Indy Eleven vs Rhode Island - 12.15

Summary

- Opponent: Rhode Island FC
- Location: Carroll Stadium 
- Attendance: 9,039
- Final Score: 1-0 W

- Starting XI: Sulte, White, O'Brien, J., Musa, Quinn (C), Rendon, Lindley, Murphy, Blake, Williams, R., Amoh

- Substitution: Neidlinger 64' (Rendon); Kizza 70' (Amoh); Collier 71' (Williams, R.); McRobb 86' (Blake); Hogan 87' (White)

- Unused: Charles-Cook, Bryneus

Scoring Summary:
IND - Williams, R. 55' (assist Quinn)

- Bookings:

RI - Shapiro-Thompson 24' (Yellow)
RI - Yao 51' (Yellow)
IND - White 75' (Yellow) - though it looked during the game to be given to Lindley
IND - Collier 88' (Yellow)
IND - Sulte 90'+5' (Yellow)

- Referee: Mark Verso

- Adage goals: None.

Thoughts and Opinions

The last time these two teams met, Rhode Island was set to embark on their historic run through the playoffs in their inaugural season in the league by beating Indy, then Charleston, then Louisville in route to the league Final. The teams scored a combined 5 goals, with Quinn being involved in both of Indy's goals. All three of Rhode Island's goals were scored by JJ Williams, who came off the bench tonight as he recovers from an injury. The playoff meeting was the third time the two teams met last season with a 1W-1D-1L record and 6 GF and 6 GA. That's about as even as you can get for a season series. 

With tonight's 1-nil win, Indy put last year's disappointment behind them a little bit, while also bringing their record at the midpoint of the season to 5W-5D-5L. 

The first 45 minutes of the game was a midfield battle. Rhode Island had the bulk of the possession in that area, but neither team seemed to be able to put a substantial stamp on the game in their favor. The two teams combined for four shots in the half, but none of those were on target. Indy's 5-2-1-2 formation in defense with Murphy, Lindley, and Blake taking turns individually or collectively in front of Indy's three centerbacks proved difficult for Rhode Island to unlock. Similarly, Indy couldn't figure out a way through Rhode Island's defenders. The World Series of Poker is currently underway in Las Vegas, and both teams looked like they were playing low on chips, trying to make it through the bubble to get into the money. Just grinding it out looking for their chances when the cards presented themselves. As the first half came to a close, neither team found enough good cards to play and a nil-nil draw was an accurate assessment of the way that first half proceeded. Indy managed a 0.22 xG, while Rhode Island finished even worse with a paltry 0.05xG. Opta indicated there were just 3 touches in the opponent's 18-yard box. Three touches. Neither team could figure a way to do anything in a dangerous position. Maybe the most activity was when a burst of rain midway through the half sent fans scattering for some cover, but the rain didn't seem to affect the game in any way other than the players' footing both on and off the turf.

In the 55th minute, Indy had a true team goal that was super efficient in the touches between the players. Amoh is the beneficiary of an errant pass out of the back from Rhode Island, but his heavy touch forces yet another difficult decision from a 2nd Rhode Island defender who clears it towards the midfield circle. As the ball came to Lindley, he already knew what he wanted to do with it and one-timed a screeching pass along the carpet to Blake. Blake took two touches; a settling touch before sending a pass wide outside to his left to Quinn, who had come sprinting up from his wingback position. Following Lindley's lead, Quinn sent a screeching centered pass/cross towards the 6-yard box where Amoh had dragged defenders towards the front post, while Williams came from outside the far post to get to the ball and pass it first time to the left side of the goal as Lee and all the Rhode Island's defenders were shuffling to their right. The goal moved at lightning pace, preventing the Rhode Island defenders from being able to react quickly enough. The final shot wasn't fancy enough to probably warrant a goal of the week nomination, but it was as clinical of a goal of the week as you'll find. The game winner was the result of pretty soccer.

Second Half Heatmap

Once the game found a goal, the game became a lot more wide open. Indy continued to press their foot to the gas wanting to get a second goal, while Rhode Island attempted to get an equalizer. Indy tilted the field to their advantage in the second half, but shots were still at a premium. Indy finished with 6 shots (2 on target), while Rhode Island finished with 7 shots, none on target. Both teams did help their xG effort, with Indy increasing theirs to 0.77; Rhode Island managed to get theirs to 0.32 despite not getting any of the shots on target. Indy's first rounds of substitutes indicated Coach McAuley's desire to try and get a second goal when he replaced Rendon with Neidlinger, and Amoh and Williams with Kizza and Collier; respectively, and all like-for-like attacking players. With ~20 minutes remaining, he wasn't ready to bunker to preserve a win with a 1-nil lead. Win at home and win big to give the fans something to cheer about. That's been his mantra lately. His second round of substitutes showed that in the dying minutes of the game, he was ready to concede a bit of the attack to maintain a clean sheet victory. 

The game had 2 shots on target between the two teams (both by Indy) and just the 1 goal. The goalkeepers didn't have a ton of work to do, but Indy came away with a victory, their fourth win in the past 6 games, with all the victories including a clean sheet for Sulte. Indy leaked goals early but their attention to defensive detail late in the games have allowed them to get more positive results. There are a lot of things that I like about Coach McAuley, but his use of Lindley in the early portion of this season was not one of them. Whether forced into it because of other player availability or because he has come around to the quality that Cam provides, and it could obviously just be coincidence, but since Lindley has entered the starting lineup in the midfield, the team has a 4W-0D-2L record and 4 shutouts. Obviously, the addition of one player hasn't been a magic tonic that has righted the ship. A better effort from all the players for 90 minutes has certainly helped, but I do find it interesting that Lindley's presence alongside Murphy seems to have gone a long way to help stabilize the leaking late goals they were conceding early on. 

Indy head on the road for the first time in 5 weekends to play North Carolina. Indy's win tonight pushed them to 5th in the table (until Pittsburgh's win on Sunday dropped Indy back down to 6th) and with another win in Cary, North Carolina, Indy could officially be knocking on the "hosting a playoff game" door again as they turn the corner from the first half of the season to the second half.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

I have to give it to the Indy midfield. And more specifically, the 2nd Half Indy midfield...and I'll throw in the duo of Rendon and Quinn into the mix. I don't know what was said at halftime by Coach McAuley, but the Indy midfield and wingbacks came out of the halftime locker room and exerted their will against the Rhode Island midfield. Their play is what set up the first goal and is what demonstrated the concept of making a team adjust to what you want to do versus you dealing with how they want to play. The midfielders (and wingbacks) get tonight's GBGB for taking control of the midfield, allowing Indy's line of confrontation to be further within their offensive half of the field.   

Photos - Don Thompson Photography