Defiance traveled to Austin to play Austin FC II on Sunday and left with an uninspiring 3-0 defeat.
The first half was very cagey with limited action in either team’s 18-yard box, illustrated by only two shots apiece. The limited attacking output was partly due to a lack of crisp passing throughout the team, ending many promising movements. However, a lone bright spot in the half was the defensive performance. The team was organized, comfortable and able to anticipate and cut out attacks before they really started.
The second half is where things went from dull to bad. The defensive solidity from the first half became inconsistent and set piece defending was non-existent. Austin’s first goal came off a long, overhit cross that Micah Burton was able to collect and play an entry ball into the box. Goal scorer Vlad Dănciuțiu received the ball, made a small move to create space on a tightly marking Stuart Hawkins, and put it into the far post. The next two goals were both off of corner kicks. On the first, Leo Flores Gonzalez pushed his mark in the back to give away a penalty that Jorge Alastuey scored. The other came off a short corner routine that eventually was sent to the far post and couldn’t be cleared before Daniel Ciesla pushed it over the line.
A twist to the evening was in the 80th minute when the game was halted for a weather delay due to severe thunderstorms in the area. The teams returned to finish the final 10 minutes around three hours later.
Overview
Lineup
Match events
Stats
Key performers
Noah Newman
Picking key performers was tough this week, but academy goalkeeper Newman had a couple nice saves and couldn’t do much on the three goals conceded. His first big save came in the 54th minute on a curling effort toward the far post from just outside the box on the right side. The second was in the 61st minute where he tipped the ball over the net on a bullet shot, again from outside the box.
Xavi Gnaulati
Gnaulati was paired with Mark O’Neill again in the center of the pitch and was tidy with possession, finishing with 94% passing on 51 attempts. He also was doing his best to kick start the offense from deep, with two key passes and three progressive carries, but none could turn into dangerous chances in the attacking third.
Mark O’Neill
Again getting minutes at central midfield, O’Neill is very strong defensively. In this game he won seven of his 10 duels, utilizing his size and strength well. Versatility has been his calling card this season, but he is seeming to find a home in the double pivot.
