PREVIEW: #INDVTBR
Indy Eleven Gameday & Match Preview
Indy Eleven vs Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, September 3, 2016 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
Watch/Listen Live:
- Local TV: WISH-TV
- National TV: None
- Streaming Video: ESPN3.com
- Radio: Exitos Radio 1590 AM (Spanish)
- Streaming Audio: Exitos1590.com (Spanish)
Follow Live:
- In-game updates: Follow @IndyElevenLive on Twitter, and Indy Eleven on Facebook
- Live stats: Visit the NASL.com MatchCenter for in-depth Opta statistics
- Vote for the Indy Eleven “Man of the Match” on the @IndyEleven Twitter feed immediately following the match
Team Records
Indy Eleven:​
- ​Fall Season: 6W-2D-4L, 20 pts, 3rd place
- Combined Season: 10W-8D-4L, 38 pts., 3rd place
Tampa Bay Rowdies: ​
- Fall Season: 3W-2D-6L, 11 pts, 10th place
- Combined Season: 7W-6D-8L, 5th place
Click here for the complete NASL Fall Season standings
Media Game Notes:
Last Time Out – New York Cosmos 3 : 0 Indy Eleven
Road game no. 3 for Indy Eleven was ugly – there's no other way around it.
The 3-0 loss to the New York Cosmos to round out a three-week stint away from "The Mike" was the ugliest loss of 2016. Aside from Souleymane Youla's chance inside the opening three minutes of the match, Indy was overwhelmed almost immediately. In the 8th minute, Ruben Bover opened the scoring for New York, taking a pass from Jairo Arrieta, creating space away from Brad Ring in the box, and firing an effort low to Eleven 'keeper Jon Busch's left side that he was unable to reach.
In the 17th minute things went from bad to worse as Nemanja Vukovic was judged to have brought down a Cosmos attacker in the area, resulting in a penalty from the spot that Juan Arango buried.
Though down 2-0 at half, Eleven head coach Tim Hankinson subbed in Omar Gordon for Brad Ring to inject some pace into the line-up, and for a moment it looked like it may have been the spark that Indy needed. However, what momentum the visitors had built went out the window with a Cory Miller straight red card and second penalty to New York. Despite Arango failing to convert from the spot the second time around, going down to ten men all but doomed the "Boys in Blue" to a fourth loss in five games on the road, and Arango's second of the night in the 73rd minute finally sealed that fate.
The loss kept Indy at 3rd in the Fall and Combined Seasons, but greatly damaged its title hopes with the need to collect every point from here on out amplified even further.
Last Time Out – Tampa Bay Rowdies 2 : 0 Rayo OKC
Joe Cole may be new to the NASL and to the Rowdies, but he's not new to scoring match-winning goals, which he did last Saturday night when Tampa Bay hosted Rayo OKC at Al Lang Stadium.
Cole missed a penalty in the opening ten minutes that could have created space from the get-go, and after 45 minutes of scoreless action things looked in question for the hosts.
However, just after the hour mark things took a turning point in front of the home crowd. The former England international Cole tallied up goals in the 61st minute on a Georgi Hristov assist and on a solo effort in the 70th minute for the only two goals of the match, and virtually delivered all three points for the Rowdies – points they are desperate for as they look to displace Minnesota for the all-important fourth spot on the Combined Season table (now six points back but with a game in hand on the Loons).
Bounceback Ability
Multiple questions surround Coach Tim Hankinson's side away from home, but Saturday's contest at Carroll Stadium gives Indy Eleven the opportunity to extend its home winning streak and prove they are still a championship-caliber side.
Indiana's Team has not won in over two weeks – their longest stretch since the title-decider against Carolina in June – but feel fresh after a road trip that did not yield ideal results. As the setbacks piled up against New York, Hankinson made some in-game adjustments to ensure his side would be as prepared as possible on Saturday in the hopes of leaving it all to play for when it comes to the Fall championship conversation.
Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: DF Daniel Keller
With Cory Miller suspended due to the red card picked up against New York, it looks as if Daniel Keller, who had logged one solitary minute in league play before entering against New York, will start alongside Colin Falvey in a back four that has let in seven goals in the last three games.
A native of Carmel, Keller featured plenty in 2015 (1,000 minutes in 16 league games) but has yet to fully land on Coach Hankinson's radar, with U.S. Open Cup ties the only real action he has received in 2016. A versatile and capable player, Keller is relishing the chance to get his first league start of the year and may surprise a few with his ability to assist in holding down the line.
Who to Watch, Tampa Bay Rowdies edition: MF Joe Cole
A seemingly obvious choice, Cole has been on fire since arriving in the Fall Season.
Rising to T-5 in the league scoring charts with seven goals in 14 games and T-4 in assists with four total, Cole has been the X-factor for a Rowdies side experiencing a rollercoaster set of results. Though 34 years old, the former Chelsea FC standout is showing his ability to continue impacting matches and has helped his team rescue points on multiple occasions.
Still not convinced he's still got it? Just watch him take a ride on his bike against Puerto Rico.
Match-up to Mark: GK Jon Busch vs. FW Georgi Hristov
Eleven 'keeper Jon Busch will contend that errors against Ottawa and New York allowed a pair of goals in that simply should not have been there, but, as dictated by his past, is as determined as ever to bounceback with the rest of the "Boys in Blue." Busch's GAA has dropped to fourth in the league (1.00) now behind Eddies 'keeper Matt Van Oekel, Cosmos 'keeper Jimmy Maurer, and Minnesota United FC 'keeper Sammy Ndjock, but in no way can the last three matches fall completely on the Indy netminder who is still one of the best in the league on any day.
His challenge on Saturday will be to limit another Rowdies threat in the form of forward Georgi Hristov. The 31-year-old Bulgarian has five goals and three assists in 21 matches this season and is marked on head coach Stuart Campbell's team sheet with sharpie in the up-top striker role on a weekly basis.
If Indy is to come away with another three points at home, limiting the serivce into both Cole and Hristov will be essential.
PREVIEW: #INDVTBR
Indy Eleven Gameday & Match Preview
Indy Eleven vs Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, September 3, 2016 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
Watch/Listen Live:
- Local TV: WISH-TV
- National TV: None
- Streaming Video: ESPN3.com
- Radio: Exitos Radio 1590 AM (Spanish)
- Streaming Audio: Exitos1590.com (Spanish)
Follow Live:
- In-game updates: Follow @IndyElevenLive on Twitter, and Indy Eleven on Facebook
- Live stats: Visit the NASL.com MatchCenter for in-depth Opta statistics
- Vote for the Indy Eleven “Man of the Match” on the @IndyEleven Twitter feed immediately following the match
Team Records
Indy Eleven:​
- ​Fall Season: 6W-2D-4L, 20 pts, 3rd place
- Combined Season: 10W-8D-4L, 38 pts., 3rd place
Tampa Bay Rowdies: ​
- Fall Season: 3W-2D-6L, 11 pts, 10th place
- Combined Season: 7W-6D-8L, 5th place
Click here for the complete NASL Fall Season standings
Media Game Notes:
Last Time Out – New York Cosmos 3 : 0 Indy Eleven
Road game no. 3 for Indy Eleven was ugly – there’s no other way around it.
The 3-0 loss to the New York Cosmos to round out a three-week stint away from “The Mike” was the ugliest loss of 2016. Aside from Souleymane Youla’s chance inside the opening three minutes of the match, Indy was overwhelmed almost immediately. In the 8th minute, Ruben Bover opened the scoring for New York, taking a pass from Jairo Arrieta, creating space away from Brad Ring in the box, and firing an effort low to Eleven ‘keeper Jon Busch’s left side that he was unable to reach.
In the 17th minute things went from bad to worse as Nemanja Vukovic was judged to have brought down a Cosmos attacker in the area, resulting in a penalty from the spot that Juan Arango buried.
Though down 2-0 at half, Eleven head coach Tim Hankinson subbed in Omar Gordon for Brad Ring to inject some pace into the line-up, and for a moment it looked like it may have been the spark that Indy needed. However, what momentum the visitors had built went out the window with a Cory Miller straight red card and second penalty to New York. Despite Arango failing to convert from the spot the second time around, going down to ten men all but doomed the “Boys in Blue” to a fourth loss in five games on the road, and Arango’s second of the night in the 73rd minute finally sealed that fate.
The loss kept Indy at 3rd in the Fall and Combined Seasons, but greatly damaged its title hopes with the need to collect every point from here on out amplified even further.
Last Time Out – Tampa Bay Rowdies 2 : 0 Rayo OKC
Joe Cole may be new to the NASL and to the Rowdies, but he’s not new to scoring match-winning goals, which he did last Saturday night when Tampa Bay hosted Rayo OKC at Al Lang Stadium.
Cole missed a penalty in the opening ten minutes that could have created space from the get-go, and after 45 minutes of scoreless action things looked in question for the hosts.
However, just after the hour mark things took a turning point in front of the home crowd. The former England international Cole tallied up goals in the 61st minute on a Georgi Hristov assist and on a solo effort in the 70th minute for the only two goals of the match, and virtually delivered all three points for the Rowdies – points they are desperate for as they look to displace Minnesota for the all-important fourth spot on the Combined Season table (now six points back but with a game in hand on the Loons).
Bounceback Ability
Multiple questions surround Coach Tim Hankinson’s side away from home, but Saturday’s contest at Carroll Stadium gives Indy Eleven the opportunity to extend its home winning streak and prove they are still a championship-caliber side.
Indiana’s Team has not won in over two weeks – their longest stretch since the title-decider against Carolina in June – but feel fresh after a road trip that did not yield ideal results. As the setbacks piled up against New York, Hankinson made some in-game adjustments to ensure his side would be as prepared as possible on Saturday in the hopes of leaving it all to play for when it comes to the Fall championship conversation.
Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: DF Daniel Keller
With Cory Miller suspended due to the red card picked up against New York, it looks as if Daniel Keller, who had logged one solitary minute in league play before entering against New York, will start alongside Colin Falvey in a back four that has let in seven goals in the last three games.
A native of Carmel, Keller featured plenty in 2015 (1,000 minutes in 16 league games) but has yet to fully land on Coach Hankinson’s radar, with U.S. Open Cup ties the only real action he has received in 2016. A versatile and capable player, Keller is relishing the chance to get his first league start of the year and may surprise a few with his ability to assist in holding down the line.
Who to Watch, Tampa Bay Rowdies edition: MF Joe Cole
A seemingly obvious choice, Cole has been on fire since arriving in the Fall Season.
Rising to T-5 in the league scoring charts with seven goals in 14 games and T-4 in assists with four total, Cole has been the X-factor for a Rowdies side experiencing a rollercoaster set of results. Though 34 years old, the former Chelsea FC standout is showing his ability to continue impacting matches and has helped his team rescue points on multiple occasions.
Still not convinced he’s still got it? Just watch him take a ride on his bike against Puerto Rico.
Match-up to Mark: GK Jon Busch vs. FW Georgi Hristov
Eleven ‘keeper Jon Busch will contend that errors against Ottawa and New York allowed a pair of goals in that simply should not have been there, but, as dictated by his past, is as determined as ever to bounceback with the rest of the “Boys in Blue.” Busch’s GAA has dropped to fourth in the league (1.00) now behind Eddies ‘keeper Matt Van Oekel, Cosmos ‘keeper Jimmy Maurer, and Minnesota United FC ‘keeper Sammy Ndjock, but in no way can the last three matches fall completely on the Indy netminder who is still one of the best in the league on any day.
His challenge on Saturday will be to limit another Rowdies threat in the form of forward Georgi Hristov. The 31-year-old Bulgarian has five goals and three assists in 21 matches this season and is marked on head coach Stuart Campbell’s team sheet with sharpie in the up-top striker role on a weekly basis.
If Indy is to come away with another three points at home, limiting the serivce into both Cole and Hristov will be essential.
