On Tuesday afternoon, the Black & Gold faced-off with North American Soccer League side Indy Eleven for a scrimmage at the club's training facility in Obetz. The contest was an opportunity for several Crew players to battle for a spot in the 18, for Academy players to get additional experience and for veterans like Josh Williams and Emanuel Pogatetz to boost their match fitness with four regular-season contests remaining.
Midfielder Kevan George got the Crew off to a fast start as he found the back of the net in just the second minute of play, volleying home after a scramble following a Ben Speas corner kick. Indy Eleven, however, managed to even up the match in the 25th minute and eventually scored the winning goal in the 74th minute of the exhibition.
Despite the score, the Black & Gold were able to create a number of opportunities. In the 57th minute, a beautiful through ball from Romain Gall appeared to land Adam Bedell on the scoresheet, but the forward was ruled offside.
The two newest additions to the roster, Pogatetz and Gall, saw 63 and 90 minutes of action, respectively. Williams returned from rib surgery to play the entire second half, seeing his first game action since the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against the Indy Eleven on June 17.
