- Opponent: Brooklyn FC
- Location: Maimonides Park
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 1-0 L
- Starting XI: Dick, White, Rasheed, Craig, O'Brien, J., Lindley, Quinn, Okello, Rendon, Sharp, Sing
- Substitution: Misanvi 72' (Sing), Mitrano 72' (Okello), Barry 72' (Craig); Kizza 78' (Sharp); Williams 90' (Rendon)
- Unused: Charles-Cook, Gavilanes
- Scoring Summary:
BKN - Obregon 26' (Penalty Kick)
- Bookings:
BKN - Okiyoshi 63' (Yellow)
BKN - McLaughlin 65' (Yellow)
IND - Quinn 70' (Yellow)
BKN - Alves 90' (Yellow)
IND - Williams 90'+4' (Yellow)
BKN - McLaughlin 65' (Yellow)
IND - Quinn 70' (Yellow)
BKN - Alves 90' (Yellow)
IND - Williams 90'+4' (Yellow)
- Referee: Jeremy Scheer
- Adage goals: None.
Thoughts and Opinions
With a new season comes a new level of hope. Nothing has been written. Nobody is in or out of the playoffs. Everything and everybody's goals are still in front of them and achievable. That excitement gets ramped up when the opponent is playing their first game in the league. They, literally, have no history behind them jading fans who have a dozen years of ups-and-downs like the Indy fanbase.
It didn't take long for me this season to bring out my regular frustration of watching games on a baseball field. First game of the season and I already get to complain about it. I understand that real estate is at a premium in the New York City boroughs, but the postage stamp field squeezed into Maimonides Park should barely qualify as being acceptable. It's visually interesting to see Coney Island in the background, but having the camera seemingly as far away from the field as possible, through the foul ball netting and the seam between the netting panels is definitely a choice.
The players have agreed that since the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has lapsed, a potential strike could be forthcoming. Opening weekend proceeded with all games, but each game started with a 1-minute moment of stillness from all the players in solidarity. The league telecasts, including in this game, didn't show the players, but instead directed cameras to the stands. For the fans who side with the players, turning your proverbial back (camera) on the players could speak volumes.
Indy have a new look with different, younger players but there are still remnants of last year. In the early parts of the game, Indy looked overwhelmed by the pace and forward play from Brooklyn FC. Indy's defend first and counterattack tactics remain forefront with the new players. Brooklyn held a 65/35% possession advantage for the first half. The playing out of the back that I saw in the one preseason game I was able to attend were nowhere to be found, as balls were blasted up field at every opportunity.
The defense succumbed to the constant pressure from BKN when Craig lunged at a ball, catching Mangione in his heel in the penalty box, giving BKN a chance to get their inaugural goal via the penalty spot. Obregon stepped up and blasted his attempt straight over the 6'5" Dick who looked like he thought the ball was going to go over the goal. Instead the ball went under the bar, directly over Dick's head, and Indy found themselves chasing the game early.
After the goal, Indy seemed to settle into the offense, but still didn't look clinical. Indy held a halftime shot advantage, but only one of their 7 shots were on target. Sharp's shot that went wide after Rendon perfectly laid the ball off to him in a perfect spot was the most egregious, but Sing and Rendon weren't without their own poor efforts/decisions.
Indy started the second half in a much more forward state of mind, but the finishing touches in the final third continued to remain out of reach as Indy's shot total continued to creep up, but their shots on target remained negligible. After the initial pressure by Indy, it started to look like Indy was going to start another season with a loss as their pressure in front of BKN's box with an unsure-handed goalkeeper was continually met with clearances and poor shots.
In the end, it was a single poor challenge in their own box and poor shooting in the opponents box that manifested itself into a loss to an inaugural club on the opening day of the season. As they say, you don't win the league in the first game, but Indy's season last year showed that every point matters. Indy dropped three points tonight in Brooklyn forcing the team, once again (but not as vitally important yet), to have to look up towards the playoff line.
If my memory and records are correct, this is the second time that Indy have played a team in their inaugural game. The first time occurred July 2, 2016 when Indy had a 1-1 draw to NASL newcomers Puerto Rico FC. In that game, Indy went down a goal, but clawed one back in stoppage time through Souleymane Youla to salvage a result. Indy was not able to do the same today, but Indy may want to stop scheduling teams who are in their inaugural game in the league.
Game Beckons Game Ball
In my new outlook to this site and how I want to spend the season, the GBGB may not be given every game. Today is one of those games.
