Indy looking to extend unbeaten streak
#BHMvIND Preview
Birmingham Legion FC vs Indy Eleven
Saturday, June 17, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Alabama
Follow Live:
WNDY-TV
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed
Stats: #BHMvIND MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2023 USL Championship Records:
Birmingham Legion FC: 5W-7L-1D (-6); 16pts; 6th in Eastern Conference
Indy Eleven: 4W-5L-4D (-1), 13 pts; 7th in Eastern Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report:
OUT: DF R. Dambrot (L Knee), DF M. King (R Quad)
QUESTIONABLE: None
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue return to action Saturday when they travel to Birmingham Legion FC for a 7:30 p.m. ET kick. Indy is coming off a 1-1 draw with Hartford Athletic and sits seventh in the eastern division at 4-5-4 looking to match its longest unbeaten streak of the season in USLC matches at three games (3.11 at Tampa-4.1 vs. Las Vegas).
Birmingham sits one spot ahead of the Eleven in the USLC Eastern Conference at 5-7-1 and is currently on a five-match losing streak with its last win coming April 30 against Hartford Athletic.
SERIES VS BIRMINGHAM
Saturday marks the ninth meeting between the two teams, with Birmingham holding the 5-3 all time advantage. The teams met twice during the 2022 season, with each team winning at home.
Birmingham leads: 5-3
GF 11, GA 13
Recent Meetings
10.12.22 at BHM L, 3-1
9.10.22 home W, 4-3
10.10.21 at BHM L, 3-1
7.24.21 home L, 2-1
Last Match
2022 USL Championship Regular Season – Matchday 34
Birmingham Legion FC 3 : 1 Indy Eleven
Wednesday, October 12, 2022,
Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.
Scoring Summary:
BHM – Enzo Martínez (Jonathan Dean) 25′
BHM – Prosper Kasim (Enzo Martínez) 28′
BHM – Marlon Santos (penalty kick) 61′
IND – Stéfano Pinho (unassisted) 83′
BLAKE EARNS BENCH SPOT ON USLC TEAM OF THE WEEK
JUNE 13, 2023
Jack Blake scored a late equalizer to help Indy Eleven earn a 1-1 draw against Hartford Athletic on Saturday and earn USL Championship Team of the Week bench honors.
Blake scored his second goal of the season in the 85th minute off a Sebastian Guenzatti assist and registered a game-high five successful chances created for Indy, and additionally had three crosses. Defensively, Blake won a team-high eight duels, had four tackles and a blocked shot for the Eleven.
This is the first honor of 2023 from the USL Championship for Blake. Five players have been named to the team of the week this season, with three additional bench spots earned.
LAST TIME OUT
JUNE 10, 2023
IND 1:1 HFD
A late equalizer from Jack Blake salvaged a tie for Indy Eleven in a 1-1 match with Hartford Athletic.
An early scuffle in the sixth minute off an Indy corner led to a caution for Hartford’s Antoine Hoppenot and a red card for Adrian Diz Pe to put the Eleven down a man for the remainder of the match. The Hartford goal came not long after in the 11th minute when Kyle Edwards took advantage of a giveaway on Indy’s back line to set himself up one-on-one with Yannik Oettl to slot it in the lower left corner of the net.
The playing field was leveled in the 49th minute when Hartford’s Triston Hodge was shown his second yellow of the match and ejected.
Indy found the equalizer in the 85th minute off a long throw into the box from Douglas Martinez that found Sebastian Guenzatti waiting just outside the center of the six-yard box. Guenzatti collected the cross and laid it off to Blake for his second tally of the season. It was also the second assist for Guenzatti of 2023.
Scoring Summary:
HFD – Kyle Edwards 11’
IND – Jack Blake (Sebastian Guenzatti) 85’
Discipline Summary:
IND – Adrian Diz Pe (ejection) 6’
HFD – Antoine Hoppenot (caution) 6’
HFD – Triston Hodge (caution) 45+1’
HFD – Triston Hodge (caution-ejection) 49’
IND – Cam Lindley (caution) 50’
HFD – Luke Merrill (caution) 58’
IND – Douglas Martinez (caution) 64’
HFD – Danny Barrera (caution) 77’
IND – Gustavo Rissi (ejection) 90+3’
