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Indy Eleven set sights on home opener

March 29, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Indy Eleven News Release


Indy Eleven return to Lucas Oil Stadium to face Hartford Athletic in the Boys in Blue's 2019 Home Opener this Saturday, March 30. The meeting between the two sides will be the first ever in competitive play.

There will be a good crowd and good atmosphere, which adds a lot of energy to the game," said Indy Eleven Head Coach Martin Rennie. "Certainly, by this first home game, I think everyone's excited about it. We're only going to be playing on home game in the first couple months of the season, so we want to make the most of it.

Indy Eleven (1W-1L-0D) enter Week 4 of the 2019 USL Championship after coming off an early-season bye week. Indiana's Team faced Charlotte Independence in their most recent match in Week 2 and claimed the first three points of the season in a 3-2 victory over the North Carolina side. Midfielder Tyler Gibson, defender Macauley King, and forward Thomas Enevoldsen scored their first goals of the 2019 season against Charlotte. Midfielder Kenney Walker's two assist performance saw him earn Team of the Week honors and jump to USL Championship's assist co-leader, creating three total goals. The Boys in Blue were efficient in front of net against Charlotte, scoring three goals in seven attempts on target. The match also featured substitutes Lucas Farias and Alioune Diakhate, who both made their Indy Eleven debuts alongside goal scorer Macauley King.

Hartford Athletic (0W-3L-0D) face Indy Eleven in Week 4 after falling to Louisville City FC 2-1 in last Saturday. A goal in the sixth minute from midfielder Jonathon Brown wasn't enough to sink the Purple and Gold, who scored the equalizer eight minutes later. Louisville found the winner three minutes after the half hour mark in the form of an own goal by Hartford's Sem de Wit. The defender's own goal was the product of a square pass that took an unfortunate bounce off his knee and into his team's net. The loss is the third in a row for Hartford, who have given up six goals in three games and are tied with Charlotte Independence for most goals conceded in the Eastern Conference. The side has created 30 chances through the three games played, but has only found the back of the net twice through Brown and fellow midfielder Phillip Rasmussen.

Indy Eleven Player to Watch: DF Macauley King

Leicester City youth product Macauley King netted his first goal for the Boys in Blue in his professional debut. King scored the opening goal of the 3-2 victory over Charlotte Independence in Indiana's Team's Week 2 away matchup.

Teammate Kenney Walker played a long square pass to the 23-year-old, who then fired a driven shot past Independence goalkeeper Brandon Miller into the upper, right corner of the net. King will most likely find himself patrolling the flanks again in Indy Eleven Head Coach Martin Rennie's attacking system against Hartford Athletic in the Boys in Blue's 2019 Home Opener.

Hartford Athletic Player to Watch: FW Wojciech Wojcik

Indy Eleven fans will have a chance to watch a former Boy in Blue come the home opener Saturday night. Forward Wojciech Wojcik featured in 21 games for Indiana's Team before joining Oklahoma City Energy in 2016. He now dons the #12 shirt for Hartford Athletic.

The man born in Dabrowa Tarnowska, Poland has played in all three of Hartford's matches so far in the 2019 USL Championship season. The 26-year old forward has taken three shots during play but is yet to net his first goal for his new side. Despite not scoring, he's moved the ball well, averaging a 75-percent pass success rate.

Matchup to Mark: Indy DF Hackshaw vs Hartford MF Rasmussen

Indy Eleven defender Neveal Hackshaw will have to keep tabs on Hartford Athletic midfielder Phillip Rasmussen in Saturday's Home Opener at Lucas Oil Stadium. Rasmussen plays through the center of the park for Hartford. As a result, Hackshaw will need to be weary of the midfielder's ability to pick out a pass.

Hackshaw returns to the pitch for Indy Eleven after spending the last week with the Trinidad and Tobago national team. The 23-year-old was hailed as BBC's Man of the Match after the clash against Wales on March 20. The sturdy defender currently leads Indiana's Team in passes intercepted and is second, behind fellow defender Karl Ouimette, in clearances. In addition to being a stout defenseman, the Trinidadian is a threat in the air, too. Hackshaw's first goal of the season came when he nodded home a Kenney Walker corner kick.

Hartford's success in the attacking third will be greatly impacted by Rasmussen's ability to play passes in. Rasmussen has moved the ball extremely well through the midfield. The 30-year old is just a percentage shy of averaging 90 percent passing accuracy through his first three games of the season. The Copenhagen, Denmark native is also one of two players who have scored for Hartford, making him a threat moving the ball and shooting it.

The Boys in Blue will need another stellar performance from Hackshaw to help slow down Hartford's midfield threat in Rasmussen. A key to three points will be keeping the Danish midfielder at bay.

Don't miss your chance to see the Boys in Blue up close and personal for the first time this season. Indy Eleven will take on Hartford Athletic at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, March 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the club's 2019 Home Opener. Information on single-game tickets, Season Ticket packages and more is available at IndyEleven.com/Tickets or by calling 317-685-1100.


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