Indy Eleven Scores First Home Win
October 11, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Indy Eleven News Release
INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, October 11, 2014) - The long-awaited first home win in league play for Indy Eleven came against the unlikeliest of opponents, as the expansion side posted a 2-0 victory over NASL Fall Season and overall leader Minnesota United FC in front of a soldout crowd of 10,285 fans at IUPUI's Michael A. Carroll Stadium.
The win takes pressure off of the Eleven for that first win at home after going 0-7-5 in their first 12 NASL games at Carroll Stadium. Meanwhile, Minnesota remains clear of San Antonio for top spot in the Fall Season and overall standings, but only by a point and four points, respectively, after the Scorpions' win over Tampa Bay this evening
United got off to a strong start, but it was Indy Eleven that would strike first in the eighth minute. Eleven striker Charlie Rugg cut toward the Minnesota goal after achieving the right endline and found midfielder Victor Pineda cutting across the box. Pineda took a first-time shot and beat United goalkeeper Matt VanOekel to the near right post give Indy the fast 1-0 lead.
Minnesota had several excellent chances to tie the match in the opening 45 minutes, but tremendous goalkeeping by Kristian Nicht of Indy Eleven, particularly with his left foot, kept United scoreless. Indy would carry out its 1-0 lead into the halftime break, giving the squad just its second lead of the year in home 13 games going into the locker room.
It only got better for Indy Eleven in the second half after the checkered-clad side capitalized straight out of the halftime break through forward Jhulliam. Just 30 seconds after the restart, midfielder Don Smart played in a quick cross to the Brazilian striker, who had just entered the match. Jhulliam adjusted his feet and sent a left-footed volley screaming into the roof of the net to double the Indy lead.
United failed to capitalize on chance after chance as the match went on, including defender Christiano Dias smacking the right post with a blast just after the hour mark. But it was Nicht rather than the woodwork that was Minnesota's main nemesis, as the German netminder stopped all eight shots on the Indy Eleven frame and stretched his shutout streak to 217 minutes. The longest seven minutes of the season for Indy Eleven finally expired after stoppage time ran out, resulting in a "running out" of the Brickyard Battalion onto the field to celebrate a long overdue victory at "The Mike."
Indy will look to make it two wins in a row to close out its Carroll Stadium tenure in 2014 next Saturday, October 18, when it welcomes San Antonio to town on Fan Appreciation Night and Military Appreciation Night (7:30 p.m. ET kickoff, live on MyINDY-TV 23).
INDY ELEVEN HEAD COACH JUERGEN SOMMER
On finally getting three points at home:
"This is a win that has been a long time coming. Perhaps it was a little overdue in coming this late in the year and I thought there were some games we should have won that didn't go our way, but this win was fully deserved by our guys. I couldn't be prouder of the way they fought and stuck together and really put together a full 90 minutes."
On the play of Kristian Nicht:
"He was fantastic. And he was fantastic in New York last weekend as well, but he just put himself in great positions tonight. He was really hard to beat. He made himself big and he got something on everything they put on him. He was at the right spot consistently tonight and we're really happy for him."
MINNESOTA UNITED HEAD COACH MANNY LAGOS
Overall thoughts on the match:
"First and foremost, give Indy Eleven credit for the way they came out tonight. In both halves they scored a goal that changed the momentum straight away. I thought we started brightly and made some good adjustments after their goals and created some good chances of our own, but our lack of clinical finishing and their goalkeeping kept them ahead."
On impact of the Eleven goal to start the second half:
"In the second half I thought we'd come out and do well, but they come out and score a nice goal right away and we're behind the eight ball all of a sudden. We didn't have the same acumen to get back into the game after that."
On how the remaining schedule lines up:
"The schedule sets up pretty well down the stretch, but San Antonio got the win tonight so it's still tight and we've got some tough games ahead of us still. We've got a tough week with two games in three days. Certainly proud of the guys but I think we have to learn from tonight and think of the good things we did and keep moving forward."
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North American Soccer League Stories from October 11, 2014
- Late Goal Seals Cosmos' Victory over Ottawa - New York Cosmos
- Scorpions Emphatically Punch Postseason Ticket with a 7-0 Victory over Tampa Bay - San Antonio Scorpions
- Indy Eleven Scores First Home Win - Indy Eleven
- Indy Eleven's First Home Win Headlines Saturday's Week 14 Results - NASL
- Strikers Extend Unbeaten Streak to Four, Tie Silverbacks on the Road - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Minnesota United Blanked by Indy Eleven 2-0 - Minnesota United FC
- Match Preview: Carolina RailHawks at FC Edmonton - North Carolina FC
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