Tacoma Defiance traveled to Monterey Bay to play Quakes II on Sunday evening and came away with the 1-0 win. The lone goal was from a beautiful free kick where Mark Bronnik rolled the ball to his right and Xavi Gnaulati placed his shot expertly in the far corner. This was a welcome homecoming for Gnaulati, having spent two years at Monterey Bay FC before joining Tacoma.
The team traveled with a limited bench but started out in the familiar 3-4-2-1, with Mark O'Neill the only starter missing. In the first half, the Defiance conceded much of the possession, keeping only 33% of the ball. However, the goal-dangerous actions were much closer, with the Quakes II finishing with 5 shots to Defiance’s 4. The second half was very much the same story outside of the beautiful free kick Defiance scored in the 81st minute.
This result keeps Defiance within touching distance of the playoff line with 10 games to go. They are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference with 24 points. They have to secure a top-8 finish to advance and there are still plenty of opportunities to get there. Currently teams 4-7 are on 29 points apiece, and the 8th place team is the Quakes II on 28 points, though they have a couple games in hand.
Overview
Lineup
Substitutions
- 62' Mitchell Emert ⇆ Codey Phoenix
- 62' Leo Flores Gonzalez ⇆ Rafael Jauregui
- 90' Brayden Smith ⇆ Danny Robles
Goals
- 82' Tacoma Defiance - ⚽ Xavi Gnaulati (Mark Bronnik)
Stats
Key performers
Xavi Gnaulati
When you score a goal of the caliber that Gnaulati scored, you deserve a shoutout. He was solid in other areas of the game as well. He usually is a primary progresser of the ball from deep, either via the pass or on the dribble. In this game he was a bit more conservative with no successful dribbles and only 6 passes into the final third. However, he was tidy in possession with 85% passing accuracy and got more involved defensively. This was needed without O'Neill to pair with, and he finished with 50% duels won, 3 interceptions, 1 block and 1 clearance. Gnaulati will be happy with a solid performance in his old stopping grounds.
Mark Bronnik
Bronnik returned to the starting lineup after being absent last match and had a strong game. He wasn't as goal dangerous as he has been in his recent run of form, but he was very good in leading the attack and creating chances for others. His assist on the free kick was a smart piece of play, but he also showed strong hold-up play throughout the game. One such play was in drawing the free kick for the eventual winner. He let a long ball over the top run but shielded it from the defender, forcing him to choose between commiting a foul or allowing Bronnik in on goal. Continuing to develop this hold-up play will be critical as earlier in the year he had trouble getting involved in the game.
Max Anchor
The honorary Belgian keeper continues to look exceptionally strong at the MLS Next Pro level. He finished with 5 saves, the best of which was a diving stop to his right off a free kick in the 51st minute. In addition to his shot stopping, he had an excellent play in controlling his box. In the 11th minute, Quakes II had a corner that was swung in towards the back post. Anchor tracked the flight of the ball and was able to get a punch to clear the ball, while getting checked in the air by a challenging opponent. This probably should have been a foul in Anchor's favor, but he ensured the play was made regardless.
