A week after the exhilarating victory against the Baby Bulls, the Hounds went down to Charleston and sure played a soccer game. It was a chess match that soccer fans like us would peg as very “interesting” to watch, but for a casual flipping on the CW it was probably a boring one. If you look at the stats for the game everything is pretty much split right down the middle. This was about the most 0-0 draw you could possibly have. At least we can hang our hat on getting a result against a European bound club.
As one might expect with a 0-0 draw the Hounds were a strong overall team but no one player really stood out too much. There were some flashes of brilliance on the offensive side but the execution was just off enough that the Hounds couldn’t string anything together. As we’ve come to expect the midfield and defense continue to be strong. Early on the right side of the Hounds (Dover, Roberts) did seem to struggle a bit with Charleston’s counter, but eventually they got it under control and no harm was done. Of note Greenspan made his return to the lineup after missing a couple months with an injury. He had a little bit of rust to shake off but by the end of the game he was the commanding central presence we remembered. For a 0-0 draw Lynd had a fairly busy night. Not so much making saves, Charleston only had one shot on target, but he off his line and playing the ball quite a bit. The Hounds were very content to play the ball back and try a slow build up starting at Lynd instead of trying to force something. I’m actually surprised the possession didn’t favor the Hounds more because of this. At any rate Lynd did what he needed to do Saturday night and picked up his 6th clean sheet of the season.
It’s tough to find a whole lot to say about the game. My penalty for missing last week’s recap I guess. I’m sure I’ve said this before but at the end of the day a point is a point, even if it wasn’t especially exciting. Got that Old Guard Shield point to boot! With the exception of Cincy at the top, we’re keeping pace with the rest of the pack which is the most important thing right now. The table is still pretty tight and any stumble could send us down quite a few spots. The Hounds have a quick turnaround for a big match up against 2nd place and defending champ Louisville on Wednesday. We’re tied for points but they have game in hand. It goes without saying a positive result is crucial if we want a shot at finishing at the top. First pitch is at 7 pm.
#UNLEASH
