Indy Eleven gave New Mexico United all it could handle in the first half on Sunday afternoon. Indy looked far more comfortable on the turf and put United behind within the first half hour. United would awaken in the second half and notch three unanswered goals to break the losing streak and pick up three points by a final of 1-3.
As is the case with every match we see on turf, control was an issue for both clubs. Turf affects how the ball bounces, its pace, and the footing of every player.
It was tough sledding for the Black & Yellow throughout the first half as they struggled to even get forward. This time it wasn’t a lack of energy. It was sloppy play. It was bad touches. It was an inability to be first to the ball.
All of the above led to growing frustration from the players on the pitch who were wearing yellow. That frustration boiled over in the 27th minute after the returning Harry Swartz was driven into the ad boards. As that was going on, there was a bit of a scrap between Sergio Rivas, Aodhan Quinn, and Nannan Houssou. In the fracas, all three players picked up a yellow card for their involvement.
In the moments after, United seemed to be out of sorts and in a bit of disarray. That left an opening for Indy to get their first goal of the afternoon. It was the play of two rookies that got the job done for the hosts in the 28th. Before United could settle in a low block, Laurence Wootton played the ball out to the right for Logan Neidlinger. Without hesitation, Neidlinger lashed a shot toward goal. Alex Tambakis was able to get a hand to it, but the shot had too much pace on it and managed to get through the hands of the Greek, 1-0 for Indy.
A former United player, Romario Williams, had a golden chance in the 30th to extend the lead, but came away with nothing. After a loose ball fell in a friendly spot for Indy, Williams stood in the perfect position to really put United behind. As United fans saw throughout his time with the good guys, Williams couldn’t get a foot to the ball and whiffed on his attempt.
Going into the break down a goal, Head Coach Eric Quill needed to do something to get his team back into the match. Whatever he said in the locker room did the trick. United looked like a completely different team in the second half. They stormed out of the gate and didn’t look back.
Finding their stride, United got their equalizer from the returning Swartz. With some interplay between Swartz and Daniel Bruce in the 53rd, the duo worked their way into the goal area. Bruce had some space in the left side and tried to square it to Swartz, who was able to punch it into the top of the net, 1-1.
Finally on level terms, United felt comfortable enough to keep charging forward. A second goal would come in the 64th with a great shot from Rivas. Now that they were finding some openings, the channels were wider and more inviting to the passes from the Black & Yellow. Bruce would once again play with his head up and found Rivas in the middle of the pitch. All alone, and somehow onside, Rivas made up for recent misses and slotted home, beyond the reach of Hunter Sulte into the right side of the net, 1-2 United.
After saving his subs for late in the half, Quill would send on Greg Hurst, Jacobo Reyes, and Avionne Flanagan to keep the pressure on Indy. The trio had a near-instant impact on the matinee. In the 74th, Rivas would find Reyes just outside the goal area. Reyes would bring the ball under control and created a great moment of hold up play. Keeping the Indy defense occupied, a slight touch left the ball where only Hurst could get it. With a burst of speed, Hurst drove through the defenders and forced Sulte to commit to going down for a block. As he did, Hurst lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net for the third goal of the half, 1-3.
From there it was a matter of playing keepaway. The last best chance for Indy came again from the foot of Neidlinger with less than five minutes to play. From outside the area, the left foot was nearly magical and forced a diving save out of Alex Tambakis to maintain the scoreline. The afternoon was a tale of two halves for United, who were able to pick up a win on the road and extend their lead in the West to six points after Sacramento Republic lost to Louisville City on Saturday night.
Player of the Match
Daniel Bruce – Although it won’t be added to the stat sheet, the effort by Bruce was a large part of why United was successful on the road. Despite being mugged for much of the match, he continued to fight and try to create chances in the final third. His play led to two goals being scored and continues to be a major factor in every match.
Up Next
United returns home for two more matches this week. First, they’ll face an FC Tulsa side that has lost once in 9 matches. Despite sitting near the bottom of the table, their form is rounding out, and will be a tough match for United. What makes it tougher will be the fact that they may be without Dayonn Harris for the rest of the season. Early reporting on Sunday was that Harris had torn an ACL, but it has yet to be confirmed by the club. In spite of that, United will be back on the pitch on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (MT). Coverage of the match will begin with the pregame show at 6 p.m. (MT) with Adam Diehl and Andy Hageman. The pair will bring every minute of every match all season long on ESPN Radio 101.7 FM The TEAM, The TEAM website, and The TEAM apps.
