Indy Eleven to host Eastern Conference final after Tyler Pasher strike downs Nashville

Kevin Johnston | Special for IndyStar

When the Indy Eleven have needed some magic this season, more often than not it’s been leading scorer Tyler Pasher providing it.

Pasher did Pasher things again Saturday at First Tennessee Park in Indy’s biggest game of the season, scoring in the 59th minute to carry Indy to a 1-0 win at Nashville SC and into the Eastern Conference final of the USL Championship playoffs. The third-seeded Eleven will host regional rival and No. 4 Louisville City FC at Carroll Stadium next Saturday at 3 p.m.

Whichever team wins the conference final will host the league final due to a wave of upsets in the Western Conference. The best seed remaining on the other side of the bracket is the No. 4 Real Monarchs, who achieved fewer points than Louisville in the regular season, so either Indy or Louisville will host the championship match.

While Indy’s scoring leader delivered the game-winner Saturday, the player who’s played the most minutes this season and been the team’s most efficient passer from the run of play, Tyler Gibson, also played a huge part. Gibson’s long ball to Pasher from the center circle took the top off Nashville’s defense and helped deliver the goal that ultimately led Indy to its first road playoffs win in franchise history. Indy also has two all-time postseason home wins, in 2016 over FC Edmonton in the NASL playoffs and last weekend’s 1-0 win over New York Red Bulls II.

Rennie opted for the same 3-5-2 formation with the exact same personnel he just trotted out for New York win. It generated lots of possession for Indy and flustered Nashville in its final third early on.

Twenty minutes in, the intensity escalated. Indy left midfielder Ayoze came in late with a slide tackle and clipped a Nashville attacker. A shoving match ensued, resulting in yellow cards to both Ayoze and Indy defender Karl Ouimette, and one to Nashville SC’s Taylor Washington.

Tempers cooled after the cautions, and Nashville decided to possess more instead of relying on countering as it had done earlier in the match. The halftime numbers appeared dead even on the surface — possession was 50-50 and both teams completed exactly 237 passes — but Indy created the better chances as evidenced by its 4-1 edge in shots on target.

Pasher finally broke the stalemate as Indy stuck to its game plan, and Nashville’s late charge couldn’t produce an equalizer.

The road win is additionally encouraging for Indy after only winning six of 17 games of the road this season.

The derby between Indy and Louisville, officially known as the Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest (LIPAFC), already has a rich and competitive history. Louisville knocked the Eleven out of the playoffs in 2018, a game held at Louisville Slugger Field.

Indy will get its chance to return the favor next Saturday afternoon at Carroll Stadium. Both matches played between the teams this season ended in draws.