July 9, 2022
USL Championship League Match
Carroll Stadium, Indianapolis IN

Splitting the Double-Header

Though this is our first USL-Championship league match against Indy Eleven, we have faced them before. In a between-season friendly in 2019 (after the NPSL Season and prior to the NPSL Members Cup) they got the better of us by a 1-nil score, which considering they were in the USL Championship and we were in NPSL, it was a good performance. We have also scrimmaged with some pre-season, closed-door friendlies in the last couple years.

Indy Eleven debuted in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 2014, then moved to the USL Championship in 2018. The “Eleven” coincidentally refers to the eleven players on the pitch, but for Indy it is in reference to the 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War under Colonel Lew Wallace. In 2017, they made a bid to join MLS, but other bids were chosen instead. Their highest achievement came in 2016 when they played the New York Cosmos in the 2016 NASL Championship, which ended in a nil-nil draw, and the Cosmos won 4-2 on penalty kicks. Trevor James served as an assistant coach for Indy in 2017-2018.

Indy was in poor form as they came into the match. Winless in five, four straight defeats, and held scoreless in their last three matches. Add to that, a dispute with their supporters’ group – The Brickyard Battalion – didn’t help. After the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Center, which overturned Roe v Wade, the team issued a statement that they would continue to advocate for and be a proponent of women’s rights, but then when the Brickyard Battalion hung signs stating “Bodily Autonomy 4 All” and “Abortion is Health Care” during their July 2, 2022 home loss against The Miami FC, the team’s front office informed them that they could not do so again. This evening, traveling Northern Guard Supporters joined with the Brickyard Battalion at the opening of the match, with the signs hanging in place.

This was a special day of football as both clubs’ Women’s Team played earlier, making this a double-header of City vs Indy football. City’s Women fell 3-nil to end their season.

INDY ELEVEN
Starting XI

Tim Trilk – GK
Neveal Hackshaw – D
A.J. Cochrane – D
Mechack Jerome – D
Alex McQueen – D
Ayoze – M
Sam Brown – M
Justin Ingram – M
Nicky Law – M
Manuel Arteaga – F
Solomon Asante – F

DETROIT CITY FC
Starting XI

Nate Steinwascher – GK
Matt Lewis – D
Michael Bryant – D
Devon Amoo-Mensah – D (Captain)
Rhys Williams – D
Deklan Wynne – D
Maxi Rodriguez – M
Abdoulaye Diop – M
Antoine Hoppenot – F
Connor Rutz – F
Pato Botello Faz – F

It didn’t take long for City to break through the Indy defense. In the fifth minute, Nate launched the ball from the box to just over the midfield stripe. After pinging off a couple heads, it fell for Connor Rutz. Connor passed the ball down the right channel for Rhys Williams. Rhys cut in and delivered a ball across goal which Indy keeper Tim Trilk dove and palmed away. As the Indy defender started to make his way out, Abdoulaye Diop cut in and took it away, sending it back to Devon Amoo-Mensah, who then trafficked it over to Maxi Rodriguez. Maxi found Deklan Wynne in the left channel. Deklan pushed it forward down the left side. Antoine Hoppenot caught up to it, sent it back to Deklan. With Pato and Connor in front of goal, Deklan’s cross found Connor, and his header hit the back of the net, giving City a 1-nil advantage.

City kept up the pressure and in the 11th minute, Connor Rutz almost scored his second of the match when the ball was sent into the box and Antoine Hoppenot back-heeled the ball to him. Connor’s shot just sailed over the crossbar.

A free kick in the 29th minute was Indy’s only threat in the first half and didn’t even register as a shot for Indy or save for Nate.

In the 43rd minute, Indy’s Manuuel Artega and Devon Amoo-Mensah came together shoulder-to-shoulder as they chased the ball toward the sideline, and Devon went down. He finished the half with a noticeable limp, then was subbed out at halftime.

Unhappy with their performance, Indy made a couple of subs, bringing in Jared Timmer and Stefano Pinho for Alex McQueen and Sam Brown to start the 2nd half. Brad Dunwell subbed in for Devon Amoo-Mensah. The captain’s armband circled Nate’s bicep.

City kept Indy quiet for the second half, and neither team added to the scoring. Four player substitutions took place during the half. Raul Aguilera Jr. subbed in for Justin Ingram for Indy in the 69th minute. Two minutes later, Antoine Hoppenot took a seat as Francis Atuahene came onto the field for Detroit. Indy made the final two subs with Jonas Fjeldberg replacing Neveal Hackshaw in the 82nd and Aris Briggs for Ayoze in the 89th.

The Indy Women took the first three points of the doubleheader, but the City Men took three points right back.

Deklan Wynne was City’s Player of the Match.

STATS

Indy Eleven 0, Detroit City FC 1
DCFC: Connor Rutz (Deklan Wynne) 5′

ATTENDANCE: 9,462

Possession: Indy 53.8%, DCFC 46.2%
Offsides: Indy 3, DCFC 3
Corners: Indy 2, DCFC 6
Passes: Indy 462, DCFC 397
Passing Accuracy: Indy 79.9%, DCFC 80.1%
Shots: Indy 8, DCFC 10
Shots on Target: Indy 0, DCFC 5
Blocked Shots: Indy 5, DCFC 1
Fouls: Indy 15, DCFC 17
Yellow Cards: Indy 3 (Manuel Arteaga, Justin Ingram, Raul Aguilera), DCFC 3 (Rhys Williams, Michael Bryant, Brad Dunwell)
Red Cards: Indy 0, DCFC 0

KEEPER KIT RECORD (Both USL Championship and Open Cup)

Victory and clean sheet in yellow.

Purple Kit: 3 draws
Yellow Kit: 5 wins, 2 draw, 1 loss 3 clean sheets
Blue Kit: 6 wins, 1 draw, 4 loss, 3 clean sheets.

IN OTHER USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES TODAY:

Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4, Miami FC 1
Hartford Athletic 2, Tampa Bay Rowdies 3
Charleston Battery 0, Birmingham Legion 3
Louisville City FC 6, New York Red Bulls II 0
FC Tulsa 2, Atlanta United II 1
Memphis 901 FC 3, Phoenix Rising FC 1
New Mexico United 1, Rio Grande Valley FC 1
El Paso Locomotive FC 1, Colorado Springs Switchbacks 0
San Diego Loyal SC 0, LA Galaxy II 5
Orange County SC 0, Monterey Bay FC 2
Sacramento Republic FC 3, Oakland Roots SC 3