to his keeper trying to breath some life into his shell-shocked squad. For the first ten minutes, the game was very even with both teams getting opportunities on goal. However as much as Lexington wanted to control and overload the midfield, it was Indy's midfield that was up to the task and stifled the Lexington offense. The midfielders and defenders put themselves in good positions to limit whatever Lexington was trying to do. They switched well as Lexington tried to change the point of attack, and recovered nicely when Lexington did get balls into the final third.

Indy and Lexington have now played each other twice in this compact, fast-paced season. So far, Coach Kim is getting the best of his former boss in this chess match:

Indy Eleven 7 - Lexington SC 0

Coach Kim 2 - Coach Dolinsky 0

This team isn't used to losing, and a 5-nil clean sheet helps restore some of the confidence for the upcoming games that Indy are going to need to win to stay in the conversation for the Division title and the playoffs. The official stats indicate that Indy had 11 shots and Lexington goalkeepers had 4 saves. 4 saves + 5 goals = 9 shots on target. 9 shots on target out of 11 shots = 81.8% shot accuracy. That also helps with confidence.

Indy return to action next Wednesday when they go on the road to face Kings Hammer.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Tonight, the GBGB isn't going to a single player. Coach Dolinsky brought his Lexington squad to Indy and put them into a 2-5-3 arrangement while in attack, severely overloading the midfield. Not discounting the effort from Indy's back four, which did a stellar job, the midfield, anchored by Pinto in the holding midfielder position, completely stifled the Lexington midfield. In the second half, it was clear that they had run out of ideas on how to get through the Indy midfield. In the rare occasions when they did, Bahr and company helped put out any of those fires. The midfield four of Pinto, Yamazaki, Smith, and Chester get tonight's GBGB for their ability to take away what Lexington wanted to do.

Photos - Don Thompson Photography