The IU soccer team’s defense, which has allowed two goals through its first five matches, will try and stop a Butler attack that has scored 10 goals in its first six matches.
“They probably have one of the most balanced attacks in the whole entire country,” IU senior defender Patrick Doody said. “Their front six are really talented. Good movement. They play well. We’re going to have to be sharp the whole time to keep the ball out of the net.”
One reason Butler is able to find the back of the net so often is because of the sheer amount of players they send toward the goal.
Oftentimes the Butler outside backs are an integral part of the attack. Having so many players in and around the box is difficult for any defense to handle.
“They make the field pretty big,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “They get their outside backs pretty high and aggressive, which we’ve seen from some other teams.”
The downside to committing so many players to attack is the risk of losing possession.
If the opponent has enough dynamic players that move the ball quickly, you may have conceded a goal faster than it takes for you to run to the half line.
“I feel we can be aggressive against this backline and make plays,” Yeagley said. “Just like last year. We put a lot of pressure on them, and created a lot of good chances.”
Yeagley still said he believes this game will not be won or lost based on how many goals his team can score, but rather how many they can prevent.
“Our team and individual defending will be the difference in this game,” Yeagley said. “I think we’ll get our chances, we just have to be really good defensively.”
Against Penn State, the IU defense allowed one goal, breaking its three-match streak of shutouts, or “bagels,” as the team calls them.
“Of course we’re trying to get bagels,” IU senior Dylan Lax said. “Bagels are the key. It’s a theme for our team this season. We need to go out and get shutouts every single game.”
The Penn State match also saw the IU attack fail to score despite 20 shot attempts. Only two of those were on goal.
Yeagley said he made sure that finishing was emphasized at practice Monday.
“We focused a lot on it,” Yeagley said. “We have to get better at it, and we’re training it. When we lose as much scoring as we have, these guys are in a lot of new roles and don’t have a lot of reps in the final third.”
The storylines entering the match starkly contrast what transpired between these two sides just one year ago.
Butler won that match 3-2, scoring three times in the last five minutes of regulation and overtime. A dominant performance was marred by defensive lapses in the dying stretches of the match.
IU has not forgotten what happened that night in ?Indianapolis.
“You can’t lose a game like that and not have it in the back of your mind the next time you play them,” Doody said. “I know the returners, including myself, haven’t forgot about that and have been chomping at the bit to finally play them again.”
