Indy's Home Opener A Great Success But Without Points - Indy Eleven V FC Cincinnati REVIEW (3/31/2018)

New stadium, new players, new league. Tifo game on point!

By: James Cormack

Indy Eleven kicked off their first home game of the 2018 USL season against FC Cincinnati at their new home Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was a new beginning for everyone, from tailgating to the final whistle. Despite the scoreline, everything was a huge success for the team, the supporters, and the city.

As we mentioned in the run-up to this game it was always going to be a difficult game to call, I felt that Indy Eleven could have and probably should have come out of this game without losing, a draw would have been a fair result, we had our chances but didn't take them. FC Cincinnati did and finished the match with a 1-0 victory over the Eleven.

Indy had opportunities to be first on the board early in the game, with some silky skills from Tyler Pasher on the left Indy's number three made a great solo run all the way to the goal line and looped a cross beyond the goal and found Jack McInerney at the back post whose header came off the upright. A couple inches to the left and there was no saving that one.

Cincinnati scored the goal that would win the match in the 26th minute. A crossfield pass from left to right found Emmanuel Ledesma with time to control before sending in a cross towards the penalty spot that probably could not have been any more perfect and found Emery Welshman between Ferreira and Mitchell who nodded the ball past Fôn Williams to open the scoring. As the wonderful Greg Rakestraw was pointing out Fôn Williams to be the first Welshman to play for Indy Eleven, Emery became the first Welshman to score against us. (ah ha)

Tyler Pasher had another outstanding 90 minutes for Indy Eleven

People love to argue penalties and pour over replays, I didn't need to, the replay on the big screen once was enough for me and I have watched it again since it was a clear penalty. With the ball already out of his reach, Newton brought both hands to McInerney's feet and brought him down. Last man tackle, could have been a red card on any other day but referee Badawi decided it didn't even warrant a yellow. Fair enough?

With around five minutes to go before the half Indy had a great opportunity to tie the game up. Jack McInerney went for placement rather than power to the right side of goal but Newton guessed right and pulled off a fine save followed by a second block on a Speas shot to deny Indy an equalizer.

During the full ninety minutes, Indy Eleven had plenty of opportunities to find the net which is encouraging, but it was not going to be our day. Shots from McInerney, Watson, Starikov, Saad, and Speas were all kept out. It's early, it's our second game of the season against one of the championship favorites, if we keep creating those chances we will score them and nothing about this game really indicated that Indy Eleven was in any way the weaker of the two sides.

Not even the BYB could get that ball into the net, McInerney denied by Newton.

One concern is that Indy appears to be having injury issues early in the season. Saad was unavailable to start because of a knock, Ayoze and Kevin Venegas have still not made a bench in the first two games meaning we are thin on left and right back cover. An unfortunate ankle injury for Reiner Ferreira saw him leave the field in the first half with Brad Ring coming in to cover at right back and Ouimette moving into center.

It's not a huge concern at this moment and luckily it's coming at the beginning of the season. Defensive depth is critical to any team so hopefully, we don't have any more early casualties and Ferreira's injury is not too serious.

It does no harm to take a beating early and move on, Rennie and the coaching staff have plenty to look at and a week to repair and prepare before heading to North Carolina FC to renew a rivalry started in the NASL. Richmond Kickers who fell to Indy in our opening game achieved their first win this weekend defeating NCFC 2-1. North Carolina will be looking for their first win, maybe Indy Eleven can find their second as Rennie returns to face one of his former clubs.

Never a good sight. Reiner Ferreira departed the back line in the first half.

So what about that game day experience?

Considering the short space of time the club and the supporters have had to prepare for a new league in a new stadium I am pretty sure I was not the only person walking away from the match suitably impressed.

The Brickyard Battalion, Slaughterhouse 19 and all supporter groups deserve a round of applause for the gameday setup. The choice of Gate Ten facilities and parking for tailgate setup was top notch with outdoor and indoor space available. The main parking was also easily accessible and myself like others got in before the allotted opening time and there was no real difficulty in leaving the stadium, nothing more than you would expect from a large event. The supporter display of tifo was incredible, the best we have seen and the Brickyard Battalion were as loud and as passionate as ever AND considerably bigger.

The front office staff must be worn out, I hope they were treated to several adult beverages after the match because they thoroughly deserve it, there were a lot of unknowns and all you can do is the best you can and see how it goes. From what I saw they exceeded all expectations not only on game day but in the weeks leading up to the game. I cannot imagine how much hair was lost and how many fingernails were bitten off. Everyone did an outstanding job. Everything gets easier from here. Take a bow Indy Eleven Staff.

FC Cincinnati brought a large following to the first meeting of these teams in USL.

The attendance is very encouraging, I had thought if we made 16,000 and filled the original advertised space it would have been amazing, to exceed our previous largest attendance by 6000 was incredible. This bodes well for the team and puts weight behind the need for a soccer-specific stadium in the city. I think this support will continue to grow as the team itself evolves more on the field more people will come to games. The officially announced attendance was 17,535.

Kudos and respect to the traveling Cincinnati fans who brought around 1500 supporters to the game and put in a solid ninety minutes of support for their team who rewarded them with three points. Hopefully, we can bring the same to Cinci and take those three points back.

Thoughts from Brandon Cockrum

Indy Eleven were unfortunate to come away without a point from Saturday evening's electric match against FC Cincinnati. Indy was superior in most statistical categories, except for the one that matters most - the final score. Martin Rennie's squad clearly needs some more matches to become a truly cohesive unit and it is fun to watch the team's style of play and connections between players develop.

On Saturday the team played very compactly at times, probably by design to take command of the midfield. However, there was time and space available for players on the wings and Tyler Pasher was the only Eleven player that took advantage of it. After getting the ball taken off his foot trying to dribble out of the 18 and a wayward cross in the match's early minutes, Pasher put in a man of the match performance for Indy with numerous attacks up the left side and dangerous balls served into the box. In the first half, Jack McInerney nearly finished one of those crosses but was denied by the frame and others narrowly missed the heads of attacking teammates.

Jack Mac checks the replay after Saad's free kick is tipped over by Newton late in the game.

It's interesting that after two matches fullbacks Ayoze or Kevin Venegas haven't been on a match day roster and we've had only a 20-minute runout from Juan Guerra in the first match. All three players were among the best at their positions while in the NASL. Coach Rennie appears to be favoring a defense-first approach, which makes sense early in the season as the team learns to play together and against a tough Cincinnati side. 

It's not that the players in front of them have played poorly, however, I have to wonder if Venegas would have been able to get forward, like Pasher, and cause more problems for Cincy than Karl Ouimette or Brad Ring did. Guerra has proven that he can unlock defenses at this level; might he have delivered a moment of creative inspiration that Nico Matern was unable to provide? Coach Rennie has a lot of capable tools on his belt this season and I suspect he will soon start trying more of them out.

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Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and our website BloodyShambles.com. The Bloody Shambles Soccer Show podcast will returning during the course of the season and is available on iTunes or directly from Soundcloud. 

If you are interested in being involved in supporter media with Bloody Shambles Soccer, possibly you have an idea for a supporter related article about your experiences or the team or you have an idea for a podcast please email james@bloodyshambles.com or contact us through Twitter. 

Indy Eleven needs more supporter driven content and we are more than happy to give fans a platform to express their opinion on the team or just relate their experiences from match days, road trips, community events etc.

Don't panic: Indy Eleven unveil new Adidas kits.

Credit: Indy Eleven

By: Brian Cook

Long rumored to be coming, Indy Eleven have made their next step as a club by ditching the Diadora kits of old and ushering in a new era with the introduction of Adidas as kit manufacturer. No news on the length of the deal or other details (like how often, if ever, we could expect updated kits in the future) but the new kit brings the club another step toward on and off the field growth.

Adidas gives a new flavor to those tracking the boys in blue as the brand is prominent with and liked by many American fans. Many didn't know a terrible amount about the Italian brand Diadora, but Adidas is a household name and should provide a superior quality product than the previous manufacturer.

Change Can Be Painful

With the change in brands also comes a change in design. Obviously change can come swiftly, and, occasionally painfully as many will feel with the lack of checkers on the new kit.

The checkers, while insignificant for the outsider, have been a calling card to the grassroots origins of the team. It's repeated often, but Indy Eleven grew inside a community that was organized and strong and helped bring the entire club up. The checkers represent something that many of the supporters take much pride in.

Not bad, but where are the checkers @IndyEleven? @ErsalOzdemir told us checkers on the home would always be part of the club's tradition. https://t.co/UYksubNhpy

— Slaughterhouse-19 (@sh19indy) April 25, 2017

@prpodcastshow @IndyEleven It is when your club's owner promises they're part of our tradition. That the home will always have checkers & breaks it in the 1st new set.

— Slaughterhouse-19 (@sh19indy) April 25, 2017

The move to Adidas and the general reaction of the dropping of the checkers and the introduction of the pinstripes is display of what young sports teams would call "growing pains." Growing pains coming from fans who have been here from day zero and are now watching a club with the ambition and desire to play at the highest (and most corporate) level make difficult decisions that some may feel abandon what the club was founded on.

It's not to say that the club itself is losing it's grassroots philosophy and is fully embracing their potential MLS overlords; but, in order for the club to get out of the shadow of their current (and struggling) league it has to start forging it's own path and making it's own moves in order to give itself stability for it's future.

It's a difficult decision that had to be made. For now, let's remind ourselves that this club is still our club. It's still the club that plays in our city. It's the club that saw it's first silverware and saw the owner of the club walk it through the West End. It's a club that has often sought to deliver the best match day experience to helped fans. It's a club that's given us tears of joy and sadness. But most of all, it's Indiana's professional soccer team and for that we can be proud of this significant move.

Well Hung: DIY Supporter's Flagpole

Let your freak flag fly!

By: Brandon Cockrum

Got a beautiful new flag you want to take to the next match but not sure how to make it street legal? It's really quite simple and not too expensive. Below is a quick guide to making a flagpole that you can take to the stadium and also proudly display at home when it's not match day. 

Assuming you already have a flag, you'll need to gather just a few other items.

Just a few simple tools needed to make a nice flagpole.

Necessary Items

• PVC Pipe: Indy Eleven allow spectators to bring PVC flagpoles up to 6' long and 1" diameter into the stadium. However, rules vary at different stadiums, e.g. MLS venues only allow PVC poles that are up to 3'6" long and .50" diameter. I like precut 5' long by .50" diameter pipe because then don't need to be cut down, they are more than sturdy enough to fly a 3'x5' flag, and that diameter easily fits into a common flagpole holder. In addition to the availability of different diameter sizes (0.50", 0.75" or 1"), you can also buy 10' PVC pipe (or larger) sections to cut down if you want a 6' pole or more than one pole.
• Zip-Ties: Two nylon cables or zip-ties, or one for each grommet in the flag. (Tip: Get extra ties just in case you make a mistake when attaching the flag to the pole and need to cut one off to reposition.)
• Drill & Drill Bit: The bit needs to make holes large enough for the zip-ties to slip through.
• Utility Knife (or Scissors or Side Cutters): To cut the extra length of zip-tie after it's tightened. (If you're accident prone it's probably best that you go with scissors or side cutters instead of the knife.)

You an buy 5' pieces of PVC pipe for less than $1.50 at most home improvement stores.

Optional Items

• PVC Pipe Cap: Not vital but they only cost about $0.30 and I think they make the flag pole look nicer, important if you want to hang the flag at home.
• Sandpaper: Used to smooth out the rough edges on the cut zip ties and the bottom/top of the PVC pipe. You don't want to cut your flag, your hands, or worse, someone else's hands with a sharp edge.

After acquiring each of the necessary items for the project we can start to build the flagpole. 

First, if you bought one, put the pipe cap put on the pole so that you don't mount the flag too high to use the cap (and waste your $0.30 investment). A dab of glue helps it stay but is not necessary.

Second, hold the flag's grommets against the pole in the spots where it will attach. While holding the flag tight to the pole, make a mark on the pole at each of the grommet holes to indicate where you need drill holes.

Third, whip out your drill and make holes through both sides of the pole at your marks. It can be difficult to drill 100% accurately since the pole is round and smooth, but, no worries, just make sure you're close. (Also, make sure your hand is not directly underneath the holes you're drilling.)

Perfection while drilling is not vital, just be close.

Fourth, ensure that that the zip-ties fit in the holes (drill the hole out wider if they don't) and feed them through the holes and then the flag grommets. Make sure your flag is right side up before securing the zip-ties. Pull the ties tight after they're all installed. (If you're picky, you might end up going through a few ties to get everything looking nice and orderly.)

Use the zip-ties to attach the flag to the pole.

Fifth, with a sandpaper or file, smooth the rough edge of the zip-ties and bottom of the pole (and, if you don't have a cap, the top as well).

A bit of sandpaper can help avoid cuts or tears from sharp edges.

Finally, take your well-hung flag with you to the next match to show off your DIY skills and support your club. Swing the flag in a figure 8 pattern, not side-to-side. Hold the pole at a 45 degree angle, not over your head. Be aware of how big your flag is and others around you, try not to hit people with the flag (or the pole). Between matches, place the flag in a holder and fly it over your homestead. 

Boom! Perfect for showing your pride at home, tailgating or at the stadium.

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If you enjoy tifo or supporter culture you definitely need to check this event out...

Indy Forever, A Visual History

Come see what goes into making Saturdays at Carroll Stadium possible

First Friday at Indy Fringe's Indy Eleven Theater
April 7, 2017, 4-8 pm

On Saturdays during the warmer months of the year, Indy Eleven supporters can be found on the west end of the stadium creating a unique match atmosphere. Behind this show of support and love for their team, there is a whole lot more than three hours on Saturdays.

Over the last three years, photographers who belong to the Eleven supporters group, Slaughterhouse-19 have been chronicling the culture that surrounds the group. The triumphs, the sorrow, the community, and the countless hours of work.

Join Slaughterhouse-19 for First Friday at the Indy Eleven Theater (719 East Saint Clair Street, Indianapolis) attached to IndyFringe. Doors open at 4 pm and admission is free.