Indiana’s Team Returns Home Looking for Fourth Straight Win at The Mike
#INDvLDN Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Loudoun United FC
Sunday, September 25, 2022 – 5:00 p.m. ET
IUPUI Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
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Local TV: MyINDY-TV 23
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Radio (Spanish): Exitos 94.3 FM / exitos943.com
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers
Live stats: #INDvLDN MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
2022 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven: 9W-15L-5D (-15 GD), 32 pts.; 10th in Eastern Conference
Loudoun United FC: 8W-19L-3D (-25 GD), 27 pts.; 11th in Western Conference
COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK SPORTS MEDICINE INDY ELEVEN INJURY REPORT
OUT: FW Aris Briggs (R shin), DF A.J. Cochran (hamstring), GK Bryan Meredith (R hand fracture)
QUESTIONABLE: FW Manuel Arteaga (R knee)
SUSPENDED:
none
** Jesus Vazquez will receive a one-game suspension from the USL Championship due to caution accumulation (8th caution of season) should he see a yellow card in Saturday’s match
NATIONAL TEAM DUTY:
MF Neveal Hackshaw – Trinidad & Tobago
FW Rodney Michael – Sierra Leone
While its four-match overall undefeated streak ended last weekend on the west coast, Indy Eleven returns home on Sunday in search of its fourth consecutive win at Carroll Stadium when it welcomes Loudoun United F.C. for an early evening kickoff.
Sunday’s affair will certainly look a lot different than their March 12 meeting that opened the curtain on the 2022 USL Championship campaign – at least for Mark Lowry’s side, as half the players listed on his 18-man roster that day will not be available on the weekend for myriad reasons (namely in-season transactions, injuries, and national team duty).
However, one player that will be in consideration after a lengthy layoff is forward Manuel Arteaga, who has been updated to questionable after missing most of the last two months with a knee injury. Lowry will have another unexpected option up top with the early return of Wilfredo Rivera from national team duty with Puerto Rico, this after the cancellation of Thursday’s friendly against the Dominican Republic in Miami as both countries dealt with the effects of Hurricane Fiona back home.
While Loudoun’s road form this season doesn’t jump off the schedule page (2W-11L-1D), a 1-0 victory at second-place Memphis less than a month ago on Aug. 31 proves they have the pieces to knock off any team when taking their act on the road. Throw in a 3-0 midweek drubbing of Hartford Athletic at home on Wednesday – part of a 4W-5L-0D course correction of their season since the beginning of August – and you can expect to see a confident side roll into the Circle City.
Tyler Freeman is the man to watch in attack, as his two goals on Wednesday night improved his team-high goal haul to eight, twice as many as the next closest players for the D.C. United feeder team. He’s supported by set-up man Skage Lehland’s team-best seven assists and Theodore Ku-Dipietro’s two goals and four assists in just eight appearances. In goal, Luis Zamudio has had one of the busiest seasons in the league, his 96 saves on the season ranking as the second most in the Championship, which makes his seven clean sheets on the campaign all that more impressive.
LAST TIME OUT
Monterey Bay F.C. 5 : 0 Indy Eleven
Saturday, Sept. 17 | Recap & Highlights | Stats
Indy Eleven saw its four-game unbeaten streak come to a halt last Saturday evening on the Pacific Coast against a motivated Monterey Bay F.C. side in a 5-0 defeat at Cardinale Stadium on the campus of Cal State Monterey Bay. The defeat, coupled with other results from around the Eastern Conference, officially eliminated Indiana’s Team from postseason contention, while Monterey Bay moved to within a point of the playoff line in the Western Conference with the result.
After Indy dominated possession for the opening 10 minutes the match became mired in the midfield through the half hour mark until Chase Boone’s tally started the home side’s haul. Robby Dambrot’s attempt to keep a cross out just before halftime resulted in an own goal that gave Monterey Bay a 2-0 lead into halftime, and goals a minute apart to begin the second half by James Murphy and Sam Gleadle kept their momentum going.
MB – Chase Boone (unassisted) 31’
MB – own goal (Robby Dambrot) 43’
MB – James Murphy (unassisted) 49’
MB – Sam Gleadle (Simon Dawkins) 50’
MB – Christian Volesky (Sam Gleadle) 66’
Indy Eleven lineup (4-4-2): Tim Trilk; Robby Dambrot, Jesus Vazquez, Mechack Jerome, Jared Timmer (Alex McQueen 45’); Neveal Hackshaw (captain) (Bryam Rebellon 56’), Sam Brown, Raul Aguilera (Juan Tejada 56’), Justin Ingram (Ayoze 56’); Stefano Pinho, Solomon Asante
IND substitutes: Sean Lewis (GK), Rodney Michael, Wilfredo Rivera
Loudoun United FC 3 : 0 Hartford Athletic
Wednesday, Sept. 21 | Stats & Highlights
An even affair at the interval quickly broke Loudoun’s way on Wednesday night, the home side using three second half goals to run away from Hartford. Ted Ku-Dipietro’s 50th minute goal got things started for Loudoun, while Tyler Freeman’s brace three minutes apart midway through the stanza put the nail in the coffin of Athletic and solidified the snapping of a three-game losing streak for the Virginian side.
#INDvLDN SERIES: Sunday marks the fifth meeting between Indy Eleven and Loudoun United FC since 2019, with the series split down the middle with two wins and two draws apiece. The Boys in Blue claimed the only meeting in the Circle City back on July 20, 2019, when Tyler Pasher tacked a late insurance goal on top of Thomas Enevoldsen’s 81st game-winner in a 2-0 triumph at Luas Oil Stadium.
The Northern Virginian side evened the series back on March 12 in a frigid season opener at Segra Field that saw Kimarni Smith’s goal two minutes before halftime stand tall in a 1-0 Loudoun victory.
#INDvLDN FAMILIAR FACES: Thanks to the midseason acquisition of Robby Dambrot, there is one common tie between the rosters of Sunday’s showdown. The 27-year-old native of Akron, Ohio, began his USL Championship tenure in 2019 with Loudoun and collected a goal and assist in 33 appearances, most as a full-time starter for the D.C. United-affiliated squad in 2021.
ELEVEN PLAYER TO WATCH: DF ROBBY DAMBROT
We’ll roll with that common link between the two sides in Dambrot, who has contributed on three of the Eleven’s last eight goals from his left back spot since his early August move from Pittsburgh to the Circle City.
However, after last weekend’s setback at Monterey Bay you better believe Coach Lowry will be insistent that his entire squad take particular pride in its defensive performance come Sunday evening. Dambrot sets an important tone on that side of the ball as well with his willingness to enter tackles and provide a physical presence via his 6’2” frame. He’ll be a pivotal part of an “all hands on deck” effort to continue the squad’s recent dominance at Carroll Stadium and return the good vibes to the team’s 2022 stretch drive.
