Duo Earned Week 27 Honors for Efforts in 4-3 Win over Birmingham Legion FC
TAMPA/INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, September 13, 2022) – For a third consecutive week, the Boys in Blue have had representation on the USL Championship Team of the Week, with the league today announcing midfielders Neveal Hackshaw and Solomon Asante as part of the weekly Best XI list. Both players were pivotal to the squad’s thrilling 4-3 win over Birmingham Legion last Saturday night in front of a season-high announced crowd of 10,104 fans at IUPUI Carroll Stadium.
It was the 2019 & 2020 USL Championship MVP Asante who set up both goals for Hackshaw off exquisite corner kick services to the back post, while his square ball across the six-yard box in the 78th minute teed up Stefano Pinho’s dramatic tap-in winner for the Boys in Blue. Asante’s three-assist match was the first in Indy Eleven’s nine-year history, and it also made him the first player in club annals with more than one game with multiple assists. In addition, the only three-assist effort for a USL Championship player this season moved Asante into a tie for third place on the league’s career regular season list in the category, his 47 helpers now placing even with former Phoenix Rising teammate Aodhan Quinn and behind only Hartford Athletic’s Danny Barrera (48) and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s Kenardo Forbes (54). Asante’s six assists this season lead Indiana’s Team and has him ranked in the top 20 across the USLC (T-17th) and top 10 in the Eastern Conference (T-10th).
Hackshaw is the ninth member of the Boys in Blue to earn a Team of the Week placement in 2022, with those players doing so a combined 13 times this season. The honor for Asante makes him the third player to earn multiple weekly honors alongside three-time recipient Pinho and the twice-awarded Manuel Arteaga. Five different players have earned nods over the course of the last three weeks, coinciding the the squad’s current four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1).
FW Manuel Arteaga – Week 13 (Player of the Week) & Week 15 (bench)
FW Solomon Asante – Week 14 (bench) & Week 27
DF Robby Dambrot – Week 25 (bench)
DF Mechack Jerome – Week 5 (bench)
MF Neveal Hackshaw – Week 27
MF Nicky Law – Week 6
GK Elliot Panicco – Week 3
FW Stefano Pinho – Week 5 (bench), Week 7 & Week 26 (Player of the Week)
GK Tim Trilk – Week 25 (bench)
The Championship’s Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship.
USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 27
GK – Jordan Farr, San Antonio FC: Farr posted a four-save shutout that included a key second-half penalty kick save as San Antonio claimed a 1-0 victory against San Diego Loyal SC in a top-two clash at Toyota Field.
D – Alejandro Fuenmayor, Oakland Roots SC: Fuenmayor recorded one assist and was strong defensively in Roots SC’s 2-0 victory on the road at Phoenix Rising FC, winning 4 of 4 tackles and notching seven clearances, six recoveries and three interceptions.
D – Dan Casey, Sacramento Republic FC: The Irish center back scored his second goal of the season and completed 41 of 50 passes while making eight recoveries in Republic FC’s 4-0 victory against Loudoun United FC at Heart Health Park on Saturday night.
D – Logan Gdula, Hartford Athletic: Gdula put in a stellar defensive display in Hartford’s 3-1 road victory against the LA Galaxy II last Monday night, winning 8 of 9 duels and 4 of 6 tackles while making four interceptions and 13 recoveries while completing 32 of 37 passes.
M – Joaquin Rivas, Miami FC: The El Salvador international scored his first two goals for his new club in a 7-1 victory against the New York Red Bulls II on Friday night and had three shots and one chance created overall while completing 19 of 22 passes and winning 4 of 7 duels.
M – Neveal Hackshaw, Indy Eleven: The Trinidad and Tobago international recorded the first two-goal game of his seven-season career in the Championship on a pair of excellent headers while winning 6 of 11 duels and making five recoveries in Indy’s 4-3 victory against Birmingham Legion FC at Michael A. Carroll Stadium.
M – Maxi Rodriguez, Detroit City FC: Rodriguez scored the opening goal in Le Rouge’s 2-1 victory on the road against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday night, won 8 of 12 duels and completed 3 of 3 dribbles while recording 10 recoveries in the third consecutive away victory for the side.
M – Christian Pinzon, Rio Grande Valley FC: The Mexican midfielder scored in each of the Toros’ victories over the week against current playoff sides El Paso Locomotive FC and New Mexico United while completing 47 of 54 passes and notching three chances created across the two games.
F – Phillip Goodrum, Memphis 901 FC: The Tennessee native scored his first professional hat trick to lead Memphis to a 4-0 victory against former club Atlanta United 2 on Wednesday night, ending the game with seven shots while completing 13 of 16 passes overall.
F – Solomon Asante, Indy Eleven: The two-time Championship MVP recorded the second three-assist game of his career in the league – and the first three assist game of the 2022 campaign – in leading Indy to a 4-3 victory against Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday night.
F – Lindo Mfeka, Oakland Roots SC: The South African playmaker scored his first two goals of the season to lead Roots SC to a 2-0 victory against Phoenix Rising FC at Wild Horse Pass on Saturday night and completed 11 of 15 passes as Roots SC boosted its postseason chances in a key playoff six-pointer.
Bench: Trey Muse (MEM), Kai Greene (MB), Enoch Mushagalusa (LOU), Sam Gleadle (MB), Ricky Ruiz (RGV), Andrew Booth (CHS), Kyle Murphy (MIA)