Buzzing with newfound momentum after hammering Central Division rivals OKC Energy by a 3-0 scoreline last weekend at Children’s Mercy Park, Sporting Kansas City II (4-13-7, 19 points) will play for their second straight victory on Saturday when they visit familiar foes Indy Eleven (7-10-5, 26 points) at Michael A. Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis.
The USL Championship showdown will kick off at 6 p.m. CT and stream live on ESPN Plus, serving as the fourth and final meeting between the clubs this season.
Led by fourth-year head coach and former Sporting Kansas City great Paulo Nagamura, SKC II delivered one of their best performances of the 2021 campaign last Saturday, bagging three unanswered goals against Energy FC on home turf.
Sporting KC Academy product Isaiah LeFlore assisted the team’s first two goals on Saturday, including the first professional strike of 17-year-old Ozzie Cisneros’ young career and a second-half tally from winger Rojay Smith, to land USL Championship Team of the Week honors. Forward Enoch Mushagalusa added a cherry on top with his team-leading seventh goal of the 2021 season, although the dynamic attacker’s status is up in the air this weekend as he is questionable with an ankle injury. Assisting Mushagalusa on the play was Jake Davis, who leads SKC II with five helpers this year and has worked his way into Sporting's first team under Manager Peter Vermes.
Indy Eleven, meanwhile, are in hot pursuit of a top-four spot in the Central Division and will be looking for another positive result in the series, having defeated SKC II at home on May 22 and on the road on June 20 before the sides settled for a 1-1 draw on Aug. 22 at Children’s Mercy Park.
An up-and-down season for Indy Eleven saw interim head coach Max Rogers take the helm in mid-June after Martin Rennie departed the club. Indy have experienced mixed results under Rogers' tutelage and find themselves in the thick of a compelling playoff race in the Central Division. Manuel Arteaga has led the way on the attacking side with seven goals in 2021, while playmaker Gordon Wild has a team-best four assists.
Match Information
USL Championship: Match 25
Date: Saturday, Sept. 11
Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Michael A. Carroll Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Live Stream: ESPN Plus
Sporting Kansas City II: 4-13-7, 19 points (8th place in Central Division)
Indy Eleven: 7-10-5, 26 points (6th place in Central Division)
ESPN+ Live Stream Link: Click here
USL Championship MatchCenter: Click here
Match Notes: Click here
SOCIAL TAGS
Match-specific hashtag: #SKCvIND
Twitter: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
Twitter: @indyeleven
Instagram: @indyeleven
