After a lengthy (but eventful) offseason soccer returns to Carroll Stadium this Saturday as Indy Eleven take on Puerto Rico FC.

Indy Eleven look to earn the club’s first 3 points of the Spring Season as they look to begin to defend the Club’s undefeated home record as Puerto Rico makes the trip north to the Circle City.

A Look back at Week 1:

Indy Eleven:

Last Result: 1-1 Draw versus San Francisco

Indy Eleven managed to draw against 2017 expansion side San Francisco Deltas last Saturday and managing to be top of the table following a night of draws in the NASL Spring Season opener. Tanner Thompson opened up the account for Indy Eleven in the 58th minute assisted by former Minnesota United winger Ben Speas. Tanner made not only his club debut but also his professional debut for Indy Eleven playing 77 minutes completing 17/24 passes, 2 shots on goal and 1 debut day goal to begin his career. Thompson played his college career at Indiana University prior to signing for Indy Eleven.

For the first game of the season a draw is decent start for the Club to get a good feel of the change in pace compared to what they came up against in the preseason.

Puerto Rico:

Last Result: 0-0 Draw against the New York Cosmos

Puerto Rico failed to score a goal in the Club’s home opener against the League Champions last Saturday. However the Club managed to keep the Cosmos from getting a single shot on target. PRFC managed to shoot 14 times in total 5 of which would be on target in the Club’s inaugural Spring Season Match up.

PRFC overall did a decent job of containing the Cosmos offensively along with getting a few decent touches. It is also important to note how well the PRFC defense managed to defend 4 New York corners.

Overall Thoughts on the Fixture:

Indy Eleven and Puerto Rico are set to meet twice this Spring Season ironically back to back. The Eleven need to set the pressure early so they can shut PRFC down in the home opener. The added support of Carroll Stadium will help a ton and can set a tone for both fixtures. The Eleven also have the advantage of being top of the table coming into week 2.

Key questions coming into the Home Opener:

Will Eamon Zayed and Ubiparipovic start this week?

There was a lot of speculation last week as to why Zayed was a substitute last week rumors included that Eamon was either battling illness earlier in the week or he had issues with his weight prior to the match up.

As for Sinisa Ubiparipovic he was on the Substitute bench during week 1. Ubi is best known for his key appearances last season towards the end of the Fall Season along with his very memorable goal that sent Indy Eleven to the Soccer Bowl in 2016.

How will the Indy Eleven signees handle the Mike?

This will be a big weekend for notable Indy Eleven signees such as Ben Speas, Kwame Siriboe, and Tanner Thompson (to name a few) You can only imagine what will be going through the players minds as the BYB unveil the group’s first tifo of the season on Saturday!

Will we see more of Tanner Thompson after his fantastic goal last week?

A debut day goal is something ever player dreams of. Perhaps he may have earned a spot again in week 2?

Game Day Information:

The Match begins at 3 PM this Saturday April 1st!

Still need tickets? Purchase BYB tickets through the Brickyard Battalion! Buying tickets directly from the BYB will help aid fundraising opportunities for BYB functions such as tifo painting, community outreach efforts and much more. (Plus the experience is truly one of a kind) You will also save a few dollars as well!

Slaughterhouse – 19 and Indy Fringe to host a First Friday Showcase next Friday:

Also, On April 7th from 4-8PM Slaughterhouse-19 and Indy Fringe will be hosting a one of a kind First Friday Event that showcases the distinct art work that is put into game displays, along with that photography done by local media photographers will be showcased! This event is free and open to the public and would make a fantastic Friday night get away.

* Also note most of the photos that will be showcased at this event have never been seen before and many will also be available for purchase!

You can RSVP to the Slaughterhouse – 19 First Friday Event Here