Indy Eleven Notches 3-1 Win Over Minnesota in Penultimate Home Match
“Boys in Blue” Control Both Sides of the Ball in Snapping United FC’s 11-game Undefeated Streak
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Saturday, October 17, 2015) – Indy Eleven controlled both sides of the ball and utilized the speed of their forwards en route to a commanding 3-1 victory over a heavily-favored Minnesota United FC in front of 9,085 fans at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium. Indy Eleven used goals by Dylan Mares, Brian Brown and Brad Ring to cruise to a big cushion before Minnesota’s Brent Kallman snagged a late consolation goal for the visitors.
Matching Minnesota in physicality following the first whistle, it appeared as if the “Boys in Blue” had struck first when Brown finished a Don Smart cross in the sixth minute, only to see the play ruled correctly offside by the linesman. Continuing to stifle the Loons’ short passing in the midfield, Zach Steinberger added a long distance chance of his own while Mares also fired an early shot which helped establish the tone early for the Eleven.
Indy Eleven continued to dominate possession thanks to strong play up front, with Mares receiving a 19th minute chip from Steinberger before firing a shot that was deflected by United FC goalkeeper Sammy N’Djock and swept away by Aaron Pitchkolan before it could trickle past the goal line.
Defensively, the Indy backline received its first test in the 26th minute when Minnesota forward Kalif Alhassan rushed the box and nearly finished a short pass past Eleven goalkeeper Kristian Nicht, but Eleven defender Marco Franco swept away the chance without incident.
The relentless Eleven continued pressing in the 37th minute, when Duke Lacroix turned and fired a shot from 16 yards that forced N’Djock into a leaping tip save. The deserved breakthrough for the home side would finally come two minutes later when Mares capitalized for his second strike in as many games and team-high fifth goal on the season. The Indy midfielder and NASL Young Player of the Year candidate fired a shot from 10 yards out into the back of the net, setting up his goal with a slicing pass to Daniel Keller who sprinted down the left wing before hitting Mares with a cutback feed.
Indy began the second half as it did the first, controlling possession and producing chances using effective wide play and blazing quick counter attacks. Smart continued a strong performance minutes after both teams returned to the field, firing a chance that scraped the outside of the Minnesota net.
The Jamaican duo of Smart and Brown reunited to capture Indy’s second goal of the game in the 55th minute, a play started with Sergio Peña’s strong tackle in midfield. Steinberger would push forward quickly and deposit a pass to Smart, who slid a low cross across the box past a sliding Minnesota defender and onto the left foot of Brown, who kissed a low shot off the inside of the right post to double the advantage.
On the other end, Smart defended the Eleven net as well, clearing a Minnesota corner kick that bounced past Nicht. Playing with a two-goal advantage, the men in checkers were not done yet, their continued pressure paying off in the 82nd minute with a golazo off the foot of the substitute Ring. Settling a blocked Brown shot, Lacroix gathered the ball near the edge of United’s 18-yard box before laying off for an onrushing Ring, who rocketed a textbook upper-90 drive off the hand of a diving N’Djock for Indy’s third goal of the game.
Thanks in part to the defense in front of him, Nicht finished the night with a pair of saves in his return to the Indy Eleven net, only being bested by Kallman’s header off a Kevin Venegas corner kick once the game was out of reach in the 85th minute of play.
While other results across the NASL tonight officially ended Indy Eleven’s longshot bid for the fourth and final spot in The Championship postseason tournament, the shock display allowed Indy to snap Minnesota’s 11-game undefeated streak and play spoiler for the Loons’ Fall Season title hopes for a second straight season.
Indy Eleven’s final home match of the 2015 campaign comes next Saturday, October 24, with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers traveling to the Circle City for a 7:30 pm kickoff at Carroll Stadium. Tickets for Fan Appreciation Night presented by XFINITY and Community Health Network start at just $10 and are available at www.www.indyeleven.com. With it being the final home tilt of the season, Indy Eleven is pulling out all the stops, including a number of one-time-only deals on concessions and merchandise plus a halftime Halloween costume parade and a “Dia de Los Muertos” themed celebration throughout the evening.
NASL Fall Season
Indy Eleven 3 : 1 Minnesota United FC
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
Attendance: 9,085
Indy Eleven:
Fall Season: 4W-5D-9L (17 pts.)
Combined: 7W-9D-12L (30 pts.)
Minnesota United FC
Fall Season: 10W-5D-3L (35 pts.)
Combined: 13W-10D-5L (49 pts.)
Scoring Summary:
IND – Dylan Mares (Daniel Keller) 39’
IND – Brian Brown (Don Smart) 55’
IND – Brad Ring (Duke Lacroix) 82’
MNU – Brent Kallman (Kevin Venegas) 85’
Discipline Summary:
MNU – Kevin Venegas (caution) 81’
IND – Brad Ring (caution) 89’
MNU – Aaron Pitchkolan (caution) 90’
MNU – Brent Kallman (caution) 90+’
Indy Eleven line-up (4-4-2): Kristian Nicht; Daniel Keller, Erick Norales (Capt.) (Cory Miller 45’), Greg Janicki, Marco Franco; Duke Lacroix, Sergio Peña, Zach Steinberger, Don Smart; Dylan Mares (Brad Ring 71’), Brian Brown (Marvin Ceballos 86’)
Indy Eleven Bench: Keith Cardona (GK), Jaime Frias, Wojciech Wojcik
Minnesota United FC (4-1-4-1): Sammy N’Djock; Tyler Polak, Aaron Pitchkolan, Brent Kallman, Kevin Venegas; Greg Jordan; Kalif Alhassan, Ibson (Geison Moura 69’), Christian Ramirez, Daniel Mendes (Alejandro Vela 53’); Pablo Campos (Yago Silva 61’).
Minnesota United FC Bench: Mitch Hildebrandt (GK), J.C. Banks, Brian Kallman
Indy Eleven Notches 3-1 Win Over Minnesota in Penultimate Home Match
“Boys in Blue” Control Both Sides of the Ball in Snapping United FC’s 11-game Undefeated Streak
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Saturday, October 17, 2015) – Indy Eleven controlled both sides of the ball and utilized the speed of their forwards en route to a commanding 3-1 victory over a heavily-favored Minnesota United FC in front of 9,085 fans at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium. Indy Eleven used goals by Dylan Mares, Brian Brown and Brad Ring to cruise to a big cushion before Minnesota’s Brent Kallman snagged a late consolation goal for the visitors.
Matching Minnesota in physicality following the first whistle, it appeared as if the “Boys in Blue” had struck first when Brown finished a Don Smart cross in the sixth minute, only to see the play ruled correctly offside by the linesman. Continuing to stifle the Loons’ short passing in the midfield, Zach Steinberger added a long distance chance of his own while Mares also fired an early shot which helped establish the tone early for the Eleven.
Indy Eleven continued to dominate possession thanks to strong play up front, with Mares receiving a 19th minute chip from Steinberger before firing a shot that was deflected by United FC goalkeeper Sammy N’Djock and swept away by Aaron Pitchkolan before it could trickle past the goal line.
Defensively, the Indy backline received its first test in the 26th minute when Minnesota forward Kalif Alhassan rushed the box and nearly finished a short pass past Eleven goalkeeper Kristian Nicht, but Eleven defender Marco Franco swept away the chance without incident.
The relentless Eleven continued pressing in the 37th minute, when Duke Lacroix turned and fired a shot from 16 yards that forced N’Djock into a leaping tip save. The deserved breakthrough for the home side would finally come two minutes later when Mares capitalized for his second strike in as many games and team-high fifth goal on the season. The Indy midfielder and NASL Young Player of the Year candidate fired a shot from 10 yards out into the back of the net, setting up his goal with a slicing pass to Daniel Keller who sprinted down the left wing before hitting Mares with a cutback feed.
Indy began the second half as it did the first, controlling possession and producing chances using effective wide play and blazing quick counter attacks. Smart continued a strong performance minutes after both teams returned to the field, firing a chance that scraped the outside of the Minnesota net.
The Jamaican duo of Smart and Brown reunited to capture Indy’s second goal of the game in the 55th minute, a play started with Sergio Peña’s strong tackle in midfield. Steinberger would push forward quickly and deposit a pass to Smart, who slid a low cross across the box past a sliding Minnesota defender and onto the left foot of Brown, who kissed a low shot off the inside of the right post to double the advantage.
On the other end, Smart defended the Eleven net as well, clearing a Minnesota corner kick that bounced past Nicht. Playing with a two-goal advantage, the men in checkers were not done yet, their continued pressure paying off in the 82nd minute with a golazo off the foot of the substitute Ring. Settling a blocked Brown shot, Lacroix gathered the ball near the edge of United’s 18-yard box before laying off for an onrushing Ring, who rocketed a textbook upper-90 drive off the hand of a diving N’Djock for Indy’s third goal of the game.
Thanks in part to the defense in front of him, Nicht finished the night with a pair of saves in his return to the Indy Eleven net, only being bested by Kallman’s header off a Kevin Venegas corner kick once the game was out of reach in the 85th minute of play.
While other results across the NASL tonight officially ended Indy Eleven’s longshot bid for the fourth and final spot in The Championship postseason tournament, the shock display allowed Indy to snap Minnesota’s 11-game undefeated streak and play spoiler for the Loons’ Fall Season title hopes for a second straight season.
Indy Eleven’s final home match of the 2015 campaign comes next Saturday, October 24, with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers traveling to the Circle City for a 7:30 pm kickoff at Carroll Stadium. Tickets for Fan Appreciation Night presented by XFINITY and Community Health Network start at just $10 and are available at www.www.indyeleven.com. With it being the final home tilt of the season, Indy Eleven is pulling out all the stops, including a number of one-time-only deals on concessions and merchandise plus a halftime Halloween costume parade and a “Dia de Los Muertos” themed celebration throughout the evening.
NASL Fall Season
Indy Eleven 3 : 1 Minnesota United FC
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
Attendance: 9,085
Indy Eleven:
Fall Season: 4W-5D-9L (17 pts.)
Combined: 7W-9D-12L (30 pts.)
Minnesota United FC
Fall Season: 10W-5D-3L (35 pts.)
Combined: 13W-10D-5L (49 pts.)
Scoring Summary:
IND – Dylan Mares (Daniel Keller) 39’
IND – Brian Brown (Don Smart) 55’
IND – Brad Ring (Duke Lacroix) 82’
MNU – Brent Kallman (Kevin Venegas) 85’
Discipline Summary:
MNU – Kevin Venegas (caution) 81’
IND – Brad Ring (caution) 89’
MNU – Aaron Pitchkolan (caution) 90’
MNU – Brent Kallman (caution) 90+’
Indy Eleven line-up (4-4-2): Kristian Nicht; Daniel Keller, Erick Norales (Capt.) (Cory Miller 45’), Greg Janicki, Marco Franco; Duke Lacroix, Sergio Peña, Zach Steinberger, Don Smart; Dylan Mares (Brad Ring 71’), Brian Brown (Marvin Ceballos 86’)
Indy Eleven Bench: Keith Cardona (GK), Jaime Frias, Wojciech Wojcik
Minnesota United FC (4-1-4-1): Sammy N’Djock; Tyler Polak, Aaron Pitchkolan, Brent Kallman, Kevin Venegas; Greg Jordan; Kalif Alhassan, Ibson (Geison Moura 69’), Christian Ramirez, Daniel Mendes (Alejandro Vela 53’); Pablo Campos (Yago Silva 61’).
Minnesota United FC Bench: Mitch Hildebrandt (GK), J.C. Banks, Brian Kallman
