Recap – Indy Eleven 0 : 0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, August 6, 2014) – Indy Eleven was kept off the scoreboard for the first time in its growing NASL history Wednesday night, but a 10-man effort from the home side over the last half hour was enough to manufacture a point in a 0-0 draw with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
The home side controlled play for much of the game’s opening minutes but failed to take advantage of multiple scoring opportunities. A hat-trick of missed chances in the first 15 minutes left Indy off the scoreboard despite keeping much of the game in front of the Fort Lauderdale net.
Shortly after, the Eleven were granted their most dangerous chance of the half when midfielder Don Smart found himself with a clear path to goal, only to slip and miss altogether on his shot attempt. On the ground and with the ball behind him, Smart reached around his back to corral the ball with his hands, drawing ire from the opposition and a yellow card for his infraction.
From there, play evened out, with the visitors weaponizing their team speed to challenge the Indy defense. With a makeshift back line ahead of him, Eleven goalkeeper Kristian Nicht was forced to make a handful of highlight-reel clearances to keep a scoreless first half. The opening half minutes did not end without controversy, as Indy Eleven forward Jermaine Johnson was shown a yellow card for simulation in the box after he went down trying to draw contact with Fort Lauderdale ‘keeper Kamil Contofalsky in the 45th minute.
The hosts’ chances of securing an elusive first home victory took a hit in the 59th minute, when Indy Eleven saw one of its own sent off via a straight red card for the second match in a row. With play blown dead by the referee’s whistle, Indy forward Jermaine Johnson slid in late and low on Fort Lauderdale midfielder Shawn Chin, slicing Chin’s legs out from underneath him. Though Johnson was already in referee Mark Allatini’s book, he was shown a straight red card and Indy was left to fend with 10 men across the final half hour.
Playing with 10 men did not deter Indy from attacking, but the loss of Johnson’s dynamism in the final third left its offense toothless. While the Eleven maintained their share of possession in following Johnson’s ejection, no true chances emerged for the home side to find a winner, and despite playing with the advantage, the Strikers’ attack fell equally fruitless.
The draw leaves Indy – still searching for its first regular season victory at Michael A. Carroll Stadium – on seven points in the NASL Fall Season from a 2W-2L-1T record, good for fourth place on the Fall table, with Fort Lauderdale trails behind in ninth place on 5 points (1-2-2).
Indy Eleven will have a quick – and tough – turnaround with a road affair at the league-leading San Antonio Scorpions (4-1-0, 12 pts. in Fall Season) this Saturday, August 9. Kickoff from Toyota Field in San Antonio is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen online at NASLLive.com (subscription package) or at any of the Indy Eleven Watch Parties being hosted across the Hoosier State – visit www.indyeleven.com for details on locations.
INDY ELEVEN HEAD COACH JUERGEN SOMMER
On the result:
“Credit goes out to the group tonight. They really executed the gameplan and really pulled for each other tonight. We talked about that before the game, that it was really going to take these guys to get out here and perform collectively and together. I thought the first 45 minutes were the best 45 minutes we’ve seen from this group, home or away. We created some great chances in front of goal. We know we can do that … it’s coming.”
On the makeshift backline collecting the Eleven’s first home shutout:
“Defensively, we were pretty clean back there. There are some things we’ll go in and take a look at, but you’d expect that with a young group back there. They contained probably the (fastest) team in the league. I think those guys did a great job tonight.”
On the play of goalkeeper Kristian Nicht:
“Kristian came up with a save here in the first half and a save in the second half. Those are things that you need from your goalkeeper from time to time, and he kept us in the game.”
FORT LAUDERDALE STRIKERS COACH GÜNTER KRONSTEINER
On the match:
“I think the first half was really even, but we deserved to be in the lead. Second half was a little bit different, in my opinion, it had a lot to do with the red card for Indy Eleven and our 11th man. There were not a lot of good chances on both sides. It’s harder for them when they go a man down because they can’t get into the game. I am satisfied to get one point against a very strong Indy Eleven team.”
On the Strikers’ performance:
“I thought it was our weakest game in the first half, and I told them. We should not forget that, though there is no excuse for us, there are key players not here for us. We can play on the road now and in a couple of weeks, our team will look different, and maybe we’ll have a little bit better performance.”
On the field:
“I don’t want to use any excuse. The only thing that I have a little complaint about is the field. Turf, a field like this, an artificial field, it’s not an easy thing for anybody who hasn’t played on such a field because the ball bounces weirdly. Everything else in my opinion is fine. We are happy to get a point against a really strong Indy Eleven team, like I said.”
NASL Fall Season Week 5 – Fulltime Recap
Indy Eleven 0 : 0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Michael A. Carroll Stadium at IUPUI – Indianapolis, IN
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Attendance: 10,285 (Sellout)
Weather: 78 degrees, overcast
1 2 FT
Indy Eleven 0 0 0
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
N/A
Discipline Summary:
IND – Don Smart (caution) 17’
IND – Jermaine Johnson (caution) 45’
FTL – Fafà Picault (caution) 51’
IND – Jermaine Johnson (EJECTION) 59’
IND – Sergio Peña (caution) 64’
FTL – Darnell King (caution) 70’
FTL – Manny Gonzalez (caution) 90+’
Statistics IND FTL
Shots 15 7
Shots on Goal 6 1
Fouls 15 18
Corners 3 3
Saves 1 6
Offside 5 0
Possession % 50 50
Line-ups:
Indy Eleven (4-4-2) – Kristian Nicht (c); Andrew Stone, Chris Estridge, Jaime Frias, Kyle Hyland; Don Smart (Pedro Mendes 82’), Sergio Peña, Kléberson (Dylan Mares 77’), Blake Smith; Mike Ambersley, Jermaine Johnson
Unused Substitutes: Jon Dawson (GK), Nathan Sprenkel (GK), A.J. Corrado, Corby Moore
Head Coach: Juergen Sommer
Fort Lauderdale Strikers (4-4-2) – Kamil Contofalsky; Darnell King, Rafael Alves, James Marcelin, Ivàn Guerrero (c); Mark Anderson, Shawn Chin, Manny Gonzalez, Martin Nuñez (Colin Murphy 62’); Fafà Picault (Aly Alberto Hassan 84’), Jenison Brito
Unused Substitutes: David Meves (GK), Aly Hassan, Ronaldo Vieira, Darryl Gordon
Head Coach: Günter Kronsteiner
Officials: Referee- Mark Allatin; Assistant Referees- Andrew Bigelow, Khalaf Al-Latayfeh; Fourth Official- Nikola Aleksic
Recap – Indy Eleven 0 : 0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, August 6, 2014) – Indy Eleven was kept off the scoreboard for the first time in its growing NASL history Wednesday night, but a 10-man effort from the home side over the last half hour was enough to manufacture a point in a 0-0 draw with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
The home side controlled play for much of the game’s opening minutes but failed to take advantage of multiple scoring opportunities. A hat-trick of missed chances in the first 15 minutes left Indy off the scoreboard despite keeping much of the game in front of the Fort Lauderdale net.
Shortly after, the Eleven were granted their most dangerous chance of the half when midfielder Don Smart found himself with a clear path to goal, only to slip and miss altogether on his shot attempt. On the ground and with the ball behind him, Smart reached around his back to corral the ball with his hands, drawing ire from the opposition and a yellow card for his infraction.
From there, play evened out, with the visitors weaponizing their team speed to challenge the Indy defense. With a makeshift back line ahead of him, Eleven goalkeeper Kristian Nicht was forced to make a handful of highlight-reel clearances to keep a scoreless first half. The opening half minutes did not end without controversy, as Indy Eleven forward Jermaine Johnson was shown a yellow card for simulation in the box after he went down trying to draw contact with Fort Lauderdale ‘keeper Kamil Contofalsky in the 45th minute.
The hosts’ chances of securing an elusive first home victory took a hit in the 59th minute, when Indy Eleven saw one of its own sent off via a straight red card for the second match in a row. With play blown dead by the referee’s whistle, Indy forward Jermaine Johnson slid in late and low on Fort Lauderdale midfielder Shawn Chin, slicing Chin’s legs out from underneath him. Though Johnson was already in referee Mark Allatini’s book, he was shown a straight red card and Indy was left to fend with 10 men across the final half hour.
Playing with 10 men did not deter Indy from attacking, but the loss of Johnson’s dynamism in the final third left its offense toothless. While the Eleven maintained their share of possession in following Johnson’s ejection, no true chances emerged for the home side to find a winner, and despite playing with the advantage, the Strikers’ attack fell equally fruitless.
The draw leaves Indy – still searching for its first regular season victory at Michael A. Carroll Stadium – on seven points in the NASL Fall Season from a 2W-2L-1T record, good for fourth place on the Fall table, with Fort Lauderdale trails behind in ninth place on 5 points (1-2-2).
Indy Eleven will have a quick – and tough – turnaround with a road affair at the league-leading San Antonio Scorpions (4-1-0, 12 pts. in Fall Season) this Saturday, August 9. Kickoff from Toyota Field in San Antonio is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen online at NASLLive.com (subscription package) or at any of the Indy Eleven Watch Parties being hosted across the Hoosier State – visit www.indyeleven.com for details on locations.
INDY ELEVEN HEAD COACH JUERGEN SOMMER
On the result:
“Credit goes out to the group tonight. They really executed the gameplan and really pulled for each other tonight. We talked about that before the game, that it was really going to take these guys to get out here and perform collectively and together. I thought the first 45 minutes were the best 45 minutes we’ve seen from this group, home or away. We created some great chances in front of goal. We know we can do that … it’s coming.”
On the makeshift backline collecting the Eleven’s first home shutout:
“Defensively, we were pretty clean back there. There are some things we’ll go in and take a look at, but you’d expect that with a young group back there. They contained probably the (fastest) team in the league. I think those guys did a great job tonight.”
On the play of goalkeeper Kristian Nicht:
“Kristian came up with a save here in the first half and a save in the second half. Those are things that you need from your goalkeeper from time to time, and he kept us in the game.”
FORT LAUDERDALE STRIKERS COACH GÜNTER KRONSTEINER
On the match:
“I think the first half was really even, but we deserved to be in the lead. Second half was a little bit different, in my opinion, it had a lot to do with the red card for Indy Eleven and our 11th man. There were not a lot of good chances on both sides. It’s harder for them when they go a man down because they can’t get into the game. I am satisfied to get one point against a very strong Indy Eleven team.”
On the Strikers’ performance:
“I thought it was our weakest game in the first half, and I told them. We should not forget that, though there is no excuse for us, there are key players not here for us. We can play on the road now and in a couple of weeks, our team will look different, and maybe we’ll have a little bit better performance.”
On the field:
“I don’t want to use any excuse. The only thing that I have a little complaint about is the field. Turf, a field like this, an artificial field, it’s not an easy thing for anybody who hasn’t played on such a field because the ball bounces weirdly. Everything else in my opinion is fine. We are happy to get a point against a really strong Indy Eleven team, like I said.”
NASL Fall Season Week 5 – Fulltime Recap
Indy Eleven 0 : 0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Michael A. Carroll Stadium at IUPUI – Indianapolis, IN
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Attendance: 10,285 (Sellout)
Weather: 78 degrees, overcast
1 2 FT
Indy Eleven 0 0 0
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
N/A
Discipline Summary:
IND – Don Smart (caution) 17’
IND – Jermaine Johnson (caution) 45’
FTL – Fafà Picault (caution) 51’
IND – Jermaine Johnson (EJECTION) 59’
IND – Sergio Peña (caution) 64’
FTL – Darnell King (caution) 70’
FTL – Manny Gonzalez (caution) 90+’
Statistics IND FTL
Shots 15 7
Shots on Goal 6 1
Fouls 15 18
Corners 3 3
Saves 1 6
Offside 5 0
Possession % 50 50
Line-ups:
Indy Eleven (4-4-2) – Kristian Nicht (c); Andrew Stone, Chris Estridge, Jaime Frias, Kyle Hyland; Don Smart (Pedro Mendes 82’), Sergio Peña, Kléberson (Dylan Mares 77’), Blake Smith; Mike Ambersley, Jermaine Johnson
Unused Substitutes: Jon Dawson (GK), Nathan Sprenkel (GK), A.J. Corrado, Corby Moore
Head Coach: Juergen Sommer
Fort Lauderdale Strikers (4-4-2) – Kamil Contofalsky; Darnell King, Rafael Alves, James Marcelin, Ivàn Guerrero (c); Mark Anderson, Shawn Chin, Manny Gonzalez, Martin Nuñez (Colin Murphy 62’); Fafà Picault (Aly Alberto Hassan 84’), Jenison Brito
Unused Substitutes: David Meves (GK), Aly Hassan, Ronaldo Vieira, Darryl Gordon
Head Coach: Günter Kronsteiner
Officials: Referee- Mark Allatin; Assistant Referees- Andrew Bigelow, Khalaf Al-Latayfeh; Fourth Official- Nikola Aleksic
