Kevin Johnston

IndyStar correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS – In a rematch from this past weekend, the Indy Eleven’s six-game unbeaten streak came to a halt Saturday at the hands of northern nemesis FC Edmonton.

Sporting the candy-striped red and white socks for McDonald’s Family Night at Carroll Stadium, the Eleven came out sluggish early. FC Edmonton, not known for playing an open, free-flowing style, started fast and surprised the hosts by isolating Indy’s fullbacks in space on the wings.

“It was loose all night,” Eleven coach Tim Hankinson said. “It was poor individual defending.”

Indy eventually settled in and seized momentum, and the teams played the first half on about even terms, both generating quality chances. The second half, however, was a completely different story.

Three Edmonton goals over a 20-minute span propelled the visitors to a 3-1 upset. Dustin Corea contributed two of them, the first of which came on a converted penalty after Indy right back Marco Franco tripped an Eddies attacker in the box. Albert Watson added the other, heading home a Ben Fisk service.

“They outworked us and outplayed us,” Hankinson said. “They wanted it more than we did tonight.”

Indy pulled one back in the 66th minute when left back Nemanja Vukovic bended a free kick into the top corner, trimming the deficit to 2-1. The hosts then pushed Ben Speas farther up the pitch to play as more of a third forward in search of an equalizer. But Corea’s second tally on an assist by Daryl Fordyce cemented the win for the Eddies.

Don Smart made himself dangerous on occasion, nearly scoring in the first half after darting behind the defense, only to have his low shot saved by Eddies goalkeeper Tyson Farago. But Smart didn’t get the ball funneled to him enough; Edmonton paid him a little extra attention defensively.

For Edmonton, Fisk — a standout performer in the team’s loss to Indy this past week — often wreaked havoc against the Eleven defense attacking from his left-midfield spot. His increasingly consistent play has given the struggling Eddies a huge boost recently.

“When the team’s doing poorly, every guy needs to step up,” Fisk said. “They need to take a look in the mirror and see what they can do more and see how they can help the team more. For me, that’s what I’ve done. Personally, I’m happy that my play has improved over the last few weeks.”

The Canadian international shredded the Indy back four with his dribbling ability and effective off-ball movement.

“Fisk, two weeks in a row, has been having his way on our right side,” lamented Hankinson.

Indy forward Justin Braun was unavailable because of a lingering ankle sprain. Rookie striker David Goldsmith, who bagged his first professional goal this past week, again drew the start in Braun’s place.

Indy announced the match as a sellout with an attendance of 9,072. The Eleven will play at spring-champion Miami FC on Saturday.