News

New York Faces First Road Test at 'The Mike'

Indy Eleven will host the Cosmos at Michael A. Carroll Stadium this Saturday night.
Published Apr 13, 2016

WHO

  vs.  

WHEN & WHERE

Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET | Michael A. Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis

WATCH & FOLLOW

THE STAKES

New York Cosmos: No team in the NASL is off to a hotter start than the Cosmos, who sit on top of the league standings with two wins, five goals scored and zero goals allowed. Perhaps most promising is that the Cosmos attack has proven its potency early on by creating and converting goal scoring chances a variety of ways.

In New York’s season-opening 3-0 win against Ottawa Fury on April 3, both goals in Juan Arango’s brace came off balls sent in from the right side. First it was a blistering individual effort from Jairo Arrieta, who leads the team with eight chances created through two games, and then it was a forced turnover by Hunter Freeman coupled with a run to the endline by Sebastián Guenzatti. In contrast, last Sunday’s converted chances came off a Jimmy Maurer goal kick and a skillfully composed run to the top of the 18-yard box by Niko Kranjčar.

On Saturday we’ll see if the Cosmos can pack up that diverse attack and bring it with them to Indianapolis. In two seasons of matchups, neither team has beaten the other. The Cosmos have taken three points from three fixtures at “The Mike” since Indy joined the league in 2014, while The Eleven have done the same at Shuart Stadium. A win might prove paramount in keeping the Cosmos ahead of a surging Carolina RailHawks side in the Spring Season standings.

Indy Eleven: True to form, Indy Eleven has opened with back-to-back draws for the third consecutive season. A goalless stalemate against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in St. Petersburg preceded last Sunday’s come-from-behind tie against Ottawa Fury in Indy’s home opener.

Though both Indy and New York have only played two regular season matches, there is already a common opponent in Fury FC. That single goal from the Boys in Blue against the Canadian side, scored in the 89th minute of the game on April 9, was no aberration. Indy created enough chances to win outright with 11 shots; eight of them came from inside the 18-yard box and three were on target. Indy found success going forward by sending balls into the box from the wings, succeeding on 40 percent of 15 attempted crosses. Substitute midfielder Don Smart was the genesis of the equalizer, putting a teasing ball in front of Fury FC goalkeeper Romuald Peiser that Nemanja Vukovic slammed home off a rebound.

Now Indy Eleven prepares for a second straight home match. The Cosmos similarly took a trip to Indianapolis early in their 2015 Spring Season, and Spanish icon Raúl netted his first NASL goal in a 1-1 draw. A win against New York would put Indy in good early position to make a run at the Spring Season title.

MATCHUP HISTORY

Six matches – three in New York, three in Indiana – and six draws. That’s the entirety of the history between these two sides. The Cosmos came closest to taking a lead in the all-time series on Aug. 30, 2014. Two first-half scores had them up 2-0 at the break, but Indy stormed back at home, finding the equalizer in the 90th minute. The last time these two teams squared off was July 25, 2015, a 1-1 finish at “The Mike.”

NOTES

Road opener: Saturday’s match against Indy Eleven is the first away fixture of the NASL season for the Cosmos, who opened 2016 with back-to-back wins at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium. They'll head to Minnesota next before returning to New York for a May 1 encounter with the Carolina RailHawks.

Super Jairo: Cosmos striker Jairo Arrieta, a new addition to the club for the 2016 season, leads the NASL with eight chances created. The Costa Rican international assisted on New York’s first goal of the season, then bagged one of his own last Sunday in an Emirates Man of the Match performance against Jacksonville Armada FC. He has received consecutive NASL Team of the Week nods.

Shutout streak: The Cosmos are the only team in the league that has yet to concede a goal this season. Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer and the back line have blanked Ottawa and Jacksonville, allowing only three combined shots on target in two games.