Boys in Blue, Le Rouge Begin New Rivalry Saturday at Carroll Stadium
#INDvDET Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Detroit City FC
Saturday, July 9, 2022 – 7:00 p.m. ET
IUPUI Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
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Live stats: #INDvDET MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
2022 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven: 6W-8L-3D (-5 GD), 21 pts.; 8th in Eastern Conference
Detroit City FC: 8W-4L-6D (+7 GD), 30 pts.; T-4th in Eastern Conference
COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK SPORTS MEDICINE INJURY REPORT
OUT: GK Bryan Meredith (R hand fracture), DF Bryam Rebellon (R quad/hip)
QUESTIONABLE: None
DISCIPLINE REPORT
IND: none
DET: none
Indy Eleven began play in 2014 and Detroit City FC two years earlier, but it took DCFC joining the USL Championship this past offseason for the clubs separated by less than 300 miles to finally have a game with meaning circled on the calendar. That wait ends Saturday night when the Boys in Blue host Le Rouge at Carroll Stadium for their first competitive contest, a game that will kick off the second half of the Eleven’s 34-game USLC regular season.
Indy Eleven’s second 0-1 loss in five days’ time at Pittsburgh on Wednesday night was the team’s fourth straight defeat, which extended its winless streak to five games dating back to a 1-1 draw at Miami on June 8. Despite the monthlong slide, Indy still sits just one spot out of playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference in eighth place, only three points behind seventh place Miami with a game in hand on the Florida side, and two points ahead of FC Tulsa, which has played two more matches than the Eleven.
Ever since a 3-1 win over Atlanta United 2 on May 21 put Detroit at 7W-2L-3D, the Michigan side has hit a bit of a dry patch, going 1W-2L-3D in their six outings since the start of June. Like the Eleven, Le Rouge were in action on Wednesday night, posting a 1-1 home draw against Hartford Athletic, meaning the quick turnaround will test a DCFC side with one of the smaller rosters in the entirety of the Championship. Detroit can be buoyed by its solid 3-3-2 away record, which includes a 1-0 win at Las Vegas Lights FC the last time they hit the road last Saturday.
To amp the burgeoning Indy-Detroit rivalry up a notch, the two clubs will start a busy day at Carroll Stadium with the regular season finale for their respective USL W League sides, with kickoff set for 2:00 p.m.
The matinee will serve as a postseason tune up for Indy Eleven, which clinched the Great Lakes Division crown via their 3-0 win at Detroit just last Friday night at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Mich. The Girls in Blue gained the division’s automatic spot in the W League’s 8-team postseason with the result; they’ll find out the opponent and location for next Wednesday’s Quarterfinal Round contest as more results shake out over the weekend. The Eleven enter the affair still undefeated with a dominant 9W-0L-2D record (29 pts.), while Detroit carries a 3W-5L-3D mark into the weekend and will look to maintain its 5th place position in the division.
LAST TIME OUT
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 1 : 0 Indy Eleven
Wed., July 6 | Recap & Highlights | Stats
Indy Eleven put forth one of its best defensive efforts of the season on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a 1-0 defeat at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. The Eleven held their ground until late in the second half, when substitute Albert Dikwa’s finish sent the Boys in Blue to a second loss by the frustrating 0-1 scoreline within five days’ time.
Indy Eleven looked to go ahead 11 minutes in, only to see Stefano Pinho’s back post finish nullified for offside. Nicky Law’s shot from distance that forced Jahmali Waite into a save in the 23rd minute ended up being Indy’s only shot on goal of the evening, but the Eleven’s sturdy defensive effort likewise held Pittsburgh to a lone shot on frame. However, that ended up being all the Riverhounds needed, as Dikwa’s goal with 11 minutes left in regulation made the difference in the tight affair.
Detroit City FC 1 : 1 Hartford Athletic
Wed., July 6 | Recap | Highlights | Stats
In a contest where both sides battled until the final whistle, Detroit City Football Club and Hartford Athletic shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Keyworth Stadium. DCFC ended the game with a total of 20 shots to Hartford’s nine, but both teams were equal with four shots on target.
Detroit carried the better of possession and chances early on, and the pressure paid off in the 20th minute when Deklan Wynne found Pato Botello Faz in front of the net, where he finished his chance to put Le Rouge up for his sixth goal of the season. In the 39th minute, Detroit suffered a huge loss after captain Stephen Carroll went down with an injury after he stretched to deflect a crossed ball in front of the net, forcing his removal from the match.
In the second half, Hartford quickly found the equalizer in the 57th minute on a goal set up by former Indy Eleven midfielder Peter-Lee Vassell and scored by Andre Lewis, who was left unmarked inside of the Le Rouge penalty area and had a clean shot to beat Nate Steinwascher into the bottom left corner. City missed a chance to take the lead and surely claim all three points in the 89th minute when Botello Faz found himself in space inside of the area but sent his shot over the crossbar.
SERIES VS. DETROIT CITY FC
Saturday marks the first regular season matchup between Indy Eleven and Detroit City FC, which is spending its first season in the USL Championship after playing in the NPSL from 2012 through 2019 and NISA from 2020 through 2021.The two sides have met before, however, in an exhibition match at Keyworth Stadium back on Aug. 13, 2019. In that friendly, Eugene Starikov’s 71st minute goal was the lone tally in the Eleven’s 1-0 victory.
So far this season, Indy Eleven is 2W-3L-2D in first-time matchups in USL Championship action, including an even 1-1-1 mark at Carroll Stadium. Detroit will be the eighth of 10 new opponents in league play this season, eight of which comprise the entirety of the club’s cross-conference opposition from the West:
vs. LA Galaxy II (1-1 D on April 2)
at Rio Grande Valley FC (2-1 W on April 9)
vs. Orange County SC (3-1 W on April 30)
vs. New Mexico United (1-2 L on May /28)
at The Miami FC (1-1 D on June 8)
at Colorado Springs Switchbacks SC (3-4 L on 6/18)
at San Diego Loyal (0-5 L on June 25)
Saturday vs. Detroit City FC
vs. San Antonio FC (8/27)
at Monterey Bay F.C. (9/17)
#INDvDET FAMILIAR FACES
There are two common links between the Indy and Detroit rosters, both residing on the DCFC sideline. Defender Karl Ouimette, whose 108 appearances were the second most for Indy until Ayoze surpassed him with his substitute appearance on Wednesday night at Pittsburgh, was sent on loan to DCFC for the remainder of the 2022 season on May 2, while Detroit Head Coach Trevor James served as Indy Eleven’s Technical Director and Assistant Coach across 2017-18.
While no current Eleven players have suited up for DCFC, there are three native Michiganders on the roster in GK Sean Lewis (Rockford), DF Jared Timmer (Hudsonville), and MF Sam Brown (Ann Arbor).
ELEVEN PLAYER TO WATCH: DF JARED TIMMER
Timmer has seen action all across the backline this season, including at center back alongside A.J. Cochran on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. The versatile defender has more often than not been on the outside of Mark Lowry’s four-man unit, where he’s proven adept at one-v-one defending and serving as a bit of a “fireman” of sorts when it comes to cleaning up dangerous back post and “weak side” services inside the area. No matter where he’s lined up, he’ll be called upon to help shut down Detroit’s attacking troika of Pato Botello Faz, Maxi Rodrguez, and familiar thorn-in-Indy’s-side Antoine Hoppenot on Saturday night.
However, don’t sleep on Timmer’s increasing willingness to get upfield in support of the attack. The former Butler Bulldog is tied for second on the squad in crosses with 18, and his 28% success rate on crosses is tied with Nicky Law for the second highest among players with double-digit crosses on the season. For an Eleven side in need of some scoring punch during a recent three-game goalless streak, don’t be surprised to see Timmer