Indiana’s Team Returns Home Looking to Stop Slide Against 901 FC
#INDvMEM Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Memphis 901 FC
Saturday, July 23, 2022 – 7:00 p.m. ET
IUPUI Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
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Live stats: #INDvMEM MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
2022 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven: 6W-10L-3D (-7 GD), 21 pts.; 9th in Eastern Conference
Memphis 901 FC: 12W-5L-2D (+17 GD), 38 pts.; 3rd in Eastern Conference
COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK SPORTS MEDICINE INDY ELEVEN INJURY REPORT
OUT: GK Bryan Meredith (R finger)
QUESTIONABLE: FW Aris Briggs (shin), DF Mechack Jerome (ankle), DF Bryam Rebellon (R quad)
DISCIPLINE REPORT
IND: none
MEM: DF Patrick Seagrist (red card, 7/16 @ LOU)
Indy Eleven is headed back home for the first of a three-match homestand Saturday night at Carroll Stadium against Memphis 901 FC. The two sides faced off once previously this season, a 2-1 Memphis win in Tennessee on May 14.
Saturday’s match marks a crucial moment for Indiana’s Team, as the Eleven look to get back in the playoff hunt. The Boys in Blue have lost six consecutive matches dating back over a month to a 4-3 loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on June 18. The current losing streak is the longest in the team’s nine-year history, while its seven-game winless streak is the longest for the team since joining USL Championship in 2018. Nevertheless, the Eleven still sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, just seven points outside the playoff picture with two games in hand on the current holders of seventh (The Miami FC) an eighth (FC Tulsa).
The midseason swoon has brought about a shuffling of the roster by Eleven Head Coach Mark Lowry, beginning with Thursday’s trade with Tampa Bay that brought forward Juan Tejada to Indy in exchange for midfielder Nicky Law. The 25-year-old Tejada will indeed be active for Saturday’s game, and while no other moves were announced as of Friday afternoon, there’s more additions in the works as Lowry hopes to inject some new pieces and energy into an Eleven side that’s been shut out in five straight matches.
Across the pitch, it has been an up and down month for 901 FC. Following back-to-back shutout wins over FC Tulsa and Detroit City FC, Memphis dropped two matches against fellow Eastern Conference frontrunners Tampa Bay Rowdies and Louisville City FC, with a victory over Phoenix Rising SC in between the two losses.
Memphis 901 FC will be without a key contributor – and a familiar face to Indy fans – Saturday night in Indianapolis. In last weekend’s 2-1 loss at Louisville, starting defender Patrick Seagrist was shown a red card just before halftime, making the former Boy in Blue unavailable for a return to The Mike. Another lineup mainstay for 901 FC, goalkeeper Trey Muse, looked to have suffered the same fate when he was adjudged to have handled the ball outside of his area in second half stoppage, however, the USL Championship rescinded his red card midweek and reinstated his active status for this weekend’s trip to the Circle City.
Tickets for Saturday night’s Eastern Conference clash are available through Ticketmaster and indyeleven.com/tickets.
LAST TIME OUT
Indy Eleven 0 : 1 New York Red Bulls II
Fri., July 15 | Recap & Highlights | Stats
Indy Eleven fell 1-0 in the final scheduled regular season meeting between the Boys in Blue and New York Red Bulls II, as RBII are leaving USLC for MLS Next Pro in 2023. Jeremy Rafanello, formerly of the Eleven, scored the go-ahead goal for New York in the 53rd minute, making Indy Eleven the first team in USL Championship history to drop four straight games by a 0-1 scoreline.
Memphis 901 FC 1 : 2 Louisville City FC
Sat., July 16 | Stats
Memphis 901 FC fell 1-2 in a battle of two of the Eastern Conference heavyweights in Louisville. Shortly after the match went to 10-v-10 in the 62nd minute – when a second caution for LouCity’s Amadou Dia countered Patty Seagrist’s ejection in first half stoppage time – Memphis opened scoring in 66’ thanks to a Philip Goodrum goal. However, two crucial goals for LouCity by Brian Ownby in the next 15 minutes made the difference in a thrilling finish.
SERIES VS. MEMPHIS 901 FC:
USLC regular season: 3W-4L-1D (12 GF/9 GA)
USLC regular season home: 1W-1L-1D (5 GF/3 GA)
The Eleven trail the all-time series between the clubs 3W-4L-1D, including a 2-1 defeat in the most recent meeting in Memphis two months ago that ended a four-match winning streak and six-match unbeaten streak for Indiana’s Team. On home soil, the Boys in Blue are 1W-1L-1D in three previous matches against 901 FC, most recently falling 2-1 last June at Carroll Stadium.
Indy Eleven secured wins in its first three contests against Memphis, starting with a pair of 3-0 triumphs in 2019. The winning streak continued when the Boys in Blue notched their biggest comeback win in club history on March 7, 2020, a memorable 4-2 result. That 2020 season opener – the club’s lone match prior to the four-month COVID stoppage – saw Ayoze (48+’), Tyler Pasher (69’, 72’), and Carl Haworth (83’) put four straight behind legendary USMNT netminder Tim Howard.
However, the Tennessee side evened the all-time series up quickly with three wins and a draw in 2021. Memphis ended Indy’s last year’s regular season campaign with a 3-0 win at AutoZone Park on October 30 on a goal by Roland Lamah (12’) and two tallies assisted by Laurent Kissiedou through Kyle Murphy (32’) and Andre Fortune (56’). Memphis also collected a 1-0 result at home on Sept. 22 after drawing 1-1 at Carroll Stadium on July 17 and started the 2021 season series with that 2-1 win at “The Mike” on June 5.
#INDvMEM FAMILIAR FACES:
Memphis 901 FC acquired a pair of former Eleven defenders in the offseason in the persons of Rece Buckmaster and Patrick Seagrist. Buckmaster, a son of the Hoosier State as an Auburn native and Indiana University alum, played in 23 contests (15 starts) for Indy in 2021 before returning to 901 FC, with whom he suited up for in 2020.
Seagrist started 20 of his 29 appearances on the Eleven backline while on loan from MLS’ Inter Miami CF last season. One more familiar face to Indiana soccer fans is goalkeeper Trey Muse, who stood out in two seasons at IU from 2017-18 before turning pro.
While no Indy Eleven player has donned the Memphis blues in their past, forward Aris Briggs will be facing his hometown side on Saturday. Briggs grew up in the Bluff City and attended Christian Brothers High School prior to continuing his playing days in Georgia with Atlanta-area club Concorde Fire and Georgia State University.
ELEVEN PLAYER TO WATCH: FW JUAN TEJADA
After jumping in training on Thursday, it would not be a surprise to see the 25-year-old Tejada receive minutes of some sort for his new squad on Saturday night – especially for a team searching for something to spark its attack.
A breakout rookie season in 2019 that included 10 goals proved that Tejada has what it takes to succeed in the Championship. Because of a wealth of attacking talent in Tampa, Tejada had been used mostly off the substitutes bench in recent seasons, so if he is needed to bring some added energy in the second half he certainly would be comfortable doing so. Head Coach Mark Lowry also has a pattern of working new players into the squad gradually – but he also moved for Tejada for a reason, so the expectation should be that fans will see a good glimpse of the Panamanian in action at some point on Saturday night.
