First Goals of Season from Sebastian Guenzatti & Solomon Asante Not Enough for Result at Carroll Stadium

April 22, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Indy Eleven News Release

INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven registered its first multi-goal game in league play in 2023, but the offensive effort wasn’t enough as Monterey Bay F.C. scratched across a pair in the second half to down Indy to a 2-3 loss at IUPUI Carroll Stadium.

The first goals of the season by Eleven forwards Solomon Asante and Sebastian Guenzatti in the first half helped Indiana’s Team overcome an early deficit and take a 2-1 lead into the halftime break. However, MBFC tallies by Christian Volesky and Nevello Yoseke five minutes apart midway through the second stanza gave the visitors the full three points, dooming the Boys in Blue to a third straight defeat in regular season action after a win and two draws to start the campaign.

Indy had grown accustomed to bossing possession with a league-leading 66% rate heading into the match, but the first half played out in a near statistical dead heat in that and most other categories. It was Monterrey striking first in the 17th minute, when defender Grant Robinson accepted Alex Dixon’s pass and slotted a low shot past diving Indy netminder Yannik Oettl and inside the right post.

An Indy squad that had yet to push across a goal in the first half changed that quickly to even the score in the 23rd minute through Asante. The shortest man on the pitch found space between defenders to get on the end of Aodhan Quinn’s pinpoint corner kick service to the six, his header to the back post leaving MBFC goalkeeper Carlos Herrera stranded and allowing the Brickyard Battalion to pop off smoke in celebration of a home goal for the first time in league play in 2023.

Asante then played provider on Indy’s second five minutes before halftime. The Ghanaian playmaker bent an inch-perfect ball behind the backline for Guenzatti to run onto, and his one-touch finish kissed off the right post and in to give Indy a 2-1 lead it would carry into halftime.

The second half began as a bit of a stalemate in midfield, but the 57th minute saw things break wide open on a play that began with defender Morey Doner’s lengthy run up the center channel. A short slip pass to Volesky at the top of the area set up a shot from 14 yards that nestled into the upper left corner to tie things heading into the hour mark. In the 62nd minute the visitors took advantage of an errant ball out of the back to start a quick counter-attack that ended four touches later with Yoseke’s shot from a…