Bloomington, Indiana – The Hoosier Army was eliminated from The Soccer Tournament at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina by Newtown Pride, 3-1. The Hoosiers lost only once in the four-team group stage, but their goal differential was not enough to advance to the knockout round.
The Hoosiers spent the first few minutes chasing the ball and defending. Newtown Pride FC controlled. Nikita Katlov hit the far-left post three minutes in to show Newtown Pride that the Hoosiers were still dangerous.
Newtown Pride struck first. The Hoosier Army lost for the first time in the tournament when William Eskay was left alone in the box to tap in a low left-wing cross.
Newtown Pride had the ball and Indiana was over-relying on Christian Lomeli’s long passes, which weren’t connecting. With seven minutes left, Lomeli saved two Newtown Pride shots from point-blank range.
following 15 minutes, an Austin Panchot header following a long cross gave the Hoosiers their first shot on goal. Indiana’s chances improved.
Indiana’s daring allowed Newtown Pride to score another tap-in on a 2v1 counterattack. Gabriel Costa scored his first tournament goal after missing a penalty in the final kick against Kingdom FC.
Target Score Time followed regulation. The match’s final score is the leading team’s score plus one. Whoever scores first wins. Each team loses a player every five minutes.
In the other group game, Kingdom FC beat Borussia Dortmund 7-1 and passed the Hoosier Army in goal differential, so the Hoosiers had to win to advance.
Indiana scored 2-1 after a Newtown Pride defensive error. Kyle Spencer’s right-corner shot gave Hoosiers hope.
After a free kick, Newtown Pride’s Gabriel Ganzer scored. Newtown Pride scored three goals off Lomeli’s hand to win 3-1 and eliminate the Hoosiers from the knockout stage.
In its first two games, Indiana defeated Borussia Dortmund and Kingdom FC. The Hoosier Army failed to outscore Kingdom in group play, costing them a spot in the next round.
The Soccer Tournament runs June 2-4, with the quarterfinals and semi-finals on June 3 and the final on June 4. Winner receives $1 million.
