Indy looking to go three unbeaten in league play in first matchup with Toros
#RGVvIND Preview
Indy Eleven at Rio Grande Valley FC
Saturday, April 9, 2022 – 8:30 p.m. ET
H-E-B Park – Edinburg, Texas
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Live stats: #RGVvIND MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
2022 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven: 0W-2L-2D (-3 GD), 2 pts.; T-12th in Eastern Conference
Rio Grande Valley FC: 1W-3L-0D (-2 GD), 3 pts.; T-10th in Western Conference
COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK SPORTS MEDICINE INJURY REPORT
(UPDATED 04/09)
QUESTIONABLE: FW Manuel Arteaga (knee), MF Ayoze (ankle), MF Jonas Fjeldberg (hamstring)
DISCIPLINE REPORT
None
GAME NOTES (PDF DOWNLOADS):
Indy Eleven will look to push its unbeaten streak in USL Championship play to three games and capture the first win of the Mark Lowry era on Saturday night, when Indiana’s Team takes to the road to face Rio Grande Valley FC. The Boys in Blue overcame two disappointing defeats at Loudoun and Tampa Bay to begin the season, but a quality 1-1 draw at Louisville and a similar scoreline in last Saturday’s home opener against LA Galaxy II has the Eleven on the upswing in league play. After falling out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup via a Second Round defeat to St. Louis CITY2 on Carroll Stadium on Tuesday, the Boys in Blue will have only the USL Championship regular season to concentrate on as the squad continues to grow together under Lowry’s leadership and style.
On the other sideline, Rio Grande Valley’s fortunes are going in opposite directions – struggles in league play, but success in the Open Cup. RGV FC Toros are hoping to use Wednesday’s 2-1 comeback Second Round Open Cup win at USL1 side North Carolina FC as a springboard to stop a three-game losing slide in league action, which followed a season opening victory over Oakland Roots. You might expect a close affair at H-E-B Park on Saturday night, as all of RGV’s four contests have been decided by a one-goal margin, while three of Indy’s four games have been either tied or a one-goal defeat.
LAST TIME OUT, USL CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION
Indy Eleven 1 : 1 LA Galaxy II
Sat., April 2 | Recap | Stats | Highlights
While it wasn’t the win Indy Eleven was hoping for in its first run out at IUPUI Carroll Stadium in 2022, Raul Aguilera’s 61st minute goal helped Indiana’s Team gain a point from a 1-1 draw with LA Galaxy II.
Indy Eleven stormed out of the gate and created several dangerous looks in the first 45 minutes, with Stefano Pinho and Jonas Fjeldberg both generating a pair of quality chances. However, the Boys in Blue couldn’t put any of their efforts on frame, and they would rue the missed chances with 10 minutes to go in the half, when goalkeeper Elliot Panicco swiped away Cam Dunbar’s backpost cross only as far as Michael Salazar, who was lurking at the edge of the six and swept home from a near angle.
The start of the second half wasn’t nearly as frantic as the first, but Aguilera’s goal on the stroke of the hour mark sparked the match back to life. With LA goalkeeper Richard Salazar off his line to try and stop Fjeldberg’s attempt at the penalty spot, Aguilera possessed, gained a sliver of space and placed a low shot towards an open net through traffic and inside the back post to even the proceedings.
Rio Grande Valley 1 : 2 San Antonio FC
Sun., March 27 | Recap & Highlights | Stats
San Antonio FC took the first edition of the South Texas Derby in 2022 as David Loera’s goal in the final minute of the first half proved the difference in a 2-1 win against Rio Grande Valley FC on Sunday night at H-E-B Park. All the scoring alternated during an 11-minute span to end the first half, with ex-Boy in Blue Elliot Collier’s opener (34’) and David Loera’s game-winner (45’) for SAFC sandwiching Dylan Borczak’s most temporary of equalizers in the 44th minute.
LAST TIME OUT, U.S. OPEN CUP EDITION
Indy Eleven 0 : 2 St. Louis CITY2 (MLS NEXT Pro)
Tues., April 5 | Recap
Indiana’s Team waited over 1,000 days to return to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night, but the end of the nearly three-year hiatus marked a rude return after St. Louis CITY2 took their Second Round meeting 2-0 at IUPUI Carroll Stadium.
Lowry turned over half his starting XI after playing at “The Mike” just three days prior, with moves featuring goalkeeper Tim Trilk getting his first minutes in an Eleven uniform and forward Rodney Michael gaining his first start. While Indy held a nearly 2-to-1 advantage in possession throughout the evening, the visitors jumped on the board first in the 18th minute when Ezra Armstrong finished off Josh Yaro’s ball over the top from the left side of the area. The Eleven remedied a fruitless first half with seven shots after the interval, but former Sporting KC II foe Wan Kuzain reemerged as an enemy of the Boys in Blue, his 72nd minute finish giving STL CITY2 some extra cushion in the eventual win.
North Carolina FC (USL1) 1 : 2 Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
Weds., April 6 | Recap
RGV avoided a road “cupset” midweek via its comeback win against NCFC at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Jaden Servania’s goal a minute before halftime had the home side dreaming heading into the locker rooms, but Frank Lopez equalized in the 54th minute, and Frank Nodarse notched the decisive blow in the 79th minute. The win pushed RGV through to the Third Round and a date on the road against MLS’ Houston Dynamo between April 19-21.
#RGVvIND SERIES HISTORY
All official competitions: First meeting
Despite this being Indy Eleven’s fifth season in the USL Championship and Rio Grande Valley’s seventh, Saturday’s affair at H-E-B Park will mark the first meeting between the two sides. RGV is one of nine teams Indy Eleven will play its first match against in 2022, but amongst that group is former NASL foe Miami FC and Detroit City FC, who the Eleven met in a friendly in 2019.
FAMILIAR FACES
Well, there’s not a lot to go on for this section this week, as the RGV roster contains no former Boys in Blue or links to the Hoosier State, and Indy Eleven’s roster is devoid of any links to Toros FC. The closest we can get is noting that Mark Lowry (and assistant coaches Matt Williams and Gabe Zapponi) and defenders Bryam Rebellon and Mechack Jerome were members of the El Paso Locomotive FC side that squared off in the Copa Tejas rivalry against RGV Toros FC in each of the last three seasons, compiling an even 3W-3L-1D record in that span.
ELEVEN PLAYER TO WATCH: MF JUSTIN INGRAM
The Indianapolis native Ingram has hit the ground running in his rookie campaign by appearing in all four of the Eleven’s regular season contests to date and starting three of them. The Loyola-Maryland and University of Virginia product can usually be found at the top of Lowry’s midfield diamond – but that doesn’t mean its offense-only for Ingram, whose endless motor is pivotal to helping the high-press style that, when effective, has seen Indy produce its best stretches of soccer over the last two league matches.
After sitting out of Tuesday’s Open Cup affair you can expect to see Ingram’s two-way play on full display on Saturday night. While the Eleven have gotten on the board in each of its last two contests, the Boys in Blue are looking for a breakout offensive effort to show for its improvement in that area, and if it is to do so against an RGV side that has conceded twice in its last three outings Ingram should have a hand in said success.
