EVANSVILLE – Professional soccer will return to Evansville Saturday as the University of Evansville and Arad McCutchan Stadium will play host to an exhibition match between Indy Eleven and Louisville City FC. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
The match, which will serve as one of the final preseason friendlies for each team, will be the second professional contest in the history of the stadium. Last season, nearly 1,000 people came to campus as Indy battled Saint Louis FC to a 1-1 draw.
"It's always great to have a professional game take place in our city," UE head men's soccer coach Marshall Ray said. "Last year, we were fortunate enough to host the first professional match in the history of Evansville, and we're happy that Indy Eleven has agreed to come back again this year. With Louisville City, we're going to be bringing in one of the best teams in the USL too. I'm looking forward to giving our fan base and the greater Evansville soccer community a chance to see a match at a higher level."
Indy followed with a phenomenally successful spring season that saw the team claim a title in the North American Soccer League, which currently occupies the second tier on the U.S. professional soccer pyramid. The team would continue its winning ways into the second half of the year, ultimately falling on penalties to the New York Cosmos in the Soccer Bowl last November.
Meanwhile, Louisville City also enjoyed a successful campaign, the team's second in the United Soccer League, which will also occupy the second tier on the professional pyramid this season. The team finished second in the Eastern Conference, and advanced as far as the conference final in the playoffs, going out on penalties to eventual champion New York Red Bulls II.
Indy and Louisville City are two of the best-supported teams in their respective leagues as each draw in better than 7,000 fans per game.
The friendly will mark the fifth-ever meeting between the two sides. Last season, Indy fell 1-0 in a preseason friendly in Louisville, but the favor was returned in June as LCFC dropped a 2-1 decision to Indy in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.
"Matches like these give our guys a chance to see what the standard is like at a higher level," Ray explained. "Our team will have an opportunity to see how these teams train. It's a little different sometimes in that environment, and it's important for our guys to see, especially if they have aspirations to continue playing at the professional level."
Both teams will be bringing merchandise for purchase, and tickets to the event will cost $5. On Friday, Indy will host an open training session at McCutchan Stadium from 5-6 p.m. Later that evening, there will be a Q&A with members of the coaching staff and team at the newly-opened Home2 Suites by Hilton on Evansville's East Side. That function is set to begin at 8:30 p.m.
