Soccer In Our Area

Soccer In Our Area: Louisville City FC

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Club Background

Louisville City Football Club was founded in the summer of 2014. They played their first USL match in 2015 at the Triple-A baseball stadium Louisville Slugger Field. In that stadium, Lou City became one of the most decorated clubs in the USL lifting back-to-back USL Cups in 2017 and 2018, along with several other deep runs in the USL playoffs. James O’Connor was the club’s first skipper and is credited for many of the club’s early successes in the USL. O’Conner left the club in 2018 to take the vacant MLS head coaching position with Orlando City SC. O’Connor has since returned as president of the ownership group Soccer Holdings LLC. In 2020, under COVID-19 restrictions, Lou City opened its grand soccer-specific stadium Lynn Family Stadium. The 15,000-plus capacity stadium saw its first sellout crowd the following summer once the restrictions were lifted. In 2021, interim, now current head coach Danny Cruz was selected to lead Lou City. Cruz has had early success leading Lou City to an Eastern Conference championship in 2022. In 2023, Lou City finished fifth in the USL Eastern Conference regular season but reached the Eastern Conference playoff final before falling to Charleston Battery 1-2 on the road. The notable club talisman for Lou City is Camereon Lancaster who leads the USL Championship division in career goals at 88 goals across all competitions.

Lynn Family Stadium – PHOTO: Louisville City FC

The Atmosphere

Lynn Family Stadium is the premier stadium in the USL and would rival several stadiums in the MLS for matchday atmosphere. Located just off the banks of the Ohio River and off several major highways, Lynn Family Stadium is an easy venue to get to. The matchday atmosphere includes tailgating in the multiple parking lots around the stadium. Fans can get in 90 minutes before kickoff to check out the BlueOval SK Fan Zone where family-friendly activities such as inflatables, lawn games, and mini-pitch soccer can be enjoyed. Happy hour specials of two-dollar beers can be enjoyed up until 30 minutes before kickoff. Inside the stadium, fans can expect a ruckus atmosphere led by The Coopers supporters’ group. For a premium experience, fans can purchase tickets in the swanky club sections. LED lights adorn the stadium lights and shower spectators in the club’s infamous purple and white. Fans can also line the area off the main concourse where players enter and exit their respective locker rooms.

Match Recap

Louisville City FC entered the match off an away win at El Paso Locomotive in matchday one. Lou City played host USL Eastern Conference foe Pittsburgh Riverhounds. When it was all said and done, Lou City walked away with three points and on top of the USL Eastern Conference standings after a convincing 3-1 victory.

The match opened with Lou City on the front foot. In the sixth minute, a Ray Serrano shot from outside the box forced a diving save from Riverhounds’ keeper Eric Dick. In the tenth minute, Dick was found in no man’s land but was able to get a paw on Wilson Harris’ shot from just inside the box.

Both clubs settled into the match for the remainder of the first half. But in the 40th minute, Pittsburgh almost came away with the match’s first goal. A run on the right side played the ball back into the box where Babacar Diene got a clean shot at goal only for Lou City’s veteran center back Sean Totsch had a fantastic goal-line block.

The scoring breakthrough came in stoppage time of the first half. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, a through ball by Serrano took a fortunate deflection and fell to the feet of Harris. Harris’ shot beats Dick and the crowd erupted. Lou City took the 1-0 advantage into halftime.

Lou City would have to absorb pressure early in the second half. A pair of clean headers in the box were a precursor to what was about to come. In the 59th minute, Edward Kizza got free in the box after a sloppy turnover for Lou City in their defending third. It was an easy finish and the Riverhounds leveled the match at a goal apiece.

The even scoreline didn’t last long, however. In the 64th minute, Serrano beat his defender and drew a penalty. Totsch stepped up to the spot and buried his attempt.

After a heavy rotation of players from both clubs, the match score appeared to be what the final result would be. But after Serrano’s great match, he added his name to the score sheet. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Evan Davila delivered a cross into the box. The ball eventually found Serrano who made a fake and put Dick on the ground before uncorking a left-footed shot into the back of the net.

The final whistle sounded and Louisville City had an impressive win in its home opener.

Goals:

LOU- 45+5’ Harris, 65’ (P) Totsch, 90+6’ Serrano

PIT- 59’ Kizza

Next Match:

USL Regular Season – vs Birmingham Legion – Saturday, March 30th – 4 p.m. EST – ESPN+

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