Despite Ayoze Brace, Eleven Sees Four-game Home Winning Streak Snapped
INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven saw its four-game home winning streak end tonight at Carroll Stadium, where an Ayoze brace wasn’t enough to thwart FC Tulsa in a 4-2 defeat. The goals by the Eleven captain were his fourth and fifth of the season, but they weren’t enough to stop a Tulsa barrage led by Luca Sowinski’s hat trick.
Tulsa began the match on the front foot, putting three shots in goal in the opening 10 minutes, the last off a Rodrigo da Costa ball into the box that fell to Bradley Bourgeois for a header, but Eleven goalkeeper Tim Trilk came up with a big save at his post to keep things scoreless. It wouldn’t stay that way for long though, as the visitors broke through in the 17th minute when Sean McFarlane sent a thru ball to Sowinski, who slipped a near-post shot past Trilk to put Tulsa up 1-0.
It only took the Boys in Blue four minutes to equalize however, as the captain Ayoze won a free kick outside the box and proceeded to take the chance himself, sending the ball around the wall and into the bottom left corner of goal for his fourth tally of the season. In the 32nd minute Ayoze was set up over a set piece again after Eleven midfielder Byram Rebellon won a free kick 25 yards out, but after seeking the same lower left corner out this time FC Tulsa goalkeeper Austin Wormell moved right to make the save.
Tulsa got two great opportunities in the 36th minute, da Costa on a shot from outside the 18 that forced Trilk to make an athletic save, followed by Sowinkski’s sweeping chance sent just wide. During four minutes of extra time Eleven striker Stefano Pinho won a contested header that he sent just over the bar just after Juan Tejada and Bryam Rebellon saw their shots blocked inside the area. Tulsa struck again just before halftime thanks to Dario Suarez drawing a penalty inside the top of the area. Suarez stepped up to take the spot kick himself, and despite Trilk getting a leg to it the ball still found the goal to give Tulsa the lead and momentum going into half.
The second half started much the same, with Tulsa capitalizing first to double their lead in the 48th minute, da Costa’s through ball in traffic at the top of the 18-yard box sneaking through for Sowinski to run onto and finish for a brace.
In the 53rd minute, Eleven forward Solomon Asante victimized Noah Powder by drawing a foul on his former teammate inside the area to win Indy’s own penalty. Ayoze sent the spot kick into the left corner after wrong-footing Wormell for a brace of his own and a fifth goal of the season, pulling him even with Manuel Arteaga for second on the team’s scoring chart. Just as Indy Eleven gained momentum at 3-2 it was taken back away by Sowinski, who finished off his hat trick in the 62nd minute on a carbon copy of his first finish to give Tulsa a 4-2 lead.
The Eleven still mustered plenty of chances to scratch back in the ensuing minutes, with Wormell’s acrobatic tip saves on a pair of headers by Arteaga in the 68th and 70th minutes looking the most dangerous. Tulsa effectively stepped on the game for the final 15 minutes, and neither team was able to capitalize on their opportunities as the match wore to a close. However, Asante put one more charge in the home crowd in the 96th minute, when he sent a laser from outside the box that unfortunately found Wormell’s hands for the evening’s final save.
Indiana’s Team will round out its 2022 home schedule next Saturday, Oct. 8, when it hosts Charleston Battery for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff, presented by ACE Party Rental. “FantoberFest” celebrations at Carroll Stadium begin at 5:00 p.m. and will feature on-field contests for prizes; lawn games, face-painting, and large inflatables for the kids in the expanded Honda Fun Zone area; concessions specials including $3 hots dogs, popcorn, sodas & Heinekens; and giveaways throughout the evening, including plenty of Eleven team-signed memorabilia and a big-screen television.
Details on all the Fan Appreciation Night activities can be found at indyeleven.com/promotions, and tickets – including a limited amount for $7 & $11 – can be purchased at indyeleven.com/tickets, starting for $15. Fans who can’t make it to “The Mike” can follow the action on MyINDY-TV 23, ESPN+, Exitos Radio 94.3 / exitos943.com, and the @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed.
Indy Eleven will then close out the season on Wednesday, Oct. 12, with an away contest at Birmingham Legion FC, with kickoff at Protective Stadium set for 7:30 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+).
2022 USL Championship Regular Season – Matchday 32
Indy Eleven 2 : 4 FC Tulsa
Saturday, October 1, 2022, 2022
IUPUI Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
Indy Eleven: 11W-16L-5D, 38 pts., 9th in Eastern Conference
FC Tulsa: 11W-15L-6D, 39 pts., 8th in Eastern Conference
Scoring Summary:
TUL— Luca Sowinski (Sean McFarlane) 17′
IND— Ayoze (unassisted) 24′
TUL— Dario Suarez (penalty kick) 50+’
TUL— Luca Sowinski (Rodrigo da Costa) 48’
IND— Ayoze (penalty kick) 54’
TUL— Luca Sowinski (Dario Suarez) 62’
Disciplinary Summary:
TUL– Luca Sowinski (yellow card) 5’
TUL– Eric Bird (yellow card) 31’
IND– Bryam Rebellon (yellow card) 45’
TUL– Christopher Pearson (yellow card) 51’
TUL– Marcus Epps (yellow card) 76’
IND– Wilfredo Rivera (yellow card) 76’
TUL– Noah Powder (yellow card) 79’
IND– Sam Brown (yellow card) 95+’
Indy Eleven lineup (4-4-2): Tim Trilk; Robby Dambrot, Mechack Jerome (A.J. Cochan 70’), Jesus Vazquez, Jared Timmer (Wilfredo Rivera 58’); Ayoze (captain) (Raul Aguilera 70’), Neveal Hackshaw (Sam Brown 70’), Juan Tejada (Manuel Arteaga 58’), Bryam Rebellon; Stefano Pinho, Solomon Asante
IND substitutes: Hayden Vostal (GK), Alexander McQueen
FC Tulsa (4-4-2): Austin Wormell; Noah Powder, Johnny Fenwick, Bourgeois Bradley (captain), Sean McFarlane (Angel Bernal 45’); Marcus Epps (Ronald Rodriguez 88’), Christopher Pearson (Kembo Kibato 67’), Eric Bird (Abunchi Obinwa 77’), Rodrigo da Costa; Dario Suarez, Luca Sowinski (Alberto Membrila 77’)
TUL Substitutes: Dallas Odle (GK)
