Indy Eleven vs Sporting Kansas City II - 08.24

 

Summary

- Opponent: Sporting Kansas City II
- Location: Carroll Stadium
- Attendance: 5,999
- Final Score: 1-0 W

- Starting XI: Farr, Ouimette, Timmer, Hackshaw, Buckmaster, Koffie, Gutjahr, Ayoze (C), Wild Law, Arteaga

- Substitutions: Moon 74' (Ayoze); Haworth 74' (Buckmaster); Sissoko 82' (Koffie)
- Unused: Edwards, Revolorio, Torres, Liu

- Scoring Summary:
IND - Wild 77' (assist Moon)

- Bookings:
IND - Koffie 64' (Yellow)
IND - Hackshaw 87' (Yellow)
IND - Wild 89' (Yellow)
SKCII - Cuic 90'+3' (Yellow)

- Referee: Jonathan Bilinski
- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Indy had 3 games this past week, with limited depth due to a number of reasons. From the departures of Smith and Hamilton, to the World Cup qualifiers for Vassell, to the injuries to Seagrist and Cochran, Indy's recent lack of depth has forced interim coach Rogers to stick to the same 14 players, but also suit some of the Academy players and Aidan Liu in the gameday 18 (notable that Liu is the only non-Academy player who hasn't seen minutes this year). Rogers didn't tap into the Academy players or Liu against Tulsa and didn't tap into those players in this game despite some heavy legs at the end of the game by some key players. With the current issues of depth, Indy might be regretting the upcoming friendly on Tuesday against the Chicago Fire, with a vital LIPAFC game against Louisville next Saturday. The heavy legs we saw tonight aren't going to get lighter with a mid-week friendly, unless Vassell, Seagrist, and Cochran are able to make their returns. Or unless nobody really gives much effort in the friendly...

1st Half Shots

Even with the heavy legs, Indy pressed early in this game and it presented them with chances. However, most of them were from distance as Indy finished the first half with 13 shots, but 8 of them were outside the box. Many of those shots seemed like an opportunity existed for a better, in the box, shot. With the shots Indy created in the first half compared to what SKCII was able to create, but without any goals scored to give Indy some breathing room, I was fearful that this was going to play out like some of the other games where Indy let "lesser" teams grow into the game and it came back to hurt them.

Fortunately for Indy, their defense consistently pushed SKCII into bad or long distance shots, most of which came after the 70th minute and only two in the first half. While Indy's 19 shots were buoyed by Wild's 8 shots (a few of them to the exasperation of Arteaga, who didn't register a single shot in the game), none were more important than Wild's 77th minute turn and score after Moon's insurgence of much needed energy put a ball in a place where Wild was able to finally get one past McIntosh. 

From that point on, it was Indy doing everything they could to defend the win, even with their heavy legs growing heavier. Indy didn't record another shot after the game winning goal, but some "professional fouls" and time wasting brought out two of their three yellow cards as Indy worked to secure the win. 

This game was a must win. Coming into the game, the 4th thru 7th place spots in the table were separated by 4 points, with Indy sitting in the 6th spot. While this "so called pundit" has been saying that the chances to make the playoffs were looking worse and worse with each result, a loss tonight would have likely pushed that door even further closed. Despite Indy's move back above the playoff cut line with this win, I still contend that a playoff spot is not guaranteed considering the games remaining. The win today didn't hurt their chances, which is what a loss would have obviously done.

In what has been a routine refrain regarding this team, Indy had to win to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs and do it against a team that they "should" beat. They only managed a single goal as their ability to put away their chances continues to be an issue, but that was all it took tonight with the defensive effort. At this point of the season, and with the team stands in the table, getting points and wins at home is what matters most, no matter how it gets done.

So Indy fans, celebrate a home win. Celebrate being on the correct side of the playoff line. And maybe, just maybe, root for Louisville tomorrow since a positive Louisville result is better for Indy than an OKC Energy positive result, and Louisville is going to make the playoffs anyway. If you can't bring yourself to root FOR Louisville, then root really hard AGAINST OKC. I mean, it's the least we can do as fans after the Indy players did whatever it took to gut out a 1-nil win against SKCII tonight after a rough, grueling week.

Again, Indy play Tuesday in a friendly against the Chicago Fire before playing another divisional opponent next Saturday against Louisville. Both games are at home so at least the team doesn't have any travel to deal with in this second of back-to-back weeks of midweek games.

Maybe this game is the start to proving me wrong. Maybe this is a playoff team.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Koffie Distribution

There are nights when picking a winner of the GBGB is difficult (or in the case of the Loudoun debacle, impossible), and I can't always pick Law (who had a team high 5 chances created). However, there are other nights, like tonight, when a single player stands out for me. Tonight, that was less so in the stats, but significantly with the intangibles and the eyeball test. That player tonight was Gershon Koffie. He was 94% accurate with his passes overall, and 92% accurate with his passes in SKCII's half of the field. He had some key passes and some very key interventions. He just seemed to make the right moves tonight, and I don't always think that about his play. He probably wants his two shots back as they were not really on target, but that's nitpicking on an otherwise stellar game from the Ghanian.

Photos:

Indy Eleven vs Sporting Kansas City II - 08.20

 Summary

- Opponent: Sporting Kansas City II
- Location: Children's Mercy Park
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 1-1 D

- Starting XI: Farr, Ouimette (C), Cochran, Hackshaw, Koffie, Gutjahr, Seagrist, Moon, Law, Vassel, Hamilton
- Substitutions: Wild 60' (Vassell); Timmer 61' (Gutjahr); Arteaga 73' (Hamilton); Sissoko 73' (Koffie); Ayoze 82' (Seagrist)
- Unused: Dick, Ayoze, Buckmaster

- Scoring Summary:
SKCII - Harris 40' (assist Pierre)
IND - Hamilton 51'

- Bookings:
IND - Hamilton 58' (Yellow)
SKCII - Barber 65' (Yellow)
IND - Seagrist 69' (Yellow)
SKCII - Dia 88' (Yellow)

- Referee: Greg Dopka
- Adage goals: One

Thoughts and Opinions

In Indy's second game in a three-game stretch where they play the team that currently sits at the bottom of their respective division, the Eleven needed to shake off the horrible 4-1 result against Loudoun United, the worst (by record) team in the league. With 7 of the 8 Central Division teams playing today instead of yesterday, a lot of movement was available in the table for a Sunday afternoon game. Given that 5 of the 8 teams were within 4 points of each other before the start of the games, with 3 (including Indy) sitting at the same point total on the playoff line, the chance to remain in a playoff spot was important. Sidenote: How Indy is even close to the playoff line after their run of games is amazing. As somebody on Twitter indicated, "maybe the Central Division isn't that good." With the exception of maybe Louisville...

So a win was vital; maybe more vital than the Loudoun game since today's game was against a divisional opponent. Albeit, a divisional opponent 8 points behind them and 2 games ahead of them. Making it all that more important to get points from teams that they should beat.

It was notable that the SKCII starting lineup had 8 players on loan from the parent club. Indy has struggled with USL teams, much less one that is composed mostly of MLS level players. As a result, Indy spent the majority of the first half on the back foot, much of it defending in their own half. 

Indy did have a good chance on goal in the 8th minute after a cross from Seagrist found Hamilton just near the penalty spot that Pulskamp managed to get a hand on and smothered. Eight minutes later from that, Indy had a nearly similar chance of Seagrist to Hamilton, who headed it wide.

First Half Average Position

Then it became a game in the middle of the field with both teams trying to keep possession, but not much coming from it for either team. The final third for each team looked to be a struggle until the hydration break in the 31st minute. After the hydration break, SKCII put themselves ahead in the 40th minute when the Indy defense played their "olé" defense and watched a cross come all the way across the box to an unmarked Harris.

Indy started the second half with more pressure than they showed in the first half and an extra effort from Moon (no surprise there) took a ball from a SKCII defender that made its way to Law who decided to take a shot on goal from an acute angle. Unlike his effort in the first half with Hamilton's shot, Pulskamp was able to get a hand on it, but not keep it under control and the rebound went straight to Hamilton who easily put it in the goal from inside the six-yard box.

Indy's finishing touch in the second half was lacking, otherwise Indy would have been ahead by a couple of goals. And it was a lack of finishing in the final seconds that prevented Indy from leaving Kansas City with three points. 

This result feels exactly like what we have come to expect from this Indy squad. Give up a goal right before halftime, find an equalizer, but unable to finish off teams through an inability to finish their chances. Even when they have a numbers advantage and beat the keeper in the final seconds of the game. 

As I've said before, there are glimpses from this team that make you think they are going to turn the corner with the talent that is on the roster. Yet, those glimpses don't seem to lead to enough goals for themselves or prevent enough goals from the opposition. My heart wants to believe this is a playoff team, but my brain says that it just isn't going to happen. Going into the Loudoun game, I thought a win streak would be possible given the opposition, but Indy has started this three game stretch with a 0W-1D-1L and at no point in the two games did I think they were the team most likely to win. 

Indy heads home on Saturday to face Real Monarchs to try and put at least one win in their win column against the last place teams in their divisions. At this point, I'm not optimistic that will happen, and because of other results on Sunday, Indy once again find themselves looking up at the playoff line rather than moving up away from it.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

I think I'm going to give this one to Patrick Seagrist. He had Law type numbers in this game, and I've clearly stated this year what I think of Law. Seagrist's effort, particularly in the heat, was impressive and his crosses nearly led to two goals. In one of the only times I can ever think I've thought this, when Seagrist was subbed out FOR AYOZE, I thought to myself, "I'm not sure about that substitution." That's how highly I thought of Seagrist's performance in this game.

Indy Eleven vs Sporting Kansas City II - 08.09

Summary

- Opponent: Sporting Kansas City II
- Location: Children's Mercy Park
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 2-1 W

- Starting XI: Edwards, Ouimette, Cochran, Hackshaw, Timmer, Ayoze (C), Law, Moon, Wild, Smith, Arteaga
- Substitutions: Hamilton 70' (Ayoze); Koffie 67' (Smith); Gutjahr 86' (Timmer)
- Unused: Svetanoff, Seagrist, Sissoko, Vassell

- Scoring Summary:
IND - Law 19' (assist Ayoze)
SKCII - Mushagalusa 20'
IND - Wild 50' (assist Arteaga)

- Bookings:
IND - Law 12' (Yellow)
IND - Cochran 83' (Yellow)
SKCII - Duke 90'+2' (Yellow)
IND - Koffie 90'+5' (Yellow)

- Referee: Adam Kilpatrick
- Adage goals: One

Thoughts and Opinions

The post-Rennie era started with caretaker manager Max Rogers standing on the sidelines in a stadium with a gorgeous grass surface, but not a single fan in attendance. When you're the face of a three-coach conglomerate charged with getting Indy out of a three-game losing streak after the team mutually parted ways with the head coach, eliminating that external factor is helpful. Doing it without your starting goalkeeper bumps your difficulty level back up though.

Overall, there wasn't much difference between this lineup and the one that played against Pittsburgh, other than the obvious change in goal from Jordan Farr to Bobby Edwards. If the interwebs are to be believed (because I haven't received confirmation from the team), we're about to see how Bobby Edwards does full-time as Farr was out with a broken arm. So Edwards in and Moon replaced Buckmaster on the right side. Other than that, the starting XI was the same. However, it seemed to play differently. 

While it doesn't completely show up on the Average Position graph, Moon was playing a little deeper on the field, closer to a 4-3-2-1 arrangement. With Moon deeper on the right, and Timmer playing the defensive midfielder role, Nicky Law was allowed to play in a much more advanced role, which better suits his abilities. He played higher and spent a lot of the game in advanced positions on the left side of the field. This left he and Smith to function as dual playmakers to get the ball to Wild and Arteaga. The game ended with Smith tucked in more centrally than I expected, but I definitely expected to see the final result of Law as high up the field as it shows. This arrangement with Timmer as the solo defensive mid is something I would like to see moving forward. It's been joked over the years that Rennie liked to have as many defensive mids on the field as possible, "with obvious results." By simply allowing Timmer to be the only one providing cover for the backs and bringing Moon back a little more, it allowed Law and Smith to better dictate the offense moving forward. Moon still went forward and there were numerous occasions where it looked like the 3 back system we're used to seeing from Rennie, but there was a definite tweak here with Rogers, Presser, & Swift LLC that gave Law much more freedom and ability to push forward. I like it.

As Brad Hauter mentioned during Soccer Saturday yesterday, the dismissal (mutual parting) of a coach can go a couple of ways for a team. In one way, there's the thought that "if the coach can be gone, so can I" and it makes guys work harder. In the beginning of the game, Indy had a high press with a lot more energy than we've seen in the past few games. The temps and humidity drained that out of everybody quickly and it slowed down, but there was an obvious difference in the effort in the beginning of this game. 

The effort was not limited to just the defense, as it was effort that led to Indy's first goal in the 19th minute. There was a mistake by the SKCII players near midfield, which dropped the ball at Wild's feet near the touchline. He did not hesitate and immediately attacked the SKCII backline running upfield and towards the center of the pitch. As he begins his run, Ayoze (35-year old Ayoze) got on his wheels on the left wing, Law got on his wheels through the center of the field, and Arteaga got on his wheels on the right wing. As Wild gets closer to the center of the field, Law's run pulls two defenders to him, leaving a free pass to Ayoze, who one-touches it behind the backline to the 6-yard line where Law's effort allows for a relatively easy redirect into goal. Arteaga was making the back post run without any defenders around him. This entire sequence is every glimpse of talent and scoring ability that we've previously seen from Indy wrapped into a nice package.  

And then... One minute after scoring a beautiful team goal, the guys make silly mistakes and give up a goal. Let me yell this for the folks in the back, "ONE MINUTE LATER!" For a team that has had difficulty this season of coming out of the locker room ready to play, they proved they can make the mistake of not staying switched on after a goal too. Yes, one could argue that it was just a brilliant individual effort by Mushagalusa, but it wasn't stellar defending either. Ouimette goes for a slide tackle 30-yards away from goal and along the touchline, which he missed badly after trying to recover from Moon, who had left Mushagalusa to chase a ball to a player that Ouimette was already covering. Moon chases down Mushagalusa as they get to the endline, and then Mushagalusa puts Moon into the spin cycle, before firing to the far post with Edwards screened. 

Up one minute, tied again a minute later. Indy can't keep shooting themselves in the foot with these kinds of defensive decisions and mistakes.

Ouimette (25th minute) and Hackshaw (31st minute) were both denied goals in the first half from stellar reaction saves from Pulskamp and Arteaga also found himself denied a goal in the 56th minute by the quick reflexes of Pulskamp. Pulskamp had an excellent game keeping Indy from getting more than the two goals they scored. 

Speaking of keeper play, Indy's Edwards was easily Man of the Match. SKCII was credited with 22 shots, 9 of which were on target, giving Edwards 8 saves on the game. Some of those shots were right to his gut, but he also was forced to lay out all 6'-6" of his frame to get to some of them. He was twice inspected by Head Athletic Trainer Meeja Kinsey for injuries, causing back-up keeper Alex Svetanoff to start warming up. Towards the first half, there was a long examination of Edwards for concussion protocol, which she eventually determined he passed. With Farr out, Indy is going to need Edwards to continue to play well, and I think we're going to find out a lot more about his abilities since the next game is against LouCity, in what will be a much different playing environment in a packed Lynn Family Stadium. With Farr out for the foreseeable future with his injury, it does concern me a bit that Edwards looked to be injured twice in the game and an 18-year old Academy player with no professional game experience nearly had to come on and is Indy's only back-up option moving forward. I know that Ouimette was listed at one time as the backup backup goalkeeper, but that's a precarious position for the team at a key position. Edwards was also not nearly as mobile or as good with his feet as Farr, so we may see a little less play out of the back at times and a few more long clearances. That's just me being picky and letting my pessimistic side show, in what was an overall stellar performance from Edwards. 

SKCII was awarded a corner kick in the 90'+9' minute of play, which ultimately was the last play of the game, and SKCII threw everyone into the box including Pulskamp. After Edwards secured the ball and Kilpatrick blew his whistle, both goalkeepers simply laid down on the ground inside Indy's box. In 90+ temps and 90+% humidity, and after making a combined 13 saves on 16 shots on target, both keepers were spent and need of some hydration, recovery, and a long nap. While Indy came out on top, I think the #GKUnion would be proud of both of their efforts. 

One of my other concerns moving forward was Mushagalusa. Not every team is going to have a guy like him, but he was running wild against the defense. Quick guys who are unafraid to attack the backline under any circumstances may see Mushagalusa's method of operation against Indy as a prime way to attack Indy. LouCity's Jonathan Gomez comes to mind in the next game as somebody who might fit this bill. Most concerning to me was he even managed to put Hackshaw on his heels and into the spin cycle in the 2nd half that forced a save from Edwards. 

Another one of the bright spots for me was that it felt like there were flashes of offensive brilliance than we've seen in previous games. Wild's goal was a result of good team movement and build-up from Indy, including a well-weighted one-touch pass from Arteaga that put Wild in 1v1 on Pulskamp. It might have been one of Pulskamp's few bad decisions on the night to come out against Wild, but it was also started by an Indy player attacking the defense centrally. Moon brought the ball towards the middle of the field, dumped it off to Arteaga, who split two defenders with his pass for Wild to run onto just inside the 18-yard box. It was good soccer to watch.

With the exception of the mental and physical breakdown that led to SKCII's goal a minute after Indy had scored, there was a lot that Indy did better today. Moving forward, I want Timmer to continue to play the defensive midfielder role and Law to play more of the central attacking midfielder role. If there's one thing that I hope we see moving forward from the Rennie era, it's that slight adjustment in tactics.

Indy comes home with three points in their pocket, some much needed confidence, and just under a week to prepare for a trip to Louisville to face a team that is not going to be happy with the way the last game between the two ended. For now, let's dwell on the three points, because they were a much needed and much deserved three points in this game.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Bobby Edwards. I said that until somebody else took if from Law, he was going to continue to receive the GBGB. I still think Law played an excellent game and scored a goal as a result of it, but you have to give it to a guy who makes 8 saves, and helps keep the team in it through 90-minutes of regulation and 20-minutes of stoppage time. Hence the photo above. So it's fitting that Edwards was the one with the ball in his hands when the final whistle blew. 

Indy Eleven vs Sporting Kansas City II - 08.03

 Summary

- Opponent: Sporting Kansas City II
- Location: Carroll Stadium
- Attendance: 3,999
- Final Score: 2-0 W

- Starting XI: Farr, Hackshaw, Cochran, Timmer, Sissoko, Law, Moon, Ayoze, Arteaga, Wild, Hamilton

- Substitutions: Seagrist 69' (Ayoze); Smith 76' (Hamilton); Vassell 77' (Wild); Buckmaster 90' (Moon); Gutjahr 90' (Koffie)

- Unused: Edwards, Ouimette

- Scoring Summary:
IND - Hamilton 53' (assist Wild)
IND - Arteaga 65' (assist Wild)

- Bookings:
SKC - Resetar 48' (Yellow)

- Referee: Matthew Corrigan
- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

There aren't a lot of guys still on the roster that were around when Indy Eleven lost to Sporting Kansas City II last September, when the team lost 2-1. While that lost didn't ultimately seal their fate in missing the playoffs, it was a loss that provided an extra level of pressure when the team faced Saint Louis the next week. So while most of the players didn't have come into the game with any extra motivation to right the wrong of last year, Coach Rennie remembers and the starting lineup had the look of a manager that had a perfervid desire to prove this is a different team. We've been used to seeing Indy in a 3-5-2 type lineup, but with a fully healthy Hamilton, Rennie unleashed as much of his attacking weapons as he could squeeze onto the field. The official lineup from the team called it a 4-4-2, but it definitely played like a 3-4-3. Indy always falls back into a back 5 in defense, but they were going to go forward and they were going to go forward with numbers. Hamilton routinely had his back to goal with good hold-up play, Wild showed something that we haven't seen since Pasher's departure; an ability, and an overwhelming desire, to attack players 1 v 1, and Arteaga has a high motor and is unafraid to take his shot from all kinds of angles and locations. This lineup, with this group of players, was anything but the Rennie Bunker (TM).

And yet...

Indy Eleven First 27 Min Distribution Chart

In the early part of the game, the team looked like the teams we have seen in the past with long passes and long diagonal passes. There were so many in fact in the first 25 or so minutes of the game that I made a note of it and asked Rennie about it in the post-game press conference. I wondered if they had seen something in the video that they felt they could exploit. Nope. Just what the players felt was available. Whatever it was that they felt was available in that first third of the game, they significantly reduced those long diagonal balls the rest of the game. 

Before I get into the second half, I want to take a minute to discuss a couple of the other notes I wrote down during the game.

At some point Ayoze is going to reach 50 years old and retire from the game of soccer. Until then, Indy fans can only hope that he decides that he and his family want to stay in Indy and continue to play the left winger role. Until Hackshaw either gets the next Indy to MLS transfer or someone else decides to pay him more than Indy is capable of paying, Indy likely has the best left side of any team in the USL. If you aren't appreciating what they are bringing to this team, this is my reminder to value the high level of soccer those two guys are bringing to this team.

Second note - I was unable to attend the first home game (or the 2019 playoff games) so this was my first time back to Carroll Stadium since 2017. I absolutely missed the fans' ritual of stomping on the metal stands during the team's corner kicks. It's something that grew out organically in the early days of the team and has continued after the return to Soccer's Greatest Dive Bar. I don't know any of the details of what Eleven Park may include, but I doubt they will include metal stands. As I sat in the press box and felt the vibration of the stands, I had a brief moment of elation as I remembered how many games I've felt the stands vibrate underneath me, followed by a moment of sadness that an upgrade in stadium (which I want to be clear) will forever silence a fan tradition.

Now, back to better thoughts.

Photo Credit - Matt Schlotzhauer

Both teams entered the locker room at a stalemate, at least from the scoreboard perspective. SKCII had the possession advantage, but that's the only place where they led. Indy led 6 shots to 1, with a 2 to 0 advantage on shots on goal. Indy doubled SKCII in corner kicks 4 to 2. SKCII did lead in fouls committed, hammering Indy with 12 fouls to Indy's 5. Indy left the locker room with an apparent adjustment in tactics from Rennie that told the team to press more and press higher. No matter where an SKCII player touched the ball, an Indy player put them under pressure. That pressure paid off with in the 53rd minute when Hamilton put Indy on the board off of a corner kick from Wild and Indy was able to finally #CueTheSmoke as a result of a goal and not just the celebratory, "we're able to do smoke again" smoke last game. Smoke that seemed to linger a bit longer, blanketing the field as play resumed, as if it knew that the fans missed the opportunities to release the smoke and didn't want to leave.

Photo Credit - Matt Schlotzhauer

Then nine minutes later, Arteaga put the ball into the right side of the goal after Wild took on players 1 v 1 and found Arteaga, eager to send a ball passed the keeper, which he did through a path of outstretched legs. With Hamilton's goal, the players that Indy saw score multiple times during the preseason and came into the season with the hope that would translate into the regular season, have now scored 3 goals in 3 days and account for all of Indy's goals. Indy finished the game with 16 shots and 7 of those on target. Arteaga and Hamilton accounted for 9 of those shots. So while other players had shots (Wild had 3 and the CBs had a few), production out of these two guys is exactly what Indy fans want to see. The team doesn't have to rely on just one player's next level ability to get past players and don't have to funnel the ball to just that one player or hope for set piece goals. Now, the team still has that ability whenever Hackshaw, Ouimette, and Cochran are on the field, but also have some players that can score in different ways. 

Indy closed the game out with Arteaga having two really good chances later in the game and Farr didn't have to make a save (an easy one at that) until the 74th minute. Was Indy's domination because SKCII played on Wednesday and were tired or resting key players? Or has Indy improved with the addition of goal scorers and a chance in tactic? We'll find out when the team makes the trip down I-65 to play Louisville City this next week and we'll see if Rennie sticks with the 3-4-3 formation. My guess? Rennie resorts back to the Rennie Bunker (TM), Louisville gets an early goal, Indy has to chase the game, and walk away with a 2-0 or 2-1 loss. My hope? That Rennie comes out exactly like he did against SKCII, which is something that I don't think that the Louisville coaching staff will expect given 3 years of experience (remember, they are playing under a former assistant, and now interim head coach, after John Hackworth left last month). 

That's next week. For now, Indy fans get to celebrate a dominating effort from Indy that actually resulted in two goals and plenty of smoke.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Wild. Goal scorers always get the love, but Wild deserves this one. He was responsible for the assists on both goals, had 2 shots on target, 1 shot off target, 8 crosses (3 successful), and 4 chances created. That's making your presence felt and it's how you stay on the field, if I were the coach. 

Indy Eleven vs Sporting Kansas City II - 07.12

Summary

- Opponent: Sporting Kansas City II

- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium

- Attendance: 5,066

- Final Score: 2-1 W

- Starting XI: Newton, Osmond, Barrett (C), Ouimette, Conner, Gibson, Ayoze, Haworth, Carleton, Moon, Rafanello

- Substitutions: Watson 82' (Rafanello), Antley 82' (Ayoze), Ilic 89' (Moon) 

- Unused: Farr, Dumas, Senanou, Lindley

- Scoring Summary:

IND - Moon 6' (assist Ayoze)

IND - Rafanello 63' (assist Haworth)

SKCII - Freeman 88'

- Bookings:

IND - Barrett 3' (Yellow)

SKCII - Resetar 23' (Yellow)

SKCII - Serna 53' (Yellow)

SKCII - Riley 58' (Yellow)

SKCII - Davis 59' (Yellow)

SKCII - Cuic 74' (Yellow)

IND - Conner 87' (Yellow)

SKCII - Manager Nagamura (Yellow)

- Referee: Ismir Pekmic

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Pasher wasn't on the game day roster. Pasher is the only player to have scored for the Eleven since July 29th. Where was Indy going to get a goal in his absence? The good news is that Ayoze was back in the roster and in the 6th minute, he sent a long pass up the left side that found Moon near the 18 yard box, who proceeded to take on his defender one-on-one and slide the ball under Thompson into the right side netting. Just like that, some of the pressure was taken off of the Indy Eleven, who needed to look at this game as a must-win.

While Indy's first half defense against Louisville was fraught with multiple errors, Indy's game plan of limiting the touches of Sporting Kansas City II's Wilson Harris' in dangerous locations was highly effective. That included not only having Barrett key in on Harris with Gibson hanging around just in front of him to limit his touches, but the Eleven also limited the easy touches from the rest of SKCII. Indy pressed the young backline of SKCII frequently on the field as far back as within SKCII's 18-yard box.

Without Pasher on the field, Moon looked more focused at going forward and finding his own shot instead of trying to feed Pasher. After a perfect cross from Haworth in the 63rd minute, Moon was nearly able to connect with the cross to give himself a brace. While Moon was not able to find the ball, the effort that Bone showed against Indy, Rafanello matched with a back post run where he was able to get the ball past Thompson through a very small window.

With a two goal lead, Indy's focus became maintaining the clean sheet. A clean sheet that they were not able to successfully accomplish due to a perfectly taken free kick from just outside the 18-yard box by Freeman, SKCII's 17-year old forward. A kick that went just over the wall and just out of the reach of Newton. Down a goal and with time running out, SKCII had a late corner kick that looked to provide the tying goal off of the head of Barbir. However, the referee ruled that Barrett was fouled in the process of Barbir creating space for the header and called off the goal. Without knowing what Pekmic saw from his position, the replays make me think that the SKCII players and fans have a valid complaint about the goal being disallowed. Though when players from your team have been shown yellow cards five times to the point in the game, it's not like you have been a beacon of sportsmanship and rule followers. When that has been the way you played, a non-foul can look like a foul from the referee's perspective and location on the field.

While the final goal/non-goal can be debated, Indy was the better team for the majority of the game and deserved the win. SKCII were limited in their chances and only managed 7 shots, with just 3 on target. Both teams needed this win to stay in the Group E playoff race, as every game in the group now has the feel of being the proverbial 6-point swing. Louisville and Saint Louis play on Saturday to bring the group back to even in games played and then everybody do-si-dos and changes partners for the Week 13 games.

Such is the life of the USL Championship in the final weeks of the season.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Nick Moon deserves this game's Game Beckons Game Ball and not just because he scored the opening goal. He put in a good shift and showed that he's not just growing into his role as a forward (remember that wasn't his role at Lansing nor any of his other previous stops), but also growing in his confidence.

Additional Photos

Indy Eleven vs Sporting KC II - 07.07

Summary

- Opponent: Sporting KC II

- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium

- Attendance: 5,409

- Final Score: 0-1 L

- Starting XI: Farr, Hackshaw, Barrett (C), Osmond, Walker, Gibson, Dumas, Antley, Lindley, Pasher, Moon

- Substitutions: Ilic 46' (Moon), Conner 46' (Walker), Ayoze 59' (Dumas), Watson 59' (Antley), Carleton 77' (Lindley)

- Unused: Newton, Ouimette

- Scoring Summary:

SCKII - Barbir 70' (assist King)

- Bookings:

SKCII - Rad 50' (Yellow)

SKCII - Duke 76' (Yellow)

IND - Ayoze 88' (Yellow)

IND - Osmond 90'+7' (Yellow)

- Referee: Youssef Elmessoussi

- Adage goals: One

Thoughts and Opinions

Writing about a home loss is something that hasn't happened in over two years. Indy Eleven haven't lost a regular season home game since July 4th, 2018 against Ottawa Fury. A span of 29 games that puts Indy in the top of the USL record books for home regular season undefeated streaks. A span of games that included just 7 draws, the last of which was a 1-1 draw against Louisville City FC in June of last year. 

Indy has made a habit of winning their home games throughout the club's history. Tonight's game was Indy's 99th home game in the club's history. With the loss, Indy now has a 50W-26D-23L regular season home record, meaning that 74% of the time, Indy has come away with points. If you take out the inaugural 2014 season where Indy struggled to get wins until the unforgettable night against Minnesota, that number goes to 81% of the time that Indy gets a positive result at home. 

Yet, Sporting KC II came into Indy on a week where they had a Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday schedule and managed a win in Louisville on Wednesday and high pressed the entire game with a bunch of teenagers and young twenty year olds. Indy, on the other hand, one-upped SKCII by coming into the game with a Saturday-Wednesday-Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday schedule. Even with Indy's depth at all positions, that's a rough schedule, and Indy looked tired at times. Walker and Moon only played the first half and Farr picked up his first playing time of the year in place of Newton, so Coach Rennie was clearly conscientious and concerned about the effort his squad was going to be able to perform tonight against the young talented guys from SKCII.

Indy was (is) the better team.  Indy have played a couple more games than the rest of Group E, but they still have a 6 point lead over 2nd place Saint Louis and a 9 point lead over SKCII and LCFC with 6 more home games remaining. The loss isn't the end of the world for this team, but sometimes the schedule just works against you.

The SKCII goal in the 70th minute came from an effective counter attack, but there was a distinct difference in the 1st and 2nd half for the Eleven. Indy definitely tilted the field towards the SKCII goal after the halftime break, but it became even more pronounced after the SKCII goal. Indy just couldn't finish the chances like they have in other games. 

Tyler Pasher was again met with triple team defending so there are going to be openings for other guys to showcase their talents and scoring abilities. However, on a night where nobody was that well rested from the last two week's schedule and the opponent has the ability to high-press you non-stop for 90 minutes (a tactic that we've seen used effectively over the years by NYRBII), preventing them from scoring and finding your own chances can be difficult.

Indy now get a full week to rest and work on some things in training that they haven't been able to do the past two weeks, just in time for the first installment in 2020 of the LIPAFC, as Indy head down to Louisville's new Lynn Family Stadium to attempt to maintain the road teams' successes at the new stadium. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Most of the time, I give the GBGB to the player that I think had an excellent game. This was another hard game to choose that player. So tonight's Game Beckons Game Ball goes to Jordan Farr. You never want to be the goalkeeper during a game where the team loses for the first time at home in two years. Nor do you want to be the player that the club front office decide is going to be the player representative during the press conference after the loss. Yet, Farr took it like a champ. He heaped praise on the coaching staff for believing in him. He heaped praise on Newton for being one of the best keepers in the league year after year. He heaped praise on the fans who are able to make it to the games to support the team. Jordan was the consummate professional after a difficult loss. So I'm going to reward him for that effort and mentality.

Indy Eleven vs Sporting KC II - 07.03

Summary

- Opponent: Sporting KC II

- Location: Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium

- Attendance: 4,931 (the infamous distributed tickets value...)

- Final Score: 2-1 W

- Starting XI: Newton, Hackshaw, Barrett (C), Ouimette, Conner, Gibson, Ayoze, Haworth, Carleton, Pasher, Moon

- Substitutions: Antley 11' (Ayoze - injury), Lindley 63' (Carleton), Ilic 64' (Conner), Walker 89' (Pasher), Osmond 90' (Gibson)

- Unused: Farr, King

- Scoring Summary:

IND - Pasher 39’

SKCII - Harris 53'

IND - Barrett 67' (assist Ilic)

- Bookings:

SKCII - Cuic 26' (Yellow)

SKCII - Rad 35' (Yellow)

SKCII - Riley 40' (Yellow)

IND - Haworth 44' (Yellow)

IND - Ilic 71' (Yellow)

SKCII - Barbir 82' (Yellow)

IND - Antley 90'+9' (Yellow)

- Referee: Eric Tattersall

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

If the Indy Eleven's time in the NASL has taught us anything, it's how to be effective in a "sprint" of a season and not a "marathon" of a season. Win quickly to put teams behind you so that the pressure is on them to catch you, win at home, win against the teams that you are supposed to beat, and then hope for some other results to go your way.

• Win quickly - 3 games, 3 wins - CHECK
• Win at home - 2 home games, 2 wins - CHECK
• Beat teams you're supposed to beat - Wins against Saint Louis and Sporting KC II - CHECK
• Other results to go your way - Saint Louis beats Louisville tonight - CHECK

Then have some guys who can put the ball in the goal and aren't afraid to do it. I'm looking at you Paddy Barrett. You thought I was talking about Pasher. Everybody knows about Pasher at this point. 

"And they just can't stop him." - Brad Hauter. Pasher is now tied for 3rd in club history for Points Scored with Dylan Mares (Dylan is also now tied with Ouimette for Games Started and was overtaken by Ouimette for Minutes Played) and is making it look like he might score in every single game this season unless he is physically double-teamed through the entirety of the game.

Paddy Barrett though, who Coach Rennie once answered one of my questions about Barrett, by saying that the team often jokes that Barrett is a striker in a defender's body. He had 3 chances created, 1 shot that slide just wide of the goal, and he scored the game winner with a soft little bending shot around the keeper. All that after forcing Saint Louis' keeper into an outstretched save last week. 

He's the center back.

The team is getting goals from defenders and it's just a matter of time before guys like Moon, Carleton, and Lindley find the back of the goal too. Indy had 11 shots on goal; not 11 shots, shots on goal. They had 23 shots. Of the 11 shots, Moon, Carleton, and Lindley accounted for 4 of them, with Tyler Pasher accounting for 4 more. 

Throw in the defending that Ouimette, Barrett, and Hackshaw routinely perform and the group defending from Gibson, Conner, Ayoze, and Haworth, and this team looks formidable. The USL Match Center for the game lists SKCII as having 14 total shots and my recollection of the game wouldn't have put it that high. The 2 shots on goal seems accurate, but even one of those shots is the goal were Harris got in on Newton 1v1 and slide it past him. Otherwise, Newton was forced to make 1 save. 

SKCII is a very young team. The starting goalkeeper is a kid from Indiana who is only 18 years old and made 9 saves tonight. So you can see the talent on their squad and they are going to take points from the top teams in the group, probably even Indy because it's difficult to win against a team every time when you play them 4 times in the season. SKCII were fast, full of energy, and pressed well. In fact, when I saw the sign raised for 8 minutes of stoppage time, I truly wondered if they were going to be able to steal a point out of the game. Yet, Indy's group defending and some moments where the ref kept the whistle out of his mouth in dangerous (PK) locations saw the game finish with Coach Rennie using his allotted 5 subs this week. While Walker and Osmond are only going to be officially credited with 1 minute of game time, their fresh legs and effort were evident. Indy's depth, and the youth at that depth, is going to be valuable, even in this shortened season.

Indy travels to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, both riding wins and sitting atop their groups as Pittsburgh put a 6-spot on Philadelphia Union II tonight. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Game winner from a defender. There were a lot of good moments from the game, but a goal from Barrett a few days before his birthday? Yeah, that's enough to get you the GBGB.