PREVIEW | Indy vs. United

Minnesota United was on the path to a 2014 Fall Championship when the club collided with a rising Indiana squad in the sold-out Carroll Stadium last October. The Loons dropped three points and ultimately missed out on the Fall Championship to goal differential, while Indy earned three points for the first time ever on home soil.

“We really want to recognize that we didn't have our best result last year there,” United head coach Manny Lagos said. “We have to be sure that we're ready for that type of surface, that type of atmosphere, and recognize that they are a hard-working team. It's important for us to be ready for a physically tough match.”

Minnesota (1W-3D-1L, 6 points) enters the suffocating atmosphere of Carroll Stadium trailing in the Spring Season race, down eight points with half the season gone. Earning its first victory of the season last Saturday, and playing progressively better each week, the Loons are eager to demonstrate that they are prepared to win and compete for championships.

OPPONENT

Indy Eleven (1-3-1, 6) lines up in a 4-4-2 with two strikers that work hard going forward as well as getting back to help on defense. Offensively, Indy works the ball around with short passes in the back, but will occasionally knock a long ball over the midfield. Both Brian Brown and Charlie Rugg act as target men offensively, working off one another to make streaking runs through the opponent’s defensive line.

Indy has struggled defensively early in the Spring Season – with zero clean sheets to start the year. Their defenders get forward and attack, which can leave the team exposed on the counter. When they are pinned down in the back, Indy Eleven’s defenders have a tendency to dive into tackles and get beat. Covering for one another, Indy can quickly be thrown off balance when the ball is switched and has been punished on multiple occasions by teams that move the ball well in the final third.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Miguel Ibarra – All of the goals the Loons have scored this season from the run of play have been created at the feet of Ibarra. The United States Men’s National Team midfielder has had a superb start to his 2015 campaign and will be looking to build off of those performances in Indiana.

Tiago Calvano – The organized and disciplined Minnesota back line starts at the feet of veteran leader Calvano. United held Atlanta scoreless last weekend for the second shutout of the year, thanks to a mistake-free night from everyone in the Loons’ back four.

Kristian Nicht – Nicht returns to Indy Eleven after a 15-day stint with Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact. While available to play against Minnesota this Saturday, it is still unclear whether he or young goalkeeper Keith Cardona will get the start against the Loons this weekend.

Erick Norales – In a year where Indy hasn’t been as explosive going forward or solid in the back as it would like at times, Norales has stood out as one of the clubs most promising stars. The 30-year-old defender is dangerous on set pieces and a ruthless defender.

MATCH PREVIEW – MINNESOTA UNITED AT INDY ELEVEN

Minnesota is happy with its result last weekend, earning three points in front of a sellout crowd at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minn. Defeating Atlanta in a dominating fashion – possessing the ball and pressuring the Silverbacks defense throughout the night – Minnesota travels to Indiana this weekend with confidence and a desire to build on last Saturday’s result.

“It's important for us to build off of a good result, a solid game at home and some nice contribution from the guys across the board,” Lagos said. “The turn around is quick.”

Indy is an intriguing opponent for United – who defeated the Boys in Blue at home, 5-1, only to be suffer a loss in Indy a few weeks later in 2014. Indy Eleven started the 2014 campaign slowly, dropping points both away and at home. That changed near the end of the Fall Season and Indy continued that run of good form into 2015 with a nine-match unbeaten streak stretching back to last September. Their club-record streak was broken last weekend in a 1-0 defeat to the Jacksonville Armada.

A different team in 2015, Indy Eleven is composed of players with NASL experience who know what it takes to win in this league. The Boys in Blue have an average age of 26 years old, and they are a club that is built to win now. Despite a difficulty earning points in front of their home crowd in the past, Carroll Stadium remains one of the more hostile stadiums for opposing teams in the NASL. Both the Loons and Indy Eleven are desperate to get their seasons back on the right track with three points this weekend.

“We have a tough game against Indy – a team that had our number last year there,” Lagos said. “They only have one loss on the year, so it's going to be a big game for us to go there and get a result.”

With two clean sheets on the year, Sammy Ndjock and his back four will be under the microscope this Saturday against an Indy Eleven team that has only been shut out once this season. Last Saturday was a great result for the Loons, specifically the back four, who held Atlanta scoreless and provided great support for the United attackers going forward.

“That's what we want – to not concede goals – and I hope we continue like that,” Minnesota United defender Tiago Calvano said. “Without the ball everyone defending makes our job easier. If we don't concede goals that's a good thing.”

Going forward, United striker Pablo Campos has started to find his form, tallying two goals in three starts so far in 2015. Campos works hard on both sides of the ball, holding it when the Loons are looking to counter and getting into good positions to finish balls played across from the wide men. After sitting out all of last season with a knee injury, Campos is showing improvement every week.

“It comes with time – it doesn't matter if you’re training, if you’re scrimmaging or in friendlies, it comes with the official games,” Campos said. “It's progressing – it's not where I want, but it's progressing – I'm growing with the team, and I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

The 10-match Spring Season doesn’t leave room from mistakes, and with a slow start to the year it will be difficult for Minnesota to lift a trophy in early June. However, the club is looking beyond the Spring Championship to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and NASL Championship. There are plenty of matches left for the Loons to improve and finish where they’d like to in 2015.

“We’re looking at the full year – our goal is to get really good by the end of the year – and we have a lot of work to do still,” Lagos said. “The Spring Championship is important for us to look at week-to-week, but in the bigger picture we have to make sure that we're consistently turning some of these ties into wins, and hopefully from there, on the road, we get much tougher in terms of getting results.”

Minnesota United and Indy Eleven kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Carroll Stadium on Saturday, May 16.