Unbeaten Teams Reach 1-1 Stalemate In Heavy Heat - Indy Eleven V Penn FC REVIEW

McInerney pulled Indy back to a point with a well placed free kick. (Photo: James Cormack)

By: Rebecca Townsend (aka The Pitch Bitch)

Indy Eleven began a seven-day run featuring three home games with a draw against Penn FC. The result extends the team's unbeaten streak to five games, placing them fifth among 16 teams in the United Soccer League's Eastern Conference.

Penn FC, under the leadership of head coach Raoul Voss, also entered the match on the tailwind of four unbeaten games. The 1-1 draw keeps both team's bragging rights alive.

Both teams deserve credit for holding each other scoreless in the first half. And Penn deserves credit for the efficacy and speed with which it sprung its goal on Indy just minutes into the second half. Yes, technically Lucky Mkosana scored the goal off a pk, but the truth is Karl Ouimette took him out in the box after Penn players shook their Indy defenders with an excellent series of quick and deadly passes. And yes, Ouimette began his tackle outside the box, but the critical contact game in the no-no zone.

Officiating that one coach referred to as "catastrophic" saw cards issued to three Indy players and one Penn player. 

The Pitch Bitch contends that the yellow against Watson was bogus.

She also felt irrepressible outrage at the blatant malpractice exhibited with just 10 minutes left in the match when the refs missed the absolute in-the-box penalty the Penn D committed against Eugene Starikov (who brought a renewed energetic vigor when he subbed in for Seth Moses in the 58th minute). 

Soccer karma came instantly for the mistreated hosts, however, who were ultimately able to save face thanks to a surgical, right-footed free kick from Jack McInerney about 30 yards out, which bent beautifully into the lower left netting. The roar that erupted in the stadium seemed to suggest a crowd twice its actual size. Indy deserves extra credit for holding their own despite having to play with 10 men for 15 minutes after Ouimette accumulated his second yellow card, resulting in a red-card suspension.

Karl Ouimette's departure saw Indy finish the match with 10 men. (Photo: James Cormack)

Perhaps the crowd's cry serves a harbinger of the great games yet to be had ... Two more this week ... Fourth of July, Downtown Indy ... Should be off the hook ... Maybe that's the night the Pitch Bitch closes the Slippery Noodle Inn for the first time in more than a decade ... All she needs is a good reason to celebrate ...

How much bigger can Hoosiers make these soccer crowds, anyway? The Pitch Bitch believes in big dreams — and she can't shake the dream in which Lucas Oil is packed to the roof for soccer. In fact, she still clings to the even wilder dream in which the necessary players finally embrace Indiana's great soccer heritage and give the people a world-class futbol facility. (If only Indiana could have been ready to be part of the 2026 World Cup... The Pitch Bitch likely won't live long enough to see another U.S.-based World Cup ... but maybe some future generation could have a thrill that big! Even with big dreams, an Indiana World Cup would be a wild sight to behold, for sure.)

Sidebar: Speaking of Indiana's soccer legacy and the World Cup... A special note of appreciation to Fort Wayne's DaMarcus Beasley, the first U.S. player to appear in four consecutive World Cups, currently defending for the MLS's Houston Dynamo, who traveled home this past week for the opening of the Beasley Courts public futsal facility, which will support footskills development for generations of players to come. Thanks for being so awesome, DaMarcus!

Sweltering heat settled hard on Indy Saturday and the stadium had a sauna-like feel. The players weren't so much running as they were swimming. The sweaty sheen of the spectators cast an iridescent haze around the arena, entirely appropriate with the rainbow color scheme of Pride Night.

Brickyard Battalion celebrate and support Pride Night in Indy (Photo: James Cormack) 

Indy began with possession, which they lost straightaway by launching a long aerial down the right flank. A series of arrows in the match notes indicate possession traded back and forth for the first nine minutes of the match, with both sides trying to test each other and neither making inroads.

A minute of craziness opened up in the 11th minute as Penn intercepted a mistimed header a player tried to drop to his defensive support, positioning the visitors to have a nice angle on goal. Indy readjusted quickly enough to neutralize the threat — and spring a counter that almost provided Justin Braun with a great 1-on-1 opportunity at the opposite end of the field. Almost. Instead, back and forth play resumed, with both sides displaying solid defensive cohesion and moments of attacking creativity. Two former members of Indy Eleven from its NASL days, Marco Franco and Paolo Jr., started against Indy and contributed to the team's efficacy on both ends of the field. 

Match notes credit Venegas with sweet touch receiving a crossfield long ball deep in Penn territory and adding a nice evasive move to elude the initial defensive pressure. (The subsequent defensive pressure ended that particular attack, however.) Venegas also was the initial link in a shot combination with Watson, Braun, and McInerney. Credit goes to Seth Moses for his penetrating dribbles and passes through the midfield. Also to Ben Speas, who subbed in for Braun in the 63rd minute, and did well to stay on his feet despite heavy Penn pressure. Venegas fed Speas for an excellent last-minute shot opportunity, but the ball was not destined to find its target. Ayoze had a brilliant nutmeg. And Carlyle Mitchell exhibited nice footwork, which launched a hopeful ball toward Penn's goal.

Venegas and Starikov combine on the right flank for Indy (Photo: James Cormack)

All this goes to say, Indy continues exhibiting the ability to absorb and re-direct virile threats. Players are building their multi-pronged attacking strategy, engaging all players in cooperative, dynamic movement. This is a promising foundation on which to build the rest of the season.

Indy head coach Rennie Martin said he intends to do just that: continue to build.

"There are always things to learn," he said in a post-match press scrum. "From this game, it's just the tempo of our passing and attacking. That's easy to say that sitting on the sidelines; it was a hot night and hard to breathe. But I felt maybe the speed of play wasn't as quick as I'd like and that we didn't really penetrate enough on the dribbling or passing behind their backline. Their backline was very, very deep. So, when that happens, we have to get in there and take people on or play one-twos. So that'd be something we could improve on."

(Click Here for the full post-match interview with Martin Rennie)

Indy Eleven will host the Ottawa Fury FC on July 4 (Military Appreciation Night, with the team offering 50 percent off tickets to military members who use the code military18 at Indyeleven.com/military) and Charlotte Independence on July 7. Both games begin at 7 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium. Fee-free tickets are available for purchase through the Brickyard Battalion supporters club at BYBtix.com.

Unbeaten and unsatisfied: Indy Eleven vs SF Deltas Review (4/22/17)

Solid play from Marco Franco and Colin Falvey helped earn Indy their first clean sheet of 2017.

By: Caleb Ramp

The start of the 2017 NASL season has been frustrating for supporters of Indy Eleven. Spoiled, perhaps, by the ease in which they would dismantle teams at home in the latter stages of last season -- outscoring opponents 25-5 in the fall season. 

Four draws from four matches (including a squandered 2-0 lead) have left many trying to determine who or what to blame. Being held scoreless at home for the first time in the Tim Hankinson era only adds fuel to the fire. 

Soccer is a game of thin margins, however. If a few pivotal moments thus far had gone Indy's way -- had Braun's third goal against Puerto Rico not been disallowed, or had any number of painfully close chances from Indy's forwards this season found their target -- the narrative would undoubtedly be different.

The impact of key injuries should also be taken into account -- though it could be argued that the very apparent lack of depth (especially when compared to last season) is a failure in and of itself.

Broken Wings:

Injuries to Don Smart and Ben Speas (both expected to miss another few weeks, per Tim Hankinson) resulted in Gerardo Torrado and Craig Henderson starting on the outside of a 4-4-2 diamond. Unsurprisingly, neither looked particularly comfortable. 

Torrado, to his credit, linked up well with Sinisia Ubiparipovic (who found himself in the starting lineup for the first time in 2017) -- but the Indy attack repeatedly fizzled in the final third. After the game, Hankinson criticized the number of unnecessary touches and low-percentage passes the Eleven had taken: "We weren't thinking productively enough."

On the right, Henderson had a game to forget. Turnovers, misplayed passes, inaccurate cross attempts, and defensive errors plagued him from the opening whistle. The absence of Don Smart -- and the lack of a suitable replacement -- dramatically limited the area of the pitch San Francisco was tasked with defending. Unable to find consistent success through the midfield, Indy often opted to bypass it altogether -- a less-than-ideal strategy when playing into wind gusts of 20+ MPH.

LEFT: Ben Speas and Don Smart vs SF Deltas (3/25/17)
RIGHT: Gerardo Torrado and Craig Henderson vs SF Deltas (4/22/17)

It's not all bad for the Boys in Blue, though. Despite doing so in a fairly unimpressive fashion, drawing the Deltas meant setting an NASL record with 20 unbeaten home matches, and the extended 16-game Spring season grants Indy a bit more time than usual to get healthy.

Four games, four draws -- but only four points from the top of the table. League-leading Jacksonville Armada await.

That's a new one.

---

Post-Game Audio (with Tim Hankinson):

---

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and keep up to date with all of our content at the Bloody Shambles website.

Indy Eleven V Puerto Rico FC REVIEW (4/1/2017)

Justin Braun notches his first two goals of 2017

By: Jordan Kalt

It’s one of those games where you walk away fighting a bad feeling.

The scoreline eats at you. It didn’t feel like a 3-3 draw, but that’s what you got.

Indy Eleven’s 2017 home opener had excitement, confusion, drama and frustration. A good cocktail of a plot for one of those Gordon Ramsay cooking shows.

On the one hand, Hankinson has clearly helped Braun and Smart work into the best form we’ve ever seen from the two. Marco Franco is performing at a high level as well. These three have been important support players in the past but seriously stepped up in training camp this year and are carving out large roles in the team dynamic this year.

It was thrilling to see these and other players really clicking during different stretches yesterday afternoon. Smart was exemplary as the midfield led an impressive clinic on passing and possession, controlling the ball at the top of the box before setting up carefully timed crosses from the outside. Justin Braun opened with an early header and then picked up an assist on Ben Speas’ over-the-keeper chip, and all in the first ten minutes.

Emotions were running high throughout the stadium. Our championship-caliber team was clearly alive and well, if not even improved. And then, inexplicably, our veteran Indy Eleven squad started slowing down and sat back on that all-too-comfortable 2-0 lead.

Indy’s defensive shape began to get a bit, well... relaxed… and Puerto Rico set about retaking possession and methodically worked their way deep into Eleven territory.

Daniel Keller is stout-hearted but a bit short for a stormtrooper/centerback. Puerto Rico’s imposing forward, Hector Ramos, knowingly exploited the size mismatch, handled the ball in the box, and slid a pass to Conor Doyle for PRFC’s first easy goal in the 24'.

PRFC slip their first goal past Busch to open a scoring spree.

Then things got downright sloppy.

Just before halftime Kwame Watson-Siriboe committed an inexcusable foul in the box, setting up a penalty that was at first saved by Busch and then decisively buried off the rebound by Ramos. The second half didn’t promise much better at first. Jon Busch made a rare mistake getting off his line and into trouble one on one with a lone runner in the 57th minute. Clipping the runner’s legs set up a second PK for Puerto Rico and they took the lead, 3-2.

Eamon Zayed had, however, returned at the beginning of the second half from his brief bench hiatus and the positive juxtaposition of his playstyle with Braun’s began to show. The team seemed to wake up as time went on and Zayed drove the attack forward. A rebound fell to Justin Braun during the 75' mark and he put a powerful left-footed strike through for his second goal of the match.

Braun was poised for a happy birthday hat trick to take Indy up 4-3 for the win during stoppage time but the line judge ruled an onside Eamon Zayed off at the beginning of the play. A careful look at the replay reveals an admittedly close call, but still a wrong one.

Whistle. Draw. 3-3.

Leadership and Hunger

You know who we need? Colin Falvey.

The return of Falvey’s leadership should keep us from seeing a repeat of the amateurish malaise our players fell into after gaining the early lead. His penchant for leading by example and organizing the back line have been sorely missed. This roster has great defensive components. With the supremely skilled Vukovich as a returnee and with Marco Franco developing nicely, the wings look promising. At centerback Watson-Siriboe offers great physicality and seems like an intelligent player. This was a poor game for him but he will eventually be paired with Falvey and should perform better. Teammates and supporters alike will be glad to see Colin reclaim his role over the next game or two.

Leadership sidelined. Zayed and Falvey look to transition back onto the field.

All of these players must be hungry for better results. A carefully re-tuned midfield looks like it will bring much better possession and early scoring than has been typical of Indy’s style. When the attack was working well against Puerto Rico it was because the Eleven were building play much further up center midfield than they’d been accustomed to in the past.

Directing play from the top of the box like this is ideal for using fast runners like Speas and Smart down the wings to set up penetrating plays in the box. These components could work very well over the season, but coming off of last year’s championship run the danger will be in merely becoming complacent.

Many other NASL clubs have put in the money and effort over the offseason to raise the competitive bar. Puerto Rico is among those teams but will not be the stiffest competition Indy Eleven faces this year. We can't afford to buy the lie that this regular season year will be an easy walk into the playoffs.

Regardless of bad calls it was mid-match, lackadaisical and downright poor play sitting on a comfortable lead that first cost the Eleven a win.

And then, yes, poor officiating probably cost Indy a hard-fought redemption at the death. Aside from getting better referees, what can you say? What can you do?

You can own your lapse in maturity and get on with the next match.

I bet that’s what Hankinson will have them do.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post match reactions from Justin Braun, Tim Hankinson and Ben Speas

Indy Eleven V Louisville City FC Review (3/18/2017)

Nemanja Vukovic's late wonder strike keeps Indy Eleven unbeaten in pre-season.

By: James Cormack

One week before Indy Eleven and Louisville City's respective seasons begin the two teams met in Evansville to shake off the last remnants of offseason rust and prepare their teams for competitive football. Indy Eleven will play San Francisco Deltas next Saturday evening while Louisville entertain St. Louis in an afternoon kick off in their USL home opener.

Indy Eleven started the game with a mostly recognizable lineup. With the absence of the recovering Colin Falvey the starting back four in front of Jon Busch consisted of Marco Franco at right, Lovel Palmer and Kwame Watson-Siriboe at center and Nemanja Vukovic at left back.

Brad Ring wore the captain's armband and partnered Gerardo Torrado in center midfield with Siniša Ubiparipović at right midfield and Ben Speas out left. Éamon Zayed and Justin Braun made up the front two.

Don Smart, Craig Henderson, Anthony Manning, Keith Cardona, Christian Lomeli, Daniel Keller, Tanner Thompson and an un-named trial player made up the bench. A quick spot of google searching leads us to believe the unknown player was David Goldsmith formerly of Butler Mens Soccer (correct me if I am wrong). There was no sign of Dino Williams or Cory Miller at the game.

Éamon Zayed had a superbly chipped goal crossed off, appeared onside to everyone but the linesman.

In the first half chances were few and far between for Indy Eleven, the work rate was there but the 4-4-2 formation seemed very flat to me and not a lot of creative play. Marco Franco and Vukovic worked well in moving the ball forward into attacking areas with Ben Speas and Ubiparipović working well in combination with the backs.

Indy Eleven's best chance came from a forward pass by Vukovic to Zayed who appeared to be onside when the pass was made and chipped the ball over Louisville keeper Gregory Ranjitsingh and into the back of the net. Zayed was called offside by the linesman.

Louisville City had three good chances on target at the other end but Jon Busch was more than a match for their strikes. Louisville were very fast on counter attack and gave Indy Eleven a lot of trouble at the back positions from the start especially on our left side. Both sides drew a blank and went in 0-0 at half time.

The refereeing was at times a little suspect, but it was a pre season game. Brad Ring picked up a ridiculous yellow after making a challenge and playing the ball against his opposing player who went down over it, there was no real contact with the player.

Former IU midfielder Tanner Thompson put in a solid second half shift.

Indy Eleven made one substitution at half time bringing on Don Smart into the right midfield and removing Justin Braun which allowed them to move Ubiparipović into a more attacking role. Smart looked as sharp as ever in the second half causing trouble for the Louisville back line at every available opportunity.

The second half saw two goals, one for either side. The first came for LCFC after they were awarded a penalty from a Lovel Palmer tackle inside the box for which he received a yellow card. Lovel was a little lucky not to see a second yellow only a few minutes later after somewhat heavy challenge on the right side of midfield. Cameron Lancaster delivered from the spot kick past Jon Busch to put his side 1-0 up in the 52nd minute.

The rest of the game for Indy was mostly about giving players game time. Tanner Thompson came on shortly after Don Smart and looked very impressive for his time on the field, pacey, aggressive and and always willing to run at defenders.

Craig Henderson looked very composed, found good position and closed his opposition down well and looks like he could prove to be a very valuable signing. Keith Cardona, Daniel Keller, Anthony Manning and trialist David Goldsmith all saw game time as well.

As we saw many times in 2016, Indy Eleven proved once again they are never a team to give up on a game at any point and Nemanja Vukovic caught on to a bobbling ball outside of the Louisville 18yd box and cracked a beautiful shot into the far right corner of the net. Probably one of the best goals I have seen scored by an Indy Eleven player and scored right before the final whistle to pull off the draw for Indy Eleven.

Don Smart and trialist David Goldsmith (?) causing trouble for the Louisville back line.

Overall thoughts

I am a little unsure if this is the best formation or lineup I have seen, it is the first time I have seen the team in preseason but I think the the way we played is a little too flat. There was very little being done creatively in the middle behind the forwards and most of our chances were being created from runs into the corners.

Last year it took a few games to find the right model and I think we may see the same again this year. Hankinson has proved in the past he has no problems shaking things up even during a game, so I am not overly worried about it. For me everything was overly defensive and not enough spark in attack.

As far as being match ready the overall condition of the players and work rate seems to be there and cannot fault anyone for lack of effort, we defended well in all ares of the field and on the whole quick to close down our opposition. If I look back on how we looked going into the first game at Tampa last year, the difference this year in fitness an condition is not comparable, we look much more like a team ready for 90 minutes of competitive league play.

Most outstanding player from this game for me was probably Marco Franco, his work ethic was unquestionable in defense and attack. A lot of penetration in the opposition half taking the ball to their defense and interplay with team mates was very good throughout the whole game. Honorable mention to Ben Speas for outstanding work rate on the left side, I still think from a distance he looks like Dylan Mares.

With Colin Falvey still recovering I am a little concerned about the back line in front of goal. Lovel Palmer has a lot of strength and aggressiveness and is solid at right back, but I am a little uncomfortable with him inside the box, he could easily have been red carded yesterday and that could be a problem in competitive games going down to ten men and losing a central defender. Will require a little more caution in a real league match which I think we will see.

We are ready! Only competitive games will allow us to find the right combinations for this roster but I have no doubts we are still a team that will be very difficult to beat once this all kicks off for real.

Marco Franco is probably a worthy nominee for Man of The Match in Evansville.

Indy Prepare for a Miami Hurricane - Indy Eleven V Miami FC PREVIEW (9/17/2016)

There will be more to worry about than low evening sun this Saturday!

By: James Cormack

Indy Eleven host Miami FC at Carroll Stadium for the first time on Saturday. The two sides have already met twice this year, both times at FIU Stadium. The first meeting in Spring provided a 0-0 draw in their 8th game of spring, it was a game that could have seen Indy Eleven wrap up the spring title a little easier one week before defeating Carolina Railhawks 4-1 at Carroll Stadium.

The second meeting was Indy Eleven's third road game of the fall season, the home side won 2-1 and inflicted Indy Eleven's second defeat of the year after losing their previous road game in Minnesota. Dariío Cvitanich opened the scoring in the fourth minute, Ariel Martinez put Miami 2-0 up late in the game before Éamon Zayed pulled one back.

Miami FC have been ever changing since the spring season, they have just about bought everything that has not been nailed down, their roster now numbers 29 and they are still adding. Hunter Freeman joined Miami FC recently from New York Cosmos. They have their sights on an "all or bust approach" and they are getting the results they need.

Outside of a surprise defeat at home to Fort Lauderdale on August 13th, Miami are now 6-2-1 in their last nine games, they probably now have the most enviable road record in fall as well, in their last six games away from home they are undefeated and have gathered a huge 14pts from a possible 18. Those wins included a 4-0 thrashing of Minnesota and 2-0 win in Edmonton. Miami FC are proving they don't care where they play, they play to win everywhere.

The last six games for either side, Miami are the form side coming into this game.
Both sides have played 4 away and 2 home, Miami FC have 14pts to Indy's 2.

While Indy Eleven fell flat in Florida last week Miami FC defeated Puerto Rico on the road to jump ahead of us into third place. On Wednesday they defeated second place team FC Edmonton and relegated them to third. Miami FC are aiming for the top and they still have a game in hand over the Cosmos and Indy.

As we know Indy Eleven have not been as fruitful in recent games and are struggling to fight off the title of worst road team in the NASL currently. Indy Eleven have not won a game in their last five, the last victory came against Rayo OKC at home on August 13th. Most of our games since then have been on the road, four of the last five with one home game against Tampa, we have taken 2pts in that time with an 0-2-3 showing.

The match against Miami is the first of the three game run that will see Indy Eleven play each of the current top three in the NASL Fall Table. It's going to be tough, and it has arrived at a point in time where Indy can pull themselves out of a slump or sink further into it.

The Eleven have no had two weeks where they have not played a midweek game, allowing for some regeneration, coach Hankinson has indicated that training has been more intense but the duration of training sessions has shortened to allow the players more rest. Hopefully this works for us because we have looked visibly tired and slow in recent games. Fitness and stamina will be critical facing a team in this kind of form.

Injury/Roster team updates....

Greg Janicki is the only player listed as officially out for this game. Cory Miller is available for this game after personal leave, whether he will oust Daniel Keller from the starting back position remains to be seen, I suspect he will.

Brad Ring and Omar Gordon came off early in last weeks game in Fort Lauderdale but neither have been reported as concerns. The biggest question will be whether Tim Hankinson wants to field the strongest possible team and maintain an attempt to win the fall season, or do we rotate and get players valuable game minutes before we reach the playoffs.

Considering the form of Miami FC and the attacking formation they play it would not surprise me if we adopt a more midfield heavy approach and elect to go with one striker up top, just a hunch and I may be completely wrong. Miami had the luxury of being able to play players like Campos and Cvitanich off the bench on Wednesday, Cvitanich scored within a minute of being on the field. Both of these players pose a great threat, Hankinson is well aware of Campos as he was his target man at San Antonio.

So the chances are we will go 4-5-1 and play more defensively for at least a portion of the game, or we will continue with the 4-4-2 and a similar lineup to that which found success in Spring. My feeling is we may elect to leave someone like Braun on the bench and save his pace for later in the game. Considering the 4-4-2 which is more usual and that we may need some fresh legs and rotation I will offer up the following.....

My Starting XI - Busch, Franco, Miller, Falvey, Vukovic, Smart, Ring, Paterson, Lacroix, Braun, Zayed.

Subs: Cardona, Palmer, Keller, Mares, Gordon, Torrado, Reinoso

I do have a sneaky feeling we may see Ubiparipović on the bench, and if we do decide to go 4-5-1 it would not surprise me to see him start in front of Ring/Paterson or Ring/Torrado and behind Zayed. We need play time for all our players, Siniša and Jair Reinoso probably need this more than most looking forward to the post season.

We want to win all our games obviously, this and the two after are going to be very very tough, Indy Eleven are going to have to lift themselves and do everything they can just to maintain their unbeaten home record, to me that is more achievable than being fall champions. If I am given a draw now I'll take it, a win will be a bonus. We can win this game, but it will be as difficult as any game we have faced in 2016. The team we knew as "scared of nobody" are going to have to step up to the plate tomorrow!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't forget 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.

On An Island In The Sun - Puerto Rico FC V Indy Eleven PREVIEW (7/2/16)

Souleymane Youla in action against Liga MX champions CF Pachuca

By: James Cormack

Hip Hip! Okay I couldn't resist a nice Weezer reference, if you have no idea what I am talking about you are missing out on a great song.

As with any new franchise in NASL you need some hype and some promotion to get butts on seats for your first season. Puerto Rico have been leading with the catchphrase "We Are Ready!". Are they really ready though?

PRFC stole the headlines in June of 2015 when it was announced NBA star and Puerto Rican native Carmelo Anthony has bought a franchise in the NASL that will play in the summer of 2016 at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

So while the rest of the NASL have been concentrating on Spring action, what have PRFC been up to? Puerto Rico's roster currently stands at 21 with three goalkeepers. probably the most recognizable name to Indy Eleven fans would be former striker Pedro Mendes who departed the club in 2014 for Minnesota and then moved back to his former club Atlanta Silverbacks in 2015. Joining him in Puerto Rico is his twin brother and former Cosmos and Atlanta player Paulo.

The rest of the Puerto Rican roster provides a smattering of NASL and local experience, but nothing jaw dropping or eyebrow raising as we have seen with other new teams like Rayo OKC or Miami FC, there has been no huge spending nor is there anyone who could be described as a 'marquee' player.

Chris Nurse may be considered somewhat talismanic locally, he played for the original Puerto Rico Islanders in 2010 and in 2012, he returns to Puerto Rico for the third time. In between he has featured for Carolina Railhawks, Fort Lauderdale Strikers and FC Edmonton. The 32 year old midfielder from Hammersmith, London will no doubt be looked upon for experience and leadership in the fall.

In terms of NASL league experience through the rest of the roster Brazilian attacker Oliver Minatel arrrives from Ottawa Fury FC where he made 44 appearances. Fellow Brazilian 'Cristiano' Dias boasts four to five years experience with Minnesota United where he made 98 appearances for the Loons and the defender will don the captain's armband for PRFC.

Outside of that and adding a few Puerto Rican player and some internationals like Ramón Soria (Spain) and Bljedi Bardic (Montenegro). I'll be perfectly honest this roster does not in anyway give me the feeling we are looking at a squad that is going to cause any great upset in fall.

The pre season and preparations for Puerto Rico are equally obscure. As far as I can tell from club news the team has played against the Puerto Rico national team in which they won 1-0 in New York, played against Costa Rica in their preparation for Copa America (all I can tell is the game ended after 75 minutes due to a thunderstorm), and a game against US U17's (no details found, apparently USA's warmup against Puerto Rico is not the same game?).

So are Puerto Rico ready to meet the only undefeated team in the NASL and current Spring Champions Indy Eleven, I hope I am not proven wrong, but no, I don't really think they will be. Even in 2014 when Indy entered the league for the first time their preparation, even if lacking then was better than that. The most important thing for PRFC is to get started and gain experience in 2016. It is going to be tough for them, Indy Eleven found out the hard way in 2014 that this league is not to be underestimated.

Indy Eleven not letting off the gas any time soon......

Franco covering Omar Gonzalez of CF Pachuca

There has not been much of a break for Indy since Spring, three days after winning the Spring  Championship the Eleven took on Chicago Fire in the US Open Cup, despite exiting the competition on penalties, it was an impressive performance by the team, to come off a huge win against Carolina with very little rest and push Chicago for 120 minutes, no complaints from me, it was a great showing.

The squad got a break and then resumed action again on June 26th they played in exhibition against reigning Liga MX Champions CF Pachuca and thanks to a great goal from Éamon Zayed defeated them 1-0 at Carroll Stadium.

Indy will look to push on and continue where they left off but there will be a few players unavailable for the match in Puerto Rico so we will look to use our roster depth again.

Gerardo Torrado is not yet eligible for this game, he will not be able to play in competitive NASL matches until after the transfer window closes on Monday. He will be available for our next home match.

Gorka Larrea will no longer be playing for Indy, anyone who follows his instagram would know he appears to be a long way away right now, Indy Eleven picked Gorka up for Spring and it looks like his option will not be picked up for fall, so it's bon voyage to Gorky.

The benefit of winning Spring and already having a playoff berth means we have time to let injured players heal, this will be the case for Colin Falvey this week, he played through pain in Spring with a groin issue and now that is being allowed to heal, return time not yet know.

Don Smart and Jair Reinoso are still not 100% or ready for a return yet. Indy will leave nobody else behind and have just enough to make the 18 man roster for the match.

The biggest question for me is will Marco Franco keep his place, in the last three matches he has been outstanding, he had a great performance against Pachuca, Chicago and Carolina. Lovel Palmer is back and ready, but do we need to change for right now, we made the playoffs and we have opportunities to rotate players. 

I'd like to see both play to be honest, but I think Franco has earned a start for this game and Lovel is a very adaptable player who can play defense and midfield so with a player like Larrea departing he will still be very important.

Also does Cardona who also had a standout performance against Pachuca get more time against an unknown team? Will be interesting to see if he starts, I would be comfortable with it but also love to see Jon Busch in goal as well.

Possible starting lineup: Busch, Franco, Miller, Janicki, Vukovic, Mares, Ring, Paterson, Gordon, Zayed, Braun. Subs: Cardona, Palmer, Shaffer, Keller, Lacroix, Youla, Ubiparipovic

Players to watch: 

Éamon Zayed, sitting atop the scoring table in NASL after a hat trick against Carolina and pulling out another one against CF Pachuca, he's a man on a mission, he told us we'd win Spring and we did, he told us he would win the Golden Boot and we believe him. This could be the perfect game for him to bump up his tally.

Souleymane Youla, whether he starts or comes on later in the game he is the new guy and he looks sharp, he will be eager to carve himself a regular starting spot but will have to earn it in this roster, a standout performance won't do any harm, expect him to give 110% and possibly score.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Watch out for a new blog with some exciting news coming soon, we have some upcoming events to tell you about including Permanent Relegation's annual Euchre tournament the Game of Kings, which will help raise more money. If you are interested SIGN UP HERE.

At the moment we are almost at 25% of our goal of $2000, please consider helping us get a little further!

Unbeaten but imperfect: Indy Eleven salvage a point in Jacksonville (5/28/16)

Justin Braun (seen here in preseason action) is putting early struggles behind him and quickly finding his stride.

By: Caleb Ramp

Let's start by making something very clear: this was not a good result for the Indy Eleven. This wasn't a moral victory. Not a point to be celebrated.

This was a salvaged result. This was the aversion of complete disaster, but a major setback nonetheless: Like a merchant ship sailing off-course into hostile water, fending off an attack from pirates, only to beach itself in the process on an island a thousand miles from the intended destination. There's no doubt it could have been worse, but shouldn't it have been better than it was?

Admittedly, it almost feels foolish to be disappointed with a team so racked with injuries managing to remain undefeated after falling behind on the road. This is especially true when you consider the team's previous two seasons. Had you told any Eleven supporter two months ago that they'd be sitting in second place at this point in the season, you'd get nothing but ecstatic reactions.

Yet despite how impressive "undefeated through eight" sounds superficially, Indy didn't leave Jacksonville without a loss: The Eleven no longer control their own destiny in the Spring title race, but are now at the sole mercy of the Cosmos. If New York fails to drop points in Fort Lauderdale next week, Indy ceases to have any mathematical chance of securing their playoff spot ten games in.

All of this isn't to say there weren't outstanding individual performances (Jon Busch and Justin Braun were among the brightest in this regard), or even that the team shouldn't be proud of overcoming adversity yet again and refusing to collapse under the pressure -- something which could never be said of previous iterations of this team. 

However, Jacksonville is a side which had lost their last four, hadn't scored in a month, traded away arguably their best player for cash (which has yet to be reinvested in on-field talent), was missing multiple starters due to international duty, had to make a goalkeeping substitution in the 57th minute, and hadn't kept a clean sheet in seven games.

This is a sport (and moreover a league) where anything can happen -- but for a team so close to winning so much so early, dropping two crucial points against an opponent of that pedigree is painful.

Assorted Thoughts and Opinions:

• There’s no question the back four looked like a group missing 50% of their starters. Neither Marco Franco nor Cory Miller had a terrible game individually (although Miller was far from perfect), but the group was clearly uncomfortable together. Disorganization led to multiple chances for the Armada, and the fluid connection between the back line and midfield we’ve seen in previous games was non-existent. 
  
  There were also several silly fouls conceded in dangerous areas, including one which led to a Sandoval free kick hitting the woodwork. Franco, to his credit, made a tremendous stop in the final minutes in front of an empty net, effectively saving the game for the Eleven:




• Wide play – a struggle in the first few games of the season – is still steadily improving. While obviously not as successful as last week against Minnesota, there were numerous chances created from balls played into the box from wider positions.
  
  24 total crosses was a season high for the Eleven. Some of these went completely unrealized (such as the low cross in the 89th minute from Duke LaCroix which likely would have earned Indy the victory had anyone been in position for a simple tap-in). Others forced Evers or Gallardo into action -- Don Smart’s incredible ball from 25+ yards out directly to Eamon Zayed’s forehead being one such moment:
  
  
  Moreover, Indy’s lone goal on the evening was the result of Jair Reinoso beating his man down the right before crossing the ball to a leaping Justin Braun. The in-form Indy front man powered it past Gallardo for his second goal in as many games.

Quest for the Cup: 

The Eleven now momentarily shift their focus to the US Open Cup and a showdown with USL league-leaders Louisville City FC on Wednesday. Louisville City is unbeaten in their last nine (6W, 3D), and will be anything but an easy out.

It’s no secret that Indy wants make a deep Cup run while simultaneously exacting revenge on the side that knocked them out of the competition in extra time a season ago. Injuries might ultimately force Tim Hankinson to play a relatively similar lineup (with perhaps 2-3 adjustments, primarily in the midfield and forward pairing) to the one we saw in Jacksonville. Time will tell.

The game kicks off at 7:30 PM at The Mike. Tickets are not included in your season ticket package, but are available online for purchase. 

Be sure you’re there to support your Boys in Blue.

---

Don't forget: Bloody Shambles along with Permanent Relegation are raising money for Playworks Indiana children's charity with Éamon Zayed. Pledge an amount for every goal he scores this season or make a one time donation and help us towards our $2000 season goal. Find out more here! Our direct donation link now shows our target and running donations, help us reach it!

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