#LDNvIND Gameday Preview
Indy Eleven at Loudoun United FC
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 – 7:00 P.M. ET
Segra Field | Leesburg, Va.
Follow Live
Local/National TV: N/A
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
Radio (Spanish): N/A
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers
Live stats: #LDNvIND MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
Official Indy Eleven Watch Party Locations: Ellison Brewing Co. | Union Jack Pub
2021 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven: 6W-7L-4D (-4 GD), 22 pts.; 4th in Central Division
Loudoun United FC: 2W-14L-1D (-20 GD); 8th in Atlantic Division
The third of four 2021 inter-division affairs for Indy Eleven this Wednesday evening at Loudoun United FC provides a strong opportunity – on paper, at least – for Indiana’s Team to post back-to-back wins for the first time since late May. After taking the full three points from two of its last three outings – including a 2-1 triumph Saturday over OKC Energy FC that snapped a six-game home winless streak – the Boys in Blue will swing into Northern Virginia with momentum at their collective backs and good reason to think a surge up the Central Division standings is there for the taking.
The reasoning for that confidence is two-fold. As any coach will tell you it starts with how their team is playing, and in the immediate sense for Indy Eleven that means looking at the energy/attitude from Saturday’s win over OKC. A glance at the stats reveals as even a game as the Eleven might play all season, but a high-intensity, high-pressure gameplan maintained throughout resulted in 33% of the match played in their offensive third compared to 20% in the defensive third. When possession (50-50), passes (395 vs. 383), passing accuracy (both 75.7%), and duels won (53 vs. 50) are practically the same, where everything happens on the field matters that much more, which is why Indy looked more on the front foot across the 90 minutes.
It also helps that some of the struggles in the finishing department at “The Mike” sorted themselves out, courtesy of top-class deliveries and goals by forwards Nicky Law and Manuel Arteaga. While Law’s move to the forward line meant his touches might have been down, it also took his typical steady distribution further up the field, providing a different dynamic between fellow front-liners Arteaga and Gordon Wild in addition to left-sided maestro Ayoze.
Roster rotation is always crucial in these three-game weeks, which makes last Saturday’s return of defender Neveal Hackshaw to 90-minute fitness and getting goalkeeper Jordan Farr’s return from a two-month injury hiatus all the more crucial. If Interim Head Coach Max Rogers wants to take his high-pressure tactics on the road this week that may very well mean more bodies will be in the mix – but then again, don’t be surprised to see a lot of the XI from Saturday night back on the field to start Wednesday’s match in an attempt to build some cohesion and consistency.
On the other side of the confidence coin is the competition, and that bodes well too as the midweek match-up marks the first of three consecutive games for the Eleven against teams at the bottom of their respective divisions. Since posting a surprise 2-1 win at home over current Atlantic co-leader Pittsburgh on June 30, it’s been a summer slog for Loudoun, which enters Wednesday’s contest looking to break an eight-game winless streak (1 draw, 7 losses). In fact, it’s been a season-long challenge for the Black-and-Red, whose win (2), point (7), and goal differential (-20) totals all place last in the 31-team USL Championship.
But it’s not all doom-and-gloom for the Virginia side, which ended a six-game losing streak via a scoreless draw against Charlotte Independence its last time out at Segra Field on Aug. 6. Even last Friday’s 0-1 loss at Charleston Battery was a bit unlucky, as a 79th minute finish by Robbie Crawford needed two deflections – one off a defender and a second off the inside of the left post – to down the plucky visitors at Patriots Point.
As is wont to happen with MLS-affiliated sides, individual success means a move to the parent club, which was the case for froward Jovanny Bolivar. The Venezuelan’s four goals still leads the squad even after his call-up to DCU on July 20, making it a “goal-scorer by committee” set up since then. With four different players bagging once in the five games since then (to go along with an own goal) it seems there’s no clear front-runner for the Eleven defense to key on, which should make for interesting matchups between Loudoun’s young-and-hungry attack and a veteran-laden Eleven defensive corps.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LOUDOUN UNITED FC
USL Championship regular season: 2W-0L-0D (4 GF/1 GA)
USL Championship at home: 1W-0L-0D (2 GF/0 GA)
USL Championship on the road: 1W-0L-0D (2 GF/1 GA)
Their previous two meetings during Loudoun’s Inaugural Season in 2019 both went Indy Eleven’s way, starting with a 2-1 win at DCU’s new home of Audi Field in the District on June 15. In that one, Tyler Pasher struck with one minute left in regulation to complete a comeback that started with Nelson Martinez’s 66th minute own goal. Just over a month later at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pasher provided a late insurance goal that supported Thomas Enevoldsen’s 81st minute game-winner in a 2-0 victory.
IND PLAYER TO WATCH: FW MANUEL ARTEAGA
The Venezuelan target man put his shooting boots on again Saturday night, his three attempts bringing his once-again league leading total to 46 shots. However, the big difference on Saturday was quality over quantity, as the veteran striker put all three of his attempts on frame – including a game-winning header on the full trot in the 50th minute that sent him barreling into the advertising signs (and thankfully no worse for the collision), indicative of the no-holds-barred style with which he plies his trade.
Arteaga and fellow co-scoring leader Jordan Hamilton have gone about getting their four goals in different ways, with Hamilton getting his haul in much more efficient fashion (12 shots on goal on 15 shots) than Arteaga (15 shots on goal on 46 shots). Both will continue to be leaned on as the second half of the season continues; however, if Saturday night is any indication, the team’s forwards will be mandated, not just expected, to do more than finish. So, if Rogers is committed to maintaining the squad’s high-pressing ways, it will be Arteaga’s infectious work rate that earns him the bulk of the minutes at the point of a three-man forward line moving forward.
ldn PLAYER TO WATCH: GK JERMAINE FORDAH
Forgive Fordah if he’s not excited to see Arteaga bring his high volume of shots to Segra Field, as the Loudoun United FC netminder’s 57 saves in just 14 appearances are the third most amongst Championship goalkeepers this season. And while his 27 concessions on the season have contributed to LDN’s rough ledger of 35 goals allowed (fourth most in the USLC this season), his last two performances have shown signs of improvement – six saves against Charlotte helping achieve a 0-0 draw and second clean sheet of the season, and another five stops last weekend at Charleston nearly leading to the same scoreline in a 0-1 loss.
#LDNvIND Gameday Preview
Indy Eleven at Loudoun United FC
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 – 7:00 P.M. ET
Segra Field | Leesburg, Va.
Follow Live
Local/National TV: N/A
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
Radio (Spanish): N/A
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers
Live stats: #LDNvIND MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
Official Indy Eleven Watch Party Locations: Ellison Brewing Co. | Union Jack Pub
2021 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven: 6W-7L-4D (-4 GD), 22 pts.; 4th in Central Division
Loudoun United FC: 2W-14L-1D (-20 GD); 8th in Atlantic Division
The third of four 2021 inter-division affairs for Indy Eleven this Wednesday evening at Loudoun United FC provides a strong opportunity – on paper, at least – for Indiana’s Team to post back-to-back wins for the first time since late May. After taking the full three points from two of its last three outings – including a 2-1 triumph Saturday over OKC Energy FC that snapped a six-game home winless streak – the Boys in Blue will swing into Northern Virginia with momentum at their collective backs and good reason to think a surge up the Central Division standings is there for the taking.
The reasoning for that confidence is two-fold. As any coach will tell you it starts with how their team is playing, and in the immediate sense for Indy Eleven that means looking at the energy/attitude from Saturday’s win over OKC. A glance at the stats reveals as even a game as the Eleven might play all season, but a high-intensity, high-pressure gameplan maintained throughout resulted in 33% of the match played in their offensive third compared to 20% in the defensive third. When possession (50-50), passes (395 vs. 383), passing accuracy (both 75.7%), and duels won (53 vs. 50) are practically the same, where everything happens on the field matters that much more, which is why Indy looked more on the front foot across the 90 minutes.
It also helps that some of the struggles in the finishing department at “The Mike” sorted themselves out, courtesy of top-class deliveries and goals by forwards Nicky Law and Manuel Arteaga. While Law’s move to the forward line meant his touches might have been down, it also took his typical steady distribution further up the field, providing a different dynamic between fellow front-liners Arteaga and Gordon Wild in addition to left-sided maestro Ayoze.
Roster rotation is always crucial in these three-game weeks, which makes last Saturday’s return of defender Neveal Hackshaw to 90-minute fitness and getting goalkeeper Jordan Farr’s return from a two-month injury hiatus all the more crucial. If Interim Head Coach Max Rogers wants to take his high-pressure tactics on the road this week that may very well mean more bodies will be in the mix – but then again, don’t be surprised to see a lot of the XI from Saturday night back on the field to start Wednesday’s match in an attempt to build some cohesion and consistency.
On the other side of the confidence coin is the competition, and that bodes well too as the midweek match-up marks the first of three consecutive games for the Eleven against teams at the bottom of their respective divisions. Since posting a surprise 2-1 win at home over current Atlantic co-leader Pittsburgh on June 30, it’s been a summer slog for Loudoun, which enters Wednesday’s contest looking to break an eight-game winless streak (1 draw, 7 losses). In fact, it’s been a season-long challenge for the Black-and-Red, whose win (2), point (7), and goal differential (-20) totals all place last in the 31-team USL Championship.
But it’s not all doom-and-gloom for the Virginia side, which ended a six-game losing streak via a scoreless draw against Charlotte Independence its last time out at Segra Field on Aug. 6. Even last Friday’s 0-1 loss at Charleston Battery was a bit unlucky, as a 79th minute finish by Robbie Crawford needed two deflections – one off a defender and a second off the inside of the left post – to down the plucky visitors at Patriots Point.
As is wont to happen with MLS-affiliated sides, individual success means a move to the parent club, which was the case for froward Jovanny Bolivar. The Venezuelan’s four goals still leads the squad even after his call-up to DCU on July 20, making it a “goal-scorer by committee” set up since then. With four different players bagging once in the five games since then (to go along with an own goal) it seems there’s no clear front-runner for the Eleven defense to key on, which should make for interesting matchups between Loudoun’s young-and-hungry attack and a veteran-laden Eleven defensive corps.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LOUDOUN UNITED FC
USL Championship regular season: 2W-0L-0D (4 GF/1 GA)
USL Championship at home: 1W-0L-0D (2 GF/0 GA)
USL Championship on the road: 1W-0L-0D (2 GF/1 GA)
Their previous two meetings during Loudoun’s Inaugural Season in 2019 both went Indy Eleven’s way, starting with a 2-1 win at DCU’s new home of Audi Field in the District on June 15. In that one, Tyler Pasher struck with one minute left in regulation to complete a comeback that started with Nelson Martinez’s 66th minute own goal. Just over a month later at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pasher provided a late insurance goal that supported Thomas Enevoldsen’s 81st minute game-winner in a 2-0 victory.
IND PLAYER TO WATCH: FW MANUEL ARTEAGA
The Venezuelan target man put his shooting boots on again Saturday night, his three attempts bringing his once-again league leading total to 46 shots. However, the big difference on Saturday was quality over quantity, as the veteran striker put all three of his attempts on frame – including a game-winning header on the full trot in the 50th minute that sent him barreling into the advertising signs (and thankfully no worse for the collision), indicative of the no-holds-barred style with which he plies his trade.
Arteaga and fellow co-scoring leader Jordan Hamilton have gone about getting their four goals in different ways, with Hamilton getting his haul in much more efficient fashion (12 shots on goal on 15 shots) than Arteaga (15 shots on goal on 46 shots). Both will continue to be leaned on as the second half of the season continues; however, if Saturday night is any indication, the team’s forwards will be mandated, not just expected, to do more than finish. So, if Rogers is committed to maintaining the squad’s high-pressing ways, it will be Arteaga’s infectious work rate that earns him the bulk of the minutes at the point of a three-man forward line moving forward.
ldn PLAYER TO WATCH: GK JERMAINE FORDAH
Forgive Fordah if he’s not excited to see Arteaga bring his high volume of shots to Segra Field, as the Loudoun United FC netminder’s 57 saves in just 14 appearances are the third most amongst Championship goalkeepers this season. And while his 27 concessions on the season have contributed to LDN’s rough ledger of 35 goals allowed (fourth most in the USLC this season), his last two performances have shown signs of improvement – six saves against Charlotte helping achieve a 0-0 draw and second clean sheet of the season, and another five stops last weekend at Charleston nearly leading to the same scoreline in a 0-1 loss.
