Dayton, Sunday, June 2, 2013 - Dayton Dutch Lions FC keeper Matt Williams managed to keep the house clean with the help of a few of his teammates as the Dutch Lions (4-2-2) met the LA Blues (5-5-4) on their home turf, ending with a 0-0 draw. Neither team could capitalize on the numerous opportunities that presented themselves. Dayton's best chance came in the last 10 minutes of the game when a half bicycle kick by leading scorer Gibson Bardsley hit the post.
Facing their former teammate, the formidable George Davis IV, a University of Kentucky alum who played for the Dutch Lions in their 2011 USL Pro Season debut, Dayton found themselves starting with a slower than usual tempo as the first half opened. LA burst right out of the gate, playing with a much quicker pace which soon saw LA Blues’ Allan Russell shooting bullets that flew high of the goal in 7th minute and 16th minute. In between those two attempts, LA Blues’ Keeper Mohammad Mohammadi weighed in when Irakli Khutsidze’s corner out to the 40 connected to Dayton’s Shintaro Harada, poised for the fire, but his shot went wide of the goal.
Matt Williams’ goalkeeping for Dayton kept them out of trouble for most of the game, with his fair share of action, and his defense had his back. Twenty-five minutes into the game, LA Blues’ Shay Spitz confounded Dayton’s Williams with a high springing flick over the keeper’s head, which then bounced ominously toward goal but Dayton’s Gregory Preciado was there to head the ball out of a treacherous potential goal. Spitz chimed in again in the 41st minute but his dangerous play earned him a yellow card. The half finished with both teams exiting the field, a frustrating 0-0 showing on the board.
LA Blues’ Coach Jesus Rico-Sanz started with a second half substitution, Duach Jock popping in for Spitz. The substitution was just as wicked for Dayton with Jock announcing his arrival immediately. He viciously shot on Matt Williams in the 48th, who saved magnificently and rolled back out, but Jock found it again, and seconds later Williams was forced to scoop up another rocket blast from the pitch. LA continued with several substitutions, beginning with a 53rd minute exchange, Aaron Horton for Mehrshad Momeni, and later Juan Perez-Bernai for Chris Cortez, beefing up their offense.
The Blues’ Davis made his presence known again in the 56th minute, sending an arching shot over goal which Dayton’s Williams grabbed at the crossbar just as it appeared to soar out of reach. At this point, Coach Patrick Bal made a Dayton substitution in the 62nd minute with Gibson Bardsley in for Joey Madigan, and the Dutch Lions began their counterattack. Flanking down the left side Bardsley sent a through ball to the back post which Remco Klaasse just about threaded in, but Los Angeles’ Allan Russell tangled him up just enough for keeper Mohammadi to sneak in behind and grab the ball. Scuttles on the field led to a 72nd yellow card award to Bardsley for roughness. Davis retaliated on a Matt Williams save, hooking the keeper in the 73rd minute, and was subsequently awarded his own yellow card.
Another Dayton substitution in 75th, found forward Tjeerd Westdijk in for midfielder Irakli Khutsidze, changing the Dutch Lions’ dynamic on the field and creating more momentum in the Lions' offense but also leavin a bigger gap in the midfield for LA to counterattack themselves. A 84th minute free kick by the Blues’ Russell rocketed from 25 yards out and Matt Williams punched it free and forward but clear of the crowd for an Eli Garner pickup. Garner sprinted down the right side and just about took the ball in, but the Blues’ defense eventually caught him. One minute later agreat attack by the Lions and Westdijk found Klaasse in the middle, who flicked on to Bardsley’s bicycling foot in the box and his shot went way out of reach of the LA goalie but the shot came off the post. The match ended with neither team scoring, 0-0.
Coach Patrick Bal was thoughtful about the result. “I think overall, a tie is a fair score for this game. The first half, LA had a little more control then we took over. We were more even in the second half, and for big period of time we were the stronger team. He acknowledged the missed opportunities. “We could have won it at the end with Bardsley hitting it off the post and soon after the chance with the Westdijk layoff, but on the other hand, they could have scored also.”
Line up Dayton Dutch Lions FC:
Matt Williams, Taylor Lord, Greg Presciado, Brock Granger, Shane Smith, Joel DeLass, Shintaro Harada, Irakli Khutsidze (Tjeerd Westdijk), Joey Madigan (Gibson Bardsley), Remco Klaasse, Eli Garner
Next up, the Dayton Dutch face Columbus Crew once again, but this time it is the Crew Reserves, in The Miami Valley Hospital Stadium in Beavercreek on Saturday June 8 at 7:30. The Dutch Lions return to their league schedule with a visit from VSI Tampa Bay FC (5-3-1) on Sunday, June 16 at 6:30