LOUISVILLE CITY FC 1, INDY ELEVEN 0

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The arguable penalty goal that separated the teams on the scoreboard was not to be sniffed at as the Kentucky crusaders pulled off a narrow 1-0 victory against their northern neighbors to finish out the regular USL season.

With the opportunity to rest regulars and share out the playing time, Coach John Hackworth instead opted to maintain the continuity and momentum developed over recent weeks as the club heads into an expected tough and tight post season campaign.

Maintaining the same lineup that started the midweek game versus North Carolina, save for the return of captain and midfield supremo Paolo DelPiccolo from suspension, the gaffer all but projected his playoff blueprint, the only question remaining: whether a midfield spot will be found for Devon Williams, absent along with Shaun Francis, owing to being on international duty with Jamaica.

The match’s opening 10 minutes were standard fare with the teams feeling each other out and slowly establishing their pattern.

Indy Coach Martin Rennie’s game plan appeared to be to throw numbers into midfield in order to clog the area and frustrate the home team – a scheme employed effectively by previous visitors to Slugger Field this season – while Hack characteristically committed his side to a possession game and plenty of attacking play up the wings.

Over recent weeks, Brian Ownby has been, er, coming into his own as his traditional qualities have gradually returned, and in the 11th minute he nearly opened the account as George Davis lV and Ilija Ilić put him into space for a drive from just outside the 18, however Welsh goalie Owain Fôn Williams was able to keep him out.

On the following play, his dangerous cross was worked clear, but already it was obvious The Eleven would have their hands full whenever Brian was involved in the play.

Indeed, seconds later George lV, showing up in much of the early build-up play, sent the overlapping Kyle Smith to the byline and he delivered a sumptuous cross to the tenacious No. 10, his towering header well saved by Williams again, diving low at his right post.

Just as City seemed to be establishing themselves, Indy’s canny Canary Islander Ayoze Garcia dropped a long ball in to striker Jack McInerney, no doubt seeking to emulate his 1st half brace in the game of August 5th, but Paco Craig was on hand to play out for the corner. Ayoze took it and, with Kyle ill-positioned and ‘keeper Greg Ranjitsingh caught hesitating, Canadian international Karl Ouimette rose and directed at goal but was denied by Niall McCabe, in perfect position on the line to bail out his grateful goalkeeper.

The flow was back and forth and at the other end Brian again worked himself into a shooting position and once again found Williams prepared as he turned the ball wide right. Brian tracked it down and returned back to Cameron Lancaster who might have done better at the near post, managing to turn it goalward with the outside of the foot, but without the required power to trouble Williams.

Back things swung, and Jack McInerney, originally drafted by Philly Union during the Novak/Hackworth regime, drew a foul from Paco, staying right in his pocket, with the 26-year-old’s previous outing across the Ohio well in mind. McInerney’s free kick from 30 yards was high and wide.

In the 25th minute, Paolo reiterated his penchant for rectangular yellow plastic, bringing down Dylan Mares and attracting suitable recognition from referee Greg Dopka.

Ayoze’s free kick was swiped at by Greg and the ball fell to defender Reiner Ferreira Gomes, the first aid this time being administered by PDP as The Captain interrupted the Brazilian’s effort.

Back in Indy’s end, defender Kevin Venegas got caught trying to be too clever and was dispossessed by Ilija, now in behind on the left. As composed as ever the Silky Serb delayed a beat as covering defenders, drawn by Cameron’s arrival, sagged deep, and then squared across the area for George lV who side-footed solidly from 10 yards, but Williams, both the busier and more assured of the stoppers, scooted across and was able to touch it onto the post and away to safety. GD lV had liked his chance on the one-time shot but had he taken the extra touch and cut left he would most certainly have netted.

Reiner Ferreira’s clearance from this situation caught City napping as he sent the ball up the wing where a harried Kyle reached it first but turned it blindly back for his ‘keeper. Near disaster ensued as the ravenous McInerney, on 10 goals this season and with over 50 to his credit in the top tier of US soccer, latched on but looped his right-footer tiers too high. In a matter of seconds, from a pair of critical errors, each team had spurned a royal opportunity to grab the scoring advantage.

In the 30th, Ayoze put the menacing McInerney in behind the defense, only for Alexis Souahy to haul him down as he was about to enter the Louisville area. It was a takedown fully worthy of a place on “Les Bleus”, the French national rugby union team. The 23-year-old No. 3 was fortunate to see yellow and not red, his playing privileges preserved only by Paco’s reasonable proximity to the action which nullified the ”clear goalscoring opportunity (CGO)” clause. McInerney could not keep his 19 yard free kick low enough and City were out of the woods again.

The Eleven, however, were about to drive into a tree as The Captain won the ball in midfield and fed to Niall who shuttled it on to Ilija in the area. Double-teamed by Ayoze and Mares, it seemed he would not be able to find a lane, but Mares helped by whiffing on his clearing attempt and then tried to find the ball behind himself with his heel. No. 14 sensed an invitation and folded to the floor, and to his delight, and that of the majority of the announced 10,500, Mr Dopka approved and pointed to the penalty spot. For their part, the Indy protests were surprisingly muted.

In the August encounter, each side had missed a PK (Brian and Eugene Starikov), but Cameron was in no mood to see the wind blow out of his sails and confidently sent Williams the wrong way for his USL record extending 1/4 century and the team’s 71st tally of the season. 1-0, Los Morados after 34 minutes.

City then returned to dicing with danger, with Alexis dropping Justin Braun in midfield, but escaping a second yellow card, and Ouimette allowed another header from an Ayoze corner. On this occasion, though, Greg was in position to collect.

After further action in the Indy area, with shots by George lV and Niall kept at bay, a quick counter saw Braun run at ASAY who this time missed his critical tackle. The ball was moved on to Mares but his effort missed wide and high of the goal.

McInerney won another free kick from Paco, and Ayoze, the Spanish Specialist, dispatched from 40 yards out. The delivery fell short but, in a strangely similar accident to one in Toronto a week earlier where Paco and Oscar collided and a goal resulted, this time Brian and Alexis went to head clear simultaneously. The ball ricocheted backward to McInerney who chested down and fired instantly. His shot off Ilija’s chest arrived at the feet of Braun inside the 6 yard area and the midfielder quickly got off a shot which a sliding Paco absorbed most of and Greg did the rest, pushing the ball around for a corner. This was contingency defending by committee to restore order after another near calamitous miscommunication.

At the end of what had already been a most entertaining 1st half, with plenty of penalty box action, Brian received from George lV and fed Oscar on the left. El Jugo struck a 30 yard drive which Williams was able only to parry. George lV, following up for another chance, fired a sliver wide and into the side netting.

Although finding seams in and around Indy’s 18 yard area and missing some useful chances, City had conceded several themselves, and despite enjoying the best of the possession they led by the fine line of that perhaps questionable penalty decision.

Martin Rennie’s side came out in the 2nd half searching for an equalizer and former Vancouver Whitecap (also under Rennie) and Eleven captain Matt Watson flashed one wide of Greg’s left-hand post from a feed by Braun.

But City were looking for insurance for their lead and after 53 minutes, Ouimette charged Cameron, giving up a free kick in Lancaster Land and receiving Indy’s 1st caution of the night. The wall was set up for Cameron to fire for the far post and he did so to where Williams was waiting but due to the force of the kick had to parry out wide to the left. Ilija, lurking for any such jetsam, volleyed a return back inside for Alexis who has scored fairly regularly in recent times, but he turned this one off the outside of the post.

A minute later, Ilija, not able to summon his usual high quality in front of goal, hit a chance from Niall back across the 6 yard area and wide, albeit after Williams was quick to narrow his angle.

In order to bolster the Indy attack up the middle, Rennie withdrew Braun for Chicago loanee Elliott Collier. Playing a wider role for the Fire in their 1/4 final matchup at Toyota Park in July, Collier had chipped in with a goal to help kill off Louisville’s hopes of US Open Cup glory.

It didn’t take long for the 6’4 New Zealander to make his presence felt when he received a clearance after an off-target City corner kick and took the ball on a storming run for half the length of the field. With Collier having worked up a head of steam and threatening to break in one-on-one with Greg, Kyle, the last defender, measured his challenge perfectly to break up the play. Kyle had had a particularly up and down evening, but this was a crucial play from No. 24.

In minute 59, Brian, all evening busy up and down the field, conceded a corner and Ayoze, looking like Oscar – unusually struggling for accuracy on his dead ball services – on a regular night, for all intents and purposes placed the equalizer right on the crown of the incoming Karl Ouimette, with Kyle’s marking lapsing again. Per requisite an aerial specialist, the unchallenged centre-back inconceivably failed on what was probably a more straightforward opportunity than Cameron’s penalty kick, shaving the top of the bar from only 5 yards away.

The chagrined locals went back to work to reinforce their lead, and well executed combination work from Niall and Ilija culminated in a perfect Ownby cross from the left, giving Cameron on the near post a headed chance, but the ball flicked off Reiner Ferreira for a corner. This was Cameron’s final thrust in yet another game where he simply got the business done for Louisville City, as early an exit as possible being the prudent call with the playoffs around the corner. Luke Spencer came on in replacement.

Following soon after, Ilija gave way for the welcome return of the last of the injured Mohicans, Magnus “MagRam” Rasmussen from a 9 week layoff due to a knee debilitation picked up in the early minutes at New York Red Bulls, and he looked in quite decent repair in his 25 or so minutes back on the park. Hack would joke later, “I’ve never seen him play live”.

Almost immediately the long lost No. 7 was impressing his curious coach, popping up for a pair of looks at goal from services in by PDP and Niall, the first eliciting a Williams save and a corner, the second missing wide. Following the departures of Cameron and Ilija, the sight of the Decorous Dane getting himself into handy scoring positions – normally a bit of a rarity – was a pleasing bonus to his standard competitive endeavor around the midfield.

For all The Purples’ possession and delving in the Indy area, entering the final 20 minutes they were still leading by that faintest of margins. This was in spite of the continued diligence of Brian Ownby, exhibiting probably his most complete technical display of the season, his engine (stamina) and energy back at virtually full throttle.

Bearded and boundless again at last, he once more nearly came up with a deserved assist as, aided by Cuatro and Magnus, he shifted the ball across to Kyle whose splintering drive in from the right flew not too far over Williams’ crossbar.

With McInerney all but disappearing into a dark loch in the 2nd half, The Eleven were making scant headway in the final 3rd of the pitch and Los Morados began to turn the screws, with Brian’s sustained raids forward drawing back-to-back yellow card fouls by Moses and Mares.

Sean Totsch spelled Alexis for the final 10 minutes, and few clear-cut chances transpired on either goal until right at the death when who else but a rambling, shambling Brian O. bulldozed his way into the Indy area to the right and unleashed a bazooka that looked bound for the roof of the net. But Venegas stretched a foot in to deflect wide into the side netting and the final whistle sounded before the corner could be taken.

It was a moment when both sides knew they had been in a game of football.

As has been the (pleasing) trend of late, the visiting goalkeeper, Williams, was kept busy and responded excellently to the challenge, and Ayoze García was all class all of the time.

For the home side, Paco Craig continued his run of dominant defensive form, while PDP and Niall McCabe were outstanding in their anchoring and link play. However, the rousing performance by Brian Ownby ought to have earned him most of the plaudits. He has waged a valiant struggle for full health and to win back a place in the lineup, and this performance was the final substantiation of his rehabilitation.

Had they capitalized on their Grade ‘A’ chances, ‘The Boys in Blue’ might just have come away with the spoils. Nevertheless, the sometimes scrappy, often enthralling affair was The Boys in Purples’ 6th win on the trot (including the final 3 games at home – – say no more..) and Hack and his men could barely suppress their satisfaction, though obviously also realizing the real dirty work is only now to begin.

With Louisville City having already secured the No. 2 berth in Group ‘A’,the only question to be decided from the weekend was the final order in the standings of places 5-8. Sunday’s results left the Eleven at 7th and therefore …. hails their immediate return next week to LSF for a 1st round showdown and the 4th edition of the notorious “LIPAFC” rivalry (1-1-1) within just 5 1/2 months.

If the preamble was anything to go by, October 20th’s encore ought to be an absolute thriller … Weather Gods willing and permitting !

~~~~~ Fun Footnote ~~~~~

* Brian Ownby and Owain Fôn Williams went head-to-head several times in the game, but recently they also went “chin-to-chin”, both men finishing high in the honors in the USL’s “2018 Fear The Beard Poll”. The Louisvillian was elected as sporting the 2nd most prodigious hanging garden in the entire league, with the Indy custodian coming in a very creditable 10th