Eleven Fall in Return to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Action
INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, April 5, 2022) – Indy Eleven’s return to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after the tournament’s two-year hiatus was short lived, as goals on either side of the half by St. Louis CITY2 gave the MLS NEXT Pro side a 2-0 victory over Indiana’s Team in Second Round action at IUPUI Carroll Stadium.
On the heels of Indy’s second consecutive draw in USL Championship regular season play just three days prior against LA Galaxy II on Saturday, Eleven Head Coach Mark Lowry turned over half his starting lineup for the Open Cup tilt, including giving goalkeeper Tim Trilk his first action in an Indy Eleven uniform and forward Rodney Michael his first start. Meanwhile, St. Louis CITY2 was 11 days removed from its first-ever game in MLS NEXT Pro action, and the Missouri side utilized its fresh legs to full advantage with a high-pressure style.
While Indy Eleven came out of the gate winning the possession battle and making some promising forays into the CITY2 final third, it was the visitors that ultimately gained a foothold in the match 18 minutes in. Off a cleared corner kick, STL center back and captain Josh Yaro looped a first-time ball into the left side of the area and into space for Ezra Armstrong, who took a touch before firing 1-v-1 on Trilk and into goal from ten yards to give CITY2 a 1-0 advantage.
Yaro almost doubled the lead just minutes later with a ball that split two Indy defenders and put Vitor Diaz in on Trilk, but his chance from eight yards narrowly missed the upper right corner. The remainder of the half saw only one shot between the two sides, with the Boys in Blue unable to muster any shots despite holding a 65-35 advantage in possession.
It didn’t take long after the halftime whistle for Indy’s attack to amend that, as forward Aris Briggs’ side-volley off Noah Powder’s diagonal service whizzed over the crossbar just 40 seconds in. Indy started to find joy down the right flank, as a well-driven cross by defender Alex McQueen and two from Rodney Michael by the 60th minute forced CITY2 goalkeeper Michael Creek into action.
After that St. Louis took back over the attacking reins, with forward Josh Dolling taking a crack from distance that just missed frame in the 64th minute. Dolling would set up Wan Kuzain from distance a minute later, with his shot forcing Trilk into a save. In the 72nd minute Kuzain indeed doubled the advantage, as a STL counter down the left channel eventually funneled to the striker at the top of the area, from where his low attempt just beat Trilk inside his left post to put CITY2 up 2-0 down the stretch.
Indy was gifted a chance in the 79th minute when Creek popped up a clearance just outside the area that landed at the feet of substitute forward Stefano Pinho, but the St. Louis netminder got back on his line in time to gather the 20-yard effort. A pair of Briggs headers from the top of the area in stoppage time marked Indy’s last gasps at a goal, but neither threatened Creek, allowing St. Louis CITY2 to close things out. With the result CITY2 advances to the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup in its first – and likely only – tournament appearance with the advent of its Major League Soccer side on the horizon in 2023.
Indy Eleven’s next USL Championship regular season affair comes this Saturday, April 9, via an inter-conference meeting at Rio Grande Valley FC, kicking off at 8:30 p.m. ET (streaming video live on ESPN+). Indiana’s Team returns home on Saturday, April 16, when it welcomes Atlanta United 2 for a 7:00 p.m. ET kick that can be followed on MyINDY-TV 23, Exitos Radio 94.3 FM/943exitos.com, and ESPN+. Tickets for all Indy Eleven regular season contests at IUPUI Carroll Stadium are available starting at just $15 and can be purchased online at indyeleven.com/tickets.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – Second Round
Indy Eleven (USL Championship) 0 : 2 St. Louis CITY2 (MLS NEXT Pro)
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff
IUPUI Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
Scoring Summary:
STL – Ezra Armstrong (Josh Yaro) 18’
STL – Wan Kuzain (Celio Pompeu) 72’
Disciplinary Summary:
STL – Wan Kuzain (caution) 70’
IND – Bryam Rebellon (caution) 84’
Indy Eleven lineup (4-4-2): Tim Trilk; Noah Powder, Karl Ouimette, A.J. Cochran (captain), Alex McQueen; Nicky Law, Sam Brown, Jonas Fjeldberg (Stefano Pinho 66’), Raul Aguilera; Aris Briggs, Rodney Michael (Bryam Rebellon 69’)
IND Substitutes: Alex Svetanoff (GK), Ecris Revolorio, Mechack Jerome, Jared Timmer, Justin Ingram
St. Louis CITY2 lineup (5-4-1): Michael Creek; Ben Di Rosa, Akil Watts (Dida Armstrong 85’), Josh Yaro (captain), Kyle Hiebart, Ezra Armstrong (Kwame Awuah 80’); Vitor Diaz (Celio Pompeu 66’), A.J. Palazzolo, Wan Kuzain, Max Schneider; Josh Dolling
STL Substitutes: Eric Walker (GK), Aaron Heard, Fritz Vollmer, Miguel Perez
Match Statistics
IND STL
Shots 6 7
Shots on Goal 3 3
Possession % 64 36
Passes 596 340
Passing % 76 64
Offside 0 1
Corners 2 4
Fouls 13 18
Duels 117 117
Duels Won % 56 44
Tackles/Won 15/9 21/16
Interceptions 6 19
