Stefano Pinho’s 55th Minute Equalizer Pushes Personal Scoring Stretch to Three Games, Team’s Scoring Streak to Club Record 11 Matches
MIAMI (Wednesday, June 8, 2022) – Indy Eleven needed nearly four-and-a-half hours to win a hard-earned point on the road from a 1-1 draw at The Miami FC at a rain-soaked Riccardo Silva Stadium on the campus of Florida International University. Indy forward Stefano Pinho’s goal in the 55th minute countered Christian Sorto’s 15th minute goal that came mere seconds after the game restarted following a two-and-a-half hour delay for thunderstorms in the Miami metro area.
The result from the first meeting of the former NASL rivals since 2017 kept Indy Eleven (6W-4L-3D) and Miami (5W-4L-6D) even on the Eastern Conference table now on 21 points and in a tie for seventh place. Pinho’s team-high seventh goal pushed his scoring streak to three games and also improved Indy Eleven’s scoring streak to a club-record 11 games.
Miami FC came out firing, seeing an effort off the foot of Kyle Murphy fall just wide and Christian Sorto’s header test Indy goalkeeper Tim Trilk both inside the third minute. While Miami continued to carry the bulk of the attacking action, Mother Nature intervened to help take some of the pressure off the Indy backline, as a delay for thunderstorms paused play in the 14th minute.
After the 150-minute stoppage Miami picked right back up where it left off, scoring less than 30 seconds after the restart when Sorto redirected Sean McFarlane’s cross to the six. A spate of four yellow cards – two for each side – marked the most notable action until the 42nd minute, when Eleven striker Manuel Arteaga saw what looked to be a 1-v-1 break on Miami goalkeeper Conner Sparrow carved out by Ben Ofeimu’s recovery run and shoulder barge just outside the area.
Miami had a quality look to double its advantage in the 52nd minute when Lamar Walker pulled a shot just wide of the left post, allowing Indy to drew first blood in the second stanza only three minutes later. The equalizing play started when midfielder Raul Aguilera darted up the middle of the field to the top of the area before slipping a pass through two defenders and into the path of Pinho, who slotted a low shot inside the far right post. The finish moved the veteran Brazilian forward into a third place tie on the USL Championship scoring chart with seven goals, continuing his red hot start in his debut season with Indiana’s Team.
Trilk and Sparrow traded saves in the 65th minute, and two more good looks from Miami’s Romeo Parks and Murphy around the 75th minute just missed Trilk’s frame. The 82nd minute saw a nifty backheel by Eleven makeshift right back Justin Ingram put Nicky Law into space at the top of the area, but Sparrow was on the spot with a leaping parried save. It was Trilk’s turn in the 86th minute, as he got a touch to a looping cross from the left flank that forced a waiting Murphy to misjudge his look at a potential sitter. Fittingly the four planned minutes of stoppage time stretched into a sixth, but it wasn’t enough to find a decisive goal, leaving the two squads still tied on the Eastern Conference table – albeit with Indy having two games in hand.
After taking the upcoming weekend off, Indy Eleven will start the western half of its four-game, monthlong road trip next Saturday, June 18, with its first ever trip to the Rocky Mountain State to take on Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Kickoff at the Switchbacks’ new home of Weidner Field is set for 9:00 p.m. ET for a match fans can watch on MyINDY-TV 23 in Central Indiana and nationwide via streaming video on ESPN+.
Indy Eleven’s next home match will take place during the July 4th weekend, when Indiana’s Team will host Miami for their return match during its “Indy-pendence” Celebration game on Saturday, July 2. The special 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Carroll Stadium will be followed by a post-game fireworks display; more details on the evening’s festivities including “Bike Night at The Mike” are available at indyeleven.com/promotions.
Tickets for that holiday weekend affair – and all remaining Indy Eleven regular season contests – are available starting at just $15 and can be purchased online at indyeleven.com/tickets. Fans who cannot make it to The Mike can follow the action on MyINDY-TV 23, Exitos Radio 94.3 FM/exitos943.com, and the @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers.
2022 USL Championship Regular Season – Matchday 13
The Miami FC 1 : 1 Indy Eleven
Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Riccardo Silva Stadium – Miami, Fla.
Scoring Summary:
MIA – Christian Sorto (Sean McFarlane) 15’
IND – Stefano Pinho (Raul Aguilera) 55’
Disciplinary Summary:
IND – Manuel Arteaga (yellow card) 22’
MIA – Lamar Walker (yellow card) 36’
IND – Raul Aguilera (yellow card) 38’
MIA – Callum Chapman-Page (yellow card) 40′
MIA – Florian Valot (yellow card) 60’
MIA – Romeo Parkes (yellow card) 92+’
Indy Eleven lineup (4-4-2): Tim Trilk; Jared Timmer, A.J. Cochran, Mechack Jerome, Justin Ingram; Nicky Law (Rodney Michael 94+’); Sam Brown, Raul Aguilera (Bryam Rebellon 87’), Solomon Asante; Stefano Pinho, Manuel Arteaga
IND substitutes: Bryan Meredith (GK), Ayoze, Ecris Revolorio, Bryce Warhaft, Jonas Fjeldberg
The Miami FC (3-4-3): Conner Sparrow; Aedan Stanley, Callum Chapman-Page (Junior Palacios 63’), Benjamin Ofeimu, Sean McFarlane (Mark Segbers 63’); Florian Valot (captain), Boluwatife Akinyode, Lamar Walker (Adonijah Reid 81’); Christian Sorto (Romeo Parkes 58’), Kyle Murphy, Josh Perez (Othello Bah 45’)
MIA Substitutes: Noah Abrams (GK), Dennis Dowouna
