Indy Eleven vs Miami FC - 13.13

Summary

- Opponent: Miami FC
- Location: South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium
- Attendance: 611
- Final Score: 2-0 L

- Starting XI: Dick, Quinn (C), Barry, Rasheed, Neidlinger, O'Brien, J., Lindley, Blake, Mesanvi, Rendon, Okello

- Substitution: Omar 63' (Mesanvi); Sharp 63' (Okello); Williams, K. 71' (Blake); Kibunguchy 71' (Rasheed)

- Unused: Charles-Cook, Craig, Mitrano

- Scoring Summary:
MIA - 44' da Costa (assist Sonora)
MIA - 76' Locadia (assist Milesi)

- Bookings:

MIA - Sonora 74' (Yellow)

- Referee: Calin Radosav

- Adage goals: One
- Points Lost from Winning Position (Year To Date): 8

Thoughts and Opinions

It's no secret, and I have said it more than a few times on this site, that Indy's announced attendance are generously elevated from actual attendance. Miami's announced attendance was 611 and I'm not sure how you can argue that number from what was visible in the telecast. At one point early, it sounded like there might be some fans in the stands with organized chants (maybe some Indy fans?), but even they gave up the effort and the crowd noise became almost non-existent in this game.

Within the first few minutes of the telecast, the color commentary person (sorry, I missed his name) for the game called Indy's style of play "ugly." Let's call it pragmatic or calculated. Indy know their strengths and weaknesses and don't care too much about what you think is "beautiful" soccer. You want to win the possession battle, fine. You want to pass it around at midfield or in your half, fine. A win is beautiful. 

However you get there. Miami got there, Indy didn't, but I'm not as definitive as he was that it was because Miami had a prettier style of play.

As much as he wanted to describe Miami's style as prettier, Miami took a page out of Indy's book and after a good spell of possession from Indy, counterattacked quickly and found a goal right before halftime to give Miami the lead at the break. The second goal was the same. Locadia picked up a ball on a long break after a missed header in their defensive half and attacked the goal. Locadia put Barry on skates, cut the ball back in towards the middle of the field, and then curled a shot around Dick. Miami's goals were scored from the same "ugly" style that was given to Indy when the game started.

I understand that Miami is no longer the nearly guaranteed win that it used to be a couple of seasons ago, but Indy never really looked like they were going to win this game. The stats show that it might have been closer, but the eyeball test really put this one firmly in Miami's favor. Regardless of style. They just seemed like the team that might be able to do more with their style than Indy.

Indy gets a 2-nil loss from goals that utilized their style. The soccer gods are a fickle bunch. Indy have to take this loss and travel to Detroit on the weekend which is never an easy place to play. As was repeatedly stated during the broadcast, Indy still have games in hand on every team except for Rhode Island. The question now is whether Indy does enough with those games in hand or does the perpetual reshuffling of lineups due to injuries (Kibunguchy was officially signed yesterday and played 20 minutes...though to be fair, I had heard rumor of a signing last week) finally catch up with them?