Indy Eleven vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds - 10.20

Summary

- Opponent: Pittsburgh Riverhounds
- Location: Highmark Stadium
- Attendance: 4,218
- Final Score: 3-1 W

- Starting XI: Trilk, Boudadi, Jerome, Chapman-Page, Dambrot, Lindley, Quinn, Robledo, Asante, Pinho, Guenzatti (C)

- Substitution: Diz Pe 45' (Chapman-Page); Martinez 61' (Pinho); Velasquez 78' (Robledo); King 78' (Asante); Molina 90'+4' (Dambrot)

- Unused: Oettl

- Scoring Summary:
IND - Quinn 13' (unassisted)
IND - Guenzatti 35' (assist Lindley)
IND - Robledo 73' (assist Martinez)
PIT - Showunmi 89' (assist Ybarra)

- Bookings:

IND - Lindley 34’ (Yellow)
PIT - Ordonez 43' (Yellow)
PIT - Showunmi 90'+3' (Yellow)

- Referee: Matthew Thompson

- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions

Three games in 8 days meant that Coach Lowry played with the starting lineup with Chapman-Page getting his first start since coming to Indy, as well as Trilk getting his first start of the season. Pinho and Asante remain in the starting lineup after getting the start against Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh also made 6 changes from the one that played, and lost to, Charleston last Saturday. Within the first minute, it looked like he was going to have to make another change when a Pittsburgh defender caught Asante square in the chest. Asante's lack of movement was concerning, but it slowly looked like he just had his breath knocked out of him and not something more concerning like a cracked rib, which was my initial concern when he didn't move.

Indy had four players down on the Highmark turf requiring visits from head athletic trainer Josh Frankham within the first 10 minutes of the game, including an elbow to the throat to Pinho that wasn't called. For a team that has struggled with injuries this season, Pittsburgh must have decided that being physical with Indy was a good tactic to use.

"The audacity to take the shot" from Quinn from a yard or two from the center circle as he blasted a shot from distance that was on rope. The last time Indy beat Pittsburgh, it was a stunner from Pasher that secured the victory. Apparently, Indy like to periodically make the highlight reels while in Pittsburgh. Indy finished the half with two shots on target and two goals. Playing in Pittsburgh, Indy will take that kind of efficiency, even if one of the shots was from ~40ish yards away. Kind of makes you think that maybe it's a good thing to put the ball towards the goal to see if something can happen from it instead of always trying to walk it into the goal, doesn't it? Lindley and Guenzatti combined later to give Indy a rare 2-nil lead going to the halftime locker.

 

Anybody else not surprised that Indy will have to, once again, shuffle their lineup due to a suspension? Thanks to Lindley's late challenge and subsequent yellow in the 34th minute, he will miss the game against Louisville due to yellow card accumulation. Because of course Indy can't go more than two games in a row without having somebody unavailable.

Indy weathered an early onslaught from Pittsburgh just after returning from the locker room as Pittsburgh made three immediate offensive-minded substitutions trying to get themselves on the board. Pittsburgh missed their best opportunity when Showunmi redirected the ball wide of the goal. The missed chance would come back to haunt Pittsburgh as Indy found their third goal of the game just minutes later. 

The third goal took all the air out of the game as Pittsburgh came to the realization that a win wasn't in the cards for the night, and Indy were playing for the clean sheet. Pittsburgh found a late goal when Ybarra sent a ball to Showunmi who had just given Boudadi just enough of a nudge in the back to clear the space for him to receive the ball. A step later and a deft outside-of-the-boot shot to Trilk's left side, and Pittsburgh found the goal to ruin Indy's clean sheet, but not their night.

Indy went into a venue not known for conceding many goals and walked away with three well-played goals and are headed back to Indy with 3 vitally-needed points. The win moves Indy back into a playoff position with games-in-hand on the teams immediately on both sides of them. With the LIPAFC game on Saturday in Louisville, Indy still has their work ahead of them. However, Louisville is in the midst of a three-game losing streak, so it might be the right time for Indy to get some points down there.

The Game Beckons Game Ball

Despite his short time on the field, Chapman-Page was immense in the first half, with the telecast commentators routinely calling out his name in praise. Any number of guys could have been in line for this, including Quinn for his wonder goal, but given Indy's issues with defenders either not being healthy or not being available due to suspension, it's good to see another defender play solidly, even in a limited role. I know Indy scored 3 goals (or more) goals for just the second time this season, but I have to give the GBGB to Chapman-Page for his effort in such a short time in Indy.