Indy Eleven vs Flint City AFC - 02.11 (Playoffs)

Summary

- Opponent: Flint City AFC
- Location: Atwood Stadium
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 3-0 W

- Starting XI: Reason, Kugler, Creel, Bahr, Sexton, Kraszula, Rogers (C), Dewey, S., Soderstrom, K., Chester, Williams

- Substitution: Chatterton 60' (Sexton), Soderstrom, S. 60' (Dewey, S.), Williams 66' (Whitsett), Wilson 74' (Chester); Johnson 74' (Soderstrom, S.); Ojongboh 74' (Creel)

- Unused: Edwards

- Scoring Summary:
IND – Bahr 14’ (Penalty Kick)
IND - Dewey, S. 42' (assist Williams)
IND - Soderstrom, K. 49' (assist Kugler)

- Bookings:

IND - Creel 45'+2’ (Yellow)
IND - Kugler 79' (Yellow)

- Referee: Audra Fullen

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Coming into this game, I wondered if Flint City's turnaround from last season's last place finish in the Great Lakes division to this year's first place in the division, had anything to do with the fact that they didn't have to face Indy Eleven and Racing Louisville twice each. While Indy's and Louisville's departure did save Flint from a potential four losses, Flint City's record outside of those two teams was still a poor 2W-1D-5L. So, not being with Indy and Louisville helped some, they did substantially improve even against the other teams that remained from last season's division.

A penalty kick in the 14th minute after Creel was deemed to have been pulled down in the box on a corner kick started the scoring for the game. Defender and former player/coach Bahr calmly stepped and put the ball to the left while Riddle started to the right before freezing in her tracks to watch the ball go past her. Again, how talented and deep is this team when you have Williams, Dewey, and Soderstrom on the field and it's a defender that steps up to take the penalty kick?

Flint City did a good job in the first half of holding possession, but not in a ton of dangerous locations, or in ways that gave them solid chances at goal. It was Indy who was able to utilize their possession to get looks at the goal. Late in the half, Indy had a flurry of activity in Flint City's goal that eventually found its way to the backheel of Dewey, who put Indy up by two heading into the locker room.

Coming back out of the locker room, Indy found a run up the right side of the field from Kugler that Flint City couldn't stop. Kugler put a ball towards the six-yard box that Soderstrom, K. redirected towards the near post and past Riddle. Just like that, three minutes into the second half, and Indy had a three goal lead. Then it was just a matter of doing what they could to see the game out, keep a clean sheet, and keep everybody healthy.

Best I could tell, everybody finished healthy. Dewey, Soderstrom, and Williams were all able to get out of the game at a reasonable time to keep their legs fresh, while also giving some minutes to others, which will be important come Saturday afternoon. Indy went to Flint with one goal in mind, and that was to make it to the Central Conference final where they can give themselves a chance to exact revenge on the team that beat them last year. Helping Indy's cause this year will be that the game will be at a neutral site, and Minnesota won't be able to pack the stadium like they did last year. At least not as easily. If you're able to make it to Flint this weekend, go support the team and counteract any visiting Minnesota fans. Winning tonight was not Indy's ultimate goal, but they had to win tonight to give themselves a chance to win on Saturday and they did that. 

Indy will recover tomorrow, and get ready to face Minnesota at 3:00 on Saturday.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

I keep repeating it with this team, but I could literally give the GBGB to nearly every player on the field. So it keeps coming down to which player do I keep noticing that they have done something well. To that point, tonight's GBGB goes to Kraszula. Flint City put a lot of pressure on Indy's midfielders, and Rogers and Kraszula were really up to the task. There's a reason Rogers is the captain and nearly plays every minute, but there seemed to be a number of moments where Kraszula had to make key interventions and she did so. Flint City's defenders were also not gentle with their press, and so she took a bit of a beating trying to maintain possession for Indy. Kraszula gets tonight's GBGB for her effort against a rough Flint City midfield.

Indy Eleven vs Flint City AFC - 01.06

Summary

- Opponent: Flint City AFC
- Location: Grand Park

- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 3-0 W

- Starting XI: Reason, McCarthy (Ro), Kraszula, Leonard, (C) Chatterton, Bahr, Chester, Rogers, McCarthy (Ra), Soderstrom, Williams

- Substitution: Bulatovic 63' (Soderstrom); Dean 63' (Williams); Gajdobranski 74' (Rogers); Barnett 74' (McCarthy, Ro); McCalligett 74' (Chatterton)

- Unused: Wood, Lynch

- Scoring Summary:
IND - Williams 7' (assist McCarthy, Ro)
IND - Williams 17' (assist Rogers)
IND - Williams 22' (unassisted)

- Bookings:
None

- Referee: ??
- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

When these two teams met a month ago, they combined for seven goals, with Indy scoring six of those seven, behind braces from Soderstrom and Bulatovic. The only thing missing from Indy’s stellar night was the 38th minute goal they conceded to not keep the clean sheet. That game was in Flint. Tonight’s game was at the much more Indy Eleven friendly location of Grand Park, but was the first game of a three-game week. Indy faced Flint City today, face opening night foe Kings Hammer on Tuesday on the road, and then return home to face Racing Louisville for what could be the top spot in the division.

This was much of the same starting lineup from last week, with one notable difference. In place of Mackenzie Wood, the starting goalkeeper to date, was Nona Reason, who picked up her first start of the season, as well as her first clean sheet of the season. Not too bad for the Noblesville High School graduate, who has yet to turn 18 years old. When asked about the decision to play Reason tonight, Dolinsky indicated "she's leaving us now, at least for the near future, heading out to North Carolina to get herself acclimated out there. Got her a start before she goes out there. Hopefully that's a huge confidence boost for her headed into her freshman year at UNC. Maybe if we make the playoffs, I can give a call to Anson Dorrance to see if she can come back. Wonderful kid. It's been a joy coaching her and I can only wish her the best." For her first start, she held her own tonight with 3 or 4 saves (by my count). A 36th minute misjudge of a weird bounce of the ball was nearly turned into a goal as Flint City came up with the ball and had a free runner in the box. Some more outstanding defense forced the resulting shot to be well off target. The catastrophe was diverted and Reason maintained her chance at the clean sheet. That, however, was the only miscue from her.

Before I get much more into the game play portion of this discussion, there was a moment before the game that made me smile. As the teams walked out to the center before the game, the McCarthy sisters held hands with each other. Rachel said after the first game that part of the reason she was here in Indy was for the chance to play with her sister again. Seeing them walk out together, hand-in-hand, they look like they are enjoying this experience of playing with each other. As a father of daughters (who routinely bicker), the McCarthy sisters are a good reminder that there's still love there. They also add a unique dynamic to the right side of the field when both are playing on that side. 

Just 30 seconds into the game and McCarthy (Ra) put a ball just wide of the goal with her head from a cross from Soderstrom that I'm sure she wishes she had back. Shuk, Flint City's goalkeeper, was way out of position and Indy could have had a first minute goal. In the second minute, Flint City has a free kick just outside the 18-yard box that screamed just wide of goal. The early part of the game was not without action. Which led to the first goal of Maddy Williams' hat trick in the 7th minute. Williams held her run just long enough on a recycle from McCarthy (Ro) that when she collected the ball, she was all alone and had all the time in the world to pick her spot, and shot it with her left foot. That’s the kind of goal that a player of Williams’ caliber isn’t going to miss.

Photo credit: @DLTPhotog

I do not envy teams that try to defend Indy’s forwards. McCarthy (Ra) has pace for days, Soderstrom and Williams aren’t far behind her, and they all switch positions side-to-side so much that keeping track of where each one is on the field at any given moment is an absolute challenge for defenders. Throw in the fact that any of them are willing to make a 50-yard run back to defend, and keeping track of them means you have to be switched on for a full 90 minutes. There was a moment in this game where I watched as the ball was being brought forward on the right wing and the three of them met each other at the top of the box as they crisscrossed each other and scrubbed off defenders in the process. It looked like a pick in basketball, or one of those football crossing routes with two wide receivers who run past each other so that one of the defenders is caught up in the traffic jam. McCarthy (Ra), Soderstrom, and Williams did this exact same thing. Given the ability of all three of them to score goals, losing your assignment on any of them could spell trouble.

Photo Credit: @DLTPhotog

Which is how we find Williams' second goal of the hat trick in the 17th minute. See above paragraph. Williams’ defender lost track of her for 2 seconds, Rogers found an opening to get it to her, and Williams put a ball up and over Shuk that she could do nothing about. Unless she was 12-inches taller. The ball was perfectly struck and perfectly placed in the only location it could have been to get a goal. That's the ability that Williams has to make defenses pay.

The third goal by Williams came just 5 minutes later, to complete her first half hat trick in the 22nd minute. Again, hanging out on the left side of the field (though I promise you she spent as much time on the right and in the center), Williams struck a one-time blast back across the goal after a poor headed clearance. Watch the clip. She's already scored two goals and the Flint City defenders lose her for 2 seconds and she made them pay for it. When these three play like they did tonight, it’s just nearly impossible to keep track of them. Williams struck the ball so well that Shuk barely moved, either because she thought there was no way it was going to be on frame, or if it was, then she knew she wasn’t getting to it. Turned out to be the latter. "She's an incredibly gifted and talented goal scorer. She's been trying too hard at times and the first one today was the confidence builder that I think she needed. The next two, you're thinking to yourself, almost on the verge of wonder goals. Great individual effort by her. ... My hope is that we have the professional level in Indy sooner rather than later, and we have a homegrown player already." - Dolinsky 

Photo credit: @DLTPhotog

Look, it's obvious who is going to get the GBGB, but it has to be said. The Indy midfield bossed the Flint City midfield on the left, right, and center. Much like the fact that the Flint defenders couldn’t keep track of McCarthy (Ra), Soderstrom, and Williams, the midfield of Chatterton, Chester, Kraszula, and Rogers had the Flint City midfield chasing shadows. One of them were constantly on the ball either pushing the ball forward or defending. Flint City's openings for passes were small and short-lived. I'm not sure how well it could be seen on the telecast because so much of their work was often off-camera, but the Indy midfield were the engine that made this team run tonight. 

During a lull in the noise from the BYB, you could here Dolinsky say in the 33rd minute, “Stop giving the ball away!” Typical coach. Even when your team is ahead by three goals and dominating the game, you have to find something to try and improve upon. 

“First 5 Blue, first 5!” – Leonard coming out of half. Love to hear an adage goal command from the captain.

Photo credit: @DLTPhotog

First ten minutes of second half, Indy continued to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Soderstrom had two shots that went just wide and another from McCarthy (Ra) that found the outside of the side netting. However, much like the men’s team seemed to settle into a rhythm when they were up 4-1 against Charleston, the women’s team found it more difficult to break the Flint City defense in the second half. A 3-nil lead, the 3 games in a week, and necessary substitutions took some of the edge off of Indy, and their finishes became less clinical. Dolinsky was happy that, despite not extending their lead after Williams' three goals, they maintained much of the possession and didn't let Flint City work their way back into the game. It was a very professional effort to see the game to its conclusion. Maintain possession, keep a clean sheet, stay healthy. Check. Check. Check.

This is the kind of game if you’re a neutral spectator that you feel a little sorry for the away team because they were overmatched at all positions. As I watched the game and marveled at the front three, and the play of the midfield four, and the brick wall that was the back three, I began to wonder if this team has a weak link. I decided, in this game, it was the backup goalkeeper Reason. All she did was save every shot that came at her on her way to the team's third clean sheet in six games. There may be other good teams in this league, and there are still 6 more games before the playoffs, but a dominant undefeated first half of the season has me believing that this team has to be in the discussion for best team in the league.

As mentioned above, Indy is back at it on Tuesday at Kings Hammer before returning to Grand Park next Friday to play Racing Louisville. That's going to be an exciting game, with likely a lot on the line now that we're into the second half of the season. Get your tickets now.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

When you score a hat trick in 22 minutes, it makes for an easy decision for the GBGB. The former Purdue Boilermaker made the goal look like it was twice the size for her today. "Somedays you just hit the field and you just feel on, and that's how today felt for me and I was, obviously, thrilled to get those goals, but those girls got me balls in really good positions and made it pretty easy for me. ... The three of us up top are all dangerous in very different ways, so I think the more that we can interchange and the more we can switch positions and get more teammates involved, the better chances we have." With her hat trick, she is now tied on the team with Soderstrom in both goals (5) and assists (1) to co-lead the team. Again, this team is a nightmare to defend and they know it. Tonight was Williams' night and seeing the ball go in the goal is only going to make her more dangerous moving forward.

Additional Photos (Courtesy of @DLTPhotog)

Indy Eleven vs Flint City AFC - 01.02

Summary

- Opponent: Flint City AFC
- Location: Kettering's Atwood Stadium
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 6-1 W

- Starting XI: Wood, McCarthy (Robyn), Isger, Kraszula, McLaughlin, Bahr, Lynch, Rogers, Soderstrom, Williams, McCarthy (Rachel)
- Substitution: Bulatovic 56' (McCarthy Ra); Dewey 67' (Williams); Barnett 74' (Isger); Dean 74' (Bahr)
- Unused: 

- Scoring Summary:
IND - Williams 17' (unassisted)
IND - Soderstom 25' (assist Lynch)
FLT – Gemelli 38’ (assist Lopez)
IND - Rogers 41' (assist McCarthy, Ra.)
IND - Bulatovic 71' (assist Lynch)
IND - Bulatovic 83' (assist Soderstrom)
IND - Soderstrom 90' (assist Lynch)

- Bookings:
None

- Referee: Nicole Green
- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Let's start with an appreciation of Greg Rakestraw and the production value of the Indy Eleven home games. I didn't necessarily object to the commentary, but wow, the camera work was a bit rough for this game. At least there are cameras so that the games can be seen, so that's an important part of growing the game in this country.

Now let's talk about the field. I know why games get played on fields like the one at Kettering University, but that many lines on a field (and a different colored moat around it), makes for some difficult viewing. 

Onto the game itself...

This team is fun to watch. When I talked to Rachel McCarthy last week, she indicated that a back three lineup was a new thing for many (all?) of them. You wouldn't know it the way that the first two games have gone. Sure, Indy put a solid half-dozen goals on the board and it could have easily been at least two or three more. Getting to 10 goals in a game doesn't seem like a stretch the way this team plays. Yet, with the exception of the couple errors that lead to Flint City's goal, Indy's defensive is just as stout as the offense is explosive. McCarthy (Robyn), Isger, Leonard, McLaughlin, Bahr, etc. are all defensively sound. The defense starts with the forwards and midfield, who made it extremely difficult for Flint City to do much of anything without being under pressure. 

That's a recipe for success and a cause for worry for the opposing teams.

Midway through the second half, with Indy already up 3-1, they were content to knock the ball around and let FLT chase the ball around the field. I don't know how many touches Wood had, but the ball was routinely passed back to her as Indy slowed down the game and looked for their spots to get FLT out of their defensive shape. Once that happened, Indy attacks with pace from Williams, Soderstrom, McCarthy, and a seemingly unending string of players willing to go forward and attack FLT's goal. Even a few of the balls over the top that I thought were optimistic, somehow found Indy players and chances on goal.

One of the things that I notice and appreciate the most about this team offensively, is that because all of the forwards (and midfielders) are willing and capable finishers, there is rarely a lack of support in the box as the ball goes forward. Crosses have the ability to find somebody. Parried shots from the goalkeeper, if not sent far enough, have the chance to finding a player in position for the rebound. Every single one of the forwards is looking to shoot the ball whenever they get an open window to do so and are within 25 yards of the goal. 

I'm sure Coach Dolinsky and the team are going to strive towards a clean sheet as they get more time together, but when you can outscore your opponents 9 to 2 in the first two games, a clean sheet is just an added bonus. Which is probably why the team traveled with just a single goalkeeper to this game. I've never seen a roster that didn't include a backup goalkeeper. I know some of it is out of his hands, but there's also a sense of a bit of bravado and confidence that goes into having a single keeper in the lineup. It sound like from the broadcast that if something happened to Wood, there might not have been a formal plan on what to do. With this team, I wouldn't be surprised if the plan wouldn't be to just attack even more.

Indy continue to be on the road next week in their version of LIPAC, as they travel to Louisville to taking on the Racing Louisville's USL W team. 

 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Who do you give the GBGB to when the team scores 6 goals, two players score 2 goals a piece, and only give up a single goal for the other team? You could roll the dice. It seems almost as fair. However, I think I'm going to give it to Soderstrom for the effort she put in throughout the 90 minutes. With the team up 5-1 in the dying minutes of the game, she was looking for another goal and she was looking for that goal to come from her. She had some passing options, but she took on her defender 1v1, left, then right, then left after leaving the defender helpless sitting on the ground and calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper with her left foot. Any deflection, and there were three other Indy players (Dean, Lynch, and Bulatovic) ready to pounce on the ball for their own goal. Knowing she had the support, Soderstrom was unafraid to take the chance and I love that mentality from a forward. So, she gets the nod for the GBGB, but this team makes it really difficult to give this "award."