PREVIEW | Silverbacks vs. Indy Eleven
And so it begins, finally. Indy Eleven will kick off its much-anticipated second season of play in the NASL on the road this Saturday evening against the Atlanta Silverbacks. For the team’s fans, gone is the indifference to results that is generally associated with an inaugural season – or, to put it more bluntly, “the honeymoon is over” for Indy Eleven when it comes to what’s happening on the field.
The bad news for this weekend? Indy Eleven starts the season on the road rather than in the friendly confines of Michael A. Carroll Stadium, where the team figured out how to win late in last year’s campaign and built some momentum heading into season two (3W-2D-0L in last five games).
The good news? Atlanta Silverbacks Park proved to be perhaps the friendliest away venue across Indy Eleven’s inaugural season, the Boys in Blue (or is it the Warriors in White?) gaining a draw and a win in two wild affairs in "Hotlanta" last year.
2014 Overview vs. Atlanta: 1W-1D-1L
ATL 3 : 3 IND – June 13, 2014: What didn’t this match have?!? Three goals in a four-minute span in the opening 15 minutes gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead. A red card shown to Indy Eleven defender Fejiro Okiomah while being a goal down should have doomed the visitors, but the fourth penalty kick of the match (you indeed read that correctly) – a conversion by late-game substitute Kleberson in the 88th minute – gave Indiana’s Team a well-earned point from the Spring Season finale for both sides.
IND 2 : 4 ATL – Aug. 2, 2014: The Boys in Blue would fall behind, 2-0, by the midway point in the first half - Junior Burgos in the 5th minute andPablo Cruz in the 21st minute - and could never catch up in a disappointing loss at Carroll Stadium. Penalty kick conversions by Kleberson in the 43rd and 55th minutes would draw Indy Eleven back to within one goal on two occasions, but a mistaken-identity red card to Sergio Pena in the 65th minute would dig Indy’s hole even further, while Junior Sandoval’s 83rd minute tally iced the result for the Silverbacks.
ATL 1 : 2 IND – Sept. 6, 2014: Indy Eleven raced out to a 2-0 lead before holding on for dear life for the full three points in a result that snapped a six-game winless streak. Jermaine Johnson’s tally at the quarter-hour mark would give Indy Eleven the lead, while Blake Smith’s finish off a textbook counter-attack would double the advantage in the 37th minute. Blair Gavin’s goal off a set-piece opportunity at the death of the first half and a save of Kleberson’s fourth PK attempt of the season against Atlanta five minutes into the second half could have deflated Indy Eleven, but the visitors would see out the result across a second half that saw goalkeeper Kristian Nicht stand tall on numerous occasions.
Everything old is new again (or at least most things)
This is the case for Indy Eleven and head coach Juergen Sommer, who must be presently surprised to bring back two-thirds of the roster that ended the 2014 campaign in the Circle City – and did so on a five-game undefeated streak, nonetheless (3W-0L-2D). That group includes six of the team’s seven defenders, six of the eight rostered midfelders and goalkeeper Kristian Nicht, who played every minute of every competitive game last season. The unknown quantity is up top, where Indy will hope the five-game stint from Charlie Rugg at the end of last season can provide some continuity at the forward position alongside his new running mate, Brian Brown and Wojciech Wojcik.
For more breakdown on this year's squad, visit Jeff Crandall's positional breakdowns on the defenders and midfielders (have no fear, goalkeepers and forwards coming Friday).
Everything new is new again (at least most everything)
This is the case for the Silverbacks, whose fans will be fighting each other for game day programs on Saturday to see just who is on the roster in 2015. To say the 2014-15 offseason brought change in Atlanta would be an understatement. The club, which saw the NASL assume ownership in December, underwent a massive roster overhaul with only four players being retained by new head coach Gary Smith (he of the “former Colorado Rapids Smiths”). For a much better overview of Atlanta’s offseason moves than we could ever provide, visit the Atlanta Silverbacks Season Outlook on NASL.com.
The preseason matters? “Well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.”
Indy Eleven went 2W-1D-2L during their five preseason games against collegiate and USL competition, during which coach Sommer focused less on results (as he should have) and methodically built up the team’s fitness levels. That method peaked last Saturday in their 5-0 exhibition-ending win over Bradley University at “The Mike” – prior to that the squad fell, 2-1, against Louisville City FC, drew the University of Dayton, 1-1, and defeated Saint Louis FC on the road, 2-0, and fell, 2-1, to Indiana University in a 9-v-9, short-field affair that we’ll count (but just barely).
For what it’s worth, Atlanta finished its preseason preparations undefeated, going 4W-1D-0L against a similar collegiate/USL slate, ending with a 1-0 win over traditional ACC contender Clemson last Saturday.
Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: MF Dylan Mares
While Greg Janicki was brought in to shore up an improving backline and the forward trio mentioned above might get more of the notice, it’s been returning midfielder Dylan Mares who’s been the straw that’s stirring the Eleven’s collective drink throughout the preseason. The Indiana University (and Louisville) product came into camp motivated and ready to roll, as evidenced by his scoring output – he scored in four of the team’s five preseason affairs to spur a new-look attack for Indy. Poised at the top of the Eleven’s midfield diamond, look for Mares to play more of a provider role rather than scorer as he becomes more acclimated with the “shiny new toys” up top (Brown and Rugg have been in Indy’s camp for not even three weeks).
Who to Watch, Atlanta Silverbacks edition: MF Hans Denissen
At the end of 2013, Hans Denissen was riding high. After bagging 12 goals for San Antonio during a NASL Best XI performance, he got a well-earned payday via a high-profile (and not-so-surprising) free transfer to the New York Cosmos. But the script went awry for the well-traveled Dutchman last season, as he suffered multiple injuries (he had ankle surgery in the offseason) that limited him to a goalless 12 appearances on Long Island (although he did contribute three assists).
Raúl, of Real Madrid and Spanish National Team fame, made Denissen expendable, and so he headed south in February to sign with the Silverbacks as part of their massive makeover. It seems as if coach Smith has designs to bring Denissen into the number 10 role he was accustomed to before his standout 2013 with the Scorpions, and it will be interesting to see how the 31-year-old performs on the fast surface of Silverbacks Park - its turf can giveth (assists), but its turf can taketh away (one’s knees).
Match-up to Mark: Indy FW Charlie Rugg vs. Atlanta DF Rauwshan McKenzie
Everyone associated with Indy Eleven is unabashedly excited to see what Rugg can provide across a full season of play after last year’s late cameo, where he showed the power and versatility up top that the team had been lacking for most of the campaign. His first full runout of the year will likely see him run into a lot of newcomer McKenzie, the ex-MLS center back (Kansas City, Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake, and Portland from 2008-14), who Smith is plenty familiar with from his days with the Rapids. It’ll be strength on strength when they lock horns, which could be fun – or frustrating – to watch, depending on how World Cup referee Mark Geiger decides to control his whistle.
From the “It’s a Small World” Department
McKenzie won’t be the only former Michigan State center back on the field come Saturday evening, as Indy Eleven’s Greg Janicki played alongside him for three seasons during their collegiate days. Both will be bummed about the fact that the Spartans take on Duke in the early Final Four game Saturday instead of the later affair (we’ll have to see if Eleven kitman extraordinaire Andy Piggush is put on ESPN.com GameCenter duty).
Don’t worry Greg. If they make the title game, we might know some people that can get you into “The Luke” on Monday night.
