Indy's Battery Runs Low In Charleston - Charleston Battery V Indy Eleven REVIEW

Saturday goal hero Speas sends in a corner for Indy (Photo: Peter Evans)

By: James Cormack

Indy headed southeast to Charleston to play their 5th match in 16 days with a chance of moving up another spot in the USL East standings if they could clinch a road win in South Carolina. The two teams locked horns in Indy's last home match of May in a thrilling 3-3 tie

As expected with such a hectic period in the 2018 schedule we again saw some rotation to the starting lineup and as we saw against Charlotte it was backed up by a very strong bench. Even with injuries and knocks recently Martin Rennie has called on his depth to step up.

Indy Eleven's weekend game against Charlotte saw early departures for Justin Braun and Kevin Venegas and their replacements Ben Speas and Eugene Starikov started against Charlotte. Brad Ring who left the last game late with calf cramp took the bench.

Seth Moses continued where he left off on Saturday at right back alongside Ouimette, Mitchell, and Ayoze. Pasher, Guerra, Matern, Watson and Starikov covered the midfield with Ben Speas playing forward and as usual Owain Fôn Williams in goal. I am not sure why and maybe I am mad, but the team and USL always display us as a 4-4-2 when we clearly are not. Is the starting lineup just based on D's, M's and F's? No idea.

As in the previous match the players starting are good enough to bring about a result, a mixture or starters, and some fresh leg rotation. With multiple games in a short period of time, it's a sensible tactic to begin with when you have a bench stacked with outfield talent like Soony Saad, Jack McInerney, Zach Steinberger, Brad Rusin, Nathan Lewis, and Brad Ring.

Hot midsummer temps were yet again present for Indy at MUSC Health Stadium (Photo: Peter Evans)

Again it was a hot one around 90 degrees, and the first half saw both teams probing and feeling each other out patiently. There was no urgent attempt by either side to hit hard and early. Indy played and looked comfortable for most of the first half, perhaps becoming flat and static in the last ten minutes or so.

After 22 minutes of give and take it was Charleston who found the first opening through Gordon Wild. Working inside Charleston's right and untracked he received a pass from the wing, turned inside and struck a clean left footed shot into the far left corner of Indy's net from about 24 yards out. Not much you can do about the clinical finish but the time and space he found deep in Indy's half could have been limited and pressed by our midfield.

Indy had a great chance to equalize with 30 minutes gone when Carlyle Mitchell connected with a corner delivered by Ayoze. His bullet header from a few yards out was denied by a great reaction save from Cuban stopper Odisnel Cooper.

After falling behind Indy Eleven continued a methodical and patient approach to the game but with around 10 minutes to go before the half the pass and move changed to a little pass and stand still, the team seemed tired and weary and waiting for the whistle.

Whatever Martin Rennie had to say to galvanize his team at halftime worked as Indy Eleven started the second half with more urgency and aggression. Five minutes in Seth Moses made a drive into the left side of Charleston's box and chipped a cross to the back post for Speas but Ben couldn't get his bicycle high enough of the ground and his attempted shot found the topside of the net.

Eugene Starikov scored his first competitive goal for Indy Eleven (Photo: James Cormack)

Within ten minutes Indy Eleven did put the score level. From a central position ben Speas put a short pass through to split the Charleston defense, Eugene Starikov beat the offside trap and went one on one with Cooper. The keeper spread himself at Starikov's feet but Indy's number 9 calmly dinked a chip shot up and over to tie the game up. Starikov's first competitive goal makes him the 12th Indy player to score in 2018.

Indy continued to press and within moments could have taken the lead through substitute Soony Saad. A Carlyle Mitchell pass that went almost from the edge of one 18 yard box to the other was controlled by Saad and he pushed towards the Charleston goal. His first shot was saved by the sprawling Cooper which returned to his feet and his second attempt was cleared off the line by Taylor Mueller.

It was by far a better half for Indy Eleven, but one man made the evening and the points his own. Gordon Wild again punished Indy, with a goal in each half he made the difference. His second perhaps not as spectacular as his first but it ended any hopes of Indy returning home with a point.

Wild was again in good space on Indy's right this time, untracked and unmarked he received a pass from the middle of the field and managed to put a low shot with the left foot on the outside of Seth Moses and past Owain Fôn Williams into the far bottom corner of the net. 2-1 was enough to keep the three points in Charleston. 

Indy rallied in the second 45 and almost grabbed a point but again I feel a little bit of midfield being unable to regain their shape and press attackers allowed for a second individual goal in open play from Charleston's number 15.




Its been a difficult spell for Indy with an intensive June and July schedule, Charleston is a difficult side, so it is hard to criticize the result too much, they deserved it, we made mistakes. We drew 3-3 with them at a time where we knew we needed to change our effort to change our results and they were in second place. The win for the home side lifts them above Indy into fourth, the Eleven hold fifth place after Nashville fell 1-0 to Charlotte yesterday evening.

The game marked the first match past the halfway point for Indy, and the report card for the midpoint is most certainly not terrible. After 17 matches of the season we sat in the top half of the playoff positions, there have been some disappointing results against poor teams and great results against difficult teams such as Louisville and Nashville. 

As captain Watson has said previously you have to make those points yourself and make them as soon as you can and not rely on the results of others. We started the second half of the season with an away defeat against a difficult side, I am still confident enough in this squad to pick up the results they need going forward, and we can win away from home.

Indy Eleven can take relief in having 10 days of much-needed rest before their next game, the first matchup of the season with old rivals Tampa Bay Rowdies in St.Petersburg. That match will be the first in a series of three away games before our Boys In Blue return to Lucas Oil Stadium on August 15th. After the Rowdies, Indy will play return matches against Bethlehem Steel and Louisville City FC.

Current USL Eastern Conference  Standings as of July 12th, 2018 (uslsoccer.com)

If you are planning to attend the August 5th Match in Louisville keep your eyes out for travel and ticket information from the Brickyard Battalion and don't forget to pick up tickets for Indy Eleven's next home match against North Carolina FC at BYBTix.com. And don't forget to check out the World Cup FInal Watch Party with the BYB, SH19 and Indy Eleven at Union Jack Pub in Broad Ripple on July 15th.

Come-From-Behind Victory Thrills Crowd, Avenges Ayoze - Indy Eleven V Charlotte Independence REVIEW

Ben Speas an early sub opened the scoring for Indy (Photo: James Cormack)

Two subs — Speas and Starikov — combine for a goal, then defenders Mitchell and Ayoze do same

By REBECCA TOWNSEND (aka The Pitch Bitch)


(INDIANAPOLIS, Lucas Oil Stadium) —— The injuries and the subs began within the first 17 minutes. First, Ben Speas entered for rogue hamstring victim Justin Braun. Then Kevin Venegas, also clutching a hammie, opted off the field and in came former New York Cosmos forward Eugene Starikov.

The silver lining was evident in the final score: 2-1 defeat of visitors Charlotte Independence. Speas and Starikov were crucial contributors to that scoreline in that they combined for Indy's first goal of the night, which came after the team trailed for 12 minutes in the second half.

Luck would have it that just when the team needed a goal — like really, really, really needed a goal worse than the Pitch Bitch has needed a goal all season (except for the Open Cup!) — Starikov makes a one-touch headed redirection from one of Ayoze's lovely passes and the ball lands perfectly in the path of Speas, rushing down the center of the 18 and nailing a left-footed shot on the fly! 

And, to add a juicy cherry, an Ayoze corner kick — for the second time this season — finds Carlyle Mitchell's head for a clean kill shot on goal. Defenders working together to score = happiness!

The win lifts Indy to fourth place in the USL's Eastern Conference standings.

Own goal victim to match-winning hero in three days, Carlyle Mitchell (Photo: James Cormack)

Early on in the match, players displayed evidence of sportsmanship, extending hands after bumping someone down and such. Looking to be charitable, maybe, overall, more players were cooperative and respectful of general sportsmanship than not. 

Still, the physicality picked up and this observer's attention was so distracted by the antics of Charlotte midfielder Alex Martinez of Uruguay that she was seeing red. He lit and accelerated the fire of the Pitch Bitch's indignant fury in 34th minute with what appeared to be a brazen from-behind, full-armed elbow in the back of an unwitting Ayoze, who was laid flat for minutes with the air knocked out of him. 

On top of that, one could see from 50 yards away his aura, which suggested a cocky, bleached-blond hot airbag, the kind who tries to make up for his deficiencies (including, one wagers, erectile dysfunction) with his dirty play and his flapping jaw.

The first half was scoreless. Then the unthinkable happened: The hosts allowed the Jackasses to take a 1-0 lead 5 minutes into the second half! 

Charlotte defender Sam Vines connected with Jorge Herrera, the team's leading scorer (33 goals for his club coming into the match), who, from the center of the box top, split defenders Mitchell and Ouimette and sent the ball beyond Owain Fôn Williams to find a home inside the net at the right post.

The goal places Herrera, who is the USL's second-highest career goal scorer, only six goals away from Dane Kelly's lead of 67 goals. Herrera is the second USL player to cross the 50-goal career scoring mark.

So, bully for Charlotte! 

Jorge Herrera of Charlotte lines up to shoot past Indy's defense (Photo: James Cormack)

DePauw University head men's soccer coach, Brad Hauter, made a good point in his broadcast observation that soft pressure on plays through the midfield and along the sidelines preceded the ultimate lapse on Herrera ... And as for losing Herrera, "there's a couple of players you just can't lose sight of," Hauter said. (True that, sir!)

The prospect of losing to any team with that punk Martinez had the Pitch Bitch running crazy daydreams about the USL going co-ed, enabling her to extract some impactful field revenge on that jerk. Not only for Ayoze but for every other player that had to put up with Martinez's mouth and his fouls. What is it about soccer that sometimes makes a generally calm and centered peace lover want to absolutely lose her shit? 

For some reason, it was one of those nights. So, imagine the ecstatic thrill when the Boys in Blue take care of business in a smooth and professional manner. (The visitors had five yellow cards — with accumulation nailing the team's captain with a red card ejection in the 70th minute — while the hosts were perfect gentlemen, at least in that the refs did not see it fit to issue them any cards.) 

Not often that reality is better than Pitch Bitch fantasies. But Saturday was her night!

Congratulations to Speas for nailing that shot! Since arriving in Indy, he's been consistent in play in practices and games and patient in sharing playing time. Coach Rennie commented after the game that he was happy to see the Ohio native score, as his long-demonstrated work ethic deserved to be rewarded.

Post-game comments from Coach Martin Rennie following @IndyEleven's 2-1 defeat of @CLTIndependence #downtownindy https://t.co/a6DiOqHv1p

— The Pitch Bitch (@IndyPitchBitch) July 8, 2018

In the previous two games (in which the team tied and lost), the goals conceded were "unfortunate" twists of fate, "a little bit cruel," Rennie said he told the players before the game. He added, "It's not always like that. We have to fight for each other and when we were down, we did, that we fought for each other."

Speas and Starikov "had to come off the bench to do that ... it showed good concentration," Rennie said. The match marks the second time the team earned a victory with a two-day recovery time while its opponent had a week off, which Rennie said, "shows the determination and fitness of the players."

Speas and Starikov (a native of Odessa, Ukraine) both did stellar jobs at holding space, bodying their opponents off the ball during duels and enduring hard fouls (both called and uncalled) to keep the crucial advantage.  

Eugene Starikov an early sub in for Venegas gave assist for Speas goal. (Photo: James Cormack)

Though coaches appeared to scream at refs and talk back to lip-giving opposing players — and Fôn Williams had animated words for either the sideline ref or members of the opposition on the sidelines or both, post-game Rennie was as calm as Buddha. 

He had no comment on any particular player's sins of aggression.

The match, Rennie said, was "a little chippy at times — everyone is fighting to get up the table. Everyone wants to win." He had nothing to say about Martinez.

Parting shots from the Pitch Bitch game notes:

Ayoze is like a master surgeon, the way he can slice a ball and clinically place it just where he wants it.

Ouimette almost had another goal as he headed an Ayoze freekick just outside the right goal post. Watson, Starikov and Soony Saad almost connected for an excellent opportunity at the top of the 18. Speas had a nice leave for Saad at the top of the 18: Saad almost had a goal but Dykstra ran out from his line for the last-ditch interception. Saad also almost had a goal with a 79th-minute free kick.

Indy Captain Matt Watson's work rate was top notch — and he picked up some hits for his efforts. At one point he was literally dragged down by Charlotte's captain, Bilal Duckett, earning Duckett his first of two yellows of the evening. The second followed in the 77th minute, giving Indy extra advantage.

Nico Mattern (the Germany native and Indiana Wesleyan grad) provided solid, reliable presence through the midfield, as well. Bringing down an aerial pass with his chest and passing it on in a smooth, controlled manner that began an on-target shot sequence.

Seth Moses dropped to the back line when Venegas subbed off with hamstring tightness. Just as he typically does in the midfield, Moses offered solid defensive presence and good penetration. Likewise, Brad Ring, exhibited his trademark steadfast presence and, perhaps, penetrated into the attacking third a little more than usual on Saturday, as he put in a full 90 before succumbing to what appeared to be cramping.

Brad Ring put in a solid shift before leaving the field late in the game. (Photo: James Cormack)

Tight passing sequences in the defensive third, under pressure from hungry Charlotte attackers, succeeded in building through midfield and then springing a timely switch into attacking third. 

Reiner Ferreira, the Brazilian defender who had been sidelined since an injury in Indy's first home game of the season, is looking fit enough to return to the field soon. And the plucky and speedy Ty Pasher is also back for duty after a weeks-long absence, so Indy continues to build its ability to keep create attacks from the defensive third in an endless series of threatening combinations.

Credit to the visitors for 1.) Cordell Cato's impressive speed, which totally sliced the Indy defense at one point, enabling him to launch a solid shot. (Thanks for being on point Fôn Williams!) 2.) Andrew Dykstra blocking a solid Starikov shot from the top right corner of the 18 hooking straight for the upper left corner of the goal. 3.) Eamon Zayed, for not giving us a reason to miss him. (Though we know he has plenty of gorgeous goals in his future, glad to see he couldn't muster one at Lucas Oil.) And, respect, he almost nailed us 15 minutes into the game, but Owain Fôn Williams saw the shot and protected his goal.

The team's next four games will be on the road at Charleston, Tampa Bay, Bethlehem (revenge match to make up for the May loss to them at home; time to return the favor) and Louisville on July 11, 21, 26 and Aug. 5, respectively.

No goals and no win for EZ but good to see him back in Indy. (Photo: James Cormack)

The win was important for the team, though its home record (4-3-2, W-L-D) must improve in the second half of the season, Coach Rennie said in the post-game media scrum.

So far, the team holds an 8-4-4 record overall with 17 games left total, of which seven will be at home.

"It was important to win today and important to do in exciting fashion for the fans who won't see us in weeks," Rennie said. 

Fans must wait more than a month until the next home game. North Carolina FC visits Indy Aug. 15, kicking off at 7 p.m. 

Fee-free tickets are available for purchase through the Brickyard Battalion supporters club at BYBtix.com. The team has plenty of good deals, as well, at IndyEleven.com. 

A Tale Of Two Cities - Indy Eleven V Louisville City FC PREVIEW

Brad Ring playing preseason in 2016 has missed both competitive Open Cup matches with Louisville.

By: James Cormack

Despite never having played in the same league together, the histories of Indy and Louisville run somewhat parallel since 2014. The clubs have met five times, three in preseason friendlies and twice in the US Open Cup in 2015 and 2016.

In the spring of 2014, Indy Eleven began their professional journey preparing for their first season in the NASL. Saturday, March 22nd saw them head to Louisville for the first time in an arranged friendly against the University of Louisville Cardinals. 

Louisville City FC was still a year away from kicking a ball, but like the Brickyard Battalion their supporters group Louisville Coopers already existed and it was the first opportunity for both to meet and exchange ideas, both supporters groups existed before their teams had played.

The match at U of L itself was an opportunity for coach Juergen Sommer to play several trialists with a view to rounding up the Indy Eleven roster. One of those trialists was current Louisville club captain Paolo DelPiccolo. 

Paolo a former player for UofL Cardinals was drafted by Montreal Impact in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft but elected instead to play at Eintracht Frankfurt II in Germany before returning in the same summer to sign for Montreal. After being waived by Impact at the end of the season he joined New England Revolution who also waived the Midfielder.

Two former Cardinals Paolo DelPiccolo and Dylan Mares challenge for a ball in preseason 2016

The March 22nd friendly with Louisville Cardinals ended in a 2-2 draw, Indy goals coming from Don Smart and Ben Spencer. Head coach Juergen Sommer decided against adding DelPiccolo to his roster and on April 10th 2014 Paolo signed for Arizona United, now Phoenix Rising and would eventually sign for LCFC in 2016 after a stop in Charlotte.

Louisville City FC was announced as a new team on June 4th of 2014, to commence play in USL starting in 2015. Louisville and Indy would meet on March 21st in a friendly competition for the first time in the preseason of that year at the University of Indianapolis in a match that ended with Louisville leaving as victors in a 2-1 win.

To date, the two sides have never met in the city of Louisville in a match, competitive or friendly. Two friendlies have taken place at the University of Indianapolis, one in Evansville and two USOC matches at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis.

102nd US Open Cup - May 27th, 2015

2015 Official Match poster
by James Cormack

Leading up to the USOC meeting between the two sides on May 27th of 2017, Indy Eleven was not in good form, despite having a reasonable start to the 2015 campaign things started to go downhill quickly. In the three matches prior Indy had scored only one goal and suffered three defeats including two home losses to Jacksonville and Ottawa with a 3-1 away defeat to Minnesota United in between.

Not only were we leaking sloppy goals we also basically couldn't hit a barn door with a shovel and our overall play on the field was that of a disjointed, incoherent team low in spirit.

"The US Open Cup game against Louisville City FC was a chance for the players to regain some poise, play some better football and achieve a win and a happy ending. Unfortunately, all of the problems we have seen of late were still apparent, none more so than our failure to find any chances in front of goal. We never looked like scoring, we lost 2 goals in extra time, I felt had we played for 180 minutes we still would not have scored a goal." excerpt from Bloody Shambles 2015 Match review.

Indy Eleven and Louisville remained deadlocked at 0-0 after regulation time and added time had passed and both would enter extra time in order to find a decider in the match. The Eleven would not score, Louisville took the lead in the 115th minute through Nate Polak and double their lead four minutes later with a goal by Sidney Rivera.

It was a hammer blow for Indy at a very low point in the clubs short history. Louisville would move on to face Chicago Fire in the next round, a tie that our supporters badly wanted to be a part of. The defeat also was probably the catalyst that saw the club part ways with head coach Juergen Sommer, following the USOC exit Indy Eleven played out a 2-2 draw at home with Tampa on May 30th. On June 2nd it was announced the team had parted ways with their first head coach.

103rd US Open Cup - June 1st, 2016

2016 Official Match Poster
by Peter Evans

A year to the day after Indy Eleven fans had seen the exit of their first coach the team would play Louisville City FC again, and like the last time, a tie with Chicago Fire of MLS was up for grabs. Things were different, Tim Regan took over as coach after the departure of Sommer and in the offseason, Tim Hankinson was installed as new head coach and announced Tim Regan as his assistant.

As most Indy supporters would know it was an undefeated spring for us, the new look squad was probably the best roster the club had seen, but it wasn't going to be easy going into this match. Indy was pushing for a Spring Championship win and was having some injury issues. 

The Open Cup tie came when the Eleven were 8 NASL matches undefeated in Spring but had to play Miami FC three days after the game in the second to last match of Spring desperately needing wins to clinch their first silverware.

Tim Hankinson took a gamble and fielded a vastly changed line-up from our league matches, it was about as second string as you could get with a smattering of starters, but it was necessary at the time and not a slight on the competition. It sure made people nervous including myself, nobody wanted to exit the same competition to Louisville City in consecutive years. Tim Hankinson, however, did have weapons on the bench.

Louisville did enough themselves to scare everyone by taking the lead early in the game, a 21st-minute goal by Chandler Hoffman put the visitors 1-0 up against a depleted Indy side. Justin Braun and Éamon Zayed were already at the stage where both were making a difference together in Indy's league matches and both were sitting watching.

Jair Reinoso hounds the defense, first half 2016 US Open Cup

Braun and Zayed came on to the field either side of the halftime break, Justin replacing Jair Reinoso in the 41st minute and Éamon started the second. They shifted the momentum of the game and turned it in Indy's favor. Owayne Gordon leveled the match in the 58th minute and Zayed scored the goal that would seal victory 10 minutes later and it was Indy Eleven's turn to meet with Chicago Fire in the US Open Cup.

Indy Eleven V Louisville City FC - May 5th 2018 USL Eastern Conference

After four years in different leagues with competitive meetings limited to the US Open cup only, Indy and Louisville will meet for the first time in league play. Lou City are current USL champions and have started 2018 looking the part. Along with Pittsburgh Riverhounds, they are the only two teams in the Eastern Conference without a defeat.

Indy Eleven potentially have one of the best rosters they have ever had but are still maturing as a squad, and have their best start to a season in franchise history despite losing twice at home to FC Cincinnati. This will be Indy Eleven's fourth home game of 2018 and they have one win to show against Nashville, they will need to tip the points balance at home if they want to make the playoffs.

Lou City fans in 2016, attendance likely to be sparse this week with the Kentucky Derby and the 500 Mini on the same day.

This game will probably be like no other game between the two, both sides have come a long way since their beginnings and arguably we could be looking at a match between the two strongest Indy and Louisville teams to date. If it brings as much excitement and entertainment as Indy's midweek encounter against Cincinnati, then those attending will be in for a treat.

At times in the past, people could be forgiven for considering Indy Eleven as favorites in meetings between the two, but the results prove otherwise. Louisville has always been a tough nut for Indy to crack. In this match, Indy Eleven are the underdogs.

Despite having played all their matches against Indy Eleven away from home, Louisville have only lost to Indy Eleven once through five matches in that 2016 USOC encounter, I have been to every match and each one has been aggressive and chippy. The matchup I am looking forward to most is between Martin Rennie and James O'Connor, a Scotsman and an Irishman on the sideline what could possibly go wrong?

Martin Rennie is a young man for a head coach, but he has quite a few years on O'Connor. The Louisville coach, still only 38 went straight from playing and coaching at Orlando to being the manager of Louisville City and he has progressed himself and his team year by year. Martin Rennie has a history of improving teams since his days at North Carolina and is now trying to prove himself in the USL, what better match to do so than against the current league champions.

No score predictions from me, but I will predict we are going to see one hell of a game.

Ben Speas in action against Louisville City FC in Spring of 2017

Previous Results:

2015 Indy Eleven 1 Louisville 2 (Friendly)
2015 Indy Eleven 0 Louisville 2 (USOC)
2016 Indy Eleven 0 Louisville 1 (Friendly)
2016 Indy Eleven 2 Louisville 1 (USOC)
2017 Indy Eleven 1 Louisville 1 (Friendly)

Current Form:
Indy Eleven (WLWWDL) 3-1-2 10pts from 6 matches.
Lou City FC (WWWWDW) 5-1-0 16pts from 6 matches

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Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and our website BloodyShambles.com  and show some love to The Pitch Bitch and Wurst Eleven. The Bloody Shambles Soccer Show podcast returned and is available on iTunes, Stitcher, or directly from Soundcloud. 

No Smoke Without Fire: Indy Eleven V North Carolina FC REVIEW (6/17/2017)

Goals, three points and a clean sheet - Indy Eleven secure first victory of 2017.

By: James Cormack

For the first time in 2017 Indy Eleven were able to field what could be claimed as their strongest starting eleven. The return of Justin Braun to the starting eleven was a welcome sight as well as Craig Henderson returning to give extra depth to the Indy bench.

Although it may not have been planned as such, after 12 games this year it looks as though Colin Falvey and Daniel Keller may be our most reliable and secure center back pairing. Keller always somehow seems out of place in midfield through no fault of his own, center back has been where we have seen his best and it was no different last night.

The Boys in Blue were aggressive yet patient and hard working. Defensively there was no fault and at times it seemed like Brad Ring was putting in two shifts in midfield and at the top of the 18 yard box with our back line. Indy were composed, alert and determined when not in possession and it paid off as they left North Carolina with very few clear chances in the game. 

New gloves worked a treat for Jon Busch, first clean sheet since 6th May.

After a goalless first half, a measured and clinical approach to the match saw them rewarded with their first goal in the game in the 60th minute. A low ball from Ben Speas into the front of goal from the left caught the Carolina defense and keeper napping and confusion between Silvestre and Connor Tobin saw the ball pop up and spin towards goal. 

An attempted goal line clearance from Carolina found the body of Justin Braun and the ball found the back of the net. It may not have been the prettiest goal Justin has ever scored, but you have to be in the right place at the right time.

Ben Speas was again involved as Indy Eleven doubled their lead in the 84th minute, this time with the finish from a David Goldsmith assist. Don Smart found Goldsmith advancing in a wide position on the right and the Indy forward played a perfect pass in behind the defense to the far post and Ben Speas was there to slam it home for Indy's second. Justin Braun was also available but would have been called offside had he made an attempt to connect with the ball.

It was a nervous last ten minutes for the faithful supporters as we have recently seen a two goal lead evaporate in San Francisco, but not this time. Indy Eleven tightened up and kept Carolina out, Jon Busch was the difference in stopping the opposing team pulling a goal straight back stopping a close range driving effort by Saeed Robinson.

Ben Speas was key in producing the goals required for Indy's first win in 2017

The Carolina effect.......

It's worth mentioning that again North Carolina FC formerly known as the Carolina Railhawks seem fated to be involved in multiple key moments in the history of Indy Eleven. Not only were they the first team we played in the NASL they were also the team we beat to achieve the first win in the clubs history at Wakemed Park in 2014.

The Spring Championship trophy of 2016 provided Indy with their first ever silverware in the club's short existence thanks to a required 4-1 win over the Railhawks in the final game thriller dubbed "Miracle At The Mike". Now North Carolina have aided and abeted in the Eleven's first win of 2017.

It's a strange quirk of fate, but I am not going to complain, we probably should be thankful for all the help they have given us over the years.

Defense, defense, defense.......

It goes without saying that Colin Falvey when fit and able is always going to be the first name on the team sheet, likewise Marco Franco and Nemanja Vukovic are equally as critical. It would however be amiss to not mention the efforts of Daniel Keller and Brad Ring when discussing our outfield defensive presence.

Brad Ring played deep a lot in last night's game and at times it looked like we had a five man defense. 100% of tackles were won, six clearances and three interceptions at the back added to 29 of 32 passes made were completed. Daniel Keller had nine defensive clearances and four interceptions. 

But the heat map for all four of the Indy Eleven back line and Brad Ring combined shows just how effective we were in nullifying any threat from North Carolina FC. In the 4-1 defeat against Jacksonville our overall defensive activity was more spread out and we were up field too much whereas in this match the back line and defensive midfield was more concentrated and covered every area of the final third for Carolina.

Full match activity of Franco, Falvey, Keller, Vukovic, and Ring.

With Brad Ring putting extra work in at the back with Keller covering the edge of the 18 yard area and the deep side of midfield it allowed Falvey to concentrate solely on the area in front of goal for most of the game and because of improved cohesion and communication between all five players it required less expenditure of energy. North Carolina played a pretty flat 4-4-2 and struggled to find gaps, and when they did Jon Busch was flawless.

When you have one of those days where everything required to shut a team out goes according to plan all that is left to do is make sure one of your attempts at goal hits the back of the net and you have three points, Indy Eleven did that twice from six shots on target. North Carolina had a total of 14 shots, the fact that 8 of those came from outside the box provides further evidence of how difficult Indy Eleven were to break down.

Brad Ring once again was literally everywhere.

What happens now.....?

We won, it's a great feeling. We moved from rock bottom and put teams below us but we still have a long way to go. When you realize that our current standings for 2017 are poorer than the team of 2014 for their first 12 league games, albeit only through goal differential, you know there is a lot to be done.

Indy Eleven need to show they are not a 'one hit wonder' and move forward with the belief they can achieve the same results against any other team regardless of where they play them. We now play the same team again in Carolina next week with a good understanding of how to defeat them.

We have had bad luck with injuries, bad luck in games but we have also had poor performances as well and at times we have beaten ourselves. One win can change a lot, it was no different in 2014 after our first win against Carolina it gave us a boost and within a short time we had also defeated FC Edmonton on the road as well. We need to make sure the confidence and relief we take from this win carries forward into each game.

Being able to field a strong lineup like this week after week will certainly help, but that is not something we can really control, just keep your fingers crossed that we can remain injury free. We have time on our side and twenty games left to prove why we should be worthy of a playoff position in 2017.

Timony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Soccer Events

“I suppose I'll have to add the force of Miami to my list of enemies.” 

By Brian Cook

Speechless. I think that might be the closest way to describe how the 2017 season has gone for Indiana's team. Whether it be good or bad the results have not been what the club nor the fans had expected going into the season after a runner-up NASL title season in the year 2016.

Harder than watching the results of this season is trying to pin point where exactly the problem lie and on whose shoulders do they rest on. Clearly the on the field results rest squarely on the head coach, the leaders of the team (Falvey, Busch, etc) and on rest of the players in that order. On the field Indy Eleven are stuck in the shadow of last season's results. It seems that while Hankinson has stressed to both the players and fans that you have to earn what you get from this team that the club has failed to adapt and grow on their performance from last year.

I always recall seeing the massive change in the club when it moved from the very staggered 4-2-3-1 formation that clearly wasn't working to the 4-4-2 that this was the new Indy Eleven. A club that has been destined for greatness and more importantly has been able to see the issues and fix them 

The argument now rests on whether or not it's fair to hit the panic button on the season and the correct answer is yes and no

“Never trust anyone who has not brought a winger with them.”

It is fair to panic. Miami FC is clearly the strongest and most well built team in NASL for a number of reasons. But even against a Cosmos team that was built in a similar fashion of building a team outside the general scope of how NASL clubs are built Indy Eleven found a chance to win. The team this season remains largely intact from the 2016 campaign and fans are expecting better from a club that put up four goals on the last day of the Spring Season to win the Spring Championship.

It also isn't fair to panic. The general understanding (when looking at the table) is that with another win or two the club would literally be back into the pile at the top half of the table. With the restructuring of the schedule for the 2017 season the Spring season is far less than a sprint and much more of a jog unlike previous years. The injury bug also plays a huge part into the performance this year. Indy Eleven has been far from healthy and their strongest first eleven really hasn't gotten the chance to hit the field year.


There are also plenty of distractions and issues on and off the field outside of the general scope of how the season has gone.

On the field:

Eamon Zayed: 

One of the largest question marks since the beginning of the season has been the on again off again place of Eamon Zayed in the starting lineup of Indy Eleven. It's safe to say the biggest change seen in the team in 2017 was the first game of the season not having Eamon Zayed in the starting eleven. Nothing was ever officially confirmed about the reasoning behind this move though there was plenty of speculation. Nevertheless the holder of the team's scoring record hasn't gotten off to the best start so far and one only wonders if the beginning of the season plays into that. 

Ben Speas 

There is a moment in the movie MoneyBall (with Brad Pitt) where Billy Beane realizes you can't replace a player directly but rather replace their results they give you. What he was talking about was the struggle that the Oakland Athletics (on a much lower pay wage than most of MLB) would have in replacing the bats of Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and the arm of pitcher Jason Isringhasen. The three of them had brought tremendous amounts of success for Oakland Athletics the season before the infamous Moneyball season and were huge losses for the A's. 

“It is one of life's bitterest truths that endtime so often arrives just when things are really getting interesting.” 

Cue the analogy, Ben Speas for all intents and purpose was dog eared to be the replacement for an outgoing Dylan Mares who moved onto the sunny beaches of Miami FC. Ben Speas, who last season averaged four goals and four assists against Mares five goals and seven assists as a member of the Boys in Blue was tailor made to come and fit the role Indy would be lacking which was a wing based playmaker and for the most part he truly hasn't failed at that.

He's just struggled to keep up the pace and I think Speas' performance shows more about how you wouldn't be able to play the same system as last season and use Speas the way you used Mares. Speas skill set allows you borderline more attacking presence than Mares did but Mares skillset was much more at hand with what Indy had on the field last season. 

Centerbacks 

When it was announced that Colin Falvey would be out for a portion of the beginning of the season due to surgery I think everyone gasped. . Colin Falvey and Jon Busch's work in the backline last season was all but key in the overall success of 2017. Losing Colin Falvey not only lost a great defender but a great leader and with no Cory Miller you were left with a versatile Daniel Keller and someone new to Indy Eleven, Kwame Watson-Siriboe.

In a previous blog, the positive impact of Colin Falvey's presence was discussed so it was no secret why it was vital he get back on the field as soon as possible. Early into the season with Falvey it was clear the defense needed another leader besides Jon Busch. Keller, who has been with the club for two years, has played nearly every position in the backline has the ability but not the leadership at least not what's been seen. 

Truthfully I'm still waiting for the moment where we understand what Hankinson saw in signing Kwame Watson-Siriboe because up until now he's been a loose cannon in the backline leaving huge gaps and causing more issues for the defense than preventing them. Even Falvey's return to his leadership role hasn't curbed Kwame from running up and playing a stopper role and leaving Falvey alone to stop an attack. 

While the return of Falvey clearly had a difference in how the backline work and rotated but even with Falvey's return the Indy Eleven defense is nothing compared to how strong the defense was in 2016. 

Coach Hankinson

It's pretty safe to say that the honeymoon phase is over. Last season was amazing but it's pretty clear that last season's successes rest right there. Last season. I'm not entirely sure what the plan was for this season but whatever it is it's not working. Between the roster building leaving huge holes in the structure of the team and decisions involving benching Eamon Zayed have left a lot of people, quietly, questioning what's going on in the mind of Indy Eleven's head coach. 

Some of this is on the field, some of this is general team cohesion but nevertheless it shouldn't a question. Speaking on the US Open Cup match against the Michigan Bucks, which removing the faces and names is an amatuer side that Indy Eleven should have at least beaten if not been comfortable in the victory even with squad rotation.

“Well-defended people are less likely to be evil.” 

It's not even to say that Hankinson is the problem. Clearly people need a direction to point and it's easier to point at the head coach than anyone else. There is a fair argument given last season's successes that Hankinson is definitely performing below expectations. His choices in the lineup, both at the beginning of the season to now, have left some questions out there.

Injuries have also played a huge part. Indy Eleven isn't the youngest team in the league by all means and as a result they have gotten ripped apart for lack of a better word by the injury bug and have struggled to maintain consistent performances. 

Off the field

The off the field troubles are pretty clear. A lack of a stadium, a lack of good results, losing good players, weather. All things that have impacted what every sport's team struggles with and lower division soccer in America is no different. 

The bottom line.

In an interview about the infamous Stadium for Indiana deal Ersal Ozdemir pulled no punches when he said:

“Without a new stadium, we have some serious decisions to make,” he said.

-Source

The stadium, which was reproposed for a fourth time, is an healthy 100 million dollar plus deal which would have Ersal and his 'ownership group' paying the fee for getting an expansion club and other expenses while resting the bill for the stadium on a 'public - private partnership' which would have the city and state pick up most of the tab. (At this moment we haven't reached out to the club on a comment for this quote)

The public movement of the bill (or lack there of) has weighed heavily on the shoulders of staff and players. What does it say when the owner of a team eludes to the possibility it could be the last year for his club and thus the last year for a lot of people to work for the club? Whether it was a tactic to help motivate those who have the ability to get financing for the stadium or just Ersal making his everyday stresses public the statement has hurt the club, players, staff, as well as the fans.

Whatever the case may be. This club is in the thick of it. Since the beginning of the season it's been like watching a roster collectively grab shovels and slowly dig a hole down. While they are working together in that regard it's hard for players to be motivated to win games, it's hard for staff to hear that the club is struggling financially and above all else it's difficult for casual fans who base their decision of attending games off of the performance of the team to feel inclined to come watch Indy struggle. We hope that this is just a rough patch on the road and things eventually turn around for a team that should clearly be performing better than it is.