Indy Eleven Fall to Minnesota United at National Sports Center Stadium
Indy Eleven fall to Minnesota United at National Sports Center Stadium in Minnesota to snap the club’s record-tying 13-game undefeated streak. The NASL’s leading scorer, Minnesota forward Christian Ramirez tallied both goals to give the home squad the early lead in the first half of play.
NASL Soccer News: It was fun while it lasted, but Indy Eleven’s NASL record-tying 13-game undefeated streak came to a halt this evening in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” as Minnesota United FC scored twice in the opening minutes en route to 2-0 win over Indy at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minn.
The Loons were the only opposition to put up multiple goals on Indiana’s Team in its first 13 league games during in a 4-2 Indy win back on May 21, and they quickly repeated the feat within the game’s opening six minutes. It was the NASL’s leading scorer, Minnesota forward Christian Ramirez, doing the deed both times, first making up for his stopped penalty kick by Indy goalkeeper Jon Busch last weekend by slamming home another spot kick attempt just three minutes in, this one earned when Greg Janicki was adjudged to have taken down Danny Cruz inside the area.
Ramirez would double the advantage in the sixth minute when he got on the end of Stefano Pinho’s bouncing cross to the far right post, cutting inside his mark to easily finish from the doorstep to put Indy in a hole it couldn’t recover from.
Both teams were forced to go to their bench early on due to injury, Duke Lacroix exiting for Indy Eleven in the 13th minute, followed by Minnesota’s Juliano Vicentini just a minute later.
Busch came up big on two plays midway through the halfway, first knocking away Jack Blake’s rocket from 25 yards in the 24th minute before thwarting Kevin Venegas’s attempted near post finish off a lengthy run a minute later.
Indy Eleven’s attack showed signs of life through balls pumped into Justin Braun, but the striker couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities, the best coming when he tried to redirect Lovel Palmer’s cross to the near post in the 38th minute but flicked it just wide.
The start of the second half would mark the NASL debut of Mexican international legend Gerardo Torrado, and also the start of Indy Eleven asking the majority of the questions on the offensive end. Perhaps the best chance of the night for the visitors would fall to Braun in the 49th minute when he had an open header off a corner kick, but the shot fell right to Ndjock, who palmed the ball on his line to keep it out of goal.
Omar Gordon would have a pair of threatening looks before the hour mark, but Ndjock laid out fully to his right to grab a 25-yard effort out of the air before seeing Indy’s Jamaican winger pull one wide from 15 yards out a minute later. Torrado would take a chance from distance himself in the 70th minute, but his heavy hit was sent right to Ndjock standing on his line.
With Minnesota content to concede possession and go on the rare counter Busch didn’t have much work during the second 45 minutes, although he did do well to be on the spot when Damion Lowe’s header off a corner came his way in the 89th minute.
With its first three-game week coming to an end, Indy Eleven will get a full week to rest before returning to action at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium next Saturday, July 23, when FC Edmonton comes to the Circle City. Kickoff on Family Night, presented by McDonald’s, is set for 7:30 p.m. ET
Source/Photo Credit: Indy Eleven
