Indy Eleven Update: August Recap 2026

Indy Eleven make 6 transactions as they look to strengthen their playoff push. Indy beats Louisville City for the first time since 2022, and gets their first road win at Jacksonville.

Roster Updates - Men

Transactions In:

Dylan Sing returns from his short loan spell at Portland Hearts of Pine.

What appears to have been a rehab stint in Portland, Sing’s short stint in Portland consisted of him appearing in 5 matches and starting only 1. He’s played 2 minutes since his return.

Joe Hafferty and Malik Henry-Scott on Loan from Lexington SC for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Losing McAuley’s high-valued Okello will hurt, but getting a regular starter in Hafferty may prove more valuable. The 28-year-old Hafferty brings four years of USL Championship experience, playing the last two seasons for Lexington SC. In all competitions in 2026, he has 21 appearances, starting nine games and recording two chances created in 958 minutes.

In 2025, Hafferty played in 35 matches for LSC, leading the team in tackles won (42) and duels won (138) and ranking second on the squad in blocks (12), clearances (76), and interceptions (23).

If Hafferty brings starter quality to the back, Henry-Scott brings some depth up top. Playing in 14 matches with two starts, four chances created, with 2 goals in 288 minutes.

Transactions Out:

Logan Neidlinger loaned out to Fort Wayne FC for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Logan Niedlinger was a regular starter for Indy once Hayden White’s injury earlier in the season. However, the academy product still needs to develop his defense. Noted several times by McAuley (a full-back in his playing days), that Logan wasn’t just quite there to be a regular starter on a playoff team. With the addition of Hafferty on Loan and the signing of Kibunguchy, it was better for the young fullback to go out on loan to Fort Wayne for consistent minutes.

Kian Williams loaned out to Detroit City FC

Appearing in 5 USL-C matches totaling 40 minutes, 3 Apps in USL-Cup for 148 minutes and 139 minutes from the USOC. Not certain on his future development plan, but the 25 year-old needed to be playing.

Noble Okello Transferred to Lexington SC

A regular starter for McAuley, Okello seems to play all over. Starting in the midfield, but Blake, O’Brien, Quinn, and Lindley pushed him out. Then with injuries up top, the 6’5 player became a Target Forward. Seemed like McAuley wanted to use Okello however he could. Indy’s need for defense was greater than their attacking abilities. Missing Pat Hogan and Hayden White for the season due to injuries, transferring the highly valued midfielder for two players made sense. Noble Okello played in 21 matches with 17 starts in all competitions in his first season with Indy Eleven, scoring two goals.

“If you are going to let a good player go [Noble Okello], we needed to bring a couple of good players to make the deal really favorable for us.” - Coach McAuley

Results from August- Men

USL-Championship: August 9th vs Hartford Athletic: 1-1 Draw
USL-Championship: August 15th at Sporting Jax: : 1-0 Win
USL-Championship: August 22nd vs Louisville City: 2-1 Win
USL-Championship: Indy beat rivals Louisville 2-1
USL-Championship: Indy beat rivals Louisville 2-1
USL-Championship: August 29th at Phoenix Rising: 2-1 Loss

August Record (W-D-L): 2-1-1

US Open Cup: 2nd Round (Eliminated)

Prinx Tires USL Cup: Group Stage: 1-1-2, 7 points, 3rd place Group 4 (Eliminated)

USL Championship Record: 6-3-7, 21 points, 8th place East

Despite having an awful June/July, Indy continue to find themselves in 6th place. With two matches in hand (same with Hartford and Rhode Island), a lot can still happen. A win versus LIPAFC rival Louisville City not only got the team 3 points, but it was vital for McAuley to get off to a winning start for the new signings.

Still 4 points below of Louisville in 5th, Indy still has ground to make up for their Summer Stinker. Collecting 7 points in a month will be seen as a positive for this new look team. Initially seen in the match versus Hartford, McAuley has opted for a 4-4-2 look. Pushing Quinn into his more natural midfielder role alongside Lindley in a double pivot. This allows O’Brien and Blake to act like wingers who can put in dangerous crosses into the box for Rendon and Kizza up top. Notably, this also allows Hafferty (right) and Mitrano (left) to also become more involved.

With Quinn and Lindley providing defensive support in that double pivot, the wingbacks now have more freedom to attack. Mitrano was one of the best in the USL-Championship in progressive passes while in Miami. Combined with Hafferty, this new tactical shift brings the team much needed new life - resulting in 7 points in a month where they desperately needed points.

Men’s Player of the Month - Aodhan Quinn

The ageless veteran got moved into the midfield and was stellar all month. Providing one assist against Louisville City his presence in the midfield was evident. Creating 5 offensive chances, while contributing 13 times in defense in August. This balance will be vital for Indy going forward. When Quinn is playing at his best and contributing both in attack and defense, Indy are better off for it. With a new look seemingly catering to Quinn, we should see more impact from the 34 year-old down the stretch.

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Schedule for September - Men

USL-Championship: Sept 5th vs Birmingham Legion
USL-Championship: Sept 11th at New Mexico United
USL-Championship: Sept 15th vs Brooklyn FC
USL-Championship: Sept 20th vs Oakland Roots
USL-Championship: Sept 26th vs Miami FC
USL-Championship: Sept 30th at Rhode Island FC
Reflection on prediction for August
Prediction: Draw, Win, Loss, Loss - 4 points.
Actual: Draw, Win, Win, Loss - 7 points.
Beating Louisville City was not what I expected, as Indy collects 6 points. With the additions of Hatterty and a new 4-4-2 look, Indy look to be better at the end of the month than they started it.
Prediction for September: Win, Loss, Win, Draw/Win, Draw, Draw - 9/11 points.
Indy has 4 home matches in September, and they will look to use that. Getting wins against Birmingham and Brooklyn. With a congested schedule to start, Indy will continue their win-less record at New Mexico (loss) and Oakland (draw), but I could see Indy beating Oakland who will have to travel all the way from California. With both teams hungry, Indy will get draws against both Miami (home) and Rhode Island (away). 9 or 11 points from 18 won’t cut it, but for a mid-table team - this sounds about right.

Please tune back in for the next update.

Thanks!

- by Brett Mullenix