Indy Eleven looks to build on successful 2024 season, aims for regular playoff team
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indy Eleven is less than two weeks from kicking off their season.
They look to build off a successful year in 2024, where they made it to the semifinals of the US Open Cup and finished fourth in the standings in the East. They were, however, knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
Indy Eleven head coach Sean McAuley said they’re really excited and anxious to get the season started after a long preseason.
McAuley added that the league is getting stronger and stronger this season. He also talked about being careful about comparing themselves to last year’s success, because duplicating it will be very difficult.
“If you were to say that we need to be better than last year, that would mean getting to the Open Cup Final and finishing in the top three,” McAuley said. “And I’m not saying we’re not going to go try to get to the Open Cup Final, but it’s going to be incredibly difficult and it’s going to be incredibly difficult to get into the top three. Because that discounts all of the teams in the last five years that have gotten in the top three, and we haven’t been one of them. So we need to make sure that we become a regular playoff team before we start thinking about other stuff.”
It’s McAuley’s second season with the Indy Eleven, which has helped the team become more comfortable.
“Guys kind of know what they’re roles going to be – so it’s not so much as start from square one,” Cam Lindley said. “We have a lot of returners so it’s nice to kind of get the ball rolling because we want to build off our performance last year.”
“I think their desire to play for Indy Eleven is huge and that’s what we’ve tried to nail down to the whole team,” Sean McAuley said. “And anytime I don’t see that desire to play for the shirt – for the crest – they’ll move on. And that’s just the way it is. And I’ve got a group now who all want to play for us and all excited to start the season.”
The Eleven start their season in Mami against Miami FC on Saturday, March 15. Their first home game is on Saturday, March 29 against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
