The New York Cosmos will host Indy Eleven at MCU Park on Saturday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Boys in Blue travel to Brooklyn with one win and back-to-back losses at the start of the NASL Fall Season.

Indy Eleven bring a number of key players to the field:

Beating Busch

Veteran goalkeeper, Jon Busch, returns to his native New York City having marked 500 professional appearances in all competitions.

This year, Busch has made 15 catches and 13 clearances. He has also saved two penalties, but was powerless against Cosmos top scorer, Emmanuel Ledesma, who converted a late spot kick to tie the game 1-1 at MCU Park on July 4.

Busch shows no signs of stopping and is currently second in the NASL in saves, with 63, one spot above Cosmos keeper, Jimmy Maurer (51). At the same time, Busch is tied for most goals conceded in the league (28). Indy's main keeper has not had a lot of luck against the Cosmos, getting one shutout in five Regular Season games against New York. He has been unable to win in Cosmos Country.

A successful, 14-year MLS career, however, gives Busch a solid foundation. He saved three of four shots he faced in the teams' last meeting, and nine of 10 shots directed by the Cosmos at MCU Park in July.

Experience plays an important role in high-pressure situations, and the Cosmos should be wary of the keeper's smarts.

Vying With Vuković

Left back, Nemanja Vuković, does more than defend for Indy. The six-foot three-inch Montenegrin leads his team in chances created (28). He also leads Indy in total crosses (119) and is third in the NASL in this category.

Vuković had 54 touches on the ball in the teams' last meeting in Brooklyn, winning both of his two tackles and making five clearances. New York will need to watch for the left back on set pieces, as his corner kick assisted Indy's 75th minute game-winner in the Cosmos' 2-1 away defeat on July 8.



Stopping Speas

One of Indy's key distributors, Ben Speas, has completed 213 of 292 passes this year. Speas puts both of his feet to use in the penalty area, netting in three goals from inside the box this year.

The midfielder opened the score for Indy in the 1-1 draw against the Cosmos at MCU Park, making his way inside the box in the 33rd minute to send home a right-footed shot. He also won both of his two duels during the game. New York thwarted Speas in their 2-1 win at Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Speas had 15 touches on the ball and just one shot on goal in 85 minutes of play.

Zoning in On Zayed

Indy are tied for second in the league in goals converted (14%), and Éamon Zayed has contributed to that tally. Zayed leads the team in shots (33) and is Indy's second top scorer, with five goals. All five found the net from inside the 18-yard box.

The 33-year-old helped Indy kick off the Fall Season with three points, scoring the game-winner in his team's season opener against FC Edmonton. Zayed got on the scoreboard again in Indy's last game against Miami FC, getting a consolation goal in the form of a late, close-range header his team's 3-1 defeat.

Zayed has not scored against the Cosmos since September of last year, and hasn't had any luck on the road in New York. He saw only one shot on goal in 73 minutes of play during Indy's last visit to MCU Park. New York would do well to continue closing down the forward.

The Cosmos host Indy Eleven on Saturday, August 19 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, click here.