Kevin Johnston

IndyStar correspondent

First-place Minnesota United FC rolled into Carroll Stadium on Saturday for the Indy Eleven’s biggest match of the North American Soccer League season thus far. The Eleven rose to the occasion, winning 4-2 in front of an energized crowd of 9,076.

The Eleven were the aggressors early, generating multiple quality chances in the first 10 minutes, but couldn’t convert. Indy’s constant pressure in the final third soon paid off, however.

Forward Justin Braun received a perfect pass behind the defense from defender Nemanja Vukovic, which drew United goalkeeper Sammy Ndjock off his line. Braun then tapped the ball over to his strike partner, Eamon Zayed, who slotted it home on an empty net to put the home side up 1-0 in the 16th minute.

“We can (sit back) again tonight and hope things fall our way. Or, we can press closer to their goal and take something that we want rather than waiting to see if it’s going to be handed to us,” Indy coach Tim Hankinson said.

The 1-0 score line held up until the 49th minute, when winger Omar Gordon snuck in on goal down the left side and finished a pass from Zayed to put the Eleven up 2-0.

Minnesota quickly answered to trim the deficit to 2-1 on an absolute golazo from the corner of the 18-yard box by winger Stefano Pinho in the 54th minute, assisted by defender Kevin Venegas.

United rode that momentum and soon equalized when Venegas again assisted on a 69th-minute goal by defender Damion Lowe to tie the match 2-all.

But Indy wasn’t willing to settle for another draw. Braun tallied an unassisted goal in the 75th minute, and bedlam ensued in the Brickyard Battalion section on the west end of the stadium. Virtually the entire Indy starting 11 jumped into the stands to celebrate.

“The fans are amazing,” said Gordon, whose goal was his first for the Eleven. “They just want you to play. They just give you that spirit to play, honestly. And I love them.”

Indy midfielder Nicki Paterson, who came on for injured starter Gorka Larrea, added a beautiful goal on a free kick in stoppage time to seal the victory after a reckless challenge by United defender Justin Davis that earned him a red card.

The win moved the Eleven into a first-place tie with Minnesota and the Carolina RailHawks with 13 points, but Carolina, the New York Cosmos and FC Edmonton — all teams near the Eleven in the standings — play on Sunday, so one or more of those clubs will inevitably leap Indy this weekend.

The Eleven play consecutive NASL road games the next two Saturdays at Jacksonville Armada FC and Miami FC, with a U.S. Open Cup home match against the United Soccer League’s Louisville City FC sandwiched between them on June 1.