U.S. Open Cup Recap: Columbus Crew 2 : 1 Indy Eleven
Published on June 18, 2014 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Indy Eleven News Release
AKRON, Ohio (Tuesday, June 17, 2014) - A late converted penalty by the Columbus Crew in extra time proved just enough for the Major League Soccer side to edge Indy Eleven 2-1 in a Fourth Round matchup in the 101^st Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in front of 1,913 at FirstEnergy Stadium at the University of Akron. The defeat for Indy Eleven ended an early run of success for North American Soccer League squads against MLS teams to begin the tournament's Fourth Round.
The Crew would jump on the visitors early on with a goal in the 4th minute. A corner kick by Ben Speas was placed perfectly to a streaking Bernardo Anor, who effortlessly headed the ball into the back of the net from eight yards out for the first goal of the match. An Indy threat ensued off the ensuing kickoff a minute later when a deflected pass landed at the feet of midfielder Corby Moore, who fired a rocket that ricocheted off a Crew defender and out of play.
It looked like the Crew struck again in the 15th minute when a cross from winger Hector Jimenez was met by the head of forward Adam Bedell. While the ball found got past Eleven goalkeeper Kristian Nicht, the assistant referee's raised flag for offside wiped away the potential goal.
While Columbus enjoyed a heavy advantage in possession in the opening half-hour, that dynamic would tilt Indy's way after the 32nd minute, when Bedell's high challenge on Eleven defender Chris Estridge was initially ruled a cautionable offense. However, after a discussion with fourth official, referee Dimitar Chavdarov rescinded the yellow card and instead showed Bedell a straight red, ending his night early and giving the Hoosier State squad a man advantage.
After gaining an increasing foothold on the match, Indy Eleven was able to finally light up the scoreboard in the 62nd minute. Halftime substitute Don Smart cut a pass back across the middle of the box to a well-positioned Blake Smith. The Eleven midfielder set up his defender with a touch before launching a shot that screamed past the hands of Crew netminder Steve Clark to set the score at 1-1.
The draw didn't look to be long lived, as a counterattack by the Crew in the 66th minute resulted in an Ethan Findlay shot. However, Nicht made the stop of the night after coming off his line, stretching out a leg to make a kick save and keep the proceedings even.
Another waved off goal came in the 71st minute of the match, this time against the Eleven. After a frantic exchange inside the Crew area the ball would pop out to forward Ben Spencer, who rolled one through traffic and past Clark, only to see the offside flag raised to keep the score at 1-1, which is how it would remain through the end of regulation.
After a scoreless first extra time period that saw chances come for both sides, things heated up early in the in the second 15 minutes. Columbus' Daniel Paladini was shown his team's second straight red card in the 110th minute for flailing an elbow at an Indy Eleven player after being dispossessed in midfield, giving Indy Eleven a 11-vs-9 advantage to close out the final 10 minutes of the match.
But with legs tiring for the visitors, the advantage was not all it was cracked up to be, and a Crew counterattack proved to be costly for Indy in the 112th minute when Findlay's endless hustle finally paid off. Indy midfielder Brad Ring was ruled to bring down the Crew midfielder inside the area, and a minute later Crew forward Jairo Arrieta lined up from the spot and sent one past Nicht to put the Crew in the lead 2-1.
Indy made a late run in the two minutes of added time, culminating with midfielder Victor Pineda's drive down the left side of the box and resulting shot that just missed hitting the far right post, forcing the visitors to a heartbreaking loss.
Indy Eleven will now fully dive into the NASL's midseason break before resuming play with the start of the Fall Season on Saturday, July 12, against the Carolina RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park on Cary, N.C. The Eleven will return back to IUPUI's Carroll Stadium one week later on July 19, when the checkered-clad side will take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Tickets for all nine of the team's Fall Season matches are available and can be purchased in the "Tickets" section of IndyEleven.com.
North American Soccer League Stories from June 18, 2014
- Minnesota United Falls 2-0 to Reigning MLS Champs in 4th Round of U.S. Open Cup - Minnesota United FC
- NASL Clubs Ready for Round 5 US Open Cup Action June 24 - NASL
- USA-Portugal Watch Party at WakeMed Soccer Park - North Carolina FC
- Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids up Next for Silverbacks - Atlanta Silverbacks
- FC Edmonton Kicks Off Fall Season Training in Spruce Grove - FC Edmonton
- U.S. Open Cup Recap: Columbus Crew 2 : 1 Indy Eleven - Indy Eleven
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