Keys to victory: 3 reasons LouCity edged Indy Eleven 1-0
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Yes indeed, Louisville City FC and the Indy Eleven are taking the Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest (LIPAFC) to the postseason. Having both already clinched a playoff spot, the teams met last weekend at Louisville Slugger Field with LouCity coming away with a 1-0 win.
Now, the clubs will meet again — same day, same time, same place — in the first round of the USL playoffs. Might things transpire differently this time around? Let’s explore three keys that led to the 1-0 Louisville City FC victory:
NO ANSWER FOR OWNBY
LouCity attacker Brian Ownby has been a quality attacking footballer for a while. It’s no secret. The problem is, with a cast of other potent options at head coach John Hackworth’s disposal, sometimes Ownby gets lost in the shuffle. Of course, that’s a good problem to have for any coach, so Hackworth likely won’t be complaining about the breadth of talent on his bench anytime soon.
When Ownby is on the pitch, it generally spells bad news for opponents. The Eleven learned that lesson first hand, as Ownby gashed the right side of Indy’s defense on the reg, especially in the first half. His final line read five chances created, three shots on target and three successful crosses of seven total. That’s called severely impacting the match.
The question, of course, is if Ownby will again draw a start? Odds are that Indy head coach Martin Rennie is hoping he doesn’t. If Ownby begins the evening on the bench, Rennie might want to tactically adjust when Ownby enters late considering how repetitiously he was able to find space against Indy’s 3-5-2.
WASTED INDY SET PIECES
Louisville City generated plenty more from its attack throughout the night, there’s no doubt about that. But the one thing the Eleven had going for them was inducing several LouCity fouls in dangerous spots.
Of the 17 fouls committed by Louisville, many occurred on its own half of the pitch or in Indy’s final third. The Eleven also took eight corners. Luckily for the hosts, Indy proved unable to do much with its set-piece opportunities.
One particularly glorious chance saw Indy’s Karl Ouimette shake loose from LouCity defender Kyle Smith on a picture-perfect Ayoze corner service — the exact moment is pictured above — that resulted in a clean header opportunity for Ouimette inside the six-yard box. However, he couldn’t execute what every manager would’ve called for in that situation: heading the ball down. His header soared over the crossbar, representing the most glaring case of Indy not taking advantage on set pieces.
If the Eleven don’t get more from their set pieces, and if LouCity again concedes too many silly fouls in its own defensive third, this key factor could again come into play in Saturday’s playoff match.
OWAIN DA GAWD
Listing the opposing goalkeeper in a “keys to victory” breakdown doesn’t exactly fit the bill. The reason Eleven ‘keeper Owain Fon Williams gets a mention is because LouCity might’ve gone 3-, 4-, 5-0 without his heroics.
Dude absolutely stood on his head and did everything short of walk on water in the losing effort. LouCity only scored once despite putting nine shots on target. You do the math. Fon Williams delivered eight saves.
69′ – It’s not Owain Fon Williams. It’s Owain Da Gawd. He makes another insane diving save to keep the @IndyEleven within a goal. #LOUvIND #LIPAFC @SocTakes
— Kevin Johnston (@KJboxing) October 14, 2018
Simply put, the Eleven cannot rely on a similar performance from Fon Williams this Saturday. Not that he isn’t capable of producing another dandy, but balls are simply going to find the back of the net more often than not when that much pressure is placed on the goalkeeper — when that many shots fly in on frame.
Might these same three subplots play out again Saturday? Louisville City FC fans certainly hope so, while Indy supporters are seeking a reversal of fortunes. The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Photo credits: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes
Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.
Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.
