Indy Eleven vs Eddies - 01.12

- Opponent: FC Edmonton
- Location: Edmonton, Canada
- Attendance: 3,152
- Final Score: 1-0 W
- Starting XI: Nicht (Captain), Stone, Frias, Norales, Okiomah, Kleberson, Corrado, Smith, Mares, Pineda, Ambersley
- Substitutions: Estridge 53' (Stone), Smart 63' (Corrado), Mendes 84' (Mares)
- Goals: Kleberson (unassisted)
- Bookings: No Eleven cards


So this is what a heartbreaker looks like from the winning side.


Though I did see a familiar reaction. Watch Edmonton's player #14 (Martinez) just inside the 18-yard line in the middle of the field as Kleberson's 93rd minute shot finds its way into the net.  While Eleven fans can sympathize with the player and understand the reaction, I for one, am glad to see it from some other player than one of our own.

For the first time all season, I did not see a minute of this game during real time due to other commitments.  So I'm relying entirely on the @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed, YouTube highlights (see below), and general recaps from other sources.  What I see is amazing.  Even with a slight edge in possession, the Eleven did not win a single statistical category except for the one that matters most, which is goals.  The Eddies were very unlucky in that they had three really good shots find the woodwork, one of those being a defensive breakdown in the 20th minute.  The Eleven nearly gave up another "adage" goal within the first four minutes. 

In short, based only on the stats and highlights, it looks like this was a game that maybe the Eleven shouldn't have won.  Yet the team that never seems to give up, continued to fight, and was rewarded by a 93rd minute goal.  To quote one of my favorite movies "Nobody's Fool," "Intelligence, hard work, and good looks finally pay off."  The team has been on the wrong side of a lot of hard fought, close games, so it's nice to see them get rewarded for their constant and continued effort.

It's also nice to see our ironman and captain get his first shutout of the season.  Nicht has made some amazing saves this season and a clean sheet is well deserved.

Now, the Boys in Blue find their way back home to #TheMike.  Though, a home game also comes with a King Kong sized monkey on the back of the team as they try to get that first home win for the 10,000+ fans in attendance.  A monkey that I'm starting to think might be making the friendly confines feel a little less friendly and with a lot more pressure.  Like I said after the last game, as long as the team doesn't give up and keeps fighting like they did in Edmonton on Sunday, I'm still optimistic that the first home win will come.  Actually, I know the win is coming. 

So relax boys. Play hard.  We'll be here when the win happens.


Highlights:



Update: Congratulations Kleberson and Norales on being part of this week's Team of the Week!