Indy Eleven Collects 2-1 Win Via Late Comeback over New York
April 16, 2016 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Indy Eleven News Release
INDIANAPOLIS - Indy Eleven turned a potentially disappointing defeat into a breath-taking victory during second half stoppage time against the New York Cosmos, as Eamon Zayed's late brace gave the home side a 2-1 comeback win in front of 9,067 fans at IUPUI's Carroll Stadium.
Indy Eleven looked poised to end its six-game draw streak against the Cosmos with a loss after going down on Nico Kranjcar's 51^st minute penalty kick, but it instead snapped the run with a victory thanks to Zayed's late-game dramatics.
Neither side could break through during a stingy first 45 minutes of play. Indy Eleven had some early joy in attack through wide play and the crosses that came from it, but only one opportunity - Nemanja Vukovi?'s sidewinder off a Brad Ring service that bounced just wide in the 31^st minute - would result in any danger. New York's four shots in the half would all come from distance, with Sebastian Guenzatti's 33^rd minute effort from 20 yards out that missed high looking the most threatening.
Indy Eleven's Dylan Mares would have the best chance of the stanza in stoppage time when he turned inside on his defender and fired a left-footed blast from 15 yards that forced Cosmos netminder Kyle Zobeck into a two-handed parry over for a corner.
The home side looked to get the go-ahead goal in the 49^th minute when Justin Braun nodded home another Ring cross at the top of the six, but the offside flag came up on a bang-bang call. That wave-off would loom large just a minute later, as New York countered on the other end to set up the game's first tally. Guenzatti's lunge for Juan Arango's cross inside the six was judged to be altered by the sliding tackle of Greg Janicki, which drew a penalty kick for the visitors that Kranjcar slammed past the right of Indy goalkeeper John Busch to put New York up 1-0.
While Indy would push numbers forward for an equalizer, it was New York that would get the better chances on the counter up through the end of the regulation 90 minutes. Jairo Arrieta would get a good look in the 56^th minute, but Busch did well to cut off the angle and force the shot to be pushed into the outside netting. Lucky Mkosana almost made an immediate impact following his insertion for Arrieta in the 81^st minute, as he slipped through the Indy center backs and fired off a shot from 20 yards out that missed just wide of the right post.
The home side would enter the five minutes of injury time by taking its own trip to the penalty spot, ironically with Janicki being fouled by New York defender Hunter Freeman as he tried to track a looping corner that was sent into the heart of the area by Don Smart. While Zobeck would correctly guess to his left on the PK, Zayed placed it just out of reach and inside the right post to even the proceedings at 1-1.
Indy fans might have thought the seventh straight draw between the two sides was meant to be after Justin Braun's diving header off of Smart's exquisite first-time cross four minutes into stoppage flashed just wide left. However, the home side's push wasn't over, as on the game's final attack Mares' sent a shot that Zobeck did well to block, but the rebound fell right to Zayed, who swept home from the doorstep to give Indy Eleven its first win of the Tim Hankinson era.
Indy Eleven will enjoy its Spring Season bye week next weekend before getting back to action on Saturday, April 30, when "Indiana's Team" will travel to Oklahoma for its first meeting with Rayo OKC (8:00 p.m. ET, live on beIN Sports). The squad will return home to Carroll Stadium on Saturday, May 7, to take on Minnesota United FC; tickets for the match are available starting at $11 in the Brickyard Battalion and East Goal Top sections at www.IndyEleven.com or over the phone at 317-685-1100 (Mon.-Fri., 9:00a.m.-5:00 p.m.).
North American Soccer League Stories from April 16, 2016
- Cosmos Dealt First Defeat of Season at Indy - New York Cosmos
- RailHawks Edge Fury in a Tight Contest - Ottawa Fury FC
- Carolina atop the league standings after third straight win - NASL
- RailHawks Move to 3-0 with Win over Ottawa Fury FC - North Carolina FC
- Eddies Inspired Effort Comes up Short in 1-0 Defeat to Rowdies - FC Edmonton
- United Bests Strikers 3-0 in Dominant Home Opener Win - Minnesota United FC
- Indy Eleven Collects 2-1 Win Via Late Comeback over New York - Indy Eleven
- Shorthanded Strikers Suffer First Defeat of Season in Minnesota - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Tampa Bay Rowdies Hold on for Wild 1-0 Win over FC Edmonton - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Eddies Midfielder Raudales in Familiar Territory - FC Edmonton
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