Hoosiers bear down on Cincinnati in 1-0 home win

Not even Mother Nature could stop two siblings from battling each other in IU's 1-0 win against Cincinnati Friday evening in front of about 300 people.\nOriginally scheduled for an evening contest in Bill Armstrong Stadium as part of the Midwest Soccer Coaches Symposium, IU moved the contest to Memorial Stadium because of Friday morning's rain, which made Jerry Yeagley Field unplayable. But at the last minute, the game moved indoors to the John Mellencamp Pavilion because of lightning leading up to the game.\nThis was the fourth time since March 2005 the IU men's soccer team had to play a home exhibition match on an artificial surface.\nTornado sirens suspended play in the 29th minute of the match as the two teams took shelter in the locker room for nine minutes until the sirens ended.\nIU junior Kevin Robson netted the match's lone goal on an unassisted play in the 85th minute when he got a shot off from 18 yards out, placing the ball just out of the reach of the goalkeeper's left side.\n"We were trying to push the ball the whole game and I was finally able to get that goal late in the game," Robson said. "We were a little more organized tonight (as compared to the last Sunday's match versus Lindsey Wilson). Our defense was solid tonight."\nIU moved to 1-0-1 in the spring session.\nThe game not only featured fast play on the Astroturf, but marked the first time IU freshman Ofori Sarkodie and Bearcat junior Kwame Sarkodie faced each other at the college level. Ofori arrived in Bloomington in January by way of the United States Under-17 men's national team, while his older brother went straight from Dayton Carroll High School to the University of Cincinnati.\n"When I heard about this game with Kwame, it was one of the most exciting things I got to experience since I've been at IU," Ofori Sarkodie said.\nThe two brothers played together on Carroll's team in 2002 when Kwame was a senior and Ofori a freshman. That was the only year Ofori played for Carroll before departing for Bradenton, Fla., and the U-17's residency program.\nEven though Ofori is younger by three years, one month and 21 days, Kwame said there was no jealousy when Ofori joined the U-17 national team because when Ofori was able to return home, Kwame said Ofori improved Kwame's touches on the ball along with developing other skills.\nBut Ofori was not always the dominant soccer player of Amaning and Olivia Sarkodie's two oldest sons.\n"I got the best of him until he went to national camp," Kwame Sarkodie said. "I had the size and strength on him, but the skills he learned with the national team helped him pull us about even."\nKwame said with Ofori joining the residency program, it brought attention to coaches around the country to take another look at the Sarkodie family, specifically their younger brother Kofi who is 15 years old.\nBecause of Ofori spending time with the U-17 team -- which also included an appearance in last September's FIFA Under-17 World Youth Championship in Peru -- the trio of brothers took advantage of advanced training options to further each of their play.\n"My brothers are improving soccer in America," Ofori Sarkodie said. "We are in this together"