This weekend the Dayton Dutch Lions played 5 matches all at the DOC Stadium on the campus of West Carrollton High School. Many strong performances were on display including the U13 Girls victorious Game of the Week on Sunday. See below for our ALT Architecture Team of the Week and Game Reports.
Game of the Week MVP – Nichole
Game of the Week Highlights Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4tE8P7XTGc
GAME REPORTS:
Age/Gender: U10 Boys
Location: Grass Fields at DOC Stadium ~ West Carrollton
Players: Ronnie, Elliott, Oliver, Kellen, Kyle, Zaur, Samir, Parker (Guest) and Tanner (Guest)
Match Result: Lost 5-2
Scoring: 16’ min Samir (Kyle), 43’ min Samir (Tanner)
ALT Player of the Match: Elliott
The young Lions took to the field for their first match of the season. It was a pleasant evening and the boys were ready to play after two weeks of training. Due to injury, we had two guest players join us. Thank you to Parker and Tanner for helping us. The boys played the usual 2-3-1 formation looking to get the ball out wide to neutralize the size advantage of the visitors.
Defensively, Elliott and Oliver did a very good job of anticipating the attack and were able to get the ball up the wings. They played very well together and gave goalkeeper, Ronnie, plenty of support. They also were very strong in supporting the DDL attack.
The midfield and forward pushed up often and pressured in our half of the field. The first 15 minutes of the match was equal as play went from end-to-end. The Lions scored first off a nice feed from Kyle. He won the ball at midfield and made a nice through pass to Samir. Samir collected the pass, took two dribbles and shot past the oncoming keeper. Lions led 1-0. The visitors picked up their pace the remainder of the half and scored twice to lead 2-1 at the halftime break.
The second half belonged to Metro as the Lions appeared to tire and could not put their passes together. They stopped talking and moving which only made things worse. After three goals, the Dutch Lions did get a consolation goal as Tanner’s shot hit the crossbar and Samir was at the far post to knock in the rebound. Final score 5-2.
After the game, Coach Ric shared, “We played a very good first half and struggled most of the second half. I believe fatigue played a part as our opponents were a bit bigger and stronger than us. At the same time, we did not back down physically. I was very pleased with our effort and attitude. We never quit playing hard, but we did stop executing. We have to talk…move…and support if we want to be successful and that gets harder when you are tired. Good news is we have a couple weeks to train before we hit the game pitch again.”
The ALT Player of the Match selected by Coach Ric was Elliott. “Elliott, in my opinion, was the best player on the field. He covered so much ground throughout the match, worked so well with Oli in the back and was a defensive force all day. He also moved up and pushed the offense for us. WELL DONE, ELLIOTT !”
Age/Gender: U13 Boys
Location: DOC Stadium | West Carrollton
Players: Andrew, Asher, Zane, Christian, Tyler, Daniel, Kon, Levi, Joseph, Tyson, Sean and Akol
Result: 5-1 Win
Scoring: 1’ min Kon (Tyson), 21’ min Akol (Kon), 41’min Sean (Christian), 56’ min Akol (Asher),
64’ min Kon
ALT Player of the Match: Kon
The U13 Boys opened the season with a bang. They attacked from the opening whistle scoring in the first minute and continuing throughout the match. It was a very hot and humid afternoon at kickoff and the steamy weather may have impacted the players execution during the match. The Lions played in a 4-3-3 formation for the entire match.
Defensively, they played very well as several players were new to their positions, but did not show that with their performance. The center back duo of Zane and Christian was brand new, but they worked hard for each other, maintained the proper space and pushed the attack. The outside backs, Tyler, Asher and Daniel, all had strong outings. They did not allow anyone to get behind them and provided support in the offensive half. The lone goal was scored on a penalty kick and scoring chances were minimal.
Offensively the boys had the right intention to play, building up from the back, getting the ball wide and making quality passes into the attacking third. The first goal came in the opening minute as Joseph stole the ball at midfield and played Tyson down the right flank. Tyson took a long dribble into space and crossed the ball low to the penalty spot. Kon was coming in from his midfield position and slotted the ball into the back of the net. Though the Lions had numerous opportunities the second goal did not come for another 20 minutes. Kon dribbled through the middle and delivered a nice square pass to Akol at the edge of the penalty area. Akol made a quick move to beat a defender and hit a hard shot past the keeper.
The second half was all Lions as they were creating scoring openings about every five minutes and they finished three of those chances. Shortly after the start of the second half, Christian settled a long ball and found Sean in the middle. Sean dribbled past several defenders and calmly scored. The fourth goal was the hard work of Asher as he fought off a challenge won the ball and found Kon in the middle of the field. Kon hit a long range shot from almost 25 yards out that soared into the upper corner of the net. Kon completed his hat-trick when he jumped on a rebound and scored from six yards out.
Coach Ric was pleased with the effort and shared the following statement “We did a lot of good things today and every player added value to the team. We had numerous boys in new positions and they were solid. Our passing, switching of the field and defensive intensity were strong points. Though we scored 5 goals our finishing needs to improve and our support on the flanks can be better. A performance like today can build our confidence as we get back to training to improve our shortcomings. I want to give a shout out to our five defenders. They controlled this match for us.”
The ALT Player of the Match, selected by Coach Ric, was Kon. “Kon started his Dutch Lions career in nice fashion with a hat trick. His runs into the box allowed him to get past defenders and he has a wonderful shot. The boys around him gave him the ball in scoring places on the field and Kon finished well. I love his attitude and work rate….more good things to follow for him.”
Age/Gender: U13 Girls ~ DDL FC Game of the Week
Location: DOC Stadium - West Carrolton High School
Players: Ava B.; Lauren; Sara; Alivya; Marayna; Hope; Shiloh; Mia, Ava P.; Rachel; Laura; Kayden; Nicole; and Adler
Result: 3-1 W
Goal(s): Ava P., Nicole, Lauren
ALT Player of the Match: Nicole
Defensively, the Dutch Lions had a solid performance for the first game of the season. The Lions center backs were able to organize the backline and control the opponent attempts to build up. Laura did well in the CDM role to stop several attempts from reaching our backline. For adjusting to a much larger field, the overall team defensive pressure was compact and organized.
In the attack, the Lions had control of the game from the opening whistle, but struggled to find the net in the first half. In possession, the Lions did well to switch the point of attack and then attack at speed. Quick combination play and good runs in behind allowed the Lions to break down the opposing defense.
Coach Bradley stated, “This was a good result for us. We were able to break the opposition down multiple times but struggled to find the back of the net. Defensively we were organized and our midfield did well on both sides of the ball. Overall, for our first game of the regular season, I was proud of our effort and creativity. When we clean some things up in the attacking third, we are going to be an extremely tough team to beat.”
Nicole was selected as the ALT Player of the Match. Coach Bradley said, “Nicole was simply brilliant for us. She completed nearly all of her passes, was dangerous in 1v1 situations and scored a great, composed goal for us to seal off the game. She's truly getting better and better each game."
Age/Gender: U13 Girls
Location: DOC Stadium - West Carrolton High School
Players: Ava B.; Lauren; Sara; Alivya; Marayna; Hope; Shiloh; Mia, Ava P.; Rachel; Laura; Kayden; Nicole; and Adler
Result: 3-0 L
ALT Player of the Match: Mia
On the defensive side, the Lions got off to a slow start and found themselves down early. However, after some halftime adjustments made by the girls, they were able to hold the opposition scoreless in the second half. Better organization and a stronger desire to win tackles were key to the Lions second half defensive success.
Much like the defensive side of things, the Lions struggled to get a rhythm going in the attack. With some changes to the line up in the second half, the Lions were able to create some good opportunities but a bit unfortunate to not find the back of the net.
Coach Bradley commented, “Second game in a day is always tough. I thought in the first half the other team showed greater desire than us and that showed on the score sheet. However, in the second half, our girls fought back and played with a desire to win. This game showed many areas in which we need to improve and I am looking forward to a week of hard work. We have a rematch against this team next Saturday that I know the girls will be excited about.”
Mia was selected as the ALT Player of the Match. Coach Bradley stated: "Mia stepped in at goal for us in the second half and made some great saves to keep the game close. Her distribution began some of our most dangerous attacks and her presence was certainly felt on the defensive side."
Age/Gender: U15 Boys
Location: DOC Stadium | West Carrollton
Players: Connor B.; Justin; Keaton; Aaron; Josiah; Owen; R.J.; Noah; Gradey; Alex; Evan; Deng; Connor C.; Gabe; Collin; Braxton
Result: 4-0 L
ALT Player of the Match: Owen
Defensively the Dutch Lions struggled with the physicality and pace of the game. The team was not able to react quick enough after losing the ball possession, giving the opponent too much time and space on the ball to build up their game. However the boys presented a nice collective organization, defending compact with a good space occupation, with the lines together, including the goalkeeper.
Offensively the young boys had the right intention to play, trying to build up from the back, in support. However due to high pressure and lack of movement around the ball carrier, the team ended up losing the ball prematurely when most of the players were ready to attack, exposing the defenders too many times. A few chances were created, but the boys couldn't find the back of the net.
After the game, Coach Bruno had the following statement “Today was not our day, we couldn't find the right options to build up our game, mostly due to a lack of movement which limited our opportunities, and also confidence to keep the ball longer, we were just giving the ball away to soon, without a clear idea of what we wanted to do. I think this combined with the difference of aggressiveness were the main reasons for the goals we have conceded." To conclude, "I'm happy with everyone's work rate. I believe each player gave their best considering the circumstances of the match, and that is very important for me as a coach. Now is time to look forward and keep working to improve our game process."
As ALT Player of the match coach, Bruno named Owen and said, "I think Owen was an example of commitment and team player. His work rate was extraordinary, very focused on our defensive process, and marking his direct opponent or covering for his teammates."