#INDvBHM Gameday Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Birmingham Legion FC
Saturday, July 3, 2021 – 7:00 P.M. ET
IUPUI Michael A. Carroll Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.
“Indy-Pendence” Night, presented by IBEW Local 481
Follow Live
Local/National TV: WISH-TV 8
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
Radio (Spanish): Exitos Radio 94.3 FM / exitos943.com
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers
Live stats: #INDvBHM MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
2021 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven 4W-4L-2D (-1 GD); 4th in Central Division
Birmingham Legion 6W-3L-1D (+2 GD); 1st in Central Division
The Boys in Blue enter Saturday's tilt with Central Division leader Birmingham Legion FC coming off an offensive explosion on the wrong other side of the river in Louisville last weekend. Indy was able to do enough damage in the first half at Lynn Family Stadium to walk away with a point from a 3-3 draw, twice coming back from a goal deficit before holding on to share the spoils. Interim Head Coach Max Rogers was able to remain unbeaten during his brief-but-growing tenure at the helm of the Boys in Blue, who will look to replicate their electric offensive performance at “The Mike” on Saturday.
The main storyline for the Boys in Blue remains their attack. Since scoring only twice in a four-game span to start June, the Eleven have now fired home five goals over the last two outings – and with five different players sharing the honors. Nicky Law and Gordon Wild were able to find their first goals for the Boys in Blue against Sporting Kansas City II, and Cammy Smith was able to do the same against Louisville.
Seasoned veteran and Grand Park Man of the Match recipient Neveal Hackshaw slotted home his first of the season as well against Lou City, with Manuel Arteaga grabbing the third goal of his first campaign with the team, which is good enough to tie him for the team lead with Jordan Hamilton. It’s been a committee effort for the Boys in Blue over the last couple of weeks – and that appears to be the way forward without a defined top goal scorer like years past. With Law and Wild combining to create 35 chances through the first ten weeks of the season, look for Indiana’s Team to start to pounce more on the opportunities in front of them.
Indy Eleven will also look to correct its less-than-ideal home record so far this season on “Indy-Pendence” Night, the Boys in Blue claiming only one win from five times out at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. It was not even a year ago that Indy Eleven still boasted a regular season home unbeaten streak of 28 games that spanned parts of three seasons – but that involved a nearly entirely different cast of characters playing at a different venue. This current iteration desperately wants to find its form at home, and with Rogers leading a different approach there might be no better way to prove “The Mike” is Indy’s fortress than by beating one of the strongest teams in the Central Division on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Birmingham, will just be hoping for sunny skies and a dry forecast this Saturday (spoiler alert: they’ll get both) after seeing their home match with Atlanta United 2 on Wednesday abandoned at halftime (at 1-1) due to abysmal weather conditions. In Birmingham’s last complete game on June 22, they managed to scratch out a 1-0 victory at The Miami FC, posting their fourth clean sheet in the process. In fact, the Legion FC defense has caused scoring droughts for the opposition so far this season, only allowing eight goals (a Central Division best to this point) in their 10 matches played, and multiple goals on only two occasions – both 2-1 defeats on the road at San Antonio FC and OKC Energy FC. A familiar face to Eleven fans is bringing thunder and lightning to the strong Three Sparks defense in Alex Crognale, who has made seven appearances so far this season.
Defensive successes aside, Birmingham is still waiting for the sun to come out in relation to their offense. The boys from Alabama have only scored 10 goals in as many outings, seven of which have come from Neco Brett (more on him later) – who had netted an eighth before Wednesday’s match was abandoned. Relying on only one goal scorer can create cloudy conditions when it comes to offensive efficiency, and a key to the game for Indy will be to keep the Three Sparks offense off the board.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC
Overall record (all USLC regular season): 2W-1L-0D (4 GF/1 GA)
Home: 1W-0L-0D (3 GF/ 0 GA)
2021 SERIES
May 1 | BHM 0:1 IND
IND: Arteaga 28’
Saturday vs. BHM (7:00 p.m. ET)
Sat., July 24 vs. BHM (7:00 p.m. ET)
Sun., Oct. 10 at BHM (5:00 p.m. ET)
The Eleven and Legion FC met for the third time for each team’s 2021 USL Championship season opener, with Indy’s Manuel Arteaga making the difference in a 1-0 victory for the Boys in Blue. The Three Sparks ended that match with ten men after forward J.J. Williams was sent off in the 87’ minute, limiting the home side’s comeback effort. Arteaga’s goal was also his first as a member of the Boys in Blue and got Indy off on the right track in a season that has had its ups and downs since that May 1 meeting.
Indy’s victory in the season opener tipped the all-time series in the Eleven’s favor. These two squads didn’t meet in the condensed 2020 campaign due to COVID-19, but with the new divisional alignment in the Eastern Conference, this will be Birmingham and Indy’s second meeting of four during the 2021 USL Championship regular season.
The two meetings in BHM’s inaugural 2019 campaign fell along home advantage lines, starting on June 26 when Indy posted a 3-0 triumph at Lucas Oil Stadium courtesy of goals by Tyler Pasher and Thomas Enevoldsen as well as an Mathieu Laurent own goal. The return fixture in Alabama on Sept. 20 saw Brian Wright’s first half goal stand tall in a 1-0 Legion FC victory.
IND PLAYER TO WATCH: DF A.J. COCHRAN
Cochran is quietly having a strong start to his first season in Indy. The 28-year-old signed for the Eleven this past offseason after a successful tenure with Phoenix Rising FC that saw the defender receive numerous honors, including a 2019 USL Championship All-League Second Team selection and the 2020 Western Conference title. The defender is also coming off an active game against Louisville City FC, in which the defender recorded ten clearances against a LCFC squad that swung in a bevy of crosses.
The Indy defender’s knack for distribution deserves praise, as the St. Louis native currently leads the Eleven in total passes with a whopping 480 (52.5 per 90 minutes) so far this season. With Indy’s recent offensive resurgence, having defenders that can pass the ball out from the back and start solid offensive movements can be incredibly valuable, and Cochran most definitely provides that service.
Not only will Cochran have to distribute effectively, but his defensive prowess and organization on the backline will be called into action even more to compensate for the absence of Neveal Hackshaw while he’s away on international duty. Then there’s having to deal with the lethal, in-form Brett, and regardless of whether Cochran slots into a central role in a back three or a left center back role in a back four, he’ll be partly responsible for keeping tabs on Birmingham’s star man. The Generation Adidas product will look to add to his team leading total in blocks (9) and clearances (45) to slow down Brett and the rest of Birmingham Legion FC’s attack to help secure all three points for the Boys in Blue at The Mike.
BHM PLAYER TO WATCH: FW NECO BRETT
There’s no need to sugarcoat it – Brett is a problem for defenses. The 29-year-old has seven goals so far this season, good enough to tie him with the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Sebastián Guenzatti and LA Galaxy II’s Preston Judd for second most in the USL Championship. Brett would have stood alone in second and had an eighth goal on the season had Wednesday’s match with Atlanta United 2 not been abandoned. The Jamaican has managed to come up with a goal more times than not throughout 2021, having added to the score column in six of Legion FC’s ten games so far this season. The Three Sparks No. 11 is also no stranger to Indy Eleven, having scored twice for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds against Indy in 2019, the last time Brett squared off against Indiana’s Team.
Brett brings a dynamic skillset to the table that can create nightmares for teams defensively. The Robert Morris alum has been the engine for this Birmingham offense due to his goal scoring capabilities, but he can set others up just as well; while he has yet to register an assist, Brett has collected 11 key passes so far this season. The rest of Legion FC has only found the back of the net a total of three times, but you can still look for Brett to think about providing for his teammates, as an over-focus on Birmingham’s leading goal scorer could create openings for others.
#INDvBHM Gameday Preview
Indy Eleven vs. Birmingham Legion FC
Saturday, July 3, 2021 – 7:00 P.M. ET
IUPUI Michael A. Carroll Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.
“Indy-Pendence” Night, presented by IBEW Local 481
Follow Live
Local/National TV: WISH-TV 8
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
Radio (Spanish): Exitos Radio 94.3 FM / exitos943.com
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers
Live stats: #INDvBHM MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
2021 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven 4W-4L-2D (-1 GD); 4th in Central Division
Birmingham Legion 6W-3L-1D (+2 GD); 1st in Central Division
The Boys in Blue enter Saturday’s tilt with Central Division leader Birmingham Legion FC coming off an offensive explosion on the wrong other side of the river in Louisville last weekend. Indy was able to do enough damage in the first half at Lynn Family Stadium to walk away with a point from a 3-3 draw, twice coming back from a goal deficit before holding on to share the spoils. Interim Head Coach Max Rogers was able to remain unbeaten during his brief-but-growing tenure at the helm of the Boys in Blue, who will look to replicate their electric offensive performance at “The Mike” on Saturday.
The main storyline for the Boys in Blue remains their attack. Since scoring only twice in a four-game span to start June, the Eleven have now fired home five goals over the last two outings – and with five different players sharing the honors. Nicky Law and Gordon Wild were able to find their first goals for the Boys in Blue against Sporting Kansas City II, and Cammy Smith was able to do the same against Louisville.
Seasoned veteran and Grand Park Man of the Match recipient Neveal Hackshaw slotted home his first of the season as well against Lou City, with Manuel Arteaga grabbing the third goal of his first campaign with the team, which is good enough to tie him for the team lead with Jordan Hamilton. It’s been a committee effort for the Boys in Blue over the last couple of weeks – and that appears to be the way forward without a defined top goal scorer like years past. With Law and Wild combining to create 35 chances through the first ten weeks of the season, look for Indiana’s Team to start to pounce more on the opportunities in front of them.
Indy Eleven will also look to correct its less-than-ideal home record so far this season on “Indy-Pendence” Night, the Boys in Blue claiming only one win from five times out at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. It was not even a year ago that Indy Eleven still boasted a regular season home unbeaten streak of 28 games that spanned parts of three seasons – but that involved a nearly entirely different cast of characters playing at a different venue. This current iteration desperately wants to find its form at home, and with Rogers leading a different approach there might be no better way to prove “The Mike” is Indy’s fortress than by beating one of the strongest teams in the Central Division on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Birmingham, will just be hoping for sunny skies and a dry forecast this Saturday (spoiler alert: they’ll get both) after seeing their home match with Atlanta United 2 on Wednesday abandoned at halftime (at 1-1) due to abysmal weather conditions. In Birmingham’s last complete game on June 22, they managed to scratch out a 1-0 victory at The Miami FC, posting their fourth clean sheet in the process. In fact, the Legion FC defense has caused scoring droughts for the opposition so far this season, only allowing eight goals (a Central Division best to this point) in their 10 matches played, and multiple goals on only two occasions – both 2-1 defeats on the road at San Antonio FC and OKC Energy FC. A familiar face to Eleven fans is bringing thunder and lightning to the strong Three Sparks defense in Alex Crognale, who has made seven appearances so far this season.
Defensive successes aside, Birmingham is still waiting for the sun to come out in relation to their offense. The boys from Alabama have only scored 10 goals in as many outings, seven of which have come from Neco Brett (more on him later) – who had netted an eighth before Wednesday’s match was abandoned. Relying on only one goal scorer can create cloudy conditions when it comes to offensive efficiency, and a key to the game for Indy will be to keep the Three Sparks offense off the board.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC
Overall record (all USLC regular season): 2W-1L-0D (4 GF/1 GA)
Home: 1W-0L-0D (3 GF/ 0 GA)
2021 SERIES
May 1 | BHM 0:1 IND
IND: Arteaga 28’
Saturday vs. BHM (7:00 p.m. ET)
Sat., July 24 vs. BHM (7:00 p.m. ET)
Sun., Oct. 10 at BHM (5:00 p.m. ET)
The Eleven and Legion FC met for the third time for each team’s 2021 USL Championship season opener, with Indy’s Manuel Arteaga making the difference in a 1-0 victory for the Boys in Blue. The Three Sparks ended that match with ten men after forward J.J. Williams was sent off in the 87’ minute, limiting the home side’s comeback effort. Arteaga’s goal was also his first as a member of the Boys in Blue and got Indy off on the right track in a season that has had its ups and downs since that May 1 meeting.
Indy’s victory in the season opener tipped the all-time series in the Eleven’s favor. These two squads didn’t meet in the condensed 2020 campaign due to COVID-19, but with the new divisional alignment in the Eastern Conference, this will be Birmingham and Indy’s second meeting of four during the 2021 USL Championship regular season.
The two meetings in BHM’s inaugural 2019 campaign fell along home advantage lines, starting on June 26 when Indy posted a 3-0 triumph at Lucas Oil Stadium courtesy of goals by Tyler Pasher and Thomas Enevoldsen as well as an Mathieu Laurent own goal. The return fixture in Alabama on Sept. 20 saw Brian Wright’s first half goal stand tall in a 1-0 Legion FC victory.
IND PLAYER TO WATCH: DF A.J. COCHRAN
Cochran is quietly having a strong start to his first season in Indy. The 28-year-old signed for the Eleven this past offseason after a successful tenure with Phoenix Rising FC that saw the defender receive numerous honors, including a 2019 USL Championship All-League Second Team selection and the 2020 Western Conference title. The defender is also coming off an active game against Louisville City FC, in which the defender recorded ten clearances against a LCFC squad that swung in a bevy of crosses.
The Indy defender’s knack for distribution deserves praise, as the St. Louis native currently leads the Eleven in total passes with a whopping 480 (52.5 per 90 minutes) so far this season. With Indy’s recent offensive resurgence, having defenders that can pass the ball out from the back and start solid offensive movements can be incredibly valuable, and Cochran most definitely provides that service.
Not only will Cochran have to distribute effectively, but his defensive prowess and organization on the backline will be called into action even more to compensate for the absence of Neveal Hackshaw while he’s away on international duty. Then there’s having to deal with the lethal, in-form Brett, and regardless of whether Cochran slots into a central role in a back three or a left center back role in a back four, he’ll be partly responsible for keeping tabs on Birmingham’s star man. The Generation Adidas product will look to add to his team leading total in blocks (9) and clearances (45) to slow down Brett and the rest of Birmingham Legion FC’s attack to help secure all three points for the Boys in Blue at The Mike.
BHM PLAYER TO WATCH: FW NECO BRETT
There’s no need to sugarcoat it – Brett is a problem for defenses. The 29-year-old has seven goals so far this season, good enough to tie him with the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Sebastián Guenzatti and LA Galaxy II’s Preston Judd for second most in the USL Championship. Brett would have stood alone in second and had an eighth goal on the season had Wednesday’s match with Atlanta United 2 not been abandoned. The Jamaican has managed to come up with a goal more times than not throughout 2021, having added to the score column in six of Legion FC’s ten games so far this season. The Three Sparks No. 11 is also no stranger to Indy Eleven, having scored twice for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds against Indy in 2019, the last time Brett squared off against Indiana’s Team.
Brett brings a dynamic skillset to the table that can create nightmares for teams defensively. The Robert Morris alum has been the engine for this Birmingham offense due to his goal scoring capabilities, but he can set others up just as well; while he has yet to register an assist, Brett has collected 11 key passes so far this season. The rest of Legion FC has only found the back of the net a total of three times, but you can still look for Brett to think about providing for his teammates, as an over-focus on Birmingham’s leading goal scorer could create openings for others.
