Kevin Johnston

IndyStar correspondent

The Indy Eleven will play in the North American Soccer League Championship final. Let that sink in for a moment.

A club that didn’t exist a few short years ago will now have a chance to hoist a title next weekend in the second-highest division in American soccer.

A second-half laser by central attacking midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic carried Indy to a 1-0 win over FC Edmonton in the semifinal round of the NASL playoffs at Carroll Stadium at IUPUI.

Both teams created quality chances in a frantic first 15 minutes of the match. After that, the home side settled down into a more possession-oriented style.

“We came out here wanting to play a high-pressure game,” Indy coach Tim Hankinson said. “We improved in the second half. Our guys got more determined to win balls.”

“Everyone’s a little bit tense and uptight in a game like this,” Eleven captain Colin Falvey said. “I think we needed a little bit more composure and a little bit more about us (early on).”

Indy midfielder Don Smart snuck in behind the defense alone in the 34th minute, but an Edmonton defender slid in for a tackle just as Smart was winding up to shoot from 10 yards out.

Dylan Mares made himself dangerous several times via darting runs with and without the ball. Finding space was key against a stout Edmonton defense that only conceded 0.66 goals per match coming in to Saturday.

Falvey picked up a knock late in the first half during a collision of heads. But the center back quickly reentered, thwarting an Edmonton opportunity soon after with a hustle play near the corner flag. The teams headed to the break scoreless.

“The bravery, the courage — the “Braveheart” — in Colin Falvey,” Hankinson said. “Getting strapped up twice and stitched up in the locker room was inspirational.”

In the second half, Smart again threatened with a rifled shot just off frame in the 56th minute. Finally, in the 63rd, the tie was broken.

Indy forward Eamon Zayed showcased his hold-up play, shielding off a defender while flicking a pass over to Mares. The left midfielder found Ubiparipovic open in the box. He buried a beauty in the top right corner past helpless Edmonton goalkeeper Matt VanOekel.

Ben Fisk, who’s been excelling the past few weeks for the Eddies, subbed in early in the second half to add a new element to the Edmonton attack. But Fisk was relatively neutralized by an organized Indy back four with rock-solid goalkeeper Jon Busch behind them.

“They were throwing the kitchen sink at us there in the last five, 10 minutes,” Falvey said. “Ball after ball. And we dealt with everything. Solid performance.”

Next weekend, the Eleven will face the New York Cosmos, who defeated Rayo OKC 2-1 on Saturday night.

The Cosmos victory sets up an interesting scenario that generated a witty hashtag (#BiggerThanBelson) earlier this week on social media. Belson Stadium, with a capacity of less than 3,000, will host the NASL final.

“Even if New York wins, we would like to host the final,” said a chuckling Ubiparipovic after the Eleven game.

“I’m speechless at the moment," Ubiparipovic added. "All the hard work that we put in from preseason to now, to win (this) game at home, it’s tremendous for the entire group. Every single guy on this team was important throughout the year.”