Sports stats



USL Indy Eleven

Preview | Indy Eleven Hosts Music City Rivals Nashville Sc

May 23, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Indy Eleven News Release


Last Time Out:

Indy Eleven 1:0 Charleston Battery | Saturday, May 18

Indy Eleven goalkeeper Evan Newton recorded his third clean sheet in as many games - and his fifth of 2019 - after the Boys in Blue defeated Charleston Battery last Saturday evening, extending the team's home record to 2W-0L-2D and current undefeated streak to three. In addition to Newton's latest shutout, midfielder Tyler Pasher found the back of the net for the second time this season in dramatic fashion after scoring the game's lone goal in the dying minutes of the evening.

#INDvNC: Highlights | Recap | Stats | Post-game Quotes

Birmingham Legion 0-1 Nashville SC | Wednesday, May 22

A second half penalty kick from Daniel Ríos gave Nashville SC just enough to escape from Birmingham with three points in a 1-0 victory over Legion FC on national television on Wednesday night at BBVA Compass Field. Winger Alan Winn was dragged down in the box in the 62' minute leading to the penalty kick. Ríos made it count from the spot on the penalty with his eighth goal of the season and second from the penalty spot.

#BHMvNSH: Highlights & Stats | Recap

#INDvNSH Storylines

Indy Eleven has a 2W-0L-0D all-time record against Nashville SC, winning last year's fixtures 2-1 at home on April 14 and 2-0 in Tennessee on June 26.

Indy Eleven hasn't given up a goal inside Lucas Oil Stadium in this season's 360 minutes of home action - and including last week's U.S. Open Cup fixture against Lansing Ignite FC, that scoreless streak is up to 450 minutes. The home shutout streak in USL Championship regular season play currently stands at 421 minutes, with the last goal conceded inside LOS tallied by Bethlehem Steel's Faris Pemi Mounbagna in last year's home finale (39th minute in 1-1 draw on Oct. 6).

Midfielder Tyler Pasher's second goal of the season, and go-ahead-goal, against Charleston Battery in last week's match is the first goal that the Boys in Blue have scored at home in the 2019 season. Indy Eleven won the home opener against Hartford Athletic 1-0 back on March 30 thanks to a first-half Hartford own goal.

The match against Nashville SC will be Indy's first ever "Indy 500 Eve" match in its six-year history. The Boys in Blue will go Black-and-White on the night in special "Racing Indy" kits inspired by "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" and the team's Brickyard Battalion supporters group.

Nashville SC's Ramone Howell spent four years playing at Valparaiso University in Northwest Indiana, where he made 67 appearances and scored seven goals.

Nashville fullback Justin Davis is no stranger to Indy Eleven, having faced Indiana's Team 10 times with Minnesota United from 2014-16 and twice in 2018 with Nashville SC.

Davis' fellow wing back Darnell King faced the Boys in Blue a total of nine times in NASl action while playing for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Tampa Bay Rowdies from 2014-16.

Nashville goalkeeper Matt Pickens has also faced the Boys in Blue with both Tampa Bay and Nashville SC. Pickens had a 2W-1L-6D record against Indy Eleven in nine games with the Rowdies and a 0W-2L-0D record as a member of Nashville SC.

Indy Eleven Player to Watch | DF Ayoze

Ayoze Garcia covered his fair share of the pitch last weekend, his yeoman's effort on both sides of the ball earning the defender a spot on the USL Championship's Team of the Week.

The wing-back assisted the lone goal of the game, as his ball down the left flank allowed Pasher to go on a bursting run that would set him up to score his second goal of the season. While only being officially credited with two assists (so far this season), Ayoze would have at least three additional "hockey assists" should the passes he set up leading to goals be counted.

Based on his passing accuracy and situational awareness, most optometrists would say Ayoze has 20/20 vision. The veteran defender has provided more goal-scoring opportunities than of any of his teammates with 19 chances created to date, leading forward Thomas Enevoldsen by two.

Nashville SC Player to Watch: DF Justin Davis

Nashville SC has its own left back who is a danger on both ends of the field in the veteran Davis. Davis' bite on the defensive end is born out in a plethora of ways, winning the majority of his tackles (68%), duels (63%), and aerial duels (73%) while also nothing 24 clearances in his 11 appearances thus far. On the attacking side, Davis is tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference with 57 crosses, while his 15 chances created are tied for the team lead with Daniel Rios and Lebo Moloto.

Match-up to Mark | Evan Newton vs. Daniel Rios

What happens when an unmovable object meets an unstoppable force? We'll find out this Saturday when 2018 Golden Glove recipient Newton squares off against the Eastern Conference's co-leading scorer in Rios.

Newton appears to have the upper hand going into the weekend as he looks to surpass his 2018 numbers he set with his former club, FC Cincinnati. During last year's award-winning campaign, Newton conceded only 16 goals in 72 shots faced, resulting in nine shutouts and a 0.80 goals against average. Nine games into 2019, the Virginia Beach native has tallied five clean sheets and 18 saves, conceding the third fewest goals in the Championship so far (7). As it stands, Newton is on pace to finish the season with 20 clean sheets and 72 saves, assuming he maintains consistent performances for the next 25 fixtures.

Rios was at it again on Wednesday night, scoring in the 63rd minute at Birmingham to give Nashville another three points and the Mexican striker his eighth goal in just 11 appearances, good for a share of the East's Golden Boot lead alongside New York's Tom Barlow.

Rios has been outstanding since joining the Music City side last December as Nashville's first Major League Soccer signing. A 2018 All-League First Team honoree as a member of North Carolina FC, the Chivas de Guadalajara product has completed just over three-fourths of his passes on average this season and created 15 chances. Rios' ability to find teammates in tough attacking positions and finish plenty himself makes him a threatening presence anywhere in the attacking half of the pitch.

Indy Eleven vs Nashville SC - #INDvNSH

Saturday, May 25, 2019 - 7:00 P.M. ET

Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN

Follow Live:

Local/National TV: WISH-TV

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

Radio (Spanish): Exitos 1590 AM

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

In-game stats: USLChampionship.com #INDvNSH Match Center

Setting the Table:

Indy Eleven: 5W-2L-2D, 17 pts., T-5th in Eastern Conference

Nashville SC: 6W-3L-3D, 21 pts., 2nd in Eastern Conference

Check out the Indy Eleven Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 23, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Indy Eleven Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central