Indy Eleven advanced to the Second Round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-0 victory over USL League Two side Des Moines Menace on Tuesday night at the Grand Park Events Center in Westfield, Indiana. The result was built around a composed long-range opener from new signing Loïc Mesanvi, a headed finish from halftime substitute Noble Okello, and a late close-range strike from fellow sub Charlie Sharpe, with Indy’s halftime adjustments and attacking depth turning a competitive cup tie into a comfortable win for the home side.
Mesanvi opened the scoring when a long ball caused confusion between Des Moines goalkeeper Jamie Barry and defender Joe McDaid; Mesanvi collected the loose ball and drove a finish from roughly 25 yards into an exposed net to give Indy the lead. Des Moines had the clearer openings early on, with a dangerous header from Diaz that forced Indy goalkeeper Charles-Cook into a smart tip over the bar and Josh O’Brien testing the target with a couple of thunderous efforts that flew just over the crossbar, but Mesanvi’s opportunistic strike changed the complexion of the match heading into the break.
Indy reshaped the midfield at halftime, bringing on Aodhan Quinn and Noble Okello for Cam Lindley and Josh O’Brien, and the substitutions swung momentum. Alejandro Mitrano’s 60th minute cross found Okello, who rose to head the ball into the bottom right corner and double Indy’s advantage. Charlie Sharpe, introduced later for Edward Kizza, finished from a spilled save when a parried shot bounced kindly for him to steer home and make it 3-0. Des Moines rallied in the final 15 minutes and produced a handful of dangerous efforts from the edge of the box, but most attempts were either smothered by Charles-Cook or blocked by defenders, and Indy closed out the match without conceding.
There was reason to respect Des Moines before kickoff because of talk about veteran signings with USL and MLS experience, but those moves never came to fruition and the Menace were unable to field the kind of experienced spine that might have posed a different test. Instead Indy exploited lapses in goalkeeper communication and defensive positioning, and the Eleven’s halftime adjustments allowed them to control the game in the second half.
After the match coach Sean McAuley praised his players’ commitment and the way the team executed the plan, saying, “We were rewarded to get to the next round of the cup from the effort commitment.” He also framed the club’s approach to knockout competition in blunt terms, asking, “Why shouldn’t we have a run and then see as far as we can get now? This is not an easy game tonight.”
From the coach’s postgame remarks, it was clear the selection choices were deliberate and earned: “It’s been a tough decision because everybody’s had a really good preseason,” he said, and the players who were asked to adapt to different roles carried out the plan on the field. Tactically, Quinn’s presence helped Indy control midfield passages more consistently and Okello’s aerial threat provided a direct outlet that Des Moines struggled to handle.
Mesanvi’s finish was a reminder that cup ties often hinge on individual moments of opportunism and concentration, while Charles-Cook’s first-half save kept Indy level when the Menace looked most dangerous.
Indy’s 3-0 win sends the club into the Second Round of the U.S. Open Cup and underlines the squad depth available to the coaching staff in knockout competition. Des Moines leave with lessons from a competitive outing against professional opposition, while Indy can take momentum and a clean sheet into the next stage of the tournament.
