Key games for playoff spots at home this week
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Dayton, OHIO – The Dayton Dutch Lions have finished the first half of the regular season without having tasted defeat in their last nine contests. They have proven to be a tough team to beat with 23 points in 13 games resulting from a 6-2-5 record. It has the Dutch Lions sitting in seventh place but still with 2-3 games in hand compared to the other teams. One win in the upcoming two games will put the Lions even tied for fourth place with Charleston Battery. But there also a lot of teams close and with half the season left to be played, there is still a lot to be done before achieving the goal of making the playoffs. The Dutch Lions will continue to push toward that goal this week, when the Rochester Rhinos and Richmond Kickers visit the Gem City.
The Dutch Lions’ Head Coach Patrick Bal said, “Since the beginning of the season, we’ve come together a lot. We are a lot more organized, and we have had good results compared to last season. I think that it will take 40 points to get into the playoffs. Rochester is trailing us in the standings, so we must win this game to keep it that way.”
The Rochester Rhinos (3-7-6) finished second in the USL PRO regular season ago, but got off to a slow start in 2013. With two wins and three draws in their last five outings, it appears that the Rhinos may be getting back on track under interim head coach and Hall-of-Famer Pat Ercoli. Although Rochester currently sits in eleventh place in the standings, they will provide a challenge for the Dutch Lions.
Bal said, “Rochester is much more organized than they were in the beginning of the year, and they are gaining confidence. This will be a tactical battle. They tend to sit back and wait to capitalize on the other team’s mistakes, but they really need to win this game. We’ll see how they come out against us.”
After the Rochester match, Dayton will only have one day of rest before the Richmond Kickers (8-0-6) roll into town with an undefeated record. Though most of the Kickers’ success has been achieved at home, last weekend’s road trip demonstrated that the team is capable of handling the league’s best teams on the road. Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw, also a Hall-of-Famer, guided his team to a 2-0 victory at first-place Orlando and a draw at Tampa Bay on the very next day.
“The win against Orlando was good, but Richmond has been impressive all season. They are a very mature team. They really control the game, and I admire their style. They play to win,” stated Bal. “The longer they stay undefeated, though, the bigger the chance is that they’ll lose one. Hopefully that is to us.”
Both games will be played at Beavercreek High School. First kick against Rochester is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Thursday, July 4. The contest against Richmond will begin at 7:30 PM on Saturday, July 6.