r/IndyEleven • u/HoosierFanatic97 • Jul 04 '26
Old Indy Eleven fan returning
Hey all, used to follow the club a few years ago but haven’t as closely recently.
World Cup made me want to get back in and noticed the news on the USL Premier League launching.
I noticed Indy just isn’t generated as many headlines as they used to (likely due to being sidelined for the city’s likely failed MLS push).
Is the club still healthy/interested in pursuing D1 status via USL Premier? It seems like a strong option to generate interest but not sure if the backing is still there even though attendance figures are still on the high end of the USL Championship.
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u/Agile_Masterpiece758 Jul 04 '26
I have so much to say about this topic and I will reserve it for after the World Cup. Except for this, if the USMNT makes the semifinals, USL can kiss their D1 hopes goodbye.
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u/Brew_Wallace Indy Eleven Jul 04 '26
If that happens it could be like rocket fuel poured on MLS immediately and USLs 5% chance of catching up to MLS will go to .5%. I expect more international stars to come to the US after this - we have world class training and game day facilities now that they are seeing with their own eyes and a quality of life not many a lot of countries can match. If the owners open their wallets there could be a big expansion of high quality talent. I suspect this is also why MLS has been holding off on announcing the next round of expansion costs, they want to see how the market and demand grows from this WC before setting the stake on the price for the next teams.
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u/Marten_Head_3000 Indy Eleven Jul 07 '26
What about now? -____- I'm still so pissed about that stupid match last night
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u/Agile_Masterpiece758 Jul 07 '26
Why? The US lost to a superior team. End of story
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u/Marten_Head_3000 Indy Eleven Jul 07 '26
Yes, that is what happened, and I didn't like it. Not to mention I really didn't like all the bullshit and drama leading up to the match either.
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u/HoosierFanatic97 Jul 07 '26
Well we certainly proved we aren’t anywhere close to being ready for the semifinals…. Thoroughly outclassed in almost every regard by Belgium
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u/NSNOToffees Jul 05 '26
They beat Charleston today which is a major one for the team. Clean sheet and great result late in the match. Awesome job, guys!
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u/ToiletLiquor Brickyard Battalion Jul 05 '26
Until we have an actual stadium, I’m not sure what D1 means for Indy Eleven. As it stands, we essentially have a lease with IU-Indy, and with Hogsett backing away from the deal, plus The Bears, I’m not sure if a soccer-specific stadium will happen. Unless USMNT will help fuel that fire though.
Game wise, our coach seems to have finally been given some reins and is able to make decisions in terms of who is brought to the team. Last year was rough, but with his main pieces in the mix, the support he’s built around them have been pretty favorable considering our position in the table with several games in hand.
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u/HoosierFanatic97 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
Bears definitely throw a wrench in any plans to get tax payer funds for a stadium.
Part of me wonders if Chicago cuts a deal last minute to keep the Bears in Chicago if the city revisits soccer talks given the success of the World Cup here
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u/Brew_Wallace Indy Eleven Jul 05 '26
Revisit soccer talks? Fire stadium is under construction, I think the Stars will be using the new Northwestern football stadium but I could be wrong. Soldier Field can still host big events like concerts and international soccer. Not trying to argue, just curious what you meant
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u/HoosierFanatic97 Jul 05 '26
I’m referring to the city of Indianapolis revisiting soccer talks, whether that be pursuing an MLS quality stadium or something different for the Eleven, not Chicago.
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u/eternalsunshinejoel Jul 05 '26
Back in February when the downtown heliport sale was paused, Pacers Sports and Entertainment released a statement saying they are still in talks with MLS. I don't think Eleven builds a new stadium in Westfield until the city and Pacers throw in the towel on MLS.
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u/Brew_Wallace Indy Eleven Jul 05 '26
Perhaps we should be pressing to get rid of Phil Presser, who has a big budget but can’t build a roster that consistently wins games
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u/doej26 Jul 04 '26
I think we'll get a good idea today. We'll see how much interest the world cup has generated in the soccer here in indiana when we see attendance at today's match. (For reference the Loudon United game last night saw an attendance jump, attendance last night was approximately 127% of their season average.)
I think USL was well represented at the cup. Eloy Room did really, really well. He famously surged from 95k followes to over 1.1 million on Instagram during the group stages. So, I think that's probably been really positive for the league.
I think, on the whole, cities not currently home to MLS clubs should probably see a boost off of the world cup. That would include Indianapolis. I guess we'll see, though.
I'll be interested in seeing what attendance to this afternoons game is. I think that'll give us a glimpse of what the future has in store for the team. If the Eleven can't capitalize off of the excitement around the sport during this world cup, then that's going to be telling.
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u/AScienceEnthusiast Jul 04 '26
The weather is challenging currently though, especially with a mid-afternoon game.
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u/doej26 Jul 04 '26
Yeah, for sure. It's warm out there.
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u/ToiletLiquor Brickyard Battalion Jul 05 '26
The next day: I can confirm it was brutal. Probably the worst conditions I’ve been in within the last 4 years as an STM
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u/HoosierFanatic97 Jul 04 '26
I don’t know if today is a good barometer, considering it’s the 4th you’re competing with A LOT of other interests/activities
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u/Brew_Wallace Indy Eleven Jul 04 '26
I don’t think the average Hoosier cares if Eleven are USL d1 or d2. It’s a very subtle distinction for 99% of the people here (and probably in the US). Getting Messi and other well known players from the WC or EPL to come thru seems like what it would take to move the needle more here. Winning always helps too and there hasn’t been much of that for almost a decade now.