Before I dive in, I’d like to note that my match reviews will be a bit unorthodox. Instead of focusing on all the key events of the match, I’ll be describing the broader tactical developments. So, without further ado…





The Lineups

Indy opted for the well-worn 4-1-3-2 formation, using new loanee Zach Steinberger in Dylan Mares’ usual number ten role. A visualization of the lineup can be found here.

The Silverbacks, ever versatile, chose to play in a 5-3-2. Coach Gary Smith was well aware that this setup would enable his side to counter quickly and sit back confidently on defense. A visualization of Atlanta’s squad can be found here.

The Tactics

Knowing that Indy habitually plays with two forwards and that the creative spark of Dylan Mares was absent, Atlanta opted for a five man back line. The extra center-half deployed by the Silverbacks enabled the tight marking of forwards Brian Brown and Dane Richards when Indy was in possession, all while leaving an extra defender to sweep up other activity. To combat this, left winger Victor Pineda played more centrally than usual, hoping to either draw a center back forward and leave a gap to exploit or to bring wingback Kosuke Kimura inside to enable an overlapping run by Kyle Hyland. Noticeably, right winger Dragan Stojkov tended to stay wider than Pineda, although he did tuck inside on occasion.

When Atlanta wingbacks Kimura and Kyle Porter followed their opponents centrally, fullbacks Hyland and Marco Franco were more than willing to bomb forward. However, the pacey pair of Richards and Brown up top found little space in the box to meet their teammates’ service. Early on, the Jamaican forwards found some success moving wide in transition, using their considerable speed to latch onto long passes and through balls from the midfield. However, these chances came few and far between once Atlanta hunkered down. It is important to note that, despite the amount of attention devoted here to the Indy attack, quality chances were rare, to say the least. With the absence of Dylan Mares, no one stepped up to provide the killer passes and sudden creative bursts needed to break down a stifling defense, leading to stagnance for Indy.

On the other side, the Silverbacks looked to disposses the Eleven and counter attack at a breakneck pace, but only after their opponents had committed numbers to the attack. In their counters, Atlanta utilized precise passes and the guile of forward Jaime Chavez to attack Kristian Nicht’s goal. After an early finish by Indy Eleven reject Pedro Mendes, Atlanta rarely ventured forward, opting to drop back, keep a strict defensive shape, and do their darnedest to prevent the Eleven from challenging Haitian international Steward Ceus’ net. Despite this defensive style, the single goal of the game was undoubtedly a pretty one. Midfielder Brad Ring had vacated the zone just in front of the box, enabling the electric Chavez to receive a driven pass roughly twenty yards from goal. Captain Greg Janicki stepped forward to press, allowing Pedro Mendes to pop into the box and receive a terrific flick on from the composed Chavez. From there, it was a relatively easy finish past Nicht into the corner of the goal.

One of the key features of Atlanta’s game was an aggressive press on center backs Cory Miller and Greg Janicki. The tight marking on the pair forced Kristian Nicht to fire his goal kicks long, preventing buildup from the back. This allowed Atlanta to set up their defensive shape with relative ease rather than focusing too much energy on pressing high up the pitch. In fact, the Silverbacks’ midfield was positioned in abnormally close proximity to the back line, further clogging the final third of the field. Overall, it may have been an incredibly ugly and negative style of play, but it ended in three points for a suddenly thriving Atlanta team.

Quick Hits

While Zach Steinberger showcased some exquisite technical skill, I can’t help but feel like he’d be better served playing next to Brad Ring as a more offensive-minded holding midfielder in the pivot. He kept the ball well under pressure, but rarely looked to play a killer pass to the Jamaican duo up top. Of course, he may well be the only decent option to serve in Mares’ place.

Dane Richards provided the best chance of the match for Indy just minutes into the second half when he weaved his way into the box after dropping deep to collect the ball off of an Atlanta turnover. Once there, Richards attempted to feed his teammate for a finish, but Ceus nabbed the pass. I would’ve loved to have seen a more selfish decision from the veteran at the end of that play.

The substitutes deployed by Tim Regan were logical, but none really panned out. In theory, Wojciech Wojcik coming on would better allow Indy to take advantage of the long ball, but no tangible effect was felt. Similarly, Don Smart was supposedly going to provide a burst of pace against Atlanta’s tired legs, but he had little to no influence. Charlie Rugg again had little bearing on the match, and his entrance forced the bright Dane Richards deeper into the midfield, where he was nigh invisible.

Kyle Hyland had another excellent match, defending well and showing loads of initiative in the final third. When others were afraid to be incisive, the left back showed no fear in dribbling into the heart of Atlanta’s defense. However, his marauding runs were unfortunately fruitless.

The set pieces taken by the Eleven were abnormally poor, probably due to the lack of Dylan Mares and defender-cum-target man Erick Norales.

Wednesday, Regan’s men will find themselves in Edmonton for a match against Lance Laing and the Eddies in what should be a crucial contest.