Michael Pointer

michael.pointer@indystar.com

Indy Eleven's inaugural season continued a familiar refrain on Saturday night: A smashing success in the stands countered by mounds of frustration on the pitch.

Tampa Bay scored both its goals in the final three minutes of each half, including one by Georgi Hristov in the 89th minute that gave the Rowdies a 2-1 victory before 10,555 fans at IUPUI's Carroll Stadium.

"Absolutely a tough one to take," Eleven center back and former Brownsburg High standout Chris Estridge said. "You don't want to lose at home, especially coming off a win like (last week at Carolina, the Eleven's first victory in North American Soccer League play).

The Eleven has sold out all six of its NASL games this season. But their record fell to 1-6-4 overall, albeit just 1-1 in the fall portion of the schedule.

"It's the same story," Eleven coach Juergen Sommer said. "We've been pushing and it's been fun to watch, but we've to find ways to score. Kleberson had a wonderful goal for us tonight, but we've got to find some other guys. There were one or two chances in front of the goal that looked pretty good. We just couldn't put it away."

Kleberson's fourth goal of the season reminded everyone why he was a member of Brazil's World Cup-championship team in 2002. He sent a ball into the box into the 38th minute, where the Eleven's Blake Smith quickly sent a header back to him. Kleberson used his left foot to send a dazzling shot off a short hop from nearly 30 yards out to give Indy a 1-0 lead.

"I tried to pass it to Blake," said Kleberson, who speaks limited English. "He passed it to me. I closed my eyes and I shot it."

Sommer, who played several years in England and in Major League Soccer himself, was impressed.

"He just has an innate ability when he strikes the ball to put a tremendous amount of power on it," Sommer said. "For a guy that's pretty slight, it's amazing he can do that."

But Tampa Bay took advantage of some looseness in the Eleven's midfield and back to tie the score five minutes later. Goalkeeper Kristian Nicht got a piece of a shot of Darrel (cq) Russell's shot, but it glanced off the post and an unattended Casey Townsend was there for an easy tap in.

Goals late in half often are the result of a team being tired both mentally and physically. It happened twice on Saturday and Sommer said afterwards that it is a concern.

"We gave it up in parts of the field where we shouldn't be turning the ball over," he said. "You've got to take extra-special care of it right there."

After controlling much of the second half, the Eleven turned the ball over again late in the midfield, and Tampa Bay's Brian Shriver countered with a break down the right side. He sent a pass into the box and Hristov's shot hit the cross bar and went down past the goal line to give the Rowdies (2-0 spring, 4-3-4 overall) the victory.

"I missed a pass in the midfield and set them off on the counter," Estridge said. "I thought we had good numbers defensively. I thought we were in decent shape. But (Shriver) hit a good ball on the pass and we couldn't quite close the gap in time."

Thanks to the NASL's split schedule, the loss was far from catastrophic. But it continued some unsettling trends from the spring season for the Eleven.

"We were a little loose in the back defensively and gave away the ball," Sommer said. "It's difficult for everyone to take."

Call Star reporter Michael Pointer at (317) 444-2709. Follow him on Twitter @michaelpointer.