May 28, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Indy Eleven News Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven saw its four-game home winning streak snapped this afternoon at IUPUI Carroll Stadium after falling 1-2 to a surging New Mexico United side in the teams’ first-ever meeting. Stefano Pinho’s fifth goal of the season with 10 minutes remaining sparked a comeback bid to life, but Justin Portillo’s first half golazo and an own goal early in the second half proved too much to overcome for Indy Eleven (5W-4L-2D, 16 pts.).
While the early stages of the match saw both sides create pressure in their respective attacking thirds, Indy Eleven midfielder Jonas Fjeldberg’s header off a second minute corner marked the only shot in the opening 20 minutes. Fjeldberg saw his day cut short in the 20th minute dur to an apparent hamstring injury and was replaced by midfielder Nicky Law, who just a minute later set up Indy’s best look of the half on a cross that Pinho headed off the crossbar.
It took New Mexico 37 minutes to get its first shot off, and a minute later its first attempt on frame changed the scoreboard against the run of play. Portillo ran onto Chris Wehan’s laid off ball at the top corner of the area, where he struck a first-time blast that curled off the underside of the crossbar, giving Eleven goalkeeper Tim Trilk no chance and putting the visitors in the lead. Two chances in quick succession by Pinho and Eleven midfielder Noah Powder in first half stoppage time were thwarted, sending Indy trailing into the locker room for just the second time in six home contests in 2022.
Trilk, who was making his first league start for Indy between the posts, came up big early in the second half, diving to his right to parry away a shot by Sergio Rivas. The 57th minute saw nervy moments for United with Indy flooding the area with numbers, the chance ending with Justin Ingram’s shot from the edge of the 18 headed away by a defender inside the six with United netminder Alex…