#INDvBHM Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Birmingham Legion FC
Saturday, October 19, 2024 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis
Follow Live
TV: WNDY 23
Stream: CBS Sports Golazo Network
In-game updates: IndyElevenLive
Stats: #INDvBHM MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2024 USL Championships Records
Indy Eleven: 13-10-9 (+1), 48 pts; 4th in Eastern Conference
Birmingham Legion FC: 12-14-6 (-11), 42 pts; 10th in Eastern Conference
| IND | BHM | |
| 32 | Games | 32 |
| 46 | Goals | 37 |
| 45 | Goals Conceded | 48 |
| 32 | Assists | 31 |
| 143 | SOT | 139 |
| 138 | Shots Faced | 152 |
| 9 | Clean Sheets | 8 |
WIN AND WE’RE IN
Indy Eleven can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie vs. Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday.
The Boys in Blue are in fourth place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference with two games left in the regular season. The top eight teams in the East qualify for the playoffs that begin the first weekend in November, with the top four teams hosting.
The last time that Indy Eleven made consecutive playoff appearances was in 2018 and 2019.
SERIES VS. BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC
Saturday is the 12th meeting between the two teams, with Indy trailing 5-6-0. The Boys in Blue have won the last two meetings, including a 1-0 victory in Birmingham on June 9.
Birmingham Leads 6-5-0 | GF 17, GA 15
Recent Meetings
June 9, 2024 | W, 1-0 | Away
Aug. 9, 2023 | W, 4-0 | Home
June 17, 2023 | L, 2-1 | Away
Oct. 12, 2022 | L, 3-1 | Away
Sept. 10, 2022 | W, 4-3 | Home
LAST TIME VS. BIRMINGHAM
Indy Eleven extended its winning streak to nine straight and its unbeaten run to 10 consecutive with a 1-0 victory at Birmingham Legion FC on June 9.
Midfielder Jack Blake scored the only goal in the 34th minute, converting his fifth penalty kick of the season.
The Boys in Blue outshot Birmingham 21-14, including a 9-1 advantage in shots on goal. Blake posted season highs of eight shots and four shots on target.
Defensively, Callum Chapman-Page won a game-high three tackles and led the match with four clearances. Hunter Sulte made one save to record his second clean sheet of 2024.
Scoring Summary
IND – Jack Blake (penalty) 34’
Discipline Summary
IND – Bench (caution) 90+3’
OFEIMU & SULTE “TEAM OF THE WEEK”
Defender Ben Ofeimu and goalie Hunter Sulte have been named to the USL Championship “Team of the Week” after leading Indy Eleven to back-to-back shutouts on the road last week.
Ofeimu earned “Team of the Week” honors for the second time this season (May 21) in addition to “Team of the Week-Bench” selections on June 4, July 16, and September 3.
The 24-year-old Ofeimu recorded a team-high 20 clearances last week while winning 9 of 14 duels and notching the assist on the game-winning goal against Loudoun United FC last Tuesday.
At Loudoun, Ofeimu just missed his season-high with 11 clearances, winning all six aerial duels and providing his first Indy Eleven assist in the 83rd minute with a header down to the foot of James Musa, who volleyed it home.
Against his hometown club Detroit City FC on Saturday, the West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, native again led the team with nine clearances to help the Boys in Blue earn a key road point and stay in fourth place in the USLC Eastern Conference.
On the season, the 6’3 Ofeimu ranks fifth in the USL Championship with a team-high 133 clearances. He also leads the team in blocks with 28. The 6’3 Ofeimu has started 22 of the past 24 games for the Boys in Blue after being acquired from Miami FC on April 11.
Hunter Sulte earned “Team of the Week-Bench” recognition after posting back-to-back shutouts for the third time this season (two in USL Championship play and one a combination of USLC and U.S. Open Cup). The Anchorage, Alaska, native is now tied for fourth on the Indy Eleven USL Championship-era list for shutouts (9) with Tim Trilk (2022-23).
The 6’7 Sulte made four saves at Detroit City with two of them coming on one key first-half sequence. In the 16th minute on a free kick from Alex Villanueva outside the area, Sulte tipped a high shot in the center of the goal up into the crossbar. The rebound caromed out to James Murphy, who fired a left-footed strike from outside the area that Sulte went high to tip with his right hand.
In the 44th minute, Sulte stayed close to the near post to stop a shot by Rhys Williams from inside the six.
At Loudoun United, Sulte made three saves, including an arm stop on a shot by Robby Dambrot from inside the six in the 23rd minute.
The 22-year-old Sulte is tied for eighth in the USL Championship in clean sheets (9) and 16th in saves (68). Sulte, who has started 24 of the past 26 matches, earned USLC “Team of the Week” honors on June 18 and he has won the league’s “Save of the Week” award four times (June 18, July 16, August 13, and October 8).
DEE-FENSE
The Indy Eleven defense kept Detroit City outside the area for most of the match on Saturday to complete the two-game road swing with no goals allowed. The Boys in Blue allowed four shots from inside the box.
The Indy defense recorded 31 clearances in the match with James Musa getting five, and Logan Neidlinger, Josh O’Brien, and Aedan Stanley each having three.
Neidlinger added a season-high five tackles won in five attempts and a shot on target in the 63rd minute on a left-footed dipping strike from just outside the area that Detroit keeper Nathan Steinwascher fended off.
In the current Indy Eleven four-match unbeaten streak (2-0-2), the team has recorded three clean sheets. On the season, the defense has held opponents scoreless in 21 of 32 matches.
BOYS IN BLUE HELP NATIONAL TEAMS ADVANCE TO CONCACAF NATIONS LEAGUE QUARTERS
Forward Romario Williams scored an important goal in Jamaica’s 2-0 victory at Nicaragua in the 2024-25 Concacaf Nations League match at Nicaragua on Thursday. In the 69th minute, Romario finished from close range off a corner kick to double his team’s lead.
Jamaica followed that match with a scoreless draw vs. Honduras to win Group B of League A to qualify for the Quarterfinals to be held November 14-19.
Indy Eleven forward Douglas Martinez represented Honduras in its first two matches in the CNL last month, including a 2-1 setback to Jamaica on September 10. Honduras finished second in the group to also advance to the quarters.
In the quarters, Jamaica will play USA on Nov. 14 and 18, while Honduras will face Mexico on Nov. 15 and 19. The final four nations will advance to the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals. Additionally, the tournament will help decide berths for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
USLC 60+ Regular Season Goals Best Strike Rate
1. Cameron Lancaster – 80 goals, 113.9 mins/goal
2. Cal Jennings – 63 goals, 136.1 mins/goal
3. Dane Kelly – 106 goals, 150.3 mins/goal
4. Wilson Harris – 65 goals, 150.6 mins/goal
T-5. Romario Williams – 60 goals, 156.2 mins/goal
T-5. Chandler Hoffman – 66 goals, 156.2 mins/goal
QUINN FEATURED IN INDY ELEVEN DOCUSERIES
Boys in Blue captain Aodhan Quinn’s comeback from a season-ending injury in September of 2023 is featured in GRATEFUL: Aodhan Quinn’s ACL Journey, an Indy Eleven Docuseries.
Parts one and two are available on the Indy Eleven YouTube Channel. The final episode will debut on October 21.
Quinn played the full 90 at Detroit City, recording five duels won, a season-high three tackles, and a clearance. He also earned a key free kick in the 86th minute. Midfielder Jack Blake bent the free kick toward the top left corner, but it just missed wide.
AODHAN QUINN USLC ALL-TIME RANKINGS
Minutes | 21,698 | 2nd (2)
Assists | 50 | 4th
Games Started | 247 | 4th
Appearances | 261 | 7th (4)
USL Championship 100 Club (Goals + Assists)
1. Dane Kelly – 127 (106 goals & 21 assists)
2. Enzo Martinez (BHM) – 123 (74 goals & 49 assists)*
3. Solomon Asante (LV) – 110 (52 goals & 58 assists)*
4. Neco Brett (MEM) – 107 (81 goals & 26 assists)*
5. Aodhan Quinn (IND) – 104 (54 goals & 50 assists)*
*Denotes active player
Sebastian Guenzatti is just three goals/assists away at 97 with 75 goals and 22 assists.
BLAKE LEADS TEAM OF THE WEEK REGULARS
Midfielder Jack Blake has earned USL Championship Team of the Week honors seven times in 2024, while Aedan Stanley has three nods and a Player of the Week, Ben Ofeimu and Augi Williams have two selections, and Adrian Diz Pe and Hunter Sulte each were chosen once.
Blake opened the 2024 campaign with five Team of the Week awards in the first 12 weeks, adding ones in Week 25 and Week 28.
In total, seven players have earned team of the week nods, while 10 have received either team or bench honors.
GOALS
The Boys in Blue have scored 24 first half goals this season, good for a tie for fifth in the USL Championship. They have 46 goals (T7th USL), with at least one tally in 25 of their 32 matches.
The Boys in Blue scored in 15 straight USLC matches to open the 2024 campaign. The streak, which ended on June 22 against Orange County, is the longest to open a USLC campaign and is the longest run overall within the same season for the club. In total, Indy scored in 18 straight regular season matches dating back to Sept. 30, 2023.
