Syracuse FC Looks Toward Next Week Following 0-1 Defeat Against Eastern Conference Leader Dayton Dynamo

May 28, 2017

After hosting thruway rival Rochester Lancers on Friday night, Syracuse FC traveled to Dayton, Ohio for a Sunday afternoon match against the Dayton Dynamo. In another tightly contested match, the Dynamo emerged with three points, scoring the lone goal in the 44th minute.

In the beginning minutes of the match, Syracuse FC controlled possession and applied pressure to the Dynamo defense. SFC earned a free kick from about 35 yards out in the 4th minute, and two minutes later took a corner kick. Jerjer Gibson had a scoring opportunity off the corner that narrowly missed the net.

The first 15 minutes of the match saw a contrast in offensive attacking philosophies between the teams. SFC played with patience and mindfulness, while the Dynamo played to get up and down the pitch early and often.

The 18th minute brought another offensive chance for SFC. Wyatt Scott beat the Dynamo defense with nifty dribbling that led to a long range shot on goal that was saved by goalkeeper Ryan Hulings. In the 22nd minute, SFC briefly got behind the defense in front of the net, but were stopped by the Dynamo.

In addition to applying early attacking pressure, SFC played quality team defense. Goalkeeper Pat Castle made himself known in the 34th minute when he intelligently disrupted a Dynamo attack. Just a few minutes later, defender Ryan Matthews had a terrific ball clearance near the goal line to keep the match scoreless.

SFC continued to make Hulings and the Dynamo back four defend and clear offensive chances. This resulted in a second corner kick for SFC in the 44th minute, which was ultimately collected by the Dynamo.

The 44th minute also saw the only goal of the match when Matt Kinkopf of the Dynamo scored for a 1-0 lead. This was quickly followed by a Dynamo foul on Gibson just outside of the box. SFC’s free kick made contact with Hulings, but the ensuing rebound was unable to find the back of the net.

​The second 45 minutes began with an opportune SFC cross into Gibson that was saved by Hulings.

The match began to take on a bit of a physical nature as both teams settled in for the second half. This style of play didn’t stop the offensive opportunities for both teams. In the 58th minute, Castle was called on to make a close range save, which is exactly what the SFC goalkeeper did.

The match’s first substitution occurred in the 58th minute, when SFC’s Adam Resetarits entered for Luiz Mota at the midfield position. A minute later, SFC drew a foul and took a free kick that was well executed but found its way into Hulings' hands. The Dynamo goalkeeper was again called on in the 61st minute to punch away an imposing SFC cross.

Gibson continued his offensive activity with a shot on goal in the 70th minute, which was saved. Two minutes later, Resetarits had his presence felt with a threatening shot that was blocked by the Dynamo.

Following a Dynamo offensive run that resulted in a shot, Castle made an athletic save to keep the SFC deficit at one.

In the final offensive opportunity for SFC, a corner kick in the 88th minute was targeted toward Matthews, but found its way into the mitts of Hulings. The final whistle was blown following approximately four minutes of extra time, with the score of SFC 0 - Dynamo 1.

SFC returns home to OCC’s David W. Murphy Field on Saturday, June 3rd for a 7:00 pm rematch against the Dynamo, with hopes of gaining three points against the Eastern Conference leader.