Indy Eleven vs Hartford Athletic - 11.26

Summary

- Opponent: Hartford Athletic
- Location: Trinity Health Stadium
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 0-0 D

- Starting XI: Sulte, White, Ofeimu, Diz Pe, Mines, Soumaoro, Blake, Quinn (C), Stanley, Williams, R., Foster

- Substitution: Collier 67' (Blake); Lindley 67' (Quinn); Guenzatti 83' (Williams, R.)

- Unused: Oettl, Musa, O'Brien, J., Wootton

- Scoring Summary:
NOPE

- Bookings:

IND - Blake 59' (Yellow)
IND - White 72' (Yellow)

- Referee: Thomas Snyder

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Regardless of how this season finishes, the one thing that won't be said was that Coach McAuley was afraid to try different lineups. Recent additions to the team Foster, White, and Soumaoro all found themselves in the starting lineup while stalwarts Lindley and Guenzatti started on the bench. When one of the frequent recent contributors in Neidlinger didn't even make the trip (though to be fair he could be with UIndy), it's clear that a good portion of the team Indy put on the field tonight weren't even on the roster when they made their run earlier in the season. A player early in the season, who will remain nameless, told me that because of the system that McAuley was trying to implement, in some ways there is an aspect of plug-and-play with players, and the system shouldn't be affected. However, the number of guys that have come and gone for this year's roster now puts it as the second highest number of players in a season. At some point, a plug-and-play system still needs some consistency.

With a nil-nil draw, Indy and Hartford had a fair result based on the way the game was played, but a result that I think only Hartford should be happy with given their injury situation. Indy, if we're honest, should do better, even on the road. 

Is Indy a playoff team? Maybe. Thanks, mostly, to an undefeated run that banked a ton of points. Will the team host a playoff game? Based on the recent form and on tonight's result, probably not. In the Eastern Conference, there are four teams that have negative goal differentials. Indy at -4 is the best of those teams. Miami is, well, the train wreck that is Miami this year with a -38 GD and already eliminated from the playoffs with 7 games remaining. The second worst was Hartford with a -17 GD. Hartford came in with injuries and a shuffled lineup, that was exacerbated by a 27th minute Ngalina injury that forced him out of the game early. With all that in mind, Indy managed just 2 shots on target, both in the first half, one from distance from Blake that went straight to Ribeiro and a Foster shot that Ribeiro stopped that likely would have been a goal by Romario Williams if Foster had just passed the ball across the frame. Indy only had 2 shots in the second half ,that didn't happen until the 87th and 89th minutes, neither of which were on frame! Coach McAuley has preached all season that you don't score goals if you don't shoot. Against a bunkered Pittsburgh team that was down a man is one thing. Pittsburgh is a good defensive team that limits the space available to shoot. Against a depleted Hartford team that frequently concedes goals is quite another, more concerning, issue.

"But [fill in player name] gives it right back" was a frequent refrain from the telecast crew as it related to both teams. This was just a sloppy game from both teams and a draw was a fair result. It's also the kind of result that isn't going to really help either team. It's slightly better for Indy than it was for Hartford, but the bunched Eastern Conference is going to necessitate victories, and victories soon. Indy's opponents in the month of September are not the world-beaters in the league. Indy have to find better performances and results than they did tonight, or that playoff position is going to find itself in the same position as Eleven Park; sitting idle while others in the league keep moving forward.

Indy return to The Mike next weekend to play El Paso, the only other team in the league that has struggled nearly as much as Miami. Indy is at the point in the season when draws aren't going to get it done. Indy have 1 win in their last 11 league games, and have been held scoreless 5 times in that stretch. McAuley routinely said that the team would put itself in position to score goals. That happened early, but the well has seemingly run dry despite having some of the league's perennial scorers. Stop me, Indy fans, if you've heard that story before.

A draw on the road isn't the worst of things, but things need to get better (and of the three point variety) soon.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Uhhhh. There is literally not a single player on the field tonight that stood out for me as having a good game. No. There really wasn't. I normally reserve a non-awarded GBGB for the really bad losses, but as the telecast announcers kept repeating, "good luck finding the highlights" for this game. If they (and I) can't find any highlights, I don't think I'm going to work hard to find a GBGB winner. 

Henry Street Bridge and Eleven Park

Depending on your news source, you might have seen that the Henry Street Bridge project will begin construction of Phase 2 this week. Some of you might be asking, why I'm talking about an Indianapolis Department of Public Works project on a soccer-specific, and more specifically, generally an Indy Eleven-centric-specific site? That's because the Henry Street Bridge project is relevant to this site's content since it is located immediately south of the lot that was intended to be the future home of Eleven Park. In the aerial view of the proposed bridge, the lot with all the trees would be the "intended" location of Eleven Park. 

I say "was intended" because Mayor Hogsett's desired plan to kill the Eleven Park development made it through all the required hoops to move the Professional Sports Development Area  (PSDA) from the Eleven Park site to the PSDA #2 site, which has been indicated to be the existing heliport site. Though best I can tell, the State Budget Committee has not discussed the finances of the Mayor's proposed site, at least not in a public meeting. So Indianapolis residents and Indy Eleven fans still do not have any indication regarding the Mayor's mysterious MLS ownership group nor whether the State Budget Committee will continue to plow down the Mayor's path of officially submitting for a bid to join MLS. A bid that I continue to suspect will be rejected, particularly in the near-term.

In the three months since the Mayor dropped the MLS bombshell on Indy Eleven fans, all the hurdles to move the State funding from the Keystone property to the Mayor's preferred location have moved forward. What hasn't moved forward is any kind of progress at the Eleven Park site. I periodically drive by the site just to see if there is anything that looks different from my last drive-by. The night of the New Mexico United, the Indianapolis Colts also had a preseason game and the parking lot that once was the site of the stadium groundbreaking was being used for event parking for the Indianapolis Colts' game. This past weekend when I drove by on my way to Carroll Stadium before the Pittsburgh game, the construction trailer that had been sitting on the lot for the past year was no longer there. I can't recall if it was there the night of the Colts' game, but the trailer felt like a more recent departure. 

As Indy Eleven and Keystone remove things from the location or use a part of it for event parking, the Mayor and the Indianapolis DPW will be moving things into the area. The Phase 2 work (Phase 1 began on the west side of the White River in January) will take place within the White River. From the City's announcement, the contractor "is expected to begin removing the existing bridge piers in the White River north of Oliver Avenue. Bridge construction will begin at the west side at the levee later this year." Phase 3 will connect the bridge to Kentucky Avenue with new roadway.

That last part of the announcement about Phase 2 is key because that gives the City time to finalize their plan for the remains associated with the burial ground that used to be the Greenlawn Cemetery that are within the Henry Street Bridge's right-of-way for the Phase 3 section of the project. As was indicated in the June presentation of the White River Innovation District that includes the Henry Street Bridge, the DPW and City staff made sure to point out that the Henry Street Bridge, but particularly the roadwork, would be and "Archaeologist-led excavation, rather than Contractor-led excavation" and that "Archaeology work will begin in late 2024." 

I continue to find the subtle "contractor-led" jab simultaneously amusing and a bit childish. 

So while the City's plan continues to move forward, Indy Eleven and Keystone, conversely, look to be moving backwards. I chose to not reach out to the club before this article because it hasn't done me much good in the past when it comes to discussions about the stadium. However, as it stands, publicly, Indy have no announcements on any stadium plans, and have naturally begun season ticket renewals at Carroll Stadium. I'm sure the Eleven Park design is on hold because any plan related to the burial grounds' remains that cover significantly more area than the Henry Street Bridge roadway can no longer include any public-funded/assisted money since the Mayor has shifted the PSDA to another site. So unless there are some backdoor discussions about transferring the site and/or the City helping with the cost for interment of the remains, Keystone has ~25-acres that are going to be difficult to develop.

There are some secondary effects of losing the stadium as well. It appears that the the Indy Eleven USL Super League team is now, at a minimum, on hold. Putting the Super League team on hold means that Coach Dolinsky found another team in Lexington where he could run their USL W League team and be part of the Super League coaching staff. Shortly, we all expect that the MLS will officially state that Indy isn't going to be awarded a team, and Indianapolis will have lost a soccer stadium, a first division women's soccer team, and the coach that has been the most successful coach in the club's history. 

The Henry Street Bridge is moving forward though. 

Only question that I have now will be what that roadway passes. A fenced off abandoned plot of land doesn't seem out of the question, does it?

Indy Eleven vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds - 11.25

Summary

- Opponent: Pittsburgh Riverhounds
- Location: Carroll Stadium
- Attendance: 10,319
- Final Score: 1-1 D

- Starting XI: Sulte, Musa, White, Ofeimu, Martinez, Stanley, Wootton, Quinn (C), Guenzatti, Foster, Williams, R.

- Substitution: Lindley 62' (Wootton); O'Brien, J. 62' (White); Williams, A. 62' (Guenzatti); Neidlinger 74' (Musa); Collier 82' (Martinez)

- Unused: Oettl, Gibson, Mines

- Scoring Summary:
PIT - Griffin 73' (assist Osumanu)
IND - Williams, R. 90'+7' (unassisted)

- Bookings:

PIT - Hogan 3' (RED)
IND - Martinez 34' (Yellow)
PIT - Mertz 66' (Yellow)
IND - Lindley 71' (Yellow)
IND - Williams, R. 72' (Yellow)

- Referee: Elijio Arreguin

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Before this week of games started, Coach McAuley stated that he felt an obligation to the club, the team, and the fans to provide the best lineup possible for the U.S. Open Cup game on Tuesday. If the team won all three or lost all three games, he thought he could feel confident with his decisions due to the importance of what a USOC Final could have meant for the club. Indy lost last Saturday in Las Vegas 3-2, then lost to Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday 2-nil. Coming into this game against Pittsburgh, the team knew that this was the proverbial 6-point type of game with the way that the middle of the Eastern Conference has bunched. With the 1-1 draw in tonight's game, Indy didn't provide any more separation from Pittsburgh (and lost ground on Rhode Island who leap frogged Indy (and Loudoun and Birmingham), but Indy has a game in hand), and Pittsburgh didn't gain any ground on Indy in points. While the game had the potential to be a 6-point game, it's not surprising that the game finished in a draw. In the now 15 times that the two teams have played since 2018, the game has been decided by more than a 1-goal differential just three times, and there have been four draws. Pittsburgh keeps games close.

The only reason a low-scoring draw is a surprise is because Indy had a man advantage for nearly the entirety of the game. In a reckless high boot challenge against Guenzatti, Hogan put his cleats into Seba's thighs. Referee Arreguin immediately pulled out the yellow card despite the early 4th minute for the infraction. However, following a brief moment, either in conversation with his AR or just thinking about it more, the yellow was rescinded and Hogan was sent to a very early departure from the game as the card was changed to a straight red. With three games in 8 days, 86-minutes of a man advantage (even against a defensively sound Pittsburgh club) looked like it was going to be a welcome wrinkle to the week.

The defensive block from Pittsburgh though, coupled with Indy's pace of play, which wasn't glacial but definitely deliberate, led to a scoreless first half. Indy couldn't find enough space to get through or around the Pittsburgh defense. To overcome the Pittsburgh block, Indy needed to address their tactics after the halftime break. Foster dropped deeper to be able to get the ball in more space to be able to use his speed against the Pittsburgh defense, which pushed Guenzatti up top. Bob Lilley, similarly, adjusted his tactics as well. Instead of sitting so much in the block, the Riverhounds looked to be much more aggressive going forward creating a much more wide open start to the second half. Likely because he realized that Indy was struggling with breaking down his defense, Lilley likely thought his squad could take a few more chances going forward to steal three points on the road.

Pittsburgh full-time shots

From Indy's perspective, when you don't take your chances, and let a team hang around, you run the risk of putting yourself in a bad situation. The Pittsburgh defense is so sound that even with Indy's man advantage, or maybe because of Indy's man advantage, Pittsburgh became even more sound defensively, thereby severely limiting Indy's chances. When Indy couldn't find the goal that might have opened the floodgates, Pittsburgh took their opportunity and put themselves on the board in the 73rd minute. Despite Indy holding a 74% to 26% possession advantage, a 13 to 6 shot advantage, a 34 to 8 advantage in crosses, and Pittsburgh getting just three shots in the second half (none after their goal), Pittsburgh made good on their opportunity in the box. Indy, conversely, peppered the Pittsburgh goal with shots in the second half, but couldn't find a way through. 

It looked like it might end with the Riverhounds headed to Pittsburgh with three points on their bus and a further tightening of the playoff race. However, Indy finally found that break through the Pittsburgh defense in the 90'+7'. Foster was fouled about 25-yards from goal, giving Indy a last ditch effort from a free kick. Quinn and Romario Williams both stood over the ball, and as Romario indicated afterwards, there "was a brief conversation" between them and once he told Quinn that "he fancied a shot," Quinn let him take it. Given Williams' recent run-of-form in front of goal, I had anticipated Quinn taking it as I stood on the sideline. Williams, to his credit, put a perfectly placed free kick over the wall and out of reach of Eric Dick to give Indy the equalizer. The free kick from Williams turned out to be the last major action of the game as the referee blew his whistle to end the game the second Pittsburgh restarted the ball after the goal. 

It's easy to say that a team that has a man advantage for 86-minutes (plus stoppage times) should easily win a game. In many ways, a man advantage against a Pittsburgh Riverhounds team does the exact opposite. They are so sound defensively, and so compact, it often takes a moment of brilliance to break it down. Foster's ability to get fouled by being disruptive in the middle of the field, and Williams' ability to pick out the upper 90 of the goal on the free kick was the moment of brilliance needed. This was not Indy's best played game, but much of that could be because of how well Pittsburgh played.

Indy has just one more mid-week game as the team comes down the homestretch of the season. Once the calendar officially rolls over into September, Indy doesn't play a single playoff team for the entire month. After Pittsburgh, who continues to hover near the playoff line but stays on a good run, Indy face Hartford (11th in East), El Paso (12th in West), North Carolina (10th), and Miami (12th and who staved off being officially eliminated from the playoffs thanks to a victory in Monterrey Bay) before starting October at home against Louisville. After Indy's 8-game win streak, Indy have found just 1 win in the past 10 games. While never a guarantee in this league, a stretch of four games against the league's basement-dwellers might provide Indy with some much needed points and confidence. Indy will hope to make that four wins out of four heading into the LIPAFC match to help themselves move up the table, or at a minimum, create some separation from the other playoff teams below them that are going to want to solidify their own standings in the table. Indy return to The Mike in two weeks to face El Paso.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

White was in the starting lineup having been in the country for less than a week. That's a "welcome to the country and the USL Championship" under fire kind of introduction. Some injuries helped precipitate that start, but he looked good despite the minimal training with the team. What I appreciated the most from his effort was his ability to have his head up when he received the ball. Pittsburgh's deep block due to their man disadvantage meant that getting the ball to the forwards was going to be difficult. As his teammates continued to pass the ball around the ball, too slowly to be honest, White looked to put the ball over the defenders with crosses. White had 3 crosses in the first half. As I've stated before, the GBGB often comes down to who I keep noticing the most. Tonight, that was White.

Romario nearly got the nod from me, but only because of such a brilliant free kick to equalize the game. His overall game, though, was not enough for me to knock White off the GBGB podium.

Photos - Don Thompson Photography

Indy Eleven vs Sporting Kansas City - 2024 U.S. Open Cup Semifinal

Summary

- Opponent: Sporting Kansas City
- Location: Children's Mercy Park
- Attendance: 10,812
- Final Score: 2-0 L

- Starting XI: Sulte, Ofeimu, O'Brien, J., Chapman-Page, Stanley, Neidlinger, Quinn (C), Lindley, Blake, Martinez, Williams, A.

- Substitution: Musa 17' (Chapman-Page - Injury); Foster 77' (Neidlinger); Wootton 77' (Lindley); Collier 89' (Williams, A.); Guenzatti 89' (O'Brien, J.)

- Unused: Oettl, Mines

- Scoring Summary:
SKC - 14' Russell (assist Davis)
SKC - 35' Rosero (assist Walter)

- Bookings:

IND - Quinn 19' (Yellow)
SKC - Salloi 69' (Yellow)

- Referee: Rosendo Mendoza

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Planned (but not permitted) BYB tifo - art by Jason Wyrick

The U.S. Open Cup, and a Cup Final, is a special tournament and game where the "little" guy has the chance to take on the "big" guy for a prestigious trophy. More often than not, the little guy never makes it to the semifinal game in this kind of tournament. In the MLS era, ten different lower division clubs (15 different times) have made it to a U.S. Open Cup semifinal game, most recently the Sacramento Republic during their run in 2022 when they made it to the Final. Twenty-eight years of MLS being involved in the tournament since 1996 (minus 2 Covid years), gives 26 tournaments times 2 semifinal games, times 2 teams per semifinal equals 104 teams who have stood at the exact same spot Indy Eleven was standing in before this game started. Which means that just over 14% of the time, one of the teams in a semifinal is a lower division team. Indy Eleven were the lone remaining lower division team in this tournament. 

That's how rare a Cup run is for a lower division team. 

Being a second division team, Indy Eleven technically qualified as the "little" guy in this matchup against Sporting Kansas City, a club that has won the tournament 4 times, the most recent in 2017. As I've stated on this site before (thanks to the history lesson from TheCup.us), the semifinal game isn't the farthest that a team from Indianapolis has made it in the tournament. The Indianapolis Inferno made it to the semifinal game in 1992, when they defeated the Scott Gallagher SC team from Saint Louis by a 2-nil score in the quarterfinal. The Inferno did it, though, in a non-MLS era. Only once since 1996 has a non-MLS team won the Cup (Rochester Rhinos in 1999). 

That's how rare a Cup run is for a lower division team. 

With tonight's 2-0 loss to Kansas City, Indy equal the Indianapolis Inferno's run, bringing Indy's record against MLS teams to 1W-1D-3L, but the run to the Final and a potential Concacaf bid end on a rainy, delayed night at Children's Mercy Park. 

A roughly 2.5-hour weather delay gave Indy plenty of time to build a bus PLUS a bunker and Indy parked that bus IN the bunker in the early stages of the game. Indy had both Stanley and Neidlinger on each side of the center backs, giving Indy a 5-4-1 look in their own half as the conceded possession, trying to keep SKC in front of them. All conceded possession led to a shot off the crossbar in the 11th minute, a goal in the 14th minute from Russell, a shot of the woodwork from a free kick in the 29th minute, and a second goal in the 35th minute. The bunker may have seemed necessary, but Sulte had to feel like he was on the wrong side of a firing squad.

As much success as Indy found in previous Open Cup games, they looked completely overmatched tonight in the first half. An 81% to 19% halftime possession advantage for SKC seems like the people keeping the stats felt sorry for Indy and gave them more possession than they actually had. That's how one-sided the first half was in this game. Whenever Indy did manage to make any brief forays into the SKC defensive half of the game, they were met with missed shots or offside calls, and not nearly enough support for Williams to do much with the chances. The bunker just didn't allow Indy to do much with the ball when they had opportunities. Combine that with Indy's lack of pressure on the ball giving SKC plenty of time to make whatever decision they wanted with the ball at their feet, and it was a long, late night for Indy and their fans.

Indy hasn't been immune to the Cupset over the years, losing on the road in back-to-back seasons to lower division amateur teams, but SKC clearly did not take Indy lightly the way that Indy has periodically done over the years. They came into this game looking to prove that even if their league season isn't going as desired, they were going to hang their hat on a run to the US Open Cup Final as a way to salvage the year and took Indy behind the woodshed for a beating in the first half. Sporting Kansas City came into the game struggling below the Western Conference playoff line with a 7W-6D-14L record, but with a 5W-4D-5L record at home (2-2-9 on the road). The way the first half played out, I don't think it would have mattered where this game was held. 

SKC was just better.

Oh, Indy made a better show of it in the second half, but SKC looked like they took their foot off the gas a little to help that surge in Indy's effort. Plus, and this can't be overlooked, Indy dug themselves a massive hole in the first half and really had nothing at risk by throwing guys forward in the second half. A 2-nil loss or a 3-nil loss still spells an exit from the Cup. I don't know what was said in the halftime locker, but I can imagine some "we're better than this," "I'm not going out like this," and "we have to hold them to a scoreless second half and see if we can pull one back." Had Indy scored a goal with some of their chances, in either half, the end of the game would have been intense. As it was, a stoppage time Sulte penalty kick save kept the loss differential at 2, and the team can look at the performance in the second half as things they can use as motivation for the remainder of the league season. 

Indy can be proud of the Cup run, but there's a reason why only four lower division teams have ever made it to the Final in the MLS era. It takes the right players, the right matchup, and probably some good old fashioned luck to overcome a higher consistent level of talent across the teams. 

Indy head home to league action again when they face the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday at The Mike. Indy need to take the positives of the second half tonight and funnel that towards keeping a team below them in the Easter Conference table behind them. Indy's recent run of league form has been a mix bag that has included very few wins, but the team needs a win badly after the first two games in this 3-game week. The game on Saturday has the feel of the proverbial "6-point game."

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Blake by a wide margin gets tonight's GBGB. Indy had 10 shots with 5 shots on target. Blake had 6 of the shots and 4 of them were on target. His shots forced Melia into difficult saves. Blake looked, at times, like he knew that somebody was going to need to test SKC from long-range and he was unafraid to be that person. With the recent struggles from the Williams duo of hitting the goal from within the box (or within the 6-yard box in the case of Romario), goals are seemingly going to need to come from somewhere else. It looked like it was going to be Blake that provided that tonight, but he just couldn't find a way around Melia. 

Another honorable mention for Neidlinger. Let me remind you that he is AN. ACADEMY. PLAYER. starting in an Open Cup semifinal game. There were some moments where he looked overmatched by his MLS opponents, but he also didn't get completely run off the field. If we're looking for moral victories in this loss, one of them is that this kid is proving McAuley's faith in him is warranted. 

Indy Eleven vs Las Vegas Lights FC - 11.24

Summary

- Opponent: Las Vegas Lights FC
- Location: Cashman Field
- Attendance: 4,532
- Final Score: 3-2 L

- Starting XI: Oettl, Mines, O'Brien, J., Musa, Neidlinger, Gibson (C), Blake, Wootton, Collier, Guenzatti, Williams, R.

- Substitution: Ofeimu 45' (O'Brien, J.); Foster 45' (Blake); O'Brien, E. 63' (Collier); Lindley 72' (Wootton); Henderlong 84' (Neidlinger)

- Unused: Sulte, McCoy

- Scoring Summary:
LV - Ngando 2' (assist Pinzon)
IND - Guenzatti 26' (assist Blake)
LV - Noel 43' (assist Pinzon)
IND - Collier 45'+3' (assist Blake)
LV - Bennett 45'+4' (assist Doody)

- Bookings:

LV - Arozarena 21' (Yellow)
LV - Ngando 34' (Yellow)
LV - Nigro 54' (Yellow)
IND - Mines 58' (Yellow)

- Referee: Trevor Wiseman

- Adage goals: THREE

Thoughts and Opinions

After a weekend off, Indy found themselves having to make hard decisions about tonight's, and the upcoming week's, game(s). Coach McAuley has repeatedly stated that player rotation can often happen within a game, not just how players are used game-to-game. With tonight's game against Las Vegas, an arguably the most important game in the club's history on Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against MLS side Kansas City, and a game next weekend against Pittsburgh, player rotation finally showed itself the way most people think of rotation. This was a lineup of Indy's "B" side, if you want to call it that. The lineup had guys that have starter minutes at times, but it was clear that McAuley had an eye on Tuesday's game with this lineup. With the stakes so high on Tuesday, more on that in a minute, it's not surprising that McAuley took the route he did with tonight's lineup.

In a different year against a Las Vegas side, that might have been acceptable. This, however, is a different Las Vegas team and when they get a goal in the 2nd minute, Indy had a steep hill to climb. Don't think the Lights didn't take notice that this lineup for Indy was not the normal starters for Indy. Coming off their own loss, which ended an 11-game undefeated streak, Las Vegas didn't need extra motivation, but seeing Indy's lineup probably provided a little extra desire to come out quickly to pay Indy for the potential perceived disrespect. Knowing that if they could put Indy down early, a shuffled lineup would struggle to get back into the game.

Yet, McAuley kept saying that the lineup against LV would be one that he thought could still win the game. Despite the absolute worst start for the group, Indy did get back into the game through a set piece recycle where Blake put the ball over the defense to Guenzatti, who settled and then slotted the ball under Arozarena for an equalizer midway through the first half. As the half progressed, Marion Crowder on the telecast described the first half with "response." Las Vegas found a second goal just before the 45 minute mark. Indy, to their credit, found a response and a 2nd equalizer in the 45'+3'. Las Vegas then rounded out the scoring in the half with their own equalizer in the 45'+4' to send the teams to the locker room after a hectic first half with 21 combined shots, 8 combined shots on target, and 5 goals.

The fireworks of the first half didn't translate to the second half, which was done in a much more measured approach for both teams. McAuley made changes at halftime to save legs for a couple players that are likely going to be in the starting lineup on Tuesday, while also giving some run for other guys in that situation. Las Vegas had a lead without a ton of pressure from Indy so they didn't have to push the issue as much, though they were definitely more the aggressor than Indy. The Match Center showed Indy without a single shot in the 2nd half. In some ways, Indy looked like they were playing for a draw that they didn't have. Thanks to the results of the teams around them in the table, the loss didn't drastically affect Indy's placement. Detroit leap-frogged Indy due to their crowded August schedule, but Indy still have a game-in-hand on Detroit. 

While you would love to see Indy play its best team in all games, the game against Kansas City on Tuesday is clearly an important game for the club, with a lot at stake with a win. As the USL documented this week, a win could either lead to a home game in the tournament final or a spot in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup. 

Here’s how:

The starting point is that the winner of the U.S. Open Cup earns a berth into the CCC.

However, if the winner has earned a CCC spot through a different qualification process, the runner-up gets the spot allotted to the Open Cup.

So, if LAFC – who recently secured a CCC spot by advancing to the 2024 Leagues Cup Final – defeats the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night to advance to the Open Cup Final, then the Open Cup CCC berth would automatically be given to the other finalist.

So, all Indy Eleven needs to do is defeat Sporting KC on Tuesday night then hope LAFC gets the job done.

With a potential CCC spot on the line, I'm okay with the decision. A crowded middle of the Eastern Conference makes Indy's spot in the table tenuous, but sometime you have to make one decision that could help the club in the long term and hope that it doesn't hurt you in the near term.

Hopefully this is a case of Indy losing the battle, but winning the war. It will be unfortunate if Indy lose the battle, then lose the war as a result, but plenty of games left in the season to see how this week's decisions pan out. Indy, and a drastically different lineup, will take to the field in three days in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against Sporting Kansas City.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

I want to give Guenzatti the GBGB purely for his effort, but he was also rewarded for that effort with a goal, so it makes it easier for my reasoning. Seba has often done the yeomen's work this season trying to connect the defense to the forwards, being team first when he can clearly still score goals. However, his effort tonight was wasted at times because his running mate up top (Romario...) does not put in the same kind of effort. While Guenzatti could be seen trying to press the back line of Las Vegas, a tactic that worked well in the first half to get Indy back into the game, Williams was often not putting in any effort in that regard. The goal helps, but Guenzatti gets tonight's GBGB because he put in a lunch pail shift and I appreciate the effort.

Blake gets an honorable mention because his 45-minutes was stellar. He had the assist on both goals and at times in that half of play looked like the best player on the field for Indy at finding his teammates in places to make them successful. It's good to have him back in the lineup.

The youngster gets an honorable honorable mention. Neidlinger is deserving of his minutes on a pro team as a teenager. Every minute of every game is making him a better player and he deserves to be o the field.

Indy Eleven vs New Mexico United - 11.23

Summary

- Opponent: New Mexico United
- Location: Carroll Stadium
- Attendance: 10,013
- Final Score: 3-1 L

- Starting XI: Sulte, Ofeimu, Chapman-Page, Diz Pe, Neidlinger, Stanley, Wootton, Quinn (C), Guenzatti, Williams, R., Williams, A.

- Substitution: Collier 60' (Guenzatti); Blake 60' (Williams, A.); Henderlong 79' (Williams, R.); O'Brien, J. 80' (Chapman-Page); Gibson 80' (Quinn)

- Unused: Oettl, Mines, Musa

- Scoring Summary:
IND - Neidlinger 28' (assist Wootton)
NM - Swartz 53'
NM - Rivas 64' (assist Bruce)
NM - Hurst 75' (assist Hurst)

- Bookings:

IND - Quinn 27' (Yellow)
NM - Rivas 27' (Yellow)
NM - Houssou 27' (Yellow)
NM - Ryden 45'+2' (Yellow)
IND - Diz Pe 61' (Yellow)
IND - Chapman-Page 78' (Yellow)
NM - Hurst 90'+4'(Yellow)

- Referee: Adam Kilpatrick

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Ugh. Quinn and Blake get back to healthy and the team loses Lindley and Martinez to injuries sustained last week. The team definitely needs a "next man up" attitude right now, and Indy has talent on the bench, but it would be nice to see an injury report that didn't have at least three starter-level players on it. 

The teams weren't want for offense early in this game as both had opportunities within the first five minutes. Indy put a shot on target within the first two minutes and a long-range shot from Romario Williams that found the field suites on the east side of the field after a deflection from a New Mexico player. Indy would have liked nothing more than a quick goal to give the visitors something to think about after their flight from the Land of Enchantment. 

However loose you thought Ricardo Fierro's whistle was last game against Rhode Island, Adam Kilpatrick's while was 180-degrees. Both teams had legitimate complaints for calls, many of them not called. To be fair, he did seem consistent with his lack of calls, but it has to be nearly impossible as a player to know game-to-game how it's going to be called. Those lack of calls boiled over to a rash of yellow cards in the 27th minute when emotions boiled over and a bunch of pushing and shoving finally forced Kilpatrick's hand to do something to bring the tenor back in check.

Indy may be struggling to get the full roster fully healthy, but the injuries have led to the emergence of Academy product Neidlinger, who is looking calmer and calmer as the minutes continue to increase for him. The calmness and continued faith in him from McAuley was rewarded today with a goal in the 28th minute to get the scoring started. With the goal, Neidlinger became the youngest goal scorer in club history. Conversely in the experience category, Romario Williams missed a couple of sitters from within a yard of the goal line. Despite a few chances that should have been scored, the youngster's goal still took the home team into the locker room with a 1-nil lead against the Western Conference leaders. 

Eighteen crosses in the first half, 8 shots (3 on target), 22% long passes, and it looks like Indy is getting back to the way they played during the undefeated streak. Press the other team's offense, and when possession is pulled back, go forward as quickly as possible and put chances into the box to give the team a chance to score. 

I wouldn't call either guy a heavyweight, but Bruce vs Chapman-Page is the kind of matchup that tests a referee's conviction on how they are going to call a game. Neither player are going to back down and both are extremely physical with their play. Nearly every time the ball went in their direction, the referee likely had an opportunity to call a foul on one of them. To get New Mexico on the board, Bruce finally found some space away from Chapman-Page, and was able to get the ball to Swartz who sent a rocket past Sulte. Eleven minutes later, the United doubled their score, and eleven minutes after that, New Mexico found a third. Just like that, Indy's missed chances in the first half had come back to haunt them to hand them a loss. 

Indy's up-and-down run-of-form has been buoyed by the 8-game undefeated streak that preceded it, but a quick look at the table shows that the teams below Indy aren't going away. Indy remained at 4th in the table, the key spot to have a home playoff game, but Birmingham, Rhode Island, and others are nipping at their heels. Unless Indy can find some wins in the coming games, their precarious perch at the top of the table is going to come tumbling down. While Indy now have nearly two weeks off before their next game to potentially get a few bodies healthy, unfortunately, their next game is in Las Vegas, who are currently on an 11-game undefeated streak, getting 5 wins in the run. So it's not like Indy has a cupcake game coming up to get them back to winning ways. Indy also are looking at a 5-game stretch of home and away before finally getting a couple matches in a row at home. 

In and of itself, there's nothing terrible about losing to the best team in the Western Conference. However, when you had chances in the first half to put the opponent away but couldn't do it, and then continue to concede multiple goals in a game, the confidence that the undefeated streak created may be starting to wane. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

The Academy product, Neidlinger, picked up his first professional goal and is looking better and better with each game. It looks like he is now one of McAuley's favored players and given McAuley's history with Academy teams around the world, it's probably no surprise that he has been given those kinds of players minutes. His professional goal is much cooler, but I'm going to give him his second GBGB award of the season. 

Photos - Don Thompson Photography

Cancer survivor, honorary captain, and goal scorer Bagner!