Saturday brings us another day of soccer, and this particular Saturday will find Indy Eleven taking on a strong New York Cosmos squad. Both teams avoided losses during opening weekend. Indy escaped Atlanta with a 1-1 draw while the Cosmos squeaked out a 1-0 win behind a strong backline.
New York has looked strong even if they are still missing a few pieces from the start of the season. Raul has been cleared for full training and should be arriving in Indy ready to take down a tough foe in the Indy Eleven.
Indy Eleven comes off a listless showing in Atlanta where, thanks to late goal from “Super Sub” Don Smart, they were able to leave Atlanta with a point. Indy hopes to improve on that performance in their home opener, which could see the return of Jose Kleberson and possibly Brad Ring to the starting lightup.
Game Plan:
For Indy Eleven: Get the ball forward and fast. Before the season started, with the Greg Janicki in the backline, Indy stated their determination of building from the back and flowing the ball to the forwards up front. Atlanta showed the faults in that plan. Indy has to come out firing from the first minute in order to really have success against a tough Cosmos team.
For New York Cosmos: Patience patience patience. If teams are able to choke out key parts of the field against Indy, their attack is slowed significantly. Preventing them from getting forward and being aggressive on the counter will stifle any momentum Indy may try to gain. The other key would be not breaking down if Indy does go up. Indy is very keen on playing passionate soccer, but it occasionally comes in pulses. Indy can play hard in spurts, but has failed to do so consistently. It’s knowing those moments when the team is down and pushing that will allow New York to get another win this weekend.
Players to Watch:
For Indy Eleven: Charlie Rugg had a relatively quiet game in Atlanta. Many people expected him to bring his leadership, size, and skillset to the Boys in Blue. Rugg needs to step into that leadership role as playmaker that he held during the tail end of last season. Rugg matching up with a deep backline of New York will be interesting to watch.
For New York Cosmos: The never ending madness of Raul arrives to Indiana. Whether you believe he is helping the Cosmos or not, his presence on the field changes the nature of the Cosmos game plan for better or for worse. It’s difficult to tell if Raul’s presence with the Cosmos is entirely based on his play or if it’s PR buzz from the Cosmos. Regardless, look for Indy Eleven’s Greg Janicki to test where Raul is with his fitness.
The Big Picture:
While New York has been touted as comfortable favorites with a deep roster at their helm, last season saw Indy Eleven draw twice, both home and away, with New York. Both teams have relatively new teams and new philosophies. Here are somethings to keep in mind though.
Saturday is the first home match for Indy Eleven. Having sold out every match and, as of this writing, being almost able to start this season the same as last season, Indy will have a lot of supporters cheering them on. The environment will be difficult for New York to handle due to the massive number of people there as well as the general feel of Michael A. Carroll Stadium.
Even if the general media in soccer regarded Indy Eleven’s campaign in the Fall and Spring as lackluster, Indy is riding a 6 game unbeaten streak, as well as holding two draws, as previously stated, against the Cosmos. This will play into the narrative of the match as well as the morale for the Boys in Blue.
Pay attention to the starting lineups when they come out. Raul has been training this week and from my understanding so has Jose Kleberson, but both might not start for this game as they both work their way to full fitness.
This will also be an interesting match to watch for the players involved. New York has a fairly strong backline, having secured a clean sheet last week. This will be a huge test for the Eleven as they have to maintain their position and push past the difficulties of their defense.
Bottom line:
I find it hard to believe that this game will end in a scoreless draw. Consider the overall strength of New York, as well as Raul, I smell goals. Indy has to maintain their personality and not wait until New York strikes first in order to see what they need to do to succeed. This game will, for better or for worse, come down to who is still fresh in the waning minutes of the match. Indy has to establish themselves as a team that can play in this league and in order to do that they have to score and score early.
My prediction:
2-2 Draw
Main Photo: Indy Eleven Crest, courtesy of http://www.indyeleven.com
