The Tacoma Defiance are still in the middle of a deep struggle. Last week it looked like they were just about starting to climb their way out of it, but then they allowed 3 simple goals in 20 minutes and sunk back into the abyss. Tonight they will start the climb again when they meet Reno 1868. They don’t need a win; a draw would be fantastic and end a six-game losing streak during which they have let in 22 goals. Even a one goal loss would be acceptable progress.

It will be a tough test for the currently lost Defiance defense. Reno are 5th in the Western Conference in goals scored with 19 and deploy a somewhat unusual 4-3-1-2. It is really more like an extremely narrow 4-3-3 with 3 center forwards. The forwards are lead by Jamaican Brian Brown who has really come into his own in his age-26 season. Brown leads Reno in goals (6), assists (4) and shots (29). It will be important for Tacoma to quickly figure out how to defend the three forwards to avoid going down early. The Defiance centerbacks will need the defensive midfield to drop deep and/or the fullbacks to pinch in.

If the Defiance can keep the ball out of their own net in the first 20 minutes of each half they will have a decent shot at earning a result. They have started to get their attack running and should be able to put pressure on a less than stellar Reno defense.

nos audietis in somniis | nos audietis in altum

you will hear us in your sleep | you will hear us from the deep

this is our Sound

Keys to the Game

• Help the centerbacks
• Don’t let Brown get on the ball
• Respond better after conceding a goal

Lineups

How to Watch

Match date/time: 7:00 PM PT, Saturday, May 18, 2019

Venue: Cheney Stadium, Central Tacoma, Puyallup-White River Watershed, Cascadia.

Streaming: ESPN+ (Talent: Andrew Harvey, Dave Clark and James Riley)

How I'm watching

Outfit: An outfit made for three points.

Where: I’ll be at that old ball field we love called Cheney Stadium.