INDIANAPOLIS – Stefano Pinho notched a goal and assist as Indy Eleven rallied from a halftime deficit to take a 3-1 victory against Orange County SC on Sunday evening at Michael A. Carroll Stadium to earn a third consecutive victory and move into the playoff positions in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference.

Orange County took the lead on the first real chance for either side in the 13th minute when Sean Okoli flicked on a ball upfield that deflected into the path of Mikko Kuningas, who broke in one-on-one with Indy’s Elliot Panicco and slotted a finish low to the left corner for his first goal of the season. The visitors put the ball in the net a second time six minutes before halftime when Erick “Cubo” Torres was played in by Milan Iloski for a lifted finish, only for the offside flag to deny the finish, and Indy was also denied by an offside call in the final minute before the break as Jonas Fjeldberg was ruled off after a flicked header down by Pinho played him into the penalty area for a finish to the right corner.

Fjeldberg was involved again early in the second half as he played a clever give-and-go with Justin Ingram to get into the left side of the penalty area only for his shot to fly over, while a few minutes later OCSC goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky swallowed up a headed finish by Pinho. Indy’s sharp start to the second half paid off in the 54th minute, however, when Trinidad and Tobago international Noah Powder put home a first-time finish after Pinho kept the ball in play at the goal line as he outdueled OCSC defender Kobi Henry before centering from the right.

Ten minutes later, Pinho added a goal to his assist as Indy went ahead to cap a sequence that saw Rakovsky save initially from the Brazilian and then try to punch clear before the hosts recycled possession and found Manuel Arteaga in the right side of the penalty area. The Venezuelan lifted a cross over the advancing Rakovsky, allowing Pinho to head into the open net. The hosts managed the game well from there, and it wasn’t until stoppage time that Orange County had a half-chance to level only for the offside flag to be raised again. Indy then put the game away as Aris Briggs scored his second goal in as many games, bundling home a finish at the second attempt from the center of the penalty area to cap the win for the hosts.

USLChampionship.com Player of the Match

Stefano Pinho, Indy Eleven – The Brazilian had a goal and assist while putting three of his four shots overall on target and also won nine duels and seven aerial duels in leading the Indy forward line.

Scoring Summary
OC – Mikko Kuningas 13’
IND – Noah Powder (Stefano Pinho) 54’
IND – Stefano Pinho (Manuel Arteaga) 64’
IND – Aris Briggs 90+2’

Full Box Score