Indy Eleven is holding out for a hero in their backline

Falvey was available for last Saturday's match against Puerto Rico

By: Brian Cook

If you watched Saturday's draw with Puerto Rico FC you witnessed what can only be described as the best and worst portions of soccer. You saw a high scoring game but for Indy Eleven fans you also saw fixable defensive mistakes. Mistakes that were the difference between an early - season defining game and one that may play a bigger role later on in the season. 

Regardless of the circumstances Indy were found to be unlucky Saturday as they lost a two goal lead and barely escaped with a point to show for their efforts. While nothing should be taken away from starting lineups for both games as they were clearly the top performing players for Indy so far, the first goal given up by the Eleven put a light over the huge missing piece in Indy's defensive efforts:

Colin Falvey.

Falvey, recovering from a late off season sports hernia surgery, was on the bench Saturday. While the circumstances weren't deemed difficult enough to warrant bringing on Falvey who, as was mentioned by Hankinson during the week, fresh enough for 20 minutes or there about the defense had struggled and let Puerto Rico slam them with their attack.

The buildup to the play in question that opened the flood gates for Puerto Rico's attack involved simple almost uncontested passes and finished up with Conor Doyle putting the ball in the back of the net

The goal, while skilled, gives you a great observation of the issues presented with the current backline for the Eleven. The ball seemingly floats into the box and Watson Siriboe acts as if he is stuck in quick sand watching as Conor Doyle snaps a shot into the left corner of the net.

Again, while only two games into the 2017 season the goal is a clear sign of the issues still facing the starting eleven for Indy. Daniel Keller and Kwame Watson-Siriboe have started both game and while it's clear they had earned the start based off of the Deltas game the result last Saturday spells more about the lack of communication and skill beyond the midfield.

For comparison, 2016 saw Indy Eleven play Tampa Bay Rowdies in Florida. The game took place on September third and the backline had little depth (no real defensive substitutions were available for the game). With Keller and Falvey lining up side by side in the center it was almost like they were stretched to help out on both sides of the backline.

Heatmap from IndyEleven.com

For clarification purposes, Daniel Keller was on the left hand side of that heat map and Falvey was next to Palmer on the right center defender portion. The heatmap can give you a good idea of not only where the players are on the field but in this case how wide they were able to cover together.

This is the heat map from the Puerto Rico game with Daniel Keller and Kwame Watson-Siriboe which shows considerably less amount of distance shared between the two but also a considerable hole between them that both Doyle and Ramos exploited:

Heatmap from IndyEleven.com

From this comparison it's more or less that Keller and Watson feel stuck and either aren't able to move out to help out or are not sure what will happen if they do. A feature of the lack of your obvious best defender and confidence boosters for other members of your backline being sidelined. 

This isn't to say that Daniel Keller and the first year boy in blue Kwame Watson-Siriboe are bad players. Nor is it a fist to throw at the leadership between the sticks of Jon Busch who has had his fair share of leadership advances for Indy since joining last year but there is a difference in the eye both statistically and on the pitch when you don't have the person who ties everything together. 

Going back to the play in question, a clear lack of marking which featured an astounding eight players watching as Conor Doyle placed the ball in the back of the net. Let's say that play again carries on the same way and instead of Keller or Watson you have Falvey. You may still see a shot on goal but based off of previous games and heat maps you would more than likely see a more fluid swapping of positions and communication. 

You would see, perhaps, Doyle go to hit the kick and instead of Watson watching the ball fly by him he's a half a foot over closer to the center of the net and is able to stop. You might see that Keller was able to close down on Doyle before he gets the shot off. You may even see Falvey himself on the ball and able to clear it away. 

Let's compare another match from 2016 which featured the highest quality centerback pairing since Indy Eleven began play. Greg Janicki's 2015 season was less than stellar which left many people confused when Hankinson chose to keep Janicki with the club heading in 2016. No one truly saw the impact that Falvey's arrival would have on Janicki's game and the partnership they formed was a huge part of 2016. 

The October 22nd match between year one club Puerto Rico FC and Indy Eleven saw one of the strongest showings of Indy Eleven. Not to be outdone by the scoreline when you investigate the centerback position and the heatmap for both Janicki and Falvey you see the strength of their partnership and the depth they were able to achieve from the position. 

Heatmap from IndyEleven.com

The heat maps provide incredible insight into not only how the teams layout over the course of 90 minutes but also the difference in how a back line not led by Colin Falvey performs. His insight, voice, leadership and direction was a pivitol part of the club's success in 2016. It's also clear from the San Francesco game that both Watson Siriboe and Keller are good centerback options but aren't able to lead the defense and provide depth beyond the basic skills of a centerback like Falvey is. Both players will improve with Falvey on the field. At this point it's unclear when you will see Indy Eleven's captain take the pitch in 2017 but after the match against Puerto Rico it's clear that the timetable for his return should be moved up if it can be. 

There Was No Joy In The Brickyard - Eleven vs Cosmos NASL Final REVIEW (11/14/2016)

Indy's Greg Janciki succesfully fended off New York attackers all evening. Photo courtesy of NASL, Michael Stobe.

By: Brandon Cockrum

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the supermoon was shining bright;

a supporters band was playing somewhere, and somewhere smoke was lit,

and somewhere men were laughing, and somewhere children had shouted; 

but there was no joy in the Brickyard - the mighty Eleven had missed out.

Deciding the league championship with penalty kicks, after 33 games and 120 minutes of battle, will always be a difficult pill to swallow for whichever club misses out. And while narrowing down a game of such import to a few kicks just 12 yards from the goal seems harsh it remains the only, best way that has been found to decide a match winner when none can otherwise be found. It’s tempting to say, Let the player’s play, but as seen on Sunday evening, pushing the 22 men on the field any further, many of whom were cramping, limping, and had nothing more in their tanks, begins to seem torturous.

For two hours at tiny Belson Stadium in Jamaica, NY, the Indy Eleven and New York Cosmos played a final worthy of a much larger audience. Despite the final 0-0 scoreline, the match featured end-to-end action from the first kick, the teams trading off control of play, and narrow misses by both sides. Only the Cosmos found joy at the end of their journey but the Eleven had much to be proud of, for the only thing that separated the two squads were just a few kicks out of thousands.

The Eleven were unlucky to not get on the scoreboard 10 minutes in after a clever turn and shoot from near the top of the penalty box by forward Eamon Zayed. With his only official save of the night, New York goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer dove to his left, reached out a hand and parried the ball out of danger.

Indy continued to control the match for the next ten minutes, primarily through the efforts of right midfielder Don Smart. The winger repeatedly beat his opponents on that side of the pitch, midfielder Yohandry Orozco and right back Ayoze, finding good positions to deliver crosses and shots that tested the Cosmos defense.

Indy's Don Smart threatened New York's goal for 90 minutes and make a key defensive play. Photo courtesy of NASL, Michael Stobe.

By the 30th minute, the Cosmos had found their footing and were leading the run of play, finding four quality chances over the next ten minutes. Big defensive plays by Indy’s goalkeeper Jon Busch and Don Smart were able to keep the Cosmos off the scoreboard. 

At halftime, Eleven coach Tim Hankinson swapped out left midfielder Dylan Mares for Gerardo Torrado, a defensive midfielder. Mares had a quiet first half in the attack and the Cosmos found some of their success through his side of the field. Clearly the Eleven were trying to shore up their defense in favor of offense.

The match slowed first for the first 20 minutes of the second half as the teams dug in for the season’s final half of play. The Cosmos played with more possession and were able to threaten Indy but Busch again came up big as he commanded control of his penalty box. Torrado scuffed both a pass and a shot in dangerous positions, raising eyebrows among the Eleven faithful.

In the 70th minute, the resilient Don Smart popped up again, working with Torrado to create the game’s most electric moment. Near the top of the penalty box the two played a give-and-go, with Smart launching a streaking shot that beat a diving Maurer but that could not beat the crossbar.

For the remaining twenty minutes of the match the Cosmos controlled possession and missing hopeful attempts at the Eleven goal. The Eleven dodged a weak penalty shout in the 82nd minute and with hopes of playing hero, New York’s David Diosa and Eleven’s Zayed both missed opportunities in injury time to punch in a match winner.

Indy's Brad Ring shielded the defense and played quality football all evening. Photo courtesy of NASL, Michael Stobe.

The two 15 minute periods of extra time saw the match slow as the intensity of the previous 90 minutes took its toll. By the end of extra time players on both sides were playing primarily to not give up a goal and struggling to stay up with the play, or even upright, in a few cases.

In the end it doesn’t matter which players made or missed penalties, only that one team made more than the other. It would be unfair to attach blame to any of the those brave enough to put themselves in position to miss a shot or not make a save in the penultimate moment of the season because there was so much that happened prior that could or even should have decided the outcome of the match. And while the Cosmos and their supporters left the stadium late Sunday with the trophy and all the joy, the Eleven walked away with just as much honor.

Indy Eleven Man of The Match: Don Smart, midfielder
New York Cosmos Man of the Match: Jimmy Maurer, goalkeeper

Match Statistics
Match Highlights

Indy Look To Remain Undefeated At Home - Indy Eleven V Carolina Railhawks PREVIEW (10/15/2016)

Center back Greg Janicki in action against Carolina, found some game time in Jacksonville

By: James Cormack

Indy Eleven return home after two relatively disappointing road games in Edmonton and Jacksonville. After controlling most of the game against FCE and leading 1-0 Indy pretty much engineered their own demise and allowed the home team to come back and finally win the game. That defeat pretty much ended any hope of Indy Eleven winning the fall season.

After a cancellation Saturday of the match against Jacksonville due to Hurricane Matthew, the game went ahead midweek. No real surprises in the lineup, Lovel Palmer stepped in for Cory Miller who unfortunately will now miss the rest of the season. Indy played out a rather humdrum 0-0 draw to catch a point on the road but at least the match gave an opportunity for Greg Janicki to return and gain a little game time in the second half.

Indy Eleven should be concerned about their defensive situation in the run up to the championship semi final. Janicki replaced Lovel Palmer who took a knock, with Miller being out, Janicki not 100%, and Falvey playing through injury for most of the season, one more injury to a key player in the back line before November 5th could be disastrous.

Current Indy Eleven home and Carolina away form.

As it stands heading into the match against Carolina, Indy Eleven now sit 10 pts behind the leaders New York, there is little pointing in the team pressing to try and win a championship which is pretty much out of their reach. There is however something to protect, Indy Eleven still remain undefeated at home in 2016 with two matches to go against the Railhawks and Puerto Rico FC not only is this highly achievable but it is also something to be immensely proud of.

The last time Indy Eleven played Carolina Railhawks was a match to forget, the Eleven took the lead twice in Cary and lost it twice in a 3-2 defeat at WakeMed Stadium. The last time the two teams met in Indianapolis was a much more memorable game, probably our most memorable game to date, Indy Eleven of course needing to win by three and score four or more goals to clinch the Spring Championship, which they did, defeating Carolina 4-1 on the 11th of June.

Carolina have not won away from home since the 16th July, their last road win coming at Fort Lauderdale, in the seven away games following that Carolina have managed only 2 pts in draws against Jacksonville and Rayo OKC. Indy's home record is the polar opposite of their away form, winning 12 of 15 home games with three draws against Tampa, Edmonton and Ottawa. The most recent draw against the Rowdies came after a period of match congestion and road games for Indy.

The Railhawks are also coming off of a Wednesday game, they played at home against Rayo OKC midweek and lost the match 1-0 to a goal from Michel in the 82nd minute.

Indy Eleven should be the clear favorite in this match, as mentioned the fall championship is probably out of reach, but maintaining an undefeated home record should be important to the coach and players alike, we only have two more steps to take to reach that goal.

Zeke still doesn't know what a Railhawk is, but he is determined to catch one.

Prior to the Jacksonville game Coach Hankinson hinted at players getting their chance between now and the playoff game, we didn't see much evidence of rotation in that match itself. Lovel Palmer came into the defense at center in the absence of Cory Miller and Brad Ring started, Gerardo Torrado is out with a calf strain and again is unlikely to feature this week.

I would be very surprised to find any significant changes for the match against Carolina considering the importance of maintaining a home record, if any they will most likely be in forward or attacking midfield positions with perhaps players like Lacroix, Paterson, Gordon, Youla etc possibly getting starts.

We also may not even see Janicki start even though he played 15 minutes in Jacksonville we cannot afford to rush injured players back into too much game time with only three weeks to go before the playoffs. If Greg starts I think he won't play 90 minutes, if he does not start he may see time in the second half.

Lovel Palmer was taken off during the Jacksonville game with a knock allowing Greg Janicki to enter the game, Lovel's injury was not serious and will be available to start if required.

Omar Gordon has returned to Indiana after International duty in the Caribbean Cup with Jamaica and is available for selection.

Apart from Miller and Torrado the rest of the roster is eligible to play and the only rotation I think we will see may be in the bench. I expect Indy Eleven will start the same lineup again, with possibly one or two changes.

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Win Before You Forget How to - Indy Eleven V Tampa Bay Rowdies PREVIEW (9/3/2016)

Will Falvey and Vukovic play in the middle of the back line, or will Janicki return?

By: James Cormack

It's been a tough couple of weeks for Indy, playing three away games in 11 days against Carolina, Ottawa and New York, and gaining only 1 point in three along the way.

There is never really an easy time to play the Cosmos in New York, but this was possibly the worst timing for Indy considering time and travel and facing a Cosmos side in blistering form currently.

Indy started brightly but before long in the game the Cosmos had managed to make their mark, first with a goal through Ruben Bover on 8 minutes and then doubled their lead through an Arango penalty on 17 after a fould on Daniel Szetela by Nemanja Vukovic.

Indy managed to do enough to limit the score line for the rest of the first half. Things went from bad to worse in the 53' minute when Indy Eleven again conceded a penalty, this time Cory Miller fouling David Diosa, fortunately for Indy Arango missed the kick, but as a result of the foul Cory Miller was shown red and will be suspended for this Saturday's game.

Arango would later make up for his penalty miss by scoring again for New York in the 73rd minute with a bullet header inside the box, that would be the last goal of the game and Indy Eleven went down 3-0 on the night. It was a poor goal to give up by a very tired defense.


Arango also no adds pressure to the race for the Golden boot as his two goals helped him to creep up on Zayed and Ramirez, Juan Arango now has 11 goals, one behind Éamon Zayed and two behind Cristian Ramirez.

Tampa comes to Indianapolis...

With very little rest Indy will now face the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Carroll Stadium. Indy Eleven opened their 2016 NASL campaign in Tampa, the two teams were deadlocked in a 0-0 draw in the opening weekend.

Tampa are currently the worst form team in terms of road games, with five played and five straight defeats away to Carolina, Rayo OKC, Ottawa, New York and Minnesota United. Despite not yet having a road win in fall they did manage to put up 2 goals against the Cosmos in a 3-2 defeat which for a spell they led 2-0. They need to improve, and Indy need to get back to winning.

The Rowdies are not in a good situation as far as fall standings god, with only 11 pts so far they find themselves already 14 pts back from the leaders New York. The combined standings may be there bet for a play off position and they are currently in fifth place, six points back from Minnesota.

Despite having a full week of preparation for their trip to Indianapolis, Tampa's training schedule was disrupted by Hurricane Hermine enough to make Thursday an off day for the team. They will still be much more rested and this will be a tough game for Indy Eleven.

The importance of a win for both sides could put quite an edge on this game. Tampa run the risk of being bottom of the fall table should they lose and other results do not work in their favor. For Indy Eleven they run the risk of adding a home defeat or draw to an already poor run of games.

With FC Edmonton drawing in Ottawa on Friday night Indy can move back to second in the combined standings on goal difference and also close the gap to a point behind the Eddies in the fall standings.

Indy will have to deal with the attacking threat of Joe Cole, the English attacking midfielder has now scored 6 of his teams last 11 goals. Indy have looked sluggish in defense lately and with the potential of injury as well our back line is going to have to be tough in this game, and very much switched on.

Indy may have to juggle at the back...

Duke still not being played, does coach not like him?

Indy Eleven will be without Cory Miller through suspension. Greg Janicki who sat out the Cosmos game after playing through injury against Ottawa is recovering from plantar fasciitis and remains a question mark for Saturday. Marco Franco and Justin Braun were in training on Friday but it is still unknown if they are ready to start, it is likely they will be included.

If Greg Janicki is not available for selection it poses problems for Indy with Colin Falvey the only regular center back available. There are options if Franco can start we may see either Franco and Palmer in the full back positions with Vukovic and Falvey at center back or we could move Palmer in to right center alongside Falvey with Franco on the right and Vuko remaining at left back.

Otherwise Indy will have all other players available for selection. In the last two games against Ottawa and New York, the Eleven have only scored one goal from five shots on target in 180 minutes, four of which came in New York but could not produce a goal. Indy need to start finding the net again and it will be interesting to see if Braun is brought back in on Saturday or whether Hankinson tries a different combination up top.

In the game against New York some of the substitutions really made no sense, we need to be more logical with our team selection this week. I was correct in calling for Reinoso to be in the squad for NYC but both Lacroix and Reinoso should have got time. Omar Gordon has not shown enough evidence for me that should have got preference in coming on the field first.

The team is tired and some of these players that Hankinson has not been giving time to need to get on the field in this game and allow a few to get some rest at least from the start of the match.

Starting XI without Janicki: Busch, Franco, Palmer, Falvey, Vukovic, Smart, Paterson, Ring, Lacroix, Reinoso, Zayed.

Starting XI with Janicki: Busch, Franco, Falvey, Janicki, Vukovic, Smart, Paterson, Ring, Lacroix, Reinoso, Zayed.

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As always Bloody Shambles and Permanent Relegation are supporting Playworks Indiana children's charity with our #EamonZayedRule initiative. We are donating money for every goal Éamon Zayed scores this year and you can choose to play along or just make a one off donation to help us reach our target of $2000. Click Here for More Information.

Railhawks Flip The Script, Defeat Eleven With Injury-Time Winner (8/20/2016)

The bright lights of Carolina proved too much for the Eleven on this night.

By: Brandon Cockrum (@brew_wallace)

After a three game homestand that saw Indy Eleven claim three victories and nine points, the club hit the road for the first of three away matches. Game one found them in Cary, NC, at WakeMed Soccer Park taking on the Carolina Railhawks.

At the start of the 2016 campaign, the Railhawks were tabbed by many to be a dark horse playoff candidate, and they lived up to the hype, initially. After winning their first four games in the spring season, the Carolina club lost the plot, managing only two more points the rest of the way. The club used the break between the Spring and Fall seasons to add attacking talent with the addition of starting forwards Matt Fondy and Omar Bravo, a Chivas Guadalajara legend. Their results have improved since the break but the Railhawks have still struggled, largely due to the league’s most generous defense gifting goals to opponents.

Indy began the match with the same lineup as seen in the previous week's home victory over RayoOKC, with the exception of Cory Miller replacing a hobbled Colin Falvey in the center of the back line.

After kick-off both teams began testing each other, resulting in a few half chances and two dirty goalkeepers. At the 20th minute the game began to reveal itself when Eleven defender Greg Janicki rose above three Carolina defenders and goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald to direct a beautifully served corner kick from Dylan Mares into the back of the net.

Janicki scores his fourth goal of 2016. 

Carolina forward Matt Fondy answered quickly, with a languid turn at the top of the box followed by low drive that snuck past a diving Jon Busch and inside the far post. After being shut out in his half season playing in Jacksonville, the Armada castoff has now scored four goals in five matches for the Railhawks.

An eventful ten minutes wrapped up with Indy forward Souleymane Youla earning a penalty kick for the Eleven. After winning a duel in the Carolina box the Guinean forward was pulled down by Carolina defender Drew Beckie. Facing a boisterous RaiIhawks supporter’s section, Indy’s talisman, Eamon Zayed cooly knocked his kick above a diving Fitzgerald to put Indy up 2-1 in the 30th minute.

For the remainder of the first half both teams continued attacking primarily from wide positions, Carolina testing Busch with long range efforts and the Eleven able moving a bit deeper into Railhawk territory.

The second half saw the home side come out on the front foot and find an equalizer in the first ten minutes. After a Carolina cross that Busch punched high and wide to his left, Railhawk defender Stephen Miller volleyed a looping ball back into the mixer, only instead of finding a scrum of players the ball found the inside of the side netting. Game tied, 2-2, 54th minute.

Intentional or not, it still counts.

The 64th minute saw the game's first controversy as match referee Mark Kadlecik reversed his initial penalty call following a conversation with his linesman. The resulting free kick was a blast on frame from the top of the 18-yard box that found Busch ready with a stout save.

Carolina paced the game’s second half and threatened Indy’s goal throughout, with the Eleven unable or unwilling to maintain sustained possession and able to muster just a few chances on goal. This pattern broke up a bit around the 70th minute after both teams made substitutions and the visiting club began looking a little more likely to find a third goal.

Across all of their 2016 contests, Indy had scored 11 goals in the final 15 minutes and allowed only 2. A poor Carolina defense came into the match having allowed 29 goals in 18 games. Despite being ineffective in the second half of the match, the table was set for Indy to do what they do best and earn it’s second road victory of the season, and also begin to change the narrative that they can't win away from home.

Carolina, however, had other plans and flipped the script on Indy. In the second of three posted minutes of injury time, a sliding Brad Ring incredulously used his hands to knock the ball of the foot of a Carolina attacker deep in Indy’s box.

No denying this penalty shout.

On the ensuing spot kick, a diving Busch correctly guessed the direction of Omar Bravo’s penalty effort but was unable to get a hand on the shot. A minute later the match was over, a deserved 3-2 victory for Carolina.

With the loss, the Eleven drop to third place in both the fall and combined season standings, trailing FC Edmonton and New York Cosmos.

The loss also continues Indy’s road woes. Since an April 30 victory over RayoOKC, the club has recorded four draws, three losses and zero wins away from Indiana. 

The club is on the road for their next two matches, first away to Ottawa on Sunday, Aug. 28, and then at New York on Wednesday, Aug. 31. They return to the friendly confines of Carroll Stadium for a Sept. 3 match versus the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Will they return to Indy from two tough road matches having remedied their home sickness, or will they be in desperate need of three points and a warm embrace from the Brickyard Battalion?

While possession and passing accuracy weren’t necessarily the downfall of Indy on Saturday night, it certainly played a key role in the team being unable to finish off an inferior foe, and, ultimately, allowed Carolina to remain in the game until they found their injury-time match winner.

Red: Carolina // Blue: Indy

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Down the Armada! - Indy Eleven v Jacksonville Armada PREVIEW (8/3/2016)

Easy Target? Someone get Tony Meola a Lifejacket!

By: Brandon Cockrum (@Brew_Wallace)

This is a very short, direct preview this week: Indy Eleven should fight like dogs to get a positive result at home against Jacksonville Armada FC. Not only is the club looking to rebound from a loss in Miami, but they are extremely difficult to take points from at Carroll Stadium and the Armada have yet to win a match away from home in their one-and-a-half years of existence, 25 games to be exact. To make matters worse, the coastal club has not scored since July 9, shut out in four straight matches, and are in such a downward spiral that whispers have already started regarding the lifespan of rookie head coach Tony Meola. Anything less than three points earned in convincing fashion on Wednesday evening should be considered a letdown against the league’s poorest performing club.

### 

-30- 

Fin. 

The end.

(Still here? Okay, since the Bloody Shambles blog pays me by the word, generously I might add, I can write more for you; I do need some spending money to buy myself a fancy new shirt from the Eleven’s updated merch store.)

The Boys In Blue have sailed a totally different course this season than the Armada. With a spot in the playoffs guaranteed, the Circle City club is now trying to secure home-field advantage in the playoffs and prepare themselves for a championship run. They've built a monster defense, capable of shutting down the strongest opposition the league provides. On offense, they’ve mostly got the job done, but while they’ve flashed the ability to break out for three or four goals if the stars align, they have also struggled for significant stretches to score goals.

Let’s look at the numbers: Across 16 league games, the Eleven have scored 22 goals, an average of 1.38 goals per match. That’s the third best strike rate in the league. Not too bad. (Only New York Cosmos at 1.71 and Minnesota United at 1.87 are superior.) However, half of Indy's goals (11) were scored in just three matches (vs MNU, vs CAR, vs FTL). Remove those three outbursts from the equation and Indy is averaging just 0.85 goals per game in 13 matches. Not too good.

Indy’s four most recent games reflect this paradigm. After erupting for three goals in the first 27 minutes against a listless (and soggy) Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Indy struggled to put the ball across the goal line in the three matches that followed. In a 2-0 loss to Minnesota United FC, Indy controlled the match for nearly all of the final 60 minutes, but were unable to nick a goal. Defender Greg Janicki slipped a set-piece header past the Edmonton FC goalkeeper early in the next match but the Boys In Blue were stonewalled for the final 75 minutes of a 1-0 victory. 

Aim for the net thing JB! You can do it!

Finally, despite controlling the game from nearly start to finish against Miami FC, the Eleven were shut out for 89 minutes of play before Eamon Zayed connected with a cross to put one goal on the board in a 2-1 defeat. In each of these three matches Indy had plenty of possession, plenty of shots, plenty of crosses, and more than enough opportunities to put a crooked number on the scoreboard, but were unable to do so.

As Indy moves into the second half of the season, I’m hoping to see the club build upon the great foundation they’ve established thus far. To realize their ultimate aspiration of hoisting the NASL Soccer Bowl in November, the team cannot sit on laurels earned in the Spring. Although we’re all proud of their achievements, the mission has not been accomplished. With three games at home in the next eleven days, the Eleven have a great opportunity to begin addressing their few weaknesses in the friendly confines of Carrol Stadium and set themselves up for a strong playoff campaign.

Three things I’m looking for in the second half of the season:

1) Maintain focus, intensity and cohesion on defense. It’s a long grind, April to November, and complacency can easily creep in. Defensive leaders Jon Busch and Colin Falvey probably won’t let those around them slip up much, but clubs that win the spring season are notorious for fizzing out by the playoffs. Indy's defense has been key to their success and it must remain strong.

2) Get more shots on goal. This past Saturday night, Zayed and Omar Gordon put four of their combines six shots on frame. The rest of the Eleven? Only one of 14 shots were on target. This has been a season-long issue. When it comes to shots on goal, quantity does not always trump quantity, as evidenced by the result in Miami. A bit more restraint on attempts from outside the box and improved focus and composure in front of the net should increase the goal tally.

3) Develop creative playmaking and new attacking strategies. Indy has relied on a lot of direct football, flying up the wide channels with their speed and powering down the middle with bruising forwards on the counter attack to create chances. Opponents seem to be aware of this and seem to be coming content to focus on shielding their goal, allowing Indy to take shots from distance and dump in unsuccessful cross after cross while looking for opportunities to counter attack. If the opponents are able to score an early goal, it makes a bunkering game plan even more appealing. 

As mentioned earlier, the Eleven have encountered stretches where Plan A is simply not resulting in goals. Indy needs to develop a Plan B, which might consist of unlocking goals from sustained possession and creative playmaking in the final third. If I’m Tim Hankinson, over the next two to three months I’m focused on finding out who among Gerardo Torrado, Dylan Mares, Nicki Paterson, and Siniša Ubiparipović can drive the offense when handed the keys to the car.

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Also if you enjoy our #NASLMap catch up with @SoccerBits latest update of the standings across North America - CLICK HERE TO READ

Back Home Again (atop the table) - Indy Eleven vs. FC Edmonton REVIEW (7/23/2016)

"If we can keep getting three points at home, we'll keep staying at the top of the table." - Greg Janicki

By: Caleb Ramp (@CalebRamp)

Saturday night’s match against FC Edmonton was something of an enigma. In a vacuum, it could easily be considered the least-convincing win of the season – but a win it was. By securing three points against the third-place team on the combined table, it was—perhaps in its own way—a concrete example of why Hankinson’s men are champions. They’re tough. They’re resilient. They get results. 

Edmonton has shown themselves to be one of the most well-organized sides in the league this season. No team had allowed fewer goals on the road than the Eddies (0.67 per game), and they are one of only two teams (along with Ottawa) to leave Michael A. Carroll Stadium with a point in 2016. 


Credit should be given to Colin Miller’s side for putting in yet another quality performance in a hostile environment—in the brutal heat and humidity—and doing so with a depleted squad. Lesser teams crumble under those conditions, especially after conceding an early set-piece goal. Credit also to Matt Van Oekel, who made a few excellent (and many routine) saves to keep the Eddies alive to the end. 

Even so, Indy will feel like they could have—perhaps should have—done better. Possession was sloppy at times, and careless passes in the midfield led to multiple chances for Edmonton which required a nervy save or clearance. 

Indy also failed to capitalize upon several of their own opportunities at the other end; the lethal efficiency we’ve seen in past matches at The Mike non-existent. After the game, Coach lamented not putting the match out of reach early: “It was a massive night for shooting—for scoring—opportunities. I think we should’ve done better with them. A lot of them were played directly at the keeper.” 

It wasn’t all bad, though: the build-up play was, at times, as beautiful as we’ve seen. Despite finding the net only once (and failing to do so from open play), Indy’s 11 shots from inside the box led the league on the weekend – a clear indicator of the number of quality chances which were being created. Hankinson again: “I think the way we constructed the attacks to create the shooting opportunities was one of the best performances of the year.”


Individually, there were several stand-out performances: Greg Janicki rebounded well from his rough outing in Minnesota, finding the net for the second time in three matches and embodying the “resilience” mantra that is your 2016 Indy Eleven. Cory Miller put in his best performance of the season. Dylan Mares continues to impress. 

It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t have to be. Indy Eleven are back atop the table. 

On to Miami.

James Cormack's (@bshambles_JC) Take: 

I felt we made the game look tougher than it should have been, as I mentioned in the preview FC Edmonton is never a team you can take lightly and they proved that again by taking the game to us despite a vastly changed back line and only having three outfield subs. The back line change perhaps afforded us a goal from a set piece but going toe to toe on the field there really wasn’t much between the teams. 

I thought if we could get an early goal FCE would crumble, we got that goal but Edmonton were never ready to give up the game at any time. It’s good to get the three points and to move top of the table but we also have to recognize over the 90 minutes it was not one of our best games. 

We gave the ball away cheaply on too many occasions and allowed FC Edmonton too many opportunities to attack our goal. Braun and Zayed were pressing the back line when Edmonton had possession but there was a lack of midfield press during the game and we allowed FCE to just play on through at times. 

We need to be more clinical in front of goal because protecting a 1-0 lead is never easy and we came close to losing that lead the whole way through the match even into added time. The heat was a factor for both teams so won’t use it as an excuse for not scoring a second goal, we can be both grateful for a win and also recognize things in our play that can be improved a little

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Post-game reactions from Tim Hankinson, Greg Janicki, and Gerardo Torrado:

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As always Bloody Shambles and Permanent Relegation are supporting Playworks Indiana children's charity with our #EamonZayedRule initiative. We are donating money for every goal Éamon Zayed scores this year and you can choose to play along or just make a one off donation to help us reach our target of $2000. Click Here for More Information.

Setting the foundations, squad building begins for Indy Eleven!

Duke Lacroix - Futures are important!

By: James Cormack

Swift in the wake of our new coach announcement, Indy Eleven wasted no time in clarifying their position on the retention or non retention from our Class of 2015. I am sure for many there are a few surprises, several disappointments and without doubt a few tears.

Trust me you are not alone in your grief, if there is one thing I have learned following the NASL for the last three years and having spent some study on the years previous, get used to it. Every club in the NASL with a couple of exceptions each year has to go through the same thing.

Before I talk about players individually and the merits of retaining them I'll break it down for those who have not read the announcement.

Players that are for sure retained for 2016:

Greg Janicki, Don Smart, Marco Franco, Dylan Mares, Wojciech Wojcik, Duke Lacroix, Dragan Stojkov and Cory Miller.

Players who have been declined for 2016:

Erick Norales, Victor Pineda, Kristian Nicht, Jon Dawson, Judson McKinney, Marvin Ceballos, Daniel Cuevas and Kleberson.

Loan expired players returned after 2015: 

Sergio Peña, Jaime Frias, Dane Richards, Brian Brown, Zach Steinberger and Charlie Rugg

Missing from the players mentioned above are Brad Ring, Kyle Hyland, Daniel Keller and Keith Cardona. Indy Eleven are still in contractual talks with these player so there is still a chance that these players may return to the squad for 2016. It is not clear however whether Hyland and Keller are being considered, they are just listed as contract expired, but also are not listed under declined players, so their fate is unclear at this moment.

Thoughts on the players retained so far........

Having talked to Hankinson's for a little while and listened to him, I can get understand somewhat what he looks for in a player and what he is going to expect from them. Some of the players already returned may surprise you as it did me, but I do now see a different perspective after hearing new coach's words.

Greg Janicki: I'll be the first to hold my hand up I was not overly impressed with his performance for Indy so far. I do know he has been a great player for years at San Anotonio and very highly rated, so how do you suddenly become bad.

Hankinson explained he likes combinations of players, pairings, players who play better when they are on the field together, that compliment each other. The feeling is Greg had years of that previous to Indy Eleven and then we he arrived here he lost it.

Janicki likes to be the back to step forward and make that first tackle in the box, there is no guarantee any player retained will be a starter but if he does his performance will improve if he is combined with the correct player. I think you'll see a different Greg Janicki in 2016.

Don Smart: Don upped his game in 2015 in the last half of the year in my opinion. We kind of got used to knowing he would either play for two thirds of the game or enter in the last third. After the game in Minnesota in early September Don proved he can be a 90 minute player for this team and continued to prove it for the remainder of fall.

Indy need to exploit the corners more and get passes in behind the defense and Don provides that. I'd like to see Don have a crack at goal more often, sometimes he holds back when he gets into good position around the box, put the boot behind it Don and have a crack at goal!

Marco Franco: Marco was a great pick up for the Eleven, he had a reasonably solid year and did everything that was expected of him. I felt however under our initial coaching structure and for the remainder of the year he didn't develop more, through no fault of his own.

Marco has a lot to offer and I don't think we have seen all of it yet. I think our new coaching setup will help develop him into a much more dangerous player. Marco can be a much better box to box defender, would like to see more forward penetration from him on the overlap and more assist play in the final third. Marco is a 'future' another good young player that can only continue to improve at this level.

Dylan Mares: My most improved player in 2015 by far, although I think he was always good, he showed an aggressiveness and determination this year to keep his starting place in the team. Dylan led by example and showed professionalism, after meniscus operation he did not get back in as soon as he would of liked, but when he did it was straight back to business as usual.

That attitude will be important because as the squad building continues, Dylan may find himself fighting for a starting place again. Regardless I think whether he starts a game or comes on as a sub, he will remain professional and give everything he has to be a game changer.

Wojciech Wojcik: Somewhat of a surprise but also not really. Tim Hankinson has said he expects all of his players to be able to defend, and he is also looking for 'warriors'. Woj fits into this category perfectly. Outside of scoring goals as you would want a striker to do, Woj gives something more, a good forward can keep his place in a team without scoring many goals at all because of the other work that they bring to the field.

Early on in 2015 I saw from Wojcik that he is more than willing to drop back as deep as our own 18 yard box to help the team defend an attack and try to turn that into our possession. He also has great strength and as an example of a large forward his knockdown for Sergio Pena's goal in San Antonio is a perfect example of the 'other' things Woj can bring to the field. Coach H talks about combinations of players, Woj will excel as a player if the right compliment can be found for him on the field.

Woj scored back to back goals in games against Cosmos and Carolina at the beginning of fall season before being subbed out for Greg Janicki in a difficult 4-2 defeat to Ottawa. He never really regained a starting spot and I feel this ruined him at a point where he was peaking, bad decision making. Woj can hit that peak again I am sure of it.

Duke Lacroix: As it states on the photo, Duke is a 'future', a young player already showing an abundance of talent who can only continue to improve, but still needs mentors who can develop him from college player to professional. Duke was probably one of our smartest pickups in 2015, he came into the play looking like he had been playing pro for a few seasons.

Lacroix did not once looked overawed or lacking in confidence at all in his first season as a pro player. He took his opportunity by the scruff of the neck and always looked exciting on the field. I honestly think we are fortunate enough to witness the beginning of a future star player that may ended up shining on a higher stage than NASL if he continues with the same confidence. Very important pickup for Indy, can't stress that enough. If we lose players like this, other teams would benefit in the long run.

Dragan Stojkov: Dragan impressed me a lot in 2015, again I don't think we utilized him as well as we could have and I hope moving forward our coaches will see the potential in him in several different positions. Dragan is a good utility player, he can be played on the wing, at center defensive midfield, attacking midfield and as he proved left or right back in defense.

The value of such a player who can adapt quickly to circumstances and cover different positions can't be under stated. Dragan also provides pace and aggressiveness, he never gives up on any ball and this also helps draw fouls from the opposition, he is very difficult to play against.

Another player who I think we could see much more from in a more organized coaching structure. I also believe visa issues are now fixed so this is good for both himself and the team. Dragan takes up the first international spot.

Cory Miller:  Cory was a surprise to me in 2014, I did not know much about him and thought at a time when we really need defensive cover why are we bringing players from USL. Cory proved right away to be an aggressive back who was also confident on the ball. After dropping from the starting lineup at the beginning of 2015 he showed the same consistency when he got back in the team.

Cory like others, may not be guaranteed a starting spot. Whether he starts or not he gives us great depth, one of the things we have lacked in the past is a strong bench and although we have had a large number of players we have not had strength in our 'depth'. Cory makes me feel less nervy just knowing we have him in the squad, we need four good center backs in our team. Cory has earned his place in this squad.

Thoughts on the rest of the announcement......

Obviously there is going to be some disappointment, as there will be at all clubs in the division. When I asked people on reddit recently if you could only pick eleven players to return who would they be, from my own list so far we have restored six.

I have lost three in Erick Norales, Marvin Ceballos and Victor Pineda and it's tough, but I am speaking as a supporter with my heart on my sleeve as well as an armchair coach who thinks he knows what's best. Tim and Tim will have their own plans and I trust them so I am not going to try and second guess their vision. I hope all three of these players land in a good spot and continue playing in the NASL or in any team suitable to their level of skill.

Erick Norales is a warrior, and we are looking for warriors. I have even heard him being described as a warrior by none other than Kristian Nicht. It's a huge loss both from a football perspective and from a 'family' point of view. Erick poured his heart and soul out on the field and I have no doubt everyone in Indianapolis will be eternally grateful for his efforts in this team. We can move on from this, but never forget!

From the "don't knows" I think the two most important for me are Brad Ring and Kyle Hyland which would bring back eight of my choices. Judging from the announcement it is hard to gauge if Kyle Hyland will be back or not, it is vague and not very clear but I hope there is some contact and I hope that works out.

Brad Ring is clearly one of our stand out players, his presence on the field is a pivotal part of the midfield, he brings strength, skill and experience and I am pretty sure he could fit into the starting lineup of any team in this league. If Brad does return he should be suitably rewarded with an increased deal, that's something both sides can thrash out. I hope those negotiations are successful because if Brad moves to another side in the NASL then we will just be giving them an advantage that we need.

I left Cardona out of my eleven, not because I don't rate him but because I chose only outfield players I felt were important to move on with. I would definitely bring Cardona back, he has proved his ability and would be an excellent return to this side. If Keith believes his future lies in Indianapolis I will for sure not complain at all.

Daniel Keller? I have honestly not seen enough playing time from him to warrant an overall opinion, from what I have seen so far I am not sure he is NASL level yet, that does not mean good coaching could not bring more out of him, but I didn't see any immediate impact when he joined. Daniel is still young and could be a valuable squad member but he will need to fight hard for game time.

As far as loan players are concerned, I think it's okay to start fresh and not really worry about it, in the long run I would rather have signed players committed to the club than loans. I actually only would entertain bring Zach Steinberger back if it was a loan and also Dane Richards. Dane's contract is up at Red Bulls but I think he would remain an MLS entity, not sure on that, but we would have to sign him and pay him. I am not sure we would be able to afford him and we may see him draft to another MLS club.

To sum up, I am quite happy with the news. There is quite a ways to go but I feel what he have retained is a good foundation to build around, whether they are starters or not, because we know with these player they can give us something even if they are coming off the bench.

Apparently money has been freed up and Hankinson is looking at tough, quality players to come in and make this team a formidable side. I expect to see seasoned players coming in not just from the NASL but also possibly from MLS. It's silly season and there will be a lot of rumors, from the chatter I have heard so far I think supporters of this team are going to be pleasantly surprised when it is all said and done!

Indy Eleven will also hold combined tryouts for both the first team and for Indy Eleven NPSL. The 2013 tryouts for Indy Eleven did not provide a lot of players for the inaugural squad, but they did discover Don Smart, hopefully our coaches can unearth another gem on December the 19th and 20th.

#WATCHTHISSPACE #INDYFOREVER