USL Indy Eleven

Match Preview: Indy Eleven Travels North to Take on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

September 27, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Indy Eleven News Release


Indy Eleven at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Saturday, September 28, 2019 - 7:00 P.M. ET

Highmark Stadium | Pittsburgh, Penn.

Follow Live:

Local/National TV: N/A

Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click for a free 7-day trial)

Radio (Spanish): N/A

In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Honda

Setting the Table:

Indy Eleven: 17W-7L-5D, 56 pts., 2nd in Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: 15W-4L-10D, 55 pts., 5th in Eastern Conference

First 2019 Meeting:

Indy Eleven 2 : 1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Saturday, June 1

Indy Eleven overcame an early deficit with two late-game goals to secure three points at home in the first meeting of 2019 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on June 1. Indy midfielder Kenney Walker spurred the comeback after netting the equalizer in the 71st minute, quickly followed by midfielder Tyler Pasher's game-winning strike 10 minutes later.

Last Time Out:

Atlanta United FC 2 2 : 1 Indy Eleven | Wednesday, September 25

Indy Eleven fell at Atlanta United FC 2, 2-1, in the club's first of two Week 30 road matches. Atlanta's George Campbell found the scoreboard first in the 24th minute. The lead was short lived as defender Paddy Barrett scored his first goal of the 2019 campaign and the equalizer in 36th minute, but a second-half goal from Atlanta's Andrew Carleton saw the home side claim all three points.

Memphis 901 FC 0 : 1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Tuesday, September 24

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC secured three points and their sixth consecutive clean sheet after defeating Memphis 901 FC 1-0 on the road. A goal from a corner kick courtesy of defender Joe Greenspan was the only one of the match and the defender's third goal of the season. Greenspan has been a threat in the air for Pittsburgh, as all three of his goals have come via his head.

#PITvIND Storylines

Indy Eleven finished its 2018 three-game series against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC with a 0W-1L-2D record (4GF/5GA).

The Boys in Blue hold a 1W-1L-0D record against Pittsburgh in 2019 in all competitions, falling 1-0 in the Third Round U.S. Open Cup meeting on May 29, followed by defeating Pittsburgh at Lucas Oil Stadium three days later on June 1, 2-1.

The two years combined sees Indy's all-time record against the Pennsylvania based club sit at 1W-2L-2D in all competitions (6GF/7GA).

Much like the Boys in Blue, Pittsburgh are streaking at home. The Riverhounds hold a 9W-0L-6D record at home in 2019. Moreover, Pittsburgh are also in the midst of a 23-game home unbeaten run, having not dropped points at Highmark Stadium since July 21, 2018.

Indy Eleven are currently in a three-way tie for first place in the East, level on points with New York Red Bulls II and Tampa Bay Rowdies (56 pts.) with a game in hand on both sides.

The Boys in Blue have arguably the best defense in the Championship, allowing a league-low 23 goals, only five of which have been on home turf. Head Coach Martin Rennie's squad is tied third in the Eastern Conference and tied fourth across the league for most clean sheets with 12, trailing, Nashville SC (13), Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (14) and Phoenix Rising FC (14).

Similar to Indy, Pittsburgh's defense has been stellar as well. The side is tied first in the USL Championship and sits solely in first place in the Eastern Conference for clean sheets recorded at 14. Riverhounds SC is also tied fourth across the league and sole possessor of fourth in the Eastern Conference for goals conceded (28).

Since falling to Indy on June 1, Pittsburgh has only lost two of their last 19 matches, claiming 43 out of 57 possible points in the stretch of games.

Indy midfielder Matt Watson and Pittsburgh's Sammy Kahsai share some alumni history. Both played collegiately with UMBC Retrievers. Watson spent 2004-05 with the Retrievers while Kahsai spent 2015-17 with the Maryland-based university.

Indy midfielder and goal leader Tyler Pasher spent his 2015 season on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds roster. The Canadian made 21 appearance, eight of which were starts, and scored two goals in his first season in the league.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds goalkeeper Ben Lundgaard spent the 2018 USL Championship season on loan with Indy Eleven from Columbus Crew SC (MLS). Lundgaard did not make any appearances for the Boys in Blue last season, but has made four starts since joining Riverhounds SC. He's conceded three goals, recorded six saves and tallied two clean sheets so far this season.

Indy Eleven Player to Watch | MF Tyler Gibson

With a tough stretch of matches in quick succession towards the end of a season, a player fit enough to complete a full 90 minutes in multiple back-to-back games is crucial. For the Boys in Blue, that man has been midfielder Tyler Gibson. The 28-year-old has played all but six minutes of the 2019 USL Championship season, making him the most active player on the Boys in Blue's roster.

Not only is Gibson reliable when choosing a starting XI that can put in a full shift, he can be relied upon to control the tempo of a match. The Tennessean has made 32 interceptions on the season, a stat that has seen him shutdown opponent passing lanes and restart Indy's attack on multiple occasions. Additionally, Gibson has played the most passes on the team at 1,680 and he's failed to complete only 193, boasting an impressive 89% success rate.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Player to Watch | GK Kyle Morton

The last time Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC goalkeeper Kyle Morton gave up a goal was just over a month ago in a 5-0 defeat to North Carolina FC. Since then, Morton has gone on a goal-stopping spree, recording five consecutive clean sheets and making 11 saves before appearing on the bench at Memphis 901 FC Tuesday night.

Morton is yet to make an appearance against the Boys in Blue, as fellow goalkeeper Austin Pack minded the net the last time the two teams played. If Morton gets the start between the sticks, he'll most likely have his work cut out for him seeing as Indiana's Team created 17 shots in the home fixture against Pittsburgh.

Check out the Indy Eleven Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 27, 2019


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