Kevin Johnston

IndyStar correspondent

Indy Eleven vs. Minnesota United, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, WISH-TV

New to the Indianapolis sports landscape in 2014, Indy Eleven did what new franchises do: They tried to make a splash.

The Eleven signed former Manchester United midfielder Kleberson prior to their inaugural season. A World Cup winner for Brazil, he was a name familiar to soccer fans and was envisioned as a centerpiece for the Eleven roster.

The experiment failed.

In his mid-30s, Kleberson's best days were behind him, and injuries limited the Brazilian midfielder to just 21 appearances over two seasons. With its big-ticket acquisition disappointing, Indy struggled through its first two campaigns, losing nearly twice as many games as it won (25 losses to 14 wins).

"We were handcuffed the first two years. I put us in a tough situation economically by putting a lot of our eggs in Kleberson's basket," said Eleven general manager Peter Wilt. "About a quarter of our player budget was invested in Kleberson."

Kleberson was released after last season and new manager Tim Hankinson, hired in December, was quick to overhaul the roster, bringing in 12 new players... on a roster of 22.

So has it worked? Through six games, the Eleven (2-0-4) are the only unbeaten team left in the North American Soccer League. And a once-leaky defense that was hemorrhaging goals its first two seasons, has now been steeled by new additions. Indy is the only team in the league not to allow multiple goals in a game this season.

“What really needed revamping was we needed a new starting lineup that we felt had better quality than the past starting lineups,” Hankinson said. “That’s why we signed 12 new players, hoping that those pieces would fit and give us a good start.”

Wilt, the architect of Indy's rosters its first two seasons, agreed.

“From a positional standpoint, we needed upgrades up and down,” said Wilt, who is leaving the Eleven after the spring season to focus on bringing an NASL franchise to Chicago.

Of the 12 new players, eight to nine of them regularly crack the starting 11. And it wasn’t just talent that Indy’s staff sought.

“It started with leadership,” Wilt added. “We needed some guys that would really take charge on the field on game day as well as training, and in the locker room.

“Five (or so) of the new signings have been team captains on the professional level. I think that’s indicative of what we were after.”

One of Indy’s wisest offseason moves was the acquisition of defender Nemanja Vukovic from Sacramento Republic FC of the United Soccer League. Vukovic arrived with a ringing endorsement from his former coach – a name familiar to American soccer fans: Preki.

“(Preki) highly recommend (Vukovic),” Hankinson said. “He’s been without question one of the best signings of the year for us. He’s been performing at an outstanding level.”

Preki, a former U.S. men's national team standout, apparently knew what he was talking about. With three NASL Team of the Week selections already this season, Vukovic’s return on investment has been substantial.

So how did the rest of the new players get to Indianapolis? Along with Vukovic from Sacramento, came forward Justin Braun, too.

Indy also did plenty of business with fellow NASL club Ottawa Fury FC, bringing in three players from up north. Midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic and defender Colin Falvey arrived on transfers, while midfielder Nicki Paterson was out of contract in Ottawa and signed with the Eleven.

Forward Eamon Zayed joined Indy after having been courted by Hankinson since 2012. Fellow forward Jair Reinoso’s agent reached out to the club and Reinoso was given an opportunity as a preseason trialist before making the squad.

Starting goalkeeper Jon Busch and starting right fullback Lovel Palmer were teammates last season for Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire but were not re-signed. The Eleven were happy to oblige.

Winger Omar Gordon arrived on a loan deal from Montego Bay United FC, Hankinson’s previous coaching stop. Midfielder Gorka Larrea was inked to bolster the central midfield, while backup defender Neil Shaffer was signed to provide depth along the back line.

Thanks to Hankinson and Wilt’s diligent work in the offseason, the Eleven are now a team sitting near the top of the NASL table. With a much more balanced roster of talented veteran leaders, the club’s early 2016 success validated the team's restructuring.

The Eleven will look to continue its run of good results Saturday as it hosts first-place Minnesota United at Carroll Stadium at 7:30 p.m., Saturday.

CHANT OF THE WEEK

Provided by The Brickyard Battalion, the official supporters group for Indy Eleven:

Checkered Scarf

Around her neck, she wore a checkered scarf!

She wore it in Indy to watch Eleven play.

And if you ask her why the hell she wore it,

She wore it for the boys and for Lady Victory.

Victory!

Victory!

She wore it for the boys and for Lady Victory.