Bob Lilley has coached more than 500 games at the professional level, so he isn’t fazed by three of them not going his way.
The Hounds’ boss was more upbeat than one might expect after his team dropped their home opener to the Charlotte Independence last Saturday by a 1-0 score. While an 0-1-2 start to the season might have some fans feeling uneasy, Lilley has been breaking down tape and liked much of what he saw Saturday.
Still, he emphasized this group — still in the first month of a six-month USL Championship season — is very much a work-in-progress.
“I do think it was our best game to date, and I felt better after watching the tape with what we did over the course of 90 minutes. I think we’re definitely headed in the right direction. It’s always tough to lose a home opener, and certainly, not getting a win yet has been on the minds, but it’s so early, it’s just about getting better,” Lilley said.
The first thing that jumps out from the early returns is the team’s lack of scoring; the Hounds have just one goal in their first three matches for only the third time in team history. But after bombarding the Charlotte goal with 19 shot attempts, including five that were blocked, four saved by goalkeeper Brandon Miller, and a headed clearance off the line, the remedy requires fine-tuning rather than a major repair.
“I think we carried a lot of the play and broke their midfield line consistently. We’ve got to be a little bit sharper. I think there were a lot of goals in it for us. Some of the areas we got the ball running at their back three, and we weren’t able to play the right ball or make the final decision,” Lilley said.
The coach went on to elaborate on what needs to change: “I think at times we’re not stretching, sometimes we have two guys running in the same hole. At times, we’re dynamic, but if we can pull the defenders apart a little bit more, I think we create a little more space for all of our attacking players. We’re close.”
Having been through so many seasons, Lilley embraces the “marathon, not a sprint” mentality. But he also has a sense of urgency, as he sees Friday at the New York Red Bulls II as an opportunity to begin stacking wins this year.
“I think we’re definitely headed in the right direction. It’s always tough to lose a home opener, and certainly, not getting a win yet has been on the minds, but it’s so early, it’s just about getting better. The last two games, we had a tie and a loss, but in a different stage of the year, that could be two Ws,” he said.
Coach Lilley’s complete comments before the team hit the road, including his thoughts on New York Red Bulls II, can be seen below.
