Busch’s Big Night in Goal Helps Indy Eleven to 0-0 Draw at Fort Lauderdale

Veteran Netminder’s Season-high Six Saves Earn Crucial Road Point, Set up Possible Fight for First Next Weekend at Home vs. Minnesota

FORT LAUDERDALE (Saturday, May 14, 2016) – The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were all over Indy Eleven from the beginning this evening at Lockhart Stadium, but Eleven goalkeeper Jon Busch was there at every turn to help the visitors earn a crucial standings point from a 0-0 draw in a rain-delayed affair in South Florida.

Busch came through with an inspired effort, making a season-high six stops – a few of the highlight-reel variety – to help keep “Indiana’s Team” the lone undefeated team in the NASL on the season.

With the draw, Indy Eleven (2W-4D-0L, 10 pts.) remained in fourth place in the Spring Season standings, while Fort Lauderdale (1W-3D-2L, 6 pts.), a week after beating the then-league-leading Carolina RailHawks on the road, saw their momentum halted by sticking in eighth position. More importantly for Indy Eleven, the “Boys in Blue” managed to stay within a game of first place, which for now is occupied by next week’s opponent at Carroll Stadium, Minnesota United FC (13 pts.). However, the second-place New York Cosmos (12 pts.) will help round out Week 7 action tomorrow afternoon at FC Edmonton.

Busch was alert from the early-going, starting in the 8^th minute when he adjusted well to Geison Moura’s deflected shot from the top of the area. Scrambling to his right post, Busch dove to get a hand – and then a foot – to the ball on the line to keep it out. Four minutes later a failed clearance sat up around the penalty spot for a hard-charging Maicon Santos, but his rocketed shot would be kept out by Busch’s two-handed parry.

While it wasn’t a save, Busch came up big again in the 21^st minute when Santos got behind the Eleven backline. The Indy ‘keeper came off his line to force Santos wide, and while the Brazilian was able to get a shot towards the open net, Eleven center back Colin Falvey and forward Justin Braun combined to keep it out of goal and clear the danger.

Indy’s offense finally showed some bite in the final 15 minutes of the half, starting when midfielder Omar Gordon latched onto Justin Braun’s cross from the right endline and fiercely headed a shot just wide of the left post. Gordon was at it again in the 38^th minute as he pounced on a loose ball and fired from 15 yards out, but what could have been a dangerous shot was blocked by a diving Gale Agbossoumonde. A minute later Falvey was able to get on the end of a corner with a free header from 10 yards out, only to push the chance wide left.

The halftime break was an extended one, as storms that entered the area forced a nearly hour-and-a-half delay in the action. Coming out of the break it was the Strikers nearly striking first in the 48^th minute when Jose Angulo cut across the area and rifled a shot from 10 yards out that smacked off the crossbar but stayed out of goal. Three minutes later it was Busch again thwarting Santos with his finest effort yet, diving and extending fully to steer a header from eight yards around the right post.

The Eleven made things more interesting with better possession and attacking presence throughout the second half, but it wasn’t until the 69^th minute that Fort Lauderdale goalkeeper Diego Restrepo was forced to make a save. And it was a quality one, as he dove low and right to bat away defender Nemanja Vukovic’s low, skipping effort from 30 yards out on the slick turf.

Down the stretch the Strikers would press for the decisive tally, but Busch had other ideas, first stopping defending NASL Player of the Week Nana Attakora’s point-blank effort in the 88^th minute. Then in stoppage time it was the veteran goalkeeper batting away Dalton’s header from the top of the six off a set-piece delivery from Ramon Nunez, a play  that helped Indy Eleven – and the 20-year pro Busch – to a second clean sheet in 2016.

Indy Eleven returns home next weekend on Saturday, May 21, when it will host Minnesota United FC on IMS & Military Appreciation Night at Carroll Stadium. Tickets for the pivotal 7:30 p.m. ET showdown at “The Mike” are available starting at $11 in the Brickyard Battalion and East Goal Top sections at www.IndyEleven.com or over the phone at 317-685-1100 (Mon.-Fri., 9:00a.m.-5:00 p.m.).

NASL Spring Season
Fort Lauderdale Strikers  0 : 0  Indy Eleven
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Lockhart Stadium – Fort Lauderdale, FL

Click here for full match statistics via the Opta MatchCenter

Indy Eleven:
Spring Season: 2W-4D-0L, 10 pts., 4^th place

Fort Lauderdale Strikers:
Spring Season: 1W-3D-2L, 6 pts., 8^th place

Scoring Summary:
None

Discipline Summary:
IND – Justin Braun (caution) 61’
FTL – PC (caution) 75’
FTL – Maicon Santos (caution) 83’

Indy Eleven line-up (4-4-2, L-->R):  Jon Busch; Nemanja Vuković, Greg Janicki, Colin Falvey (capt), Lovel Palmer; Dylan Mares, Gorka Larrea, Sinisa Ubiparipović (Don Smart 55’), Omar Gordon; Justin Braun (Eamon Zayed 66’), Jair Reinoso (Nicki Paterson 81’)

Indy Eleven bench: Keith Cardona (GK), Marco Franco, Daniel Keller, Duke Lacroix

Fort Lauderdale Strikers (4-2-3-1): Diego Restrepo; PC, Dalton, Gale Agbossoumonde, Nana Attakora; Luis Felipe, Jean-Marc Alexandre (capt) (Manny Gonzalez 67’); Jose Angulo, Ramon Nunez, Geison Moura (Matheus Carvalho 56’) (Adrianinho 89’); Maicon Santos

Strikers bench: Bruno (GK), Victor Pineda, Aurelio Saco Vertiz, Luis Zapata