Another Debut Meeting Marks End of Three-game Week at The Mike
#INDvOAK Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Oakland Roots SC
Saturday, April 8, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. ET
IUPUI Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
Follow Live:
Local TV: WISH-TV (Indy DMA), WLMO 2 (Ft. Wayne) & WHME 46 (South Bend)
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
Radio: n/a
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed
Live Opta stats: #INDvOAK MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2023 USL Championship Records:
Indy Eleven: 1W-0L-2D (+1 GD), 5 pts.; T-5th in Eastern Conference
Oakland Roots SC: 1W-1L-1D (-1 GD), 4 pts.; T-6th in Western Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report:
OUT: None
QUESTIONABLE: None
Discipline Report:
IND: none
OAK: none
Get Your Tickets for “3-1-7 Night” at The Mike!
Another week, another new opponent at home for Indy Eleven. Last weekend, Indiana’s Team began a three-game week at Carroll Stadium by rolling out the welcome mat for Las Vegas Lights FC for the first time, and this Saturday it will do the same when it closes out the home stretch by hosting Oakland Roots SC in the squads’ debut meeting.
Like every other USL Championship squad (save for Pittsburgh), both Indy Eleven and Oakland will enter Round 5 play this weekend on short rest due to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action midweek. While Oakland has to deal with cross-country travel, it also had an extra day of rest after dispatching El Farolito FC from the tournament 3-1 on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, Indy used 17 different players during a 3-1 win of its own on Wednesday night, though it expended much more energy after being pushed to added extra time by Michigan Stars FC.
That makes line-up decisions all the trickier for Eleven Head Coach Mark Lowry, who saw regular starters Sebastian Guenzatti, Younes Boudadi, and Jesus Vazquez all log the full 120 minutes on Wednesday in addition to Solomon Asante, Aodhan Quinn, Robby Dambrot, and Cam Lindley all going at least 75 minutes as well. While rest may be one issue health will not be, as getting Dambrot and Jonas Fjeldberg back on the field this week leaves the injury report empty and the full roster open for consideration.
Indy’s impressive possession numbers have climbed every week (there’s no broadcast or official stats to substantiate this claim, but Wednesday’s possession was likely closer to a 90-10 split than last weekend’s 80-20 ledger against Las Vegas), and the next step for Lowry’s squad is to create more big chances and end those lengthy spells with the ball with at the very least high-quality looks – and ideally goals. The Indy Eleven gaffer has mentioned the need to be sharper with their chances, and while frustration on this front certainly mounted after going into the half down 0-1 on Wednesday, the second half saw more aggression in the final third from the Boys in Blue – thanks in no small part to the set-up skills of Solomon Asante, who came in at the break and provided assists on all three tallies.
While the Eleven have managed to score just twice across its first three league matches, on the flip side it has only conceded once – and didn’t allow a single shot on target (and only three shots in total) in last weekend’s 0-0 result with Las Vegas. While goalkeeper Yannik Oettl has made some crucial stops in the early going, the team’s holistic approach to defending and pressing tactics have led to a stingy level of defense not seen around these parts since the squad’s last playoff season in 2019, when it allowed only 29 goals in 34 regular season contests. “Control” has been the key word for Lowry when it comes to how he wants his squad to perform, and that’s manifested itself on the defensive end with just 19 shots allowed in total and only seven on frame across the first three outings.
Meanwhile, Oakland has been consistent in the early going by scoring once in each of its first three matches – although that output has garnered three different results in contests at San Antonio FC (1-3 L) and Rio Grande Valley FC (1-1 D) and its first home game last weekend against New Mexico United (1-0 W). A balanced attack featuring six players with either three or four shots has been spearheaded early by Johnny Rodriguez, who tallied a late equalizer at RGV and scored the match-winner last Saturday midway through the second half.
In defense, Indy Eleven fans will be on the lookout for old friend Neveal Hackshaw, who was not on Roots FC’s 18-man roster for their first two contests but did appear on the bench for last Saturday’s match vs. New Mexico. In goal, Paul Blanchette has been a busy man, stopping 12 of the 16 shots he’s faced early in the season, which may be an encouraging sign for an Indy squad that appears ready to take its multi-faceted attack to the next level when it comes to testing the opposing netminder.
Series vs. Oakland:
USL Championship regular season: First meeting
Like last week’s home opener against Las Vegas, tonight’s match marks the first ever meeting between Indy Eleven and Oakland Roots SC, which was founded in 2018 and, after two seasons of play in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), joined the ranks of the USL Championship for the 2021 season.
In addition to Vegas and Oakland, Indiana’s Team will debut against two more teams in 2023 in road contests at Sacramento Republic FC on May 13 and Phoenix Rising FC on Sept. 20.
#INDvOAK Familiar Faces:
There will be one very familiar face on the Oakland sideline Saturday in ex-Eleven standout Neveal Hackshaw. The Trinidad & Tobago international suited up for Indy Eleven from 2019-22 and finished his tenure with 5 goals and 3 assists while placing in the top five on the club’s career charts with 93 appearances (5th) and 82 starts (4th). Hackshaw also earned All-USL Championship honors while with the Boys in Blue in both 2019 (First Team) and 2020 (Second Team).
Eleven Player to Watch: FW Douglas Martinez
As one of the few regulars to not appear during Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup clash, Martinez should be well rested and ready to provide his usual battering ram of a performance on Saturday night.
While Martinez has not had any opportunities in front of goal during his two starts for Indiana’s Team, don’t mistake that for a lack of activity or productivity. The energy Martinez brings to the table has been plenty evident (his five fouls suffered included the second yellow card shown to Yazeed Mathews in the 1-0 win at Detroit City FC), while the support he’s provided in possession has been vital to the Eleven’s overbalanced attack down on the right side of the pitch:
Touches at DCFC (< goal)
Touches vs LV (goal >)
His hugging of the sideline not only provides width to open up the middle of the field for others, but it also gives the midfielders and defender Younes Boudadi a reliable outlet in possession. While that width perhaps explains why Martinez has been without a shot these first two outings, don’t be surprised to see him get more opportunities to finish as he becomes more comfortable with his new teammates and Mark Lowry’s style of play – and with his fresh legs ready to go for Saturday, that shift towards goal might just start this weekend.
