#NYvIND Preview
Indy Eleven vs. New York Red Bulls II
Friday, July 15, 2022 – 7:00 p.m. ET
MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field – Montclair, New Jersey
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Local TV: N/A
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
Radio (Spanish): N/A
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers
Live stats: #NYvIND MatchCenter on USLChampionship.com
2022 USL CHAMPIONSHIP REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
Indy Eleven: 6W-9L-3D (-6 GD), 21 pts.; 9th in Eastern Conference
New York Red Bulls II: 1W-14L-3D (-30 GD), 6 pts.; 14th in Eastern Conference
COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK SPORTS MEDICINE INDY ELEVEN INJURY REPORT
OUT: DF Mechack Jerome (ankle), GK Bryan Meredith (R hand), MF Bryam Rebellon (R quad)
QUESTIONABLE: none
DISCIPLINE REPORT
IND: none
NY: none
Indy Eleven is headed to New Jersey Friday night for the team’s final USL Championship regular season match with New York Red Bulls II, as New York are leaving the Championship for MLS Next PRO in the 2023 season.
Friday’s match marks a crucial moment for two squads both looking to bounce back after disappointing stretches. The Boys in Blue have lost five consecutive matches, the longest such streak for the team since joining USL Championship in 2018. Meanwhile, Red Bulls II have been outscored 14-0 over their last three matches.
Recent form has been par for the course for RBII in 2022, as the team have won just one match all season long, a 1-0 victory over Atlanta United 2 nearly four months ago on Mar. 16. The team’s -30 goal differential and six points are the lowest tallies in the league, while nine goals and three points separate the team from second-to-last Charleston Battery.
For the Eleven, the five-match losing streak has also seen a four-match scoreless streak, as the offense has stagnated over the past month following a three-goal performance on June 18 against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Against a New York squad that has given up 14 goals in its last three matches, the opportunity to break the drought is ripe for the taking.
The two sides met once previously earlier in the season, a 2-0 win for the Eleven at Carroll Stadium in the first meeting in the series in nearly three years. An own goal put Indy ahead early, while Jonas Fjeldberg doubled the lead for the Eleven just before halftime. The May 21 match between the teams also marks the last time the Boys in Blue shut out an opponent.
Due in large part to scheduling conflicts during the seasons affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the teams did not meet in 2020 or 2021, but met in the 2019 USL Championship Playoffs in a 1-0 win for the Eleven. Indy leads the all-time series 4W-2L-0D, with all four wins coming in Indianapolis and both defeats coming in New Jersey.
While the Boys in Blue are away on Friday, the team returns home to Carroll Stadium for next Saturday, as the team is set to take on Memphis 901 FC at 7:00 p.m. on July 23, the first of a three-match homestand at Carroll Stadium. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
LAST TIME OUT
Indy Eleven 0 : 1 Detroit City FC
Sat., July 9 | Recap & Highlights | Stats
Indy Eleven returned to IUPUI Carroll Stadium for the first time in five weeks on Saturday, but the team’s homecoming was spoiled in a tight 0-1 loss to The Miami FC. While goalkeeper Tim Trilk stopped three shots for Indiana’s Team, Josh Perez’s strike in the 55th ultimately made the difference in the back-and-forth affair.
New York Red Bulls II 0 : 6 Louisville City FC
Sat., July 9 | Stats
A season full of low points reached perhaps its lowest yet last Saturday for Red Bulls II, as the team suffered its worst defeat of the year so far, 6-0 at the hands of LouCity. Red Bulls II have been outscored 14-0 in their previous three matches.
SERIES VS. NEW YORK RED BULLS II
Overall record (regular season & postseason): 4W-2L-0D (9 GF/6 GA)
USL Championship regular season at home: 3W-0L-0D (6 GF/0 GA)
USL Championship regular season on the road: 0W-2L-0D (2 GF/6 GA)
The Eleven and Red Bulls II met for the first time in nearly three years in May, a 2-0 home win for the Eleven. The clubs faced off in the 2019 USL Championship Playoffs opener at Carroll Stadium on Oct. 26, 2019, with the Boys in Blue winning the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal 1-0 thanks to a goal from Karl Ouimette in the 27th minute.
The Eleven lead the all-time series 4-2-0 and have never lost at home to New York, shutting out Red Bulls II in all four meetings in the Circle City. On the flip side, the Boys in Blue are winless against New York on the road. Assuming there is no postseason meet up on the horizon, the two sides will close out their series at MSU Soccer Park in Montclair, N.J. on Friday, with Red Bulls II leaving USL Championship for MLS Next PRO in 2023.
#INDvNY FAMILIAR FACES
Former Eleven forward Jeremy Rafanello has spent the 2022 campaign with New York Red Bulls II. Rafanello played for the Eleven during the 2020 COVID-shortened season, scoring once in his nine appearances. Currently on-loan defender Karl Ouimette suited up for RBII from 2015-16. While recently traded to FC Tulsa, former Boy in Blue Noah Powder began his professional career with Red Bulls II, playing for the club from 2016-17 (3 goals, 1 assist in 43 games).
ELEVEN PLAYER TO WATCH: GK SEAN LEWIS
Recently traded for from FC Tulsa in exchange for Noah Powder, USL veteran goalkeeper Sean Lewis could see his first action in an Indy Eleven uniform Friday night. Lewis joined the roster last week and, while active for last Saturday’s match against Detroit City FC, he did not see the field. Lewis is an experienced keeper who made 61 appearances for Tulsa from 2019-22 and could provide a spark of new energy to a team looking to get back on track.
