KENNESAW, GEORGIA – It was a rare tough night on the road for Indy Eleven, which fell to Atlanta United 2 by a 6-2 scoreline Sunday evening at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Despite second half goals from the forward pairing of Nick Moon and Peter-Lee Vassell, two early first half concessions put an Eleven side playing its second away match in four days behind from the jump and unable to continue the momentum coming off of Wednesday’s 2-0 win at FC Tulsa.
“There's not a lot of positives from tonight. Individually for Nick Moon and Peter-Lee Vassell, those two coming on at the half and to score after was good. But it needs to be known that this is my responsibility, you know, how we set up the team and whatnot,” said Indy Eleven Interim Head Coach Max Rogers after the match. “So yeah, good for those lads to come on and give us some energy, but obviously, you know, we weren't good enough tonight, and that’s my responsibility.”
The scoring started just 12 seconds after the opening whistle following a series of Indy Eleven back passes that ended up at the feet of goalkeeper Eric Dick. The ‘keeper attempted to launch the ball back up and around forward Tyler Wolff as he barreled towards goal, but the Atlanta United Homegrown signee blocked the attempt and pushed the ball over the line for the fastest goal in the franchise’s history. Wolff widened the gap in the sixth minute after connecting with Darwin Matheus’ pass from outside the 18-yard box that split Indy’s backline, creating space as the forward charged through to receive. A low ball to the near post and under Dick’s diving hand secured Wolff an early brace and Atlanta a dream start at 2-0.
Indy tried to bring one back in the 16th minute as forward Jordan Hamilton lobbed a pass up the pitch to Gordon Wild, whose first touch found Manuel Arteaga darting through Atlanta’s penalty area for a shot that ultimately ended over the crossbar.
The half progressed as both sides continued searching for chances, but it was Atlanta that came up with a pair of opportunities beginning in the 30th minute. Getting the ball off a throw in deep within Indy’s defending half, ATL captain Robbie Mertz restarted play with a few speedy steps before launching a shot from 25 yards out towards Indy’s goal, forcing Dick to tip the attempt over the crossbar for a corner kick. Six minutes later, it was Mertz again with a pass inside Indy’s 18-yard box, this time looking for Matheus for a point-blank shot, but Dick did well to dive and smother the attempt.
Both teams got on the end of goal-scoring opportunities in the closing minutes of the first half. In the 39th minute, Hamilton’s chipped ball along the outskirts of the six-yard box took a bounce before Arteaga sent a side-volleyed shot towards the bottom of the near post, but ATL ‘keeper Ben Lundgaard made a last-ditch diving save at full extension to keep the home side’s lead at two. Mertz had the last shot of the half, a driven low effort from the top of Indy’s box in the 44th minute that Dick dove down and pushed wide.
Indy made every effort to turn the tide at the start of the second stanza, the halftime substitute Vassell having a hard look at goal from inside Atlanta’s penalty area that the former Boys in Blue ‘keeper Lundgaard batted down and out. Things went bad to worse for the visitors just two minutes later, a passing error from Dick leading to Wolff getting the ball near the top of Indy’s box and netting a hat trick while the Butler alumnus was off his line. However, the Eleven found a quick spark and brought one back within the minute when Moon fought through four United defenders and found the back of the net with a shot through the middle of the box, notching his third goal of the season.
When it rains, it pours, as Atlanta found the back of the net twice more before the hour mark. In the 53rd minute, Matheus made a central run through traffic and nodded midfielder Caleb Wiley’s cross into the upper-right corner of the goal. Forward Amadou Diop got his second goal of the season five minutes later after heading down an in-swinging cross from the corner by Wolff, beating Dick on the bounce for Atlanta’s fifth goal of the evening.
Hungry for a goal, Vassell scored his second tally of the season – and in as many games – with a one-time effort from the top of the box that skipped into goal after Moon’s initial shot deflected off an Atlanta defender in the 73rd minute. Despite scoring, Indy’s night continued to sour as an injury forced Eleven defender Jared Timmer out of the game in the 86th minute, and with no remaining substitutes available, forced the Boys in Blue to play down a man for the remainder of the match. United used the player deficit to its advantage, scoring near the end of five allotted minutes of second half stoppage time off a long-distance strike by midfielder David Mejia.
Indiana’s Team will return home this Saturday, August 14, when it plays host to OKC Energy FC at “The Mike”, tickets for which are available by visiting at https://www.indyeleven.com/tickets or by calling 371-685-1100 during regular business hours. The evening affair, presented by IBEW Local 481, will include food & beverage specials, including $4 beers and an $11 “Meal Deal” featuring a hot dog, chips & soda.
2021 USL Championship Regular Season
Atlanta United 2 6 : 2 Indy Eleven
Sunday, August 8, 2021 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Bank Stadium – Kennesaw, Georgia
Indy Eleven: 5W-7L-4D, 19 pts.; T-6th in Central Division
Atlanta United 2: 5W-7L-6D, 21 pts.; T-4th in Central Division
Scoring Summary:
ATL – Tyler Wolff (unassisted) 1’
ATL – Tyler Wolff (Darwin Matheus) 6’
ATL – Tyler Wolff (unassisted) 50’
IND – Nick Moon (Ayoze) 51’
ATL – Darwin Matheus (Caleb Wiley) 53’
ATL – Amadou Diop (unassisted) 58’
IND – Peter-Lee Vassell (unassisted) 61’
ATL – David Mejia (Phillip Goodrum) 90+5’
Disciplinary Summary:
ATL – Darwin Matheus (yellow card) 18’
IND – Gordon Wild (yellow card) 45+1’
ATL – Josh Bauer (yellow card) 77’
Indy Eleven lineup (3-4-3, L–>R): Eric Dick; Karl Ouimette (A.J. Cochran 62’), Jared Timmer, Patrick Seagrist (Neveal Hackshaw 62’); Ayoze (captain), Nicky Law, Aboubacar Sissoko (Peter-Lee Vassell 45’), Rece Buckmaster; Gordon Wild, Jordan Hamilton (Nick Moon 45’), Manuel Arteaga (Jeremiah Gutjahr 75’)
IND substitutes: Jordan Farr, Nedeljko Malic
Atlanta United 2 lineup: (4-3-3, L–>R): Ben Lundgaard; Caleb Wiley, Josh Bauer, Noah Cobb, Bryce Washington; Robbie Mertz (captain), Chris Allen (Brendan Lambe 67’), Ajani Fortune (Abdoulaye Diop 68’); Darwin Matheus (Phillip Goodrum 55’), Amadou Diop (Connor Stanley 60’), Tyler Wolff (David Mejia 59’)
ATL subs: Rocco Rios Novo, Aiden McFadden
KENNESAW, GEORGIA – It was a rare tough night on the road for Indy Eleven, which fell to Atlanta United 2 by a 6-2 scoreline Sunday evening at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Despite second half goals from the forward pairing of Nick Moon and Peter-Lee Vassell, two early first half concessions put an Eleven side playing its second away match in four days behind from the jump and unable to continue the momentum coming off of Wednesday’s 2-0 win at FC Tulsa.
“There’s not a lot of positives from tonight. Individually for Nick Moon and Peter-Lee Vassell, those two coming on at the half and to score after was good. But it needs to be known that this is my responsibility, you know, how we set up the team and whatnot,” said Indy Eleven Interim Head Coach Max Rogers after the match. “So yeah, good for those lads to come on and give us some energy, but obviously, you know, we weren’t good enough tonight, and that’s my responsibility.”
The scoring started just 12 seconds after the opening whistle following a series of Indy Eleven back passes that ended up at the feet of goalkeeper Eric Dick. The ‘keeper attempted to launch the ball back up and around forward Tyler Wolff as he barreled towards goal, but the Atlanta United Homegrown signee blocked the attempt and pushed the ball over the line for the fastest goal in the franchise’s history. Wolff widened the gap in the sixth minute after connecting with Darwin Matheus’ pass from outside the 18-yard box that split Indy’s backline, creating space as the forward charged through to receive. A low ball to the near post and under Dick’s diving hand secured Wolff an early brace and Atlanta a dream start at 2-0.
Indy tried to bring one back in the 16th minute as forward Jordan Hamilton lobbed a pass up the pitch to Gordon Wild, whose first touch found Manuel Arteaga darting through Atlanta’s penalty area for a shot that ultimately ended over the crossbar.
The half progressed as both sides continued searching for chances, but it was Atlanta that came up with a pair of opportunities beginning in the 30th minute. Getting the ball off a throw in deep within Indy’s defending half, ATL captain Robbie Mertz restarted play with a few speedy steps before launching a shot from 25 yards out towards Indy’s goal, forcing Dick to tip the attempt over the crossbar for a corner kick. Six minutes later, it was Mertz again with a pass inside Indy’s 18-yard box, this time looking for Matheus for a point-blank shot, but Dick did well to dive and smother the attempt.
Both teams got on the end of goal-scoring opportunities in the closing minutes of the first half. In the 39th minute, Hamilton’s chipped ball along the outskirts of the six-yard box took a bounce before Arteaga sent a side-volleyed shot towards the bottom of the near post, but ATL ‘keeper Ben Lundgaard made a last-ditch diving save at full extension to keep the home side’s lead at two. Mertz had the last shot of the half, a driven low effort from the top of Indy’s box in the 44th minute that Dick dove down and pushed wide.
Indy made every effort to turn the tide at the start of the second stanza, the halftime substitute Vassell having a hard look at goal from inside Atlanta’s penalty area that the former Boys in Blue ‘keeper Lundgaard batted down and out. Things went bad to worse for the visitors just two minutes later, a passing error from Dick leading to Wolff getting the ball near the top of Indy’s box and netting a hat trick while the Butler alumnus was off his line. However, the Eleven found a quick spark and brought one back within the minute when Moon fought through four United defenders and found the back of the net with a shot through the middle of the box, notching his third goal of the season.
When it rains, it pours, as Atlanta found the back of the net twice more before the hour mark. In the 53rd minute, Matheus made a central run through traffic and nodded midfielder Caleb Wiley’s cross into the upper-right corner of the goal. Forward Amadou Diop got his second goal of the season five minutes later after heading down an in-swinging cross from the corner by Wolff, beating Dick on the bounce for Atlanta’s fifth goal of the evening.
Hungry for a goal, Vassell scored his second tally of the season – and in as many games – with a one-time effort from the top of the box that skipped into goal after Moon’s initial shot deflected off an Atlanta defender in the 73rd minute. Despite scoring, Indy’s night continued to sour as an injury forced Eleven defender Jared Timmer out of the game in the 86th minute, and with no remaining substitutes available, forced the Boys in Blue to play down a man for the remainder of the match. United used the player deficit to its advantage, scoring near the end of five allotted minutes of second half stoppage time off a long-distance strike by midfielder David Mejia.
Indiana’s Team will return home this Saturday, August 14, when it plays host to OKC Energy FC at “The Mike”, tickets for which are available by visiting at https://www.indyeleven.com/tickets or by calling 371-685-1100 during regular business hours. The evening affair, presented by IBEW Local 481, will include food & beverage specials, including $4 beers and an $11 “Meal Deal” featuring a hot dog, chips & soda.
2021 USL Championship Regular Season
Atlanta United 2 6 : 2 Indy Eleven
Sunday, August 8, 2021 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Bank Stadium – Kennesaw, Georgia
Indy Eleven: 5W-7L-4D, 19 pts.; T-6th in Central Division
Atlanta United 2: 5W-7L-6D, 21 pts.; T-4th in Central Division
Scoring Summary:
ATL – Tyler Wolff (unassisted) 1’
ATL – Tyler Wolff (Darwin Matheus) 6’
ATL – Tyler Wolff (unassisted) 50’
IND – Nick Moon (Ayoze) 51’
ATL – Darwin Matheus (Caleb Wiley) 53’
ATL – Amadou Diop (unassisted) 58’
IND – Peter-Lee Vassell (unassisted) 61’
ATL – David Mejia (Phillip Goodrum) 90+5’
Disciplinary Summary:
ATL – Darwin Matheus (yellow card) 18’
IND – Gordon Wild (yellow card) 45+1’
ATL – Josh Bauer (yellow card) 77’
Indy Eleven lineup (3-4-3, L–>R): Eric Dick; Karl Ouimette (A.J. Cochran 62’), Jared Timmer, Patrick Seagrist (Neveal Hackshaw 62’); Ayoze (captain), Nicky Law, Aboubacar Sissoko (Peter-Lee Vassell 45’), Rece Buckmaster; Gordon Wild, Jordan Hamilton (Nick Moon 45’), Manuel Arteaga (Jeremiah Gutjahr 75’)
IND substitutes: Jordan Farr, Nedeljko Malic
Atlanta United 2 lineup: (4-3-3, L–>R): Ben Lundgaard; Caleb Wiley, Josh Bauer, Noah Cobb, Bryce Washington; Robbie Mertz (captain), Chris Allen (Brendan Lambe 67’), Ajani Fortune (Abdoulaye Diop 68’); Darwin Matheus (Phillip Goodrum 55’), Amadou Diop (Connor Stanley 60’), Tyler Wolff (David Mejia 59’)
ATL subs: Rocco Rios Novo, Aiden McFadden
