Indy Eleven vs Charleston Battery - 10.35 (Playoffs)

Summary

- Opponent: Charleston Battery
- Location: Patriots Point
- Attendance: 2,972
- Final Score: 5-0 L

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Jerome, Diz Pe, Dambrot, Lindley, Robledo, King, Velasquez, Martinez, Guenzatti (C)

- Substitution: Molina 64' (Robledo); Pinho 64' (Velasquez); Vazquez 64' (Dambrot)

- Unused: Oettl, Chapman-Page, Reveno 

- Scoring Summary:
CHS – Ycaza 12’ (assist Rodriguez)
CHS - Williams 37' (assist Markanich)
CHS - Rodriguez 40' (Barajas)
CHS - Barajas 47' (Rodriguez)
CHS - Markanich 63' (Williams)

- Bookings:

CHS - Williams 16’ (Yellow)
IND - Boudadi 57' (Yellow)
IND - Vazquez 72' (Yellow)
IND - Diz Pe 76' (Yellow)
IND - Lindley 83' (Yellow)
CHS - Ycaza 90' (Yellow)

- Referee: Jeremy Scheer

- Adage goals: Two

Thoughts and Opinions

When this game started, I was walking around the National Mall in Washington D.C. with the family, but let my phone continue to keep me notified of what was going on in the game. I continued on with my vacation knowing that there wasn't going to be a home match in the second week of the playoffs after all the other high seeds in the Eastern Conference lost on Saturday. Despite knowing the result of the game,  I went ahead and actually watched the game now that I'm back, because, apparently, I'm a glutton for punishment after watching Purdue (football) lose to Nebraska on one screen and Purdue (men's basketball) lose to Arkansas in a scrimmage for charity in overtime to Arkansas. 

Before I watched the game, with full knowledge of the final score, I thought about what I might see. I wondered how Indy, one of the stingiest defenses in the entire league, could concede five goals in a playoff game. Indy hadn't conceded more than 3 in a game this season, even during the rough up-and-down stretch through the majority of the middle of the season. What I saw ran the gamut of issues.

1. Charleston's first goal was a set piece corner kick.
2. The second goal happened when Diz Pe was dispossessed 30 to 40-yards from goal, which led to a shot from outside the box that Trilk let bounce off his hands into the bottom right of the goal. Trilk nearly allowed a similar goal earlier in the game, but Diz cleared the ball off the line while being fouled.
3. Just a few minutes later, 5 Indy defenders tracked 3 CHS attackers, but leaving the 4th attacker wide open in the middle of the box for an open header past Trilk. 
4. Immediately after halftime, on a recycled corner kick, Charleston out-hustled the Indy defenders for yet another middle of the box shot through 5 Indy defenders that parted like the Red Sea.
5. Finally, a cross past Diz went mere feet past Trilk across the goal mouth to an on-rushing Ycaza who beat Boudadi to the ball. 

Indy couldn't defend. When Indy had the ball, CHS defended in numbers and defended quickly, rarely giving Indy time nor space to effectively accomplish much. Indy couldn't attack. Indy managed just a single shot on target, a shot from Macca King that went straight to Muse. A shot that happened from just outside the box in the 19th minute. Not a single shot on target the rest of the game. Not even a 66th minute breakaway where Martinez seemed to be ahead of everybody, but Segbers overtook Martinez and prevented a shot. 

As good as Indy looked the week before during large stretches in San Antonio, they looked just as badly during large stretches in Charleston. When Indy lost Quinn with 6 games to go in the season, Indy took a few games to settle into not having him available. Indy went into this game without Asante due to his red card suspension in the San Antonio game, and Blake who had an ankle injury. As a result, Indy started both King and Robledo. Robledo had only started a dozen games before this one and had only played a total of 48 minutes in the past three games combined. Similarly, King had also only played just 48 minutes in a substitute role in the past two games combined after having not played for the preceding ten games. I appreciate Macca, but the midfield looked completely different than it has when Indy has looked its best. 

Indy struggled this year, with injuries and suspensions derailing any momentum that they managed to get going. It's probably fitting that two more (one injury and one suspension) factored into their performance against Charleston. As promising as this season looked coming into it, and as good as the team looked at times throughout the season, it's a bit disheartening to think that the team has such an issue with depth that just one or two players can have Indy go from looking like they did in the first half against San Antonio to a team that gets clobbered by 5-nil in the first weekend of the playoffs. It's something I'll likely discuss in my end-of-season recap, but not here.

 

As I thought about the game during my vacation, my pessimistic nature (and being a long-time Cubs fan) kicked in and Indy fans should have known that things wouldn't go well for the men's 1st team. The club isn't at a point where fans should realistically think that it's possible for the club to win an USL W League championship and win (or even make a run in) the USL Championship in the same season. We're just not there as a club where that seems feasible. Maybe some day.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

I don't really want to finish the season without awarding the Game Beckons Game Ball, but does any player really deserve it when the team gets beaten by 5 goals and only manages one shot on target in 90 minutes of action? After arguing with myself that there had to be at least one good performance by one of the players, I just couldn't rationalize it in that kind of loss in that kind of game.

Indy Eleven vs San Antonio - 10.34

Summary

- Opponent: San Antonio FC
- Location: Toyota Field
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 3-3 D

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Vazquez, Diz Pe, Dambrot, Blake, Lindley, Asante, Velasquez, Martinez, Guenzatti (C)

- Substitution: Robledo 59' (Velasquez); King 59' (Lindley); Pinho 77' (Martinez); Reveno 77' (Boudadi); Chapman-Page 85' (Diz Pe)

- Unused: Crawford, Molina 

- Scoring Summary:
IND – Blake 9’ (assist Lindley)
IND - Guenzatti 37' (unassisted)
SA - Patino 45'+4' (penalty kick)
IND - Diz Pe 54' (assist Lindley)
SA - Oluwaseyi 58' (unassisted)
SA - Taintor 88' (unassisted)

- Bookings:

SA - Taintor 8’ (Yellow)
IND - Lindley 24' (Yellow)
IND - Martinez 36' (Yellow)
IND - Boudadi 45'+2' (Yellow)
IND - Asante 45'+3'; 61' (Yellow, Yellow, RED)
IND - Diz Pe 67' (Yellow)

SA – Lamar Batista 74' (Yellow)
IND - King 90'+8' (Yellow)

- Referee: Elijio Arreguin

- Adage goals: Two

Thoughts and Opinions

The USL Championship is going to USL Championship. By that, I mean that things never really seem to go as expected. Coming into the weekend, the top of the table was set. Pittsburgh couldn't be caught for first. Tampa Bay couldn't be caught for second. Charleston couldn't be caught for third. However, spots 3 through 8 were unsettled. 

A Memphis draw would have given them 53 points and they would hold the tiebreaker over Louisville even if LOU won, giving MEM 4th place. A LOU draw would give them 51 points and would hold the tiebreaker over Indy if Indy were to win and get themselves to 51 points. If Indy drew and BHM won, they would be even on points, but Indy would take 6th due to the second tiebreaker. BHM would get 7th, and Detroit and Miami were battling it out for the 8th spot against Pittsburgh and Sacramento, respectively. So MEM, LOU, and IND just needed to draw their games and playoff positions would have been more or less set, with the exception of the Detroit and Miami battle.

However...

MEM started the weekend's proceedings on Friday by floundering to a 4-1 defeat against New Mexico United in Isotopes Park in Albuquerque. That meant that the draw that LOU likely would have been working towards at home against TBR flipped on its head because a LOU win meant that they would leapfrog MEM and finish fourth to be able to host a playoff game. Knowing that LOU were going to be going all out against TBR meant that they would make themselves susceptible to a loss against a TBR team who didn't have anything to gain from the game, but also wouldn't want to roll over and let LOU win. So Indy went from considering a draw against San Antonio as fine to thinking that a win in Texas and a TBR win in Kentucky would mean that Indy would finish in 5th. Finishing there doesn't help Indy host a playoff game, but it does feel nice to finish ahead of the consistent winners of Louisville.

With the exception of the psychological advantage of finishing higher up the table than your rival, I kind of preferred Indy finishing in 6th. A 5th place finish would mean a return trip to the potentially atrocious field in Memphis that they saw last time Indy played against MEM. A 6th place finish means a trip to CHS, a team that Indy had success against this season. Admittedly, the first win (a 4-nil victory in CHS) was helped out by the 1st minute red card showed to Archer, but Indy found ways to score in that game. Indy has a 4W-2D-2L record against CHS since entering the USL, and a 3W-1D-0L record since the pandemic. Coming into the game, I was okay with a 6th place finish. 

So what could have been a ho-hum weekend at the top of the table turned into an absolute dog fight after Memphis' loss. As Indy were getting started, they would have already known that BHM had lost to CHS so there wasn't anybody behind them that could supplant their position in 6th even with a loss. So a move up the table was definitely possible if they wanted to go all out. They would have also been able to see that LOU v TBR was at halftime with a 3-1 score in TBR's favor after TBR scored in about 30 seconds after the starting whistle, and LOU was throwing the kitchen sink at TBR to get the win after going down early, getting gifted an Own Goal, giving up a penalty kick that was missed, and then conceding two goals from Jennings in rapid succession. Indy would have known that a move up the table was possible.

Whatever they knew coming into the game or whatever team they would have preferred to play, Indy came out against San Antonio and found an early goal in the 9th minute on a long cross from Lindley that ran through most of the 18-yard box before finding Blake who put the ball passed Marsman. Indy looked like a team that was wanting to win this game, results in the table be damned. San Antonio had their own chances early, finishing the half with 7 corners and 6 shots (3 on frame) to Indy's 1 and 9 (4 on frame), respectively. Yet Indy is setup perfectly to play on a a field like Toyota Field which has a natural turf surface, and Indy consistently, and easily, moved their possession style through the San Antonio midfield in the first half. San Antonio nicked a stoppage time penalty kick goal when Boudadi was charged with bringing down Bailone, who looked to me like he did as much of the pulling down as Boudadi did. Either way, the teams went into the halftime locker with Indy still up a goal to find that Louisville had lost to Tampa Bay. 

Then, as the USL Championship is want to do, the game descended into Crazy Town. Diz Pe scored a goal to give Indy their third goal on the night. Five minutes later, San Antonio found another goal on a scramble situation when Trilk had one of his rare mistakes on the night and was unable to collect the initial shot cleanly. A few minutes after that, Asante picked up a second yellow card on a fairly light call after getting his first yellow in stoppage time of the first half due to arguing the penalty kick call, forcing Indy to finish the game down a man. Now up a man and down a goal, it was a frenetic finish to the final 30 minutes as San Antonio fought for an equalizer, which they managed to do in the 88th minute. Indy closed out the remaining 2 minutes + TEN MINUTES of stoppage time (originally shown as 5 minutes) to see the game, somehow, finish in a 3-3 draw.

It's the kind of draw that feels like a loss that feels like a win. Let me explain. Indy should have won this game. Until Asante's untimely dismissal from the game, Indy controlled the midfield and looked like the team that we all expected them to be when the roster was announced so many months ago. So when San Antonio found their equalizer, it felt like a loss. Yet, by not picking up all three points, Indy drop back down to the position on the table where they have spent 8 of the last 9 weeks of the season, 6th place. That means they head to Charleston and not Memphis. Again, I don't know the team's preferred location, but I think going to Charleston is a better situation for Indy than Memphis.

Indy will be on the road to start the playoffs. With this season, just about anything can happen and likely will, but Indy are playing good soccer right now and will be doing so on another grass field in Charleston, where their style of play works well. Tonight's game followed much of this season's frustration of results that didn't match performance, but I don't think the result was necessarily a bad thing for Indy. With the obvious exception of losing Asante, who has been playing really well in recent weeks. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

I don't normally like to give the GBGB to the same player in back-to-back games, but Trilk deserves it again tonight. San Antonio put 8 shots on target, many of them from close range, and Trilk made 5 saves. Down a man and trying to maintain the slim lead, there were moments where it felt like Trilk was on the wrong side of a firing squad and he made some spectacular reaction saves to keep Indy in the game. Feels strange to give the GBGB to a goalkeeper when the opposition scores three goals, but if it hadn't been for Trilk, it would have been worse.

Indy Eleven vs FC Tulsa - 10.33

Summary

- Opponent: FC Tulsa
- Location: ONEOK Field
- Attendance: 6,444
- Final Score: 2-1 W

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Jerome, Diz Pe, Dambrot, Blake, Lindley, Asante, Velasquez, Martinez, Guenzatti (C)

- Substitution: King 73' (Lindley); Robledo 73' (Velasquez); Pinho 85' (Pinho); Vazquez 90'+7' (Martinez)

- Unused: Crawford, Molina, Reveno

- Scoring Summary:
TUL – Goodrum 34’ (penalty kick)
IND - Velasquez 62' (assist Lindley)
IND - Asante 82' (unassisted)

- Bookings:

IND - Velasquez 49’ (Yellow)
TUL - Goodrum 78' (Yellow)
IND - Robledo 84' (Yellow) 
IND - Trilk 90'+1' (Yellow)
TUL - Seagrist 90'+2' (Yellow)

- Referee: Sergii Demianchuk

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

By the time this game started, it was known that a draw did nothing for Tulsa. They needed to win the game to keep any chance of making the playoffs. Indy secured their spot last week. I wondered if Indy might rest some guys, maybe even play some of their Academy guys. However, knowing that there was at least a slim chance that Indy could finish in 4th place in the table to host a playoff game, Coach Lowry started the same lineup as was used last week against Detroit. Some might argue that "the integrity of the game" required Indy to play their best team given the fight that Tulsa, Detroit, and Miami are in for the final playoff spots, but that isn't me. We all saw what happened when Quinn dropped out of the lineup due to his injury. Keeping Indy's guys healthy is more important to me. If Coach Lowry had decided to play the Academy guys, I would have been okay with that. 

I hate soccer played on baseball fields. Coach Lowry has said that he can have a different opinion of those fields, depending on the field. The Memphis fiasco earlier this season was a field where we both agreed it was garbage. To be fair, everybody agreed that field was garbage. However, Lowry spent all his games in El Paso on a baseball field, so he knows how to coach a team under those conditions and circumstances. He has also said to me that he doesn't believe the phrase, "both teams have to play on the field," in reference to poor fields. A team that wants to hold possession, like Indy, is much more affected by a poor turf than a team that bunkers and counters. If the temporary infield turf is acceptable and the outfield turf is good, then Coach Lowry doesn't have a significant issue with a soccer pitch on a baseball field. Tulsa's field looked reasonable, and Indy played well on it. I still hate watching soccer on a baseball field.

At halftime, Indy would have been able to see that Hartford, yes bottom of the table Hartford, went into Lynn Family Stadium and took points away from Louisville, further cracking that door for Indy to finish ahead of Louisville in the table. However, Memphis took care of their business, and Indy would have also seen that the chance to host a playoff game no longer remained. 

I don't know if that knowledge had anything to do with it, but Tulsa looked like the better team in the early minutes of the second half with more possession and dangerous shots. It took a breakaway goal where Asante carried the ball 50 yards up the field before laying the ball off to his right to Lindley who had made a parallel run with Asante. Lindley one-touched the ball across goal across the six-yard box directly to Velasquez. Velasquez's first touch wasn't perfect, but he had enough space around him to get himself composed after his poor touch and promptly fired it past Nelson to bring the game level. 

With their playoff lives in the balance, Tulsa took the game up a notch as the game became wide open as the two teams combined for 35 shots, 9 on target (4 for Indy, 5 for Tulsa). Indy defended as a unit while Tulsa attacked. Tulsa defended as a unit while Indy attacked. Rinse and repeat for the next 20 minutes until Asante was able to poke Indy's second goal past Nelson in the 82nd minute. After that, it was Indy defending for everything they had to solidify the win, and Tulsa throwing caution to the wind and attacking, knowing that they needed goals.

Indy held on, stayed in 6th place in the table. The win means that depending on the results tomorrow (BHM plays on Sunday) next weekend, Indy could finish as high as 5th place and as low as 7th place. A 5th place finish could mean facing Memphis or Louisville. A 7th place finish means heading to Tampa Bay. Memphis plays in New Mexico, who are still fighting for their chance to make the postseason. Louisville plays Tampa Bay. Birmingham plays Monterey tomorrow and Charleston next week. 

It's impossible to guess how these games might go. I can see a scenario where Indy wins, MEM wins, LOU loses, and BHM get points out of both games but not two wins. That puts Indy in 5th. I can also see a scenario where Indy loses, MEM wins, LOU wins, and BHM win both, putting Indy in 7th. There's also the results that leave Indy in 6th place where they would face Charleston. 

Given the way the season has gone, and the teams that are making the playoffs, any team can win at home or away on any given day. I mean, at this point, two playoff-making teams in the Eastern Conference are going to do so with negative goal differentials (LOU at -2, BHM at -10), while CHS (sitting in 3rd) has a mere +3 GD and MIA (sitting in 8th) has a 0 GD. 

Indy did what they could to make the playoffs and are playing some of their best soccer going into the playoffs. As a fan, that's really all you can hope to see from them. Indy head to San Antonio knowing that no matter the results, they are playing the following weekend, and that no matter the results, they might not change your place in the standings.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

This is another game where I think a few players deserve the GBGB. Velasquez was lively all night. Diz and Jerome were solid in defense. Lindley's cross was perfect on Velasquez's goal. As I've said before, sometimes this just goes to the player who keeps standing out to me based on the eyeball test, regardless of stats. Tonight that was Trilk. I thought he made a couple of great saves on shots that were from close range. Edging out his teammates, Trilk gets tonight's GBGB. 

Indy Eleven vs Detroit City FC - 10.32

Summary

- Opponent: Detroit City FC
- Location: Carroll Stadium
- Attendance: 12,531
- Final Score: 3-0 W

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Jerome, Diz Pe, Dambrot, Blake, Lindley, Asante, Velasquez, Martinez, Guenzatti (C)

- Substitution: Molina 79' (Velasquez); Rebellon 90'+1' (Asante); Pinho 90'+1' (Martinez)

- Unused: Crawford, King, Robledo, Vazquez

- Scoring Summary:
IND – Martinez 45’ (unassisted)
IND - Velasquez 69' (assist Lindley)
IND - Molina 90'+3' (assist Pinho)

- Bookings:

DET – Fisher 33’ (Yellow)
IND - Velasquez 45'+2' (Yellow)
DET - Diop 74' (Yellow)
IND - Molina 90'+7' (Yellow)

- Referee: Katja Koroleva

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

The math was easy coming into Indy's final home game of the regular season. Win and get some help from Pittsburgh against Tulsa, and Indy would officially clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2019. If Tulsa managed to win against PIT, then Indy would have two games, one of them against Tulsa, to get over the necessary threshold. Pittsburgh took care of their business, leaving Indy just needing a single point to solidify their spot. Three goals later and Indy no longer need to wait until next year to make the playoffs. 

Indy is now down where they will play that first playoff game. It would take a lot for it to be at Carroll Stadium. Indy would need to win against Tulsa and San Antonio, bringing Indy's total to 51. If Memphis, currently in 4th place, lost both their games (at home against ELP and away at NM), they would be stuck at 49 points. If Louisville, currently in 5th place, lost both of their games (at home to Hartford and at home to Tampa Bay), they too would be stuck at 49 points. Under that scenario, Indy would finish in 4th, Memphis in 5th, and Louisville in 6th. To think that Louisville loses to Hartford, who are on a 9-game losing streak and have lost 16 of 18, is difficult to fathom. So while the new math indicates that Indy could host an initial playoff game, it seems like tonight's could be the last home game of the season. Unless, of course, some playoff upsets take place. Given the way the season has progressed in this conference, that isn't out of the question. 

Indy need to get through the rest of the regular season first before we figure out, if, and where Indy fans need to travel.

Tonight's game was one where the result matched the performance. Indy deserved the win. If it hadn't been for a great save from Steinwascher in the 6th minute when he pushed Martinez's shot up off the crossbar, Indy would have flipped the typical Indy script by them being the one with the early goal. There weren't many minutes where I thought Indy were going to concede a goal. Once Martinez scored what would become the game winner in the 45th minute, I didn't see many ways that DET were going to get points out of the game. Indy had a game plan against DET and executed it exactly like they wanted. 

Indy finish the regular season on the road against Tulsa, which is now a little less nerve-wrecking than it could have been, and at San Antonio, which is one of the two teams that have already clinched a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Whether San Antonio feel like going all out against Indy right before the playoffs when both teams are in and SA may already have their home playoff game clinched, will be seen in a couple of weeks. You may see a final game of the season where both teams are just trying to get out of it unscathed and without injuries. That might depend on what happens next week and whether a home field playoff game is still in the cards for Indy.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Martinez was active early and often for Indy. It started with the early 6th minute shot that was pushed off the crossbar from Steinwascher, but he accounted for half of Indy's shots on target. There seemed to be a concerted effort to get the ball to him over the top, and nearly all of them were successful. I thought that Martinez struggled at times with his decisions early in the season, but in this game, the decisions were easy. Attack the DET defense, often in 1v1 conditions, and then try to get it past Steinwascher. For the most part, Martinez was highly effective in this game play, resulting in his 45th minute goal. Some other guys deserve honorable mentions (Blake for dropping back more as Indy continue to adjust to life without Quinn, and Pinho for his unselfish play that allowed Molina to score his goal), but Martinez gets tonight's GBGB for being an absolute pest for 90-minutes.

Additional Photos (Don Thompson Photography)

Indy Eleven vs Rio Grande Valley FC - 10.31

Summary

- Opponent: Rio Grande Valley FC
- Location: Carroll Stadium
- Attendance: 10,316
- Final Score: 1-0 L

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Jerome, Diz Pe, Rebellon, Blake, Lindley, Asante, Robledo, Guenzatti (C), Pinho

- Substitution: Dambrot 45’ (Rebellon); Martinez 45’ (Pinho); Velasquez 62’ (Robledo); Molina 76’ (Blake)

- Unused: Crawford, Reveno, Vazquez

- Scoring Summary:
RGV – Lopez 18’ (assist Davila)

- Bookings:

RGV – Knapp 8’ (Yellow)

IND – Blake 12’ (Yellow)

RGV – Benitez 18’ (Yellow)

RGV – Ricketts 22’ (Yellow)

RGV – Lopez 45’+ 3‘(Yellow)

IND – Dambrot 46’ (Yellow)

IND – Robledo 55’ (Yellow)

- Referee: Thomas Snyder

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

The magic number for Indy to make the playoffs keeps going down thanks to the other results in the conference even with Indy’s recent run-of-form in the last three games, but Indy knew coming into this game that if they can get six points out of their final two home games this week, then they will make the playoffs for the first time since 2019. With a little more help from Tulsa, and a win tonight Indy would have solidified their place in the playoffs. As a result, Indy came out of the gate on the front foot, hoping to put this game to bed before Rio Grande Valley could find their footing in the eastern time zone.

After the flurry of activity from Indy in the opening minutes all in RGV defensive half of the field, a defensive turnover in Indy’s half of the field led to a break for RGV that resulted in the first goal of the game in just the 18th minute. 

RGV found their footing. 

As has been a recurring theme for Indy through the early part of the season, Indy found themselves trailing and searching for an equalizer to make their early effort mean something. As the half progressed, Indy had some close chances, but the effort in the final third was just slightly off as shots went off the post or passes were unable to find their intended target. It felt like Indy lived in RGV’s half of the field, but were unable to break through.

The first half was a half of restarts as referee Thomas Snyder’s whistle was active. There were 27 fouls conceded in the half, with 5 yellow cards issued between the two teams (4 to RGV, 1 to IND), and another 5 offside calls. As a result, the flow of the first half was very disconnected and start-and-stop. Both teams each managed just a single shot on target, but Indy was the more dangerous side around goal and held a 60/40 possession advantage. 

Knowing the importance of getting points in this game, but more specifically three points, Coach Lowry made immediate substitutions coming out of the halftime locker room. Martinez replaced Pinho to give a different look up top. Rebellon came out in place of Dambrot, which allowed Boudadi to shift over to the right side, where he and Asante have developed a good partnership on that side in recent weeks. Dambrot then went full Drew Conner mode and picked up a yellow card within seconds of being on the field with his first effort in the game. The active whistle continued, causing the game to remain as a game of restarts instead of a smooth flowing game. In the end, there were 50 conceded fouls, 7 yellow cards, and 9 offside calls. There was just never a good rhythm to the game.

As the game continued, the play became more and more stretched with counter attacks being the primary method of offense. In the moments when Indy attempted their counter attacks, the RGV defense retreated in mass, creating moments where there were 7 to 9 guys behind the ball, mostly tucked into the middle of the field, making passes and crosses difficult. Indy could never find a way to get through the orange wall that RGV presented once they had their goal.

Indy will likely still make the playoffs, despite this loss, but it’s going to be as much a function of other team’s results as it is Indy’s. However, the loss makes the chances of hosting a playoff game nearly impossible. Indy return to Carroll Stadium on Saturday for their final home game of the season against Detroit City, who have scrapped their way back into the playoff race, and could, depending on the results of their game on Wednesday, leap frog Indy. 

Aodhan Quinn has missed the past three games, and Indy are a 90'+5' goal awayfrom losing all three games. That's just a coincidence, right?

The Game Beckons Game Ball

I think this is going to be another one of those awards for their play over the span of a few games instead of just tonight's game, but Jerome has been playing well recently. He looked absolutely shaky during the early part of the season, and not in the form that I saw from him during his time in El Paso. With more regular minutes due to the backline injury and suspension issues, he seems to have finally settled back into his pre-Indy form. So Jerome gets tonight's GBGB.

Additional Photos (Don Thompson Photography)

Indy Eleven vs Phoenix Rising - 10.30

Summary

- Opponent: Phoenix Rising FC
- Location: Phoenix Rising Stadium
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 1-1 D

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Jerome, Diz Pe, Rebellon, Blake, Lindley, Asante, Robledo, Guenzatti (C), Pinho

- Substitution: Vazquez 61' (Rebellon); Martinez 66' (Robledo); Reveno 76' (Pinho)

- Unused: Crawford, Dambrot, Molina, Velasquez

- Scoring Summary:
PHX - Harvey 80' (assist Trejo)
IND - Diz Pe 90'+5' (assist Lindley)

- Bookings:

PHX - Uzochokwu 16’ (Yellow)
IND - Pinho 31' (Yellow)
PHX - Arteaga 40' (Yellow)
PHX - Fuenmayor 62' (Yellow)
IND - Blake 75' (Yellow)
PHX - Hernandez 90'+2' (Yellow)

- Referee: Abdou Ndiaye

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Each team in tonight's matchup had a player in the starting lineup that was recently wearing the other team's crest. Manuel Arteaga faced off against Indy for the first team since moving west to Phoenix and was given the captain's armband from former Indy player and now manager Juan Guerra, while Solomon Asante took the field against his former club after joining Indy last season. Arteaga came into the game in third place in the league with 15 goals on the season, just behind his teammate Trejo and Pittsburgh's Dikwa, who both have 17. Asante was a 2-time MVP award winner during his time in Phoenix, accounting for 150 points (54 goals + 42 assists) in his 113 games in the Valley of the Sun. Apparently the desert air is good for scoring goals. Throw in manager Juan Guerra into the mix, and the game pulled at Indy fans' #IndyForever heart strings.

Indy did manage to field a full 18 for tonight's game, giving Coach Lowry some more options, but they were still without the team's second leading goal scorer in Quinn, joining Chapman-Page and King on the injury list. Boudadi returned from his yellow card suspension, pushing Dambrot to the bench, and Robledo started in lieu of Velasquez. Otherwise, tonight's starting lineup was the same as the one Lowry fielded against New Mexico this past Friday.

No matter the result tonight, Indy was going to remain in 6th place in the standings, with no ability to leapfrog either Louisville or Memphis, despite Louisville losing to Miami tonight and Memphis drawing Birmingham. Thanks to the results over the weekend though, the magic number did go down, but Indy can't rely on other results to go their way to get into the playoffs. The Miami result against Louisville proved that. 

Halftime Heat Map

If you stayed up late on the East Coast hoping to see a high octane game against a team with two of the top three goal scorers, you were sadly disappointed. The first thirty minutes of this game, which is when the first shot on goal occurred (by PHX), was a tactical chess match full of defensive low block and two teams trying to hold possession. Indy managed their first shot on target a few minutes later and then a Guenzatti hit the crossbar a few minutes after that. Otherwise, Los Bandidos were making some noise, but it was a relatively quiet crowd as the game crowded around the center stripe with just some small bursts of activity around each goal. Indy nearly gave themselves a late first half hole to dig out of when Rebellon made the decision to try and pass the ball to a teammate while standing on the 18-yard line with two PHX players around him. Arteaga managed to get a shot off that went wide, but he was probably correct in asking for the foul from Diz Pe who had to scramble to cover the mistake from Rebellon. There's a time to play out of the back, but that was not it. Clear the danger and reset your lines. Indy was fortunate the shot went wide and the game remained scoreless going into the break.

After the break, PHX began to tilt the field in their favor, while Indy tried to take the air out of the game even more. Lindley had his second "injury" of the game. Trilk countered with his own "injury." Indy wasn't able to take enough air of the game and Juan Guerra's second half substitutions looked like they were going to be more effective than Lowry's substitutes as Phoenix found the apparent game winner in the 80th minute as the levee broke and Harvey found his head to a Trejo cross to give PHX a 1-nil lead. 

Indy managed just two shots in the 2nd half. They lost the possession battle. They looked like a team that were playing for a draw on the road in the Pacific time zone, and then found themselves staring at a loss with minimal time left on the clock. A late stoppage time corner kick allowed Lindley to give a driven ball to the six-yard box that Diz Pe solidly headed back across goal and past Rios Novo, salvaging a draw and helping reduce that magic number. If I was a Phoenix fan, I would call it a stolen draw; as an Indy fan, I call it a gritty point. I then get the hell on the plane and come back to Indy.

A rare Sunday game awaits the team as the face their third Western Conference team in a row, though this time at Carroll Stadium. If Indy can take protect home field in their final four games, they make the playoffs. Getting a home match to start the playoffs seems unlikely at this point, but who the hell knows with this team lately. I had started writing this game off as a loss and had to adjust. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

This is easy. There was a moment in the game against New Mexico where the announcers were talking about the height of Diz Pe and they said he is listed as 6'-3". The response to that statement was, "yeah, if he's in a hole." Classic.

Diz used all 6'-3"-ish of his frame to get to the ball that he forcefully headed past Phoenix to salvage the draw. All that after defending Juan Guerra's kitchen sink attack adjustment for the entirety of the second half. I don't care what his stats show. I didn't even look. Diz gets tonight's GBGB for being clutch when the team needed it most. 

Lindley gets a nod too for that corner delivery. The ball was on a string, like it was directly connected to Diz's head and could have gone nowhere else.

Indy Eleven vs New Mexico United - 10.29

Summary

- Opponent: New Mexico United
- Location: Isotopes Park
- Attendance: 8,527
- Final Score: 3-2 L

- Starting XI: Trilk, Rebellon, Jerome, Diz Pe, Dambrot, Blake, Lindley, Asante, Velasquez, Guenzatti (C), Pinho

- Substitution: Vazquez 70' (Pinho); Molina 81' (Dambrot); Robledo 81' (Blake)

- Unused: Crawford, Reveno

- Scoring Summary:
IND – Guenzatti 9’ (assist Lindley)
NM - Rivas 44' (assist Hernandez)
NM - Hernandez 64' (assist Bailey)
NM - Portillo 86' (penalty kick)
IND - Vazquez 90'+4' (unassisted)

- Bookings:

NM - Portillo 27’ (Yellow)
NM - Ryden 27' (Yellow)
IND - Blake 39' (Yellow)
IND - Trilk 84' (Yellow)
IND - Vazquez 84' (Yellow)

- Referee: Brad Jensen

- Adage goals: Two

Thoughts and Opinions

Direct quote from my last article for the Miami game: 

Diz has time to recuperate before the next game, which won't be until Friday the 15th at New Mexico, but not having guys available for selection is rearing its head again. Boudadi received a 27th minute yellow card, putting him out for the NM game. Callum-Page picked up a hip injury before the Miami game that might leave him out for a few weeks according to team sources. Martinez picked up a knock that kept him out. King is out indefinitely. If Diz is unable to go in two weeks, the backline is once again going to be light. Though getting Vazquez back helps, but he's only played 14 minutes since returning and probably still isn't fully match fit. 

The roster for tonight's game came out and missing from the lineup were Boudadi (of course, yellow card accumulation will do that to your ability to play), Callum-Page, Martinez, King, Walker, and Quinn. Indy had just four field players on the bench and Academy player Crawford as the backup goalkeeper. Indy's game day roster was reminiscent of so many other games earlier this season. Coach Lowry has talked to me about how the injuries and suspensions take away his ability to affect a game with substitutions (when and whom). Tonight was no different. Throw in a weather delay before the game could even get started and a game on a baseball field, and my concern about how this game would go was already skewed to the pessimistic side before it even reached 9:00 EST.

Amazingly, with the loss, Indy proved my pessimism to be founded and, at least temporarily, could have found themselves in 4th place in the table. Memphis, Louisville, and Birmingham still have games to play this weekend that could have a say in that ranking, but with the way Indy has hovered around the playoff cut line this season (never higher than 7th starting in week 6 until week 23, with 6 of those weeks sitting out of the playoffs), the fact that 4th place was attainable at all demonstrates the run-of-form this team had been on in recent weeks and the absolute unpredictability of results in the league.

I appreciate the need to play out of the back, but the field at Isotopes Park is too narrow to make some of the plays Indy were attempting early in the game after the first goal when NM were trying to immediately claw one back. With the compactness of the field, defenders don't have to go very far to press the ball, and as more defenders get into the press, it's okay to lob the ball up the field to release the pressure. Trilk and the CB duo of Jerome and Diz Pe put the team in some nervy positions early.

In the 26th minute, Indy were awarded their first penalty kick of the season where Quinn was unavailable to take it. Lindley did what he normally does and held onto the ball like he was going to be the one to take the kick, and then proceeded to hand the ball off to another player. Tonight, in Quinn's absence, that player was Guenzatti. Guenzatti is more than capable of scoring from the spot, and having scored once tonight and each of the previous two games, it seemed Indy would be up 2-nil within the first 30-minutes of the game. However, Thomas guessed the correct direction and was able to collect Guenzatti's shot, keeping NM in the game.  

Just before halftime, Indy had a wayward pass find its way to the feet of a NM player, and despite Indy being in good defensive shape at the start of the loss of possession, NM quickly countered through some lunging Indy defenders to find Rivas on the right side of the goal. Trilk managed to get something to it, but it still found its way behind him and into the goal, leveling the evening's affairs right before the halftime whistle. The missed penalty kick from Guenzatti in the 26th minute now loomed large as the two teams were level heading to the locker rooms with another half to play, at elevation, with just one forward and one midfield attackers left on the bench for Indy to make in the second half to try and get a win on the road.

Twenty minutes after the teams returned from the locker room, NM completed the comeback, getting a goal from Hernandez, who had streaked forward. As he received the ball, he had acres of space before Lindley came rushing back to defend. Hernandez put Lindley in the spin cycle, took another touch, and placed his shot nicely out of reach of Trilk who was leaning the wrong way. Indy then had 26 minutes to find their own equalizer. Unfortunately for Indy fans, Indy went 50 minutes without a shot (on or off target) going from the 30th minute to the 80th minute. Indy's only shot in the second half was the 90'+4' goal from Vazquez. New Mexico's high press worked perfectly. They allowed Indy to pass around the back line trying to probe for the next pass through the NM front line, but were slow enough about it to allow the NM team to organize their press. When the press worked, NM went at the Indy goal fast and with numbers. Those numbers led to goals.

New Mexico finalized the important part of the evening's proceedings in the 86th minute with a penalty kick goal after Trilk was forced to make a play on the ball and caught more of the man than the ball. Portillo calmly put his attempt in the goal and the game out of reach. Indy found a stoppage time goal in the 90'+4' to make the scoreline look a little better, but it didn't matter as the ref blew the whistle shortly after the restart. 

The loss brings the undefeated streak to an end with a disappointing thud. Indy's magic number remains at 10 with just five games remaining. Playoffs are still achievable, but this was a game were Indy could have found points to help their cause. As it stands, Indy didn't move up or down the conference table, but Birmingham could have something to say about that by the end of the weekend. 

Indy return to action on Wednesday on the road to take on the Juan Guerra-led Phoenix Rising, with former Indy striker Arteaga near the top of the league in goals behind only his teammate, Trejo, and Pittsburgh forward Dikwa ahead of him. Arteaga and Trejo by themselves have combined for 29 goals for Phoenix, or 78% of Indy's total. The Indy defenders are going to need to have good games on Wednesday.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

This is another one of those games where I have a hard time picking the GBGB. Players had moments, some good, some bad. Guenzatti stands out due to his amazing first goal, but then also his failed penalty kick goal. He also managed 3 of the teams 4 shots on goal. By a thread, Guenzatti gets tonights GBGB in the loss.

Indy Eleven vs Miami FC - 10.28

Summary

- Opponent: Miami FC
- Location: Carroll Stadium
- Attendance: 10,175
- Final Score: 1-0 W

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Jerome, Diz Pe, Dambrot, Blake, Lindley, Quinn, Asante, Velasquez, Guenzatti (C)

- Substitution: Rebellon (Dambrot 76'); Pinho (Velasquez 76'); Vazquez (Diz Pe 77'); Robledo (Blake 85'); Reveno (Asante 90'+6')

- Unused: Walker, Molina

- Scoring Summary:
IND – Guenzatti 72’ (assist Boudadi)

- Bookings:

MIA - Segbers 20’ (Yellow)
IND - Boudadi 27' (Yellow)
MIA - Salazar 33' (Yellow)
MIA - Akinyode 36' (Yellow)
MIA - Stanley 88' (Yellow)
MIA - Neal 89' (Yellow)
IND - Robledo 90'+2' (Yellow)
MIA - Craig 90'+3' (RED)
IND - Quinn 90'+9' (Yellow)

- Referee: Elijio Arreguin

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Photo Credit: Matt Schlotzhauer

In a week where the temperatures were relatively reasonable for late August, temperatures increased again for gameday to the point where first and second half hydration breaks were required. The heat slowed the game at times as players tried to make it through the game. Players, particularly towards the end of the game, routinely took every chance they could to stretch out calves trying to stave off the impending cramps and grabbed water whenever they could. One of those that that couldn't make it through the night due to an apparent, and hopefully minor, injury was Diz Pe. However, before he made way for Vazquez in the 77th minute, Diz topped the 10,000 minute mark in regular season USL Championship games. Joining him in that category was Lindley, who also broke the 10k minute mark, as he went the full ninety minutes. The two are now separated by just 20 minutes in league history.

Diz has time to recuperate before the next game, which won't be until Friday the 15th at New Mexico, but not having guys available for selection is rearing its head again. Boudadi received a 27th minute yellow card, putting him out for the NM game. Callum-Page picked up a hip injury before the Miami game that might leave him out for a few weeks according to team sources. Martinez picked up a knock that kept him out. King is out indefinitely. If Diz is unable to go in two weeks, the backline is once again going to be light. Though getting Vazquez back helps, but he's only played 14 minutes since returning and probably still isn't fully match fit. 

Photo Credit: Matt Schlotzhauer

Hopefully, Diz and the guys can stay healthy for this stretch run because they are playing some of their best soccer of the season, and within the league. Right now, they have the longest undefeated streak in the Eastern Conference (at 6 games) with Tampa Bay's 4-game win streak being the best behind them. Only San Antonio's 7-game undefeated streak, and Orange County's 8-game win streak are better than the run-of-form that Indy is currently experiencing. With the win against Miami, Indy move, at least temporarily, up to 5th place in the standings. As Indy rests the for the next 13 days, the table will change since the teams around Indy have games in hand on them. Indy's recent success means that only Memphis can bypass them in the standings as those teams catch up to be even in games. Indy currently have a 12-point cushion on the team sitting outside the playoff line with 6 games to go. What seemed like an improbable destination just a few weeks ago as the team hovered around or below the playoff line, now seems more likely. If Indy can get 10 points out of 18 in their remaining games, including a win against Tulsa, I think Indy make the playoffs. They would rather be higher up the standings when the dust settles, but as I've said before, making the playoffs is the first step. Ten points seems doable at this point.

More to the point of this game though...

Purely looking at the stats tells you that this was a close game. Same shots on target, 4. Basically 50/50 possession. The eye test tells basically the same thing. This was a close game, separated by a single goal that resulted from beautiful interplay between the Indy Eleven players. Guenzatti gets credit for the goal and Boudadi gets credit for the assist, but this goal started at half field with Jerome. 

Photo Credit: Matt Schlotzhauer

Jerome sent a routine pass to Boudadi on the wing. Boudadi went forward a little before sending a pass to Lindley who was coming towards him. Lindley one-touched it back and continued his run to the touch line, leaving his defender and Boudadi's defender with Boudadi. Boudadi passed the ball to Velasquez, who sent the ball through a channel to Lindley that was created when the defenders stayed with Boudadi. Boudadi began running towards goal with Velasquez's pass, leaving the defenders behind him. Lindley, once again, one touched it just out of the reach of Boudadi, but the ball went directly to Asante, who one-touched it to Boudadi who had continued his run towards the end-line. Boudadi one-touch crossed the ball towards the opposite side of the six yard box on a string, preventing Zendajas from being able to leave his line, and Guenzatti beat his man to the spot where the ball was going to be and stretched out to get just enough to the ball to redirect it into the goal.

The goal is everything fans expected to see from a team with this much talent. Crisp, one-touch passing. Quick, defined movements that forced defenders into bad positions. Effort. John Keats originated it, but Junior in White Men Can't Jump is how I hear it said, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." That goal was a thing of beauty. That goal may also be what gets Indy into the playoffs by solidifying their tiebreaker status over Miami. 

Indy now have 13 days to get guys back healthy and prepared for a trip to the Land of Enchantment (and my birthplace). Indy only play two more games against Eastern Conference foes in their remaining six games, both against teams below them near the playoff cut line. So Indy are going to need to get points against teams from the Western Conference, something that's been hit-and-mostly miss during the first part of this season with a 2W-2D-4L record against those teams. Indy is in a different place, mentality and physically, than they were in the majority of those games, so I'm feeling more confident they can get points. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

The official stats say that Indy lost the Aerial Duel battle by a wide 85 to 15% margin. With Diz Pe on the field, I don't know how that is even possible. His stats indicate that he had 0 aerial duels won and 0 aerial duels lost. I'm not going to watch the entire game to prove either of those stats wrong, but I'm going to not accept that manufactured reality. I watched the game, and I've watched enough of Diz Pe this season to know that those stats are wrong. Diz took a hit from Trilk in the 28th minute and Trilk doesn't do anything half-assed, so I know Diz felt the brunt of that collision. It was also Diz's leg that seemed to be his issue when he left the game, which means he was probably fighting through a couple things before he exited the game. His effort remained throughout, and his effort was enough for me to give him the nudge for the GBGB.

Indy Eleven vs Loudoun United - 10.27

Summary

- Opponent: Loudoun United
- Location: Carroll Stadium
- Attendance: 10,137
- Final Score: 2-1 W

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Jerome, Diz Pe, Reveno, Blake, Lindley (C), Quinn, Velasquez, Martinez, Asante

- Substitution: Dambrot 45’ (Reveno); Guenzatti 45’ (Blake); Molina 68’ (Velasquez); Pinho 68’ (Martinez); Rebellon 86’ (Asante)

- Unused: Crawford, Vazquez

- Scoring Summary:
LDN – Williamson 1’ (unassisted)
IND – Quinn 73’ (Penalty Kick)
IND – Guenzatti 81’ (assist Asante)

- Bookings:

IND - Blake 22’ (Yellow)

IND – Asante 42’ (Yellow)

LDN – Landry 45’ (Yellow)

IND – Pinho 90’+4’ (Yellow)

- Referee: Brandon Stevis

- Adage goals: One

Thoughts and Opinions

As I mentioned after the Memphis game, Indy need to get points, preferably all three points, from every game against teams below them in the table. They also need the teams above them to take points from the teams below them to give Indy the best chance to make the playoffs. Getting to a top 4 place on the table to be able to host a game suddenly, and surprisingly given the up-and-down nature of this season, looks possible with a lot of math and results going for Indy, but their main focus just needs to be staying in a playoff position. Once the playoffs get started, where teams finished in the table becomes less important in a one-off win-or-go-home scenario. 

Indy needed to start this game strong so they could play this game they way they want to play; with possession and then put a team behind them on the table into predictable situations. It took all of 38 seconds for that plan to go out of the window as Loudoun scored another gifted goal when Diz Pe misplayed a ball allowing Williamson behind him and onto goal, which he slotted to the far corner past Trilk. In under a minute, the old Indy playing from behind scenario reared its head again.

After the goal, Indy held possession and had the bulk of the chances, but couldn’t break through. In the 27th minute, Loudoun had another break opportunity that looked like Jerome was going to get put into the spin cycle to set up a second goal. Jerome found his footing and the right angle and managed to poke the ball away to keep the team within reach. As the ball started back towards the Indy offensive side of things, Martinez was put in 1v1 against Koanda, who had a heavy touch. The heavy touch forced Jacomen to make a decision to come out of his box to help. Koanda and Jacomen bungled the interaction putting the ball behind Jacomen. Martinez had enough time to walk the ball in, but instead one-timed the ball directly into the side netting. Indy’s best, and clearest chance at that point, went harmlessly out for a goal kick. Indy had a few more good forays into the Loudoun box, but they were unable to make good on their effort and the teams went into the halftime locker room with the regular refrain of being down a goal and needing to chase the game in earnest in the second half on tired legs and minds.

Needing the points, and needing to spread the tired legs around, Dambrot and Guenzatti came out of the locker room during halftime to start warming up, signaling an immediate change after the break. They replaced Blake and Reveno to create a more attack-minded lineup in an attempt to change the scoreboard into Indy’s favor. The move is right in line with a Mark Lowry tactical adjustment when he thinks Indy are the better team and wanting to put the pressure on the opposition as soon as possible after the break to make a multiple game second half more feasible.

As the game neared the 60th minute, it felt like a goal was coming for Indy. Indy had tilted the field firmly in their direction and just needed the final touch beyond Jacomen. Attempt after attempt went wayward or was stifled by Loudoun’s defense or Jacomen. 

That is until the 72nd minute when Boudadi was taken down in the box. Up stepped Quinn who calmly put the ball to the left side of the goal while Jacomen went the opposite direction. The penalty kick goal puts Quinn tied with Ayoze for the club lead in made penalty kicks in just the span of 27 games. For whatever reason, Indy has been really good at creating penalty kick opportunities this season and Quinn’s ability to finish them has been exceptional. Quinn's ability to connect from the spot is impressive at this point. It's not like there isn't film on him taking them, and yet, goalkeepers continually guess wrong, or he's just that good at disguising his direction, or he's just that good at reacting to wherever he thinks the goalkeeper is going to guess. Whatever it is in the penalty kick chess match, goalkeepers have proven this season that they can't keep up with him.

The goal was officially from the spot, but it was a well-deserved goal for Indy resulting from the constant pressure they were putting on Loudoun. Once the game became level again, the game became wide open for the remaining 20 minutes. It was fitting this game was played at the Michael Carroll Track and Soccer stadium because it became a track meet in the closing minutes as Indy attacked trying to get the game winner, and Loudoun looked to counter with Indy so stretched. 

Indy found that game winner in the 81st minute when another Indy attack allowed Solo to dribble straight down the middle of the pitch towards the Loudoun goal, which drew defenders towards him. Asante laid the ball off to his right to Guenzatti who had just enough space between him and the defender that had stepped towards Asante, and then rocketed a shot between Jakomen and the post that was so close to the post that it kissed off of it before going into the goal. The goal completed Indy's third comeback for a win in three games (2 at ELP & 1 vs LDN).

After going down a goal within the first minute, Indy had found their game winner to keep themselves undefeated in 5 games and keep themselves in a good position on the table. If not for a 90’+8’ winner by Louisville against Oakland Roots, Indy would have found themselves in a 3-way tie (on points) for fourth place in the Eastern Conference (would have still be in 6th due to the tiebreakers, but to be even on points with Louisville and Memphis would be a huge boost to everybody’s confidence about the playoff push). With the injuries, the suspensions (Robledo missed this game due to his red card and Chapman-Page missed due to yellow card accumulation), and the defensive mistakes that have lost to dropped points in the early part of the season, the fact that 4th place is even a possibility is a testament to how this team has fought through diversity and are finally getting healthy and in form.

The undefeated streak moves to 5 games and Indy return to The Mike next Saturday to face yet another team below them in the table, with a chance to further separate themselves from the team's below them. Another win over Miami would give Indy the season tiebreakers, further helping their playoff push. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Goal scoring is great so it would be easy to give the GBGB to Quinn or Guenzatti. Jerome has also played at a much closer level in recent games to what I saw from him when I watched El Paso's games the past couple of seasons, so he would be a good one to give the GBGB. However, my eyeball test kept coming back to Boudadi. He was an absolute pest up the right side of the pitch, making the Loudoun defenders look silly, blowing by them, and looking like he felt he could do anything in this game. It was his attack on the Loudoun goal that set up the penalty kick. Coach Lowry indicated postgame that they were considering Boudadi as one of the second half subs, but that his confidence and what he was able to do on the field just made it difficult to take him off. For a "doing the dirty work" performance, Boudadi gets tonight's GBGB.

Additional Photos (Don Thompson Photography)