Dayton OH, July 2 2014 – The Dayton Dutch Lions FC (4-10-2) welcomed the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1-9-5) to DOC Stadium. This was the second meeting between the two teams. Dayton coming up on top in the first game was looking for a sweep, but Pittsburgh came to Ohio looking for points and they would get them.
The Dayton Dutch Lions FC and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds came out with a fast pace and attacks on both ends ensued. The Lions were first to get on the board in the third minute when Eli Garner racing to the goal earned a corner for Dayton. Ross Friedman took the kick and was able to place the ball into the box where Aaron Schoenfeld was waiting to head the ball into the side netting of the Pittsburgh goal. The Riverhounds Joseph Ngwenya would create an opportunity in the thirty ninth minute when he took the ball down the left side. Dayton’s keeper, Williams came out to help block the shot and Ngwenya dribbled around him and the corner, but could not finish the play. In the forty third minute Ngwenyen would strike again, hard, but the ball would hit the post and bounce directly to Dayton’s keeper Williams. The Lions kept looking downfield and when the opportunity presented they would send the ball looking for Garner’s speed to get past the Pittsburgh defenders. Despite creating havoc for the Pittsburgh back line, the Lions were unable to put away another goal in the first half. The half would finish with the Dayton Dutch Lions FC 1 and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 0.
The second half Pittsburgh came out quick and in the forty seventh minute after a series of passes Mike Green would receive a ball on the right from Danny Earls and he would place the ball into the left side of Dayton’s goal tying up the game at one. They would do it again in the fifty fifth minute as a chip by Joseph Ngwenya over the Dayton defense would find the foot of Jose Angulo who would tap the ball over the Lions keeper for Pittsburgh’s second goal of the night. The Riverhounds would take control of the second half with good passing, overlapping runs and quick play. Dayton struggled to keep possession in the final third as the Pittsburgh defense stepped it up a notch and would not let Dayton’s Garner penetrate. As the clock ran down the Lions would begin to get numbers into the box, helping them to create some chances but Pittsburgh’s keeper Hunter Gilstrap would step up and handle any threats. The game would come to an end with the Dayton Dutch Lions FC 1 and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2.
I think Pittsburgh deserves the win today commented Dayton Dutch Lions FC Coach Sid van Druenen. “They came out stronger than we did. They had more urgency than we did. We got an early goal and we should have played with a little more confidence after that. We played scared and we were holding back. There was no depth in our game. It is going to be a very tough season for us if we keep playing like this. We lost all the duels in the air, we had no sense of urgency, we thought way too defensively like we were scared of losing and if you are scared of losing you will never win games. We will keep working and we will improve on this for our next game Saturday.”
The Dayton Dutch Lions FC (4-11-2) travel to play the Charlotte Eagles (5-8-2) on Saturday, July 5th at 8pm and return home to DOC Stadium in West Carrollton to play the Harrisburg City Islanders (3-7-4) on Saturday, July 12th at 7pm. They remain home on Saturday, July 19th to take on the Charlotte Eagles at 7pm. For season and individual game tickets, visit the Dutch Lions website.
Dayton Dutch Lions FC-Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1-2
3’ Schoenfeld (Friedman) 1-0
47’ Green (Earls) 1-1
55’ Angulo (Ngwenya) 1-2
Dayton Dutch Lions FC: Williams, Dos Santos (Kissinger), Granger, Wiet, Friedman, Cruyff (Felix), Harada (Clemens), Thuriere, Walker, Garner, Schoenfeld
Pittsburgh Riverhounds: Gilstrap, Flunder, Marshall, Moragalvan, Obodai (Fekete), Vincent, Earls (Dallman), Kerr (C’Debaca), Ngwenya, Green, Angulo (John)
Photo Credit: Jeremi Blurton