PREVIEW | Indy vs. Cosmos

The New York Cosmos will once again be on the road when they visit Indy Eleven this Saturday, April 11. The match can be seen live on ESPN3 and ONE World Sports at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Cosmos are seeking a second-straight win after their result against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, 1-0. 

Team Overview

New York Cosmos: After a 1-0 victory over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in their season opener, the Cosmos are trying to make it two Spring Season-opening wins in a row for the second consecutive year. Winger Leo Fernandes was the goalscorer against the Strikers, converting on a header off a Walter Restrepo corner kick in the 58th minute. Marquee offseason signing Raúl was subbed off in the 53rd minute of that game due to some discomfort in his hamstrings, but head coach Giovanni Savarese insisted it was a precautionary measure.

Indy Eleven: Indy opened their 2015 season with a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Atlanta, climbing back into the match after going down a goal in the 47th minute. Jamaican attacking midfielder Don Smart converted a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time to steal a point on the road. The Eleven finished the 2014 Fall Season on a five game unbeaten streak, with wins over top NASL sides Minnesota United FC and the San Antonio Scorpions.

The squad didn’t have a ton of turnover in the offseason. Former Brazilian international Kléberson is back, forward Charlie Rugg from Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy returns on a season-long loan and veteran center back Greg Janicki joined from San Antonio.

Matchup History

All three contests these two clubs played in the 2014 NASL season resulted in draws. That season was Indy’s first playing in the NASL, so on Saturday one of these teams could earn its first-ever win in the series.

In their most recent meeting - October 4 at Shuart Stadium - the result was a 0-0 draw. The Cosmos had the upper hand for large stretches of the match, as midfielder Andrés Flores broke through the Indy defense to create chances in the second half. But New York’s edge in possession and shots on target didn’t result in a win.

Notes

• Raúl and Eleven midfielder Kléberson have histories with two of the world’s most recognizable clubs: Real Madrid and Manchester United, respectively. They have also represented their countries at the international level. But the two footballers have never crossed paths on the pitch; this will be their first matchup.
• Cosmos striker Mads Stokkelien was in the Starting XI against Fort Lauderdale and went the full 90 minutes. During the 2014 NASL regular season he led all Cosmos players in games played (27), goals (7), and assists (4). He was the only player on the team to appear in every regular-season match.
• Goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer stopped six shots and kept a clean sheet in his first NASL start of 2015. Maurer narrowly finished second in the race for the 2014 NASL Golden Glove award with a 0.91 goals against average (GAA). He was behind John Smits (FC Edmonton, 0.90 GAA).
• New York will look to start 2-0-0 for the second straight Spring Season. The Cosmos opened last spring with a 4-0 home shutout against the Silverbacks followed by a 1-0 win on the road against FC Edmonton.
• Indy was one of three teams the Cosmos did not defeat in 2014; the other two were the Carolina RailHawks and the San Antonio Scorpions.
• Indy Eleven is making its 2015 home debut at The Mike in Indianapolis. The club led the league in attendance last season.

Quotes

“The first win is always the hardest because there is a lot of excitement going into the first game. To be on the road and have to grind out a result was a big test for the team. I’m glad we left with all three points.” – Hunter Gorskie on the Cosmos’ win over Fort Lauderdale on April 4

“Last year was last year. I take everything for this match from what I saw last week. We need to be able to grab those difficult wins on the road. [Indy] has a lot of support from the people in the town. We expect a big match.” -Giovanni Savarese