Here’s what to know ahead of kickoff between Louisville City FC and Birmingham Legion at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Protective Stadium…
Follow along: For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Also find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram. Saturday’s game will air on WDRB and stream via ESPN+ and the WDRB Now app. Listen to live radio coverage from Jeff Milby and Jeff Greer on ESPN 680/105.7 or at ESPNLouisville.com.
Hot start: While the boys in purple dropped points for the first time all season in a 1-1 draw last Saturday against rival Indy Eleven last Saturday, City can still match the club’s best-ever start with a win over Birmingham. Four wins and a tie in LouCity’s first five games would be identical to the start from 2018, the year Louisville most recently won a USL Championship title. Seven players from the 2018 team are still on the roster: defenders Oscar Jimenez and Sean Totsch; midfielders Napo Matsoso, Niall McCabe and Paolo DelPiccolo; and forwards Cameron Lancaster and Brian Ownby.
Title race rematch: City and Legion FC developed a bit of a rivalry last season while battling down to the regular season’s final day for a Central Division title. The boys in purple came out on top with a 1-0 victory on the road thanks to an 82nd-minute goal from Antoine Hoppenot and earned a No. 1 playoff seed as a result. That group advanced to the club’s seventh-straight Eastern Conference Final appearance for City. This year, the USL Championship has reverted back to the traditional Eastern Conference/Western Conference table.
Know the foe: While LouCity and Birmingham saw one another four times last season, Legion FC will look quite different when the sides meet again Saturday. Birmingham is off to an 0-2-1 start as coach Tom Soehn figures out how to replace three major contributors: 2021 leading scorer Neco Brett (now with New Mexico United), Junior Flemmings (transferred to French Ligue 2 side Toulouse) and J.J. Williams (now with FC Tulsa).
Top of the table: As one of four remaining unbeaten teams in the Eastern Conference – Tampa Bay Rowdies, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Loudoun United being the others – the boys in purple are the only team that has won three of its matches. That record positions LouCity two points clear of the second place Rowdies atop the Eastern Conference standings. Clubs are vying for a top-seven finish to qualify for the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs.
Shape shifting: Head coach Danny Cruz tried something new with his side against the Indy Eleven when he changed to a back-three defense. Defenders Sean Totsch, Ian Soler and Wes Charpie held down LouCity’s backline, which allowed for more freedom for high-pace outside backs Amadou Dia and Manny Perez to play further up the pitch and get into the attack. It’s a look Cruz has talked often about trying, and LouCity stuck with it for a half.
Streak stopped: However, the back three formation was not without its faults as LouCity conceded its first goal of the season in the 22nd minute of Saturday’s match against Indy. That ended a 292-minute shutout streak to open 2022 and matched a 2018 run of three straight games with clean sheets as the club’s longest in recent years.
Hitting the road: This weekend’s trek to Birmingham is the beginning of a month on the road for the boys in purple, with just one regular-season home game out of five fixtures in April. Following Saturday’s match, LouCity will visit Loudoun United (April 10), San Diego Loyal (April 17) and Charleston Battery (April 23) before returning home against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (April 30). The club will, however, be home Wednesday for a midweek U.S. Open Cup game against the Chattanooga Red Wolves of USL League One.
Tucked in: After logging eight combined minutes in LouCity’s first two games of the season, defender Sean Totsch’s number was called upon last week, and he delivered a USL Championship Team of the Week performance. The six-year LouCity veteran played consecutive 90-minute shifts against New York Red Bulls II and Indy Eleven while totaling 19 recoveries. He had a headed shot on goal against Red Bulls II in a midweek game before scoring the the equalizer in the second half of the Indy draw.
Starting Soler: Just days after making his club debut in stoppage time of the Red Bulls II win, defender Ian Soler earned his first start in purple Saturday versus Indy. His Lynn Family Stadium unveiling was cut short due to the halftime formation change, but Soler made an impact in his 45 minutes, gaining possession five times, winning five duels and completing 83% of his passes. A Spanish center back with English tutelage, Soler most recently played in Poland’s first division before signing with LouCity in February.
