The Dayton Dutch Lions FC opened their season against the Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC at DOC Stadium in West Carrollton on Saturday night. The clouds parted as the teams took the field for warm-ups and the game began.
Dayton came out with pace and put Cincinnati immediately on the defense. In the forty third minute Dayton midfielder, Eric Lynch ran down the left and crossed to Anwar Tuithof who back heeled the ball to the right side. Cincinnati keeper Dane Wilson was there however with the save.
Dayton continued with pressure. Midfielder Lewis Dunne stole the ball in the midfield and found Jake Cousin on the left. Crossing into the box Cousin’s found Anwar Tuithof who put it past the Cincinnati keeper in the twenty sixth minute to put Dayton up 1-0.
Cincinnati responded quickly though and in the twenty third minute, Dayton struggled to clear the ball out of its box. Cincinnati’s Robert Andriot stepped up to fire a rocket up and over Dayton’s keeper, tying up the game 1-1.
The exciting, fast paced game continued in the fifteenth minute as Dayton’s Lewis Dunne put a shot from right to left across the keeper but it hit the far post and bounced away.
Again in the eleventh minute Dayton’s Tuithof would blast a shot from twenty five yards out but it struck the crossbar and bounced back into play.
With less than two minutes to go in the first half Cincinnati got their chance and floated a ball into the Dayton final third. Keeper Nathan Jones stopped any thoughts of scoring when he came out and headed the ball away.
The first half came to a halt with the Dayton Dutch Lions FC and Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC tied 1-1.
The second half saw play go quickly from end to end as both teams looked to pull ahead. In the fifty fourth minute Dayton had a chance as Cincinnati’s keeper came out only to miss the ball and a shot was taken on goal by Dayton but the Cincinnati defender showed quick feet and lofted the ball upward and out of danger.
The battle continued in the midfield as both teams struggled for possession and the lead.
Dayton was able to break free in the seventy fifth minute and run down the left side crossing into Patrick Philippart who got his head on the ball but it floated over the goal.
Dayton keeper Jones and Cincinnati keeper Wilson were kept busy during the rest of the half but they would keep the score even through the end of the game. The game ended tied 1-1.
Dayton Coach Sid van Druenen had this to say about the game. “It’s a little mixed emotions on one side, starting off the season with a tie is not a bad thing. We believe there was a lot more in it. I think there was one team that came out to win it and it was us. Unfortunately, we didn’t. We didn’t score on the opportunities that we created. But, we dominated, especially second half. I think we showed we have a lot of strength coming off the bench as well and we will focus on the next game. But today I think it comes down to the opportunities missed. We should have won, we didn’t, so we’ll take the tie.
The Dayton Dutch Lions FC (0-0-1) resume play at home at DOC Stadium on Friday, May 27th at 7:30pm EDT against K-W United FC (1-1-0). They welcome the Michigan Bucks (1-0-0) to DOC Stadium on Friday, June 3rd at 7:30pm EDT.
MATCH SUMMARY
Venue: DOC Stadium
Fourth Official:
Attendance: 586
Weather: Partly Sunny
SCORING SUMMARY:
Dayton-Tuithof (Cousin) 26’
Cincinnati-Andriot 15’
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:
Cincinnati-Martyn Sayer-yellow 50’
Dayton-Mateus Gama-yellow 79’
Dayton-Mateus Gama-yellow 81’
Dayton-Mateus Gama-red 81’
LINEUPS:
Dayton Dutch Lions FC: Jones, Brezovsky, de Blank, Cousin, Linders (Gama 71’), Kershaw, Dunne (Philippart 59’), Lynch, Tuithof, Frasca, Kemjika (Nwabia 59’)
Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC: Wilson, Andriot, Best, Dupont, Elder (Vasquenza 77’), Hay, Melink (Clark 63’), Merhaut, Smythe (Meyer J 63’), Sayer, Stovall