March 11, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Indy Eleven News Release
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The marquee match-up of the USL Championship’s opening night slate did not lack for drama, as Indy Eleven midfielder Aodhan Quinn’s 96th minute penalty kick conversion helped Indiana’s Team claim a hard-earned point via a 1-1 draw with the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium.
Claims for penalty kicks were a common theme throughout the match, starting in the first minute when Rowdies midfielder Charlie Dennis appealed for a point to the spot after going down inside the Eleven area, but received a yellow card for diving instead. After a flurry of Eleven corner kicks inside the first 10 minutes went wanting, the Rowdies indeed got their wish for a spot kick when Eleven defender Jesus Vazquez’s arm made contact with a shot in the 19th minute. However, Indy goalkeeper Yannik Oettl made a big one-handed save across his body as he dove to his right to thwart Cal Jennings’ PK attempt, keeping the proceedings scoreless.
The sides traded chances just after the half hour mark, starting when former Boy in Blue Connor Antley saw his low near post attempt stopped by a lunging Oettl, who also alertly pounced on the rebound. On the other end a minute later it was Oettl’s counterpart Phil Breno stepping up with back-to-back saves for the Rowdies, first stopping Jack Blake’s low rocket before getting a touch to Jonas Fjeldberg’s follow up on the spilt rebound. Oettl intervened one more time to close out the half, darting off his line to make a sliding tackle on a through ball just outside of his area to stop a 1-v-1 opportunity and keep the score at 0-0 heading into the halftime break.
Indy Eleven captain Sebastian Guenzatti was active against his former side, and he rued a missed opportunity in the 57th minute when his heavy touch forward of Solomon Asante’s square ball inside the area allowed Breno to gather. On the next attack downfield the home side moved the scoreboard first through Jake Areman, who redirected Sebastian Dalgaard’s back post ball across the frame of goal to push the Rowdies to a 1-0 lead.
A choppy second half saw few chances from there on out, with the bulk of Indy’s looks coming from set pieces that couldn’t test Breno, while counter attacks by Tampa failed to put Oettl into further action. Four minutes deep into six minutes of stoppage time it was Guenzatti pressing the issue to help earn Indy’s penalty attempt, as Forrest Lasso held up,…