Coming off one of its best-ever months, Louisville City FC opens August’s USL Championship slate at 7:30 p.m. Saturday when hosting Sporting KC II.
The boys in purple won five times in July, twice defeating SKC II in Kansas City. This third of four meetings will move the series from Children’s Mercy Park to LouCity’s Lynn Family Stadium.
The Butchertown neighborhood facility has served as a fortress for the boys in purple this season. LouCity leads the 32-team USL Championship in attendance, welcoming an average of 9,805 per game. The number jumps to 10,726 for games since capacity limits were lifted earlier this summer.
The crowd can expect goals this weekend with LouCity and SKC II playing to a combined 6-3 score in their previous two meetings, both victories for the boys in purple on July 2 and July 28.
Both squads are one game removed from seeing each other last week. LouCity defeated OKC Energy FC on the weekend, while Sporting dropped a game to Memphis 901 FC.
LouCity will finish its four-game series with SKC II — each Central Division squad plays the others twice home and away in 2021 — on Oct. 9.
Here’s more of what to watch for Saturday…
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. Live stats can be found at www.loucity.com/match-center.
• On the WBKI-TV (The CW)/ESPN+ streaming call: Josh Eastern (play by play) and Devon Kerr (color).
• And for ESPN 680/105.7 on the radio: Jeff Greer and Oscar Jimenez.
Notes to know
Home field advantage: Fans get to enjoy three things when they come to games at Lynn Family Stadium: A beautiful stadium, great atmosphere and, often, a win. Following a heavy home slate in the first half of the season that saw the boys in purple play their opening four matches in Louisville, the club now boasts a 7-1-2 home record. With six games at Lynn Family Stadium remaining on the calendar for 2021, LouCity is well on pace to pass its previous record for home wins at 10, set in both 2015 and 2019.
Going streaking: LouCity started 2021 on unfamiliar terms with a 2-2-1 record. After getting settled in, the team has taken off. Since dropping two in a row to Indy Eleven and Atlanta United 2 at the front of the season, the boys in purple are 8-1-2 and have outscored opponents 27-14 during that stretch. That streak puts the club at the top of the Eastern Conference and Central Division with 33 points on the season.
Greig’s goals: No player in the USL Championship has scored more against SKC II than Kyle Greig, a native of Wisconsin who grew up in Kansas City. Greig registered a brace back on July 2 in a 4-2 victory over the club and converted a one-touch goal when they reconvened on July 28. Going back to SKC II’s origins as the former Swope Park Rangers, the veteran striker Greig has tallied eight goals against his hometown side.
Tucked in, locked in: LouCity has been able to put together one of the league’s best records with a litany of different lineups. But while head coach Danny Cruz has constantly shuffled the starting 11, there’s one consistent piece: defender Sean Totsch. A 2020 All-League First Team selection, Totcsh is making another strong case in 2021. He’s the only player to have played a full 90 minutes in all 16 games and leads the league in passes with 1,082 in addition to his 45 clearances and 23 interceptions.
Cam’s back: Having left a July 14 contest against OKC Energy FC with a head injury, Cameron Lancaster reminded why he’s LouCity’s leading scorer last Saturday night, sinking a penalty kick in the 76th-minute that would eventually stand as the game-winning goal, once again over visiting OKC. Despite injuries that have sidelined the striker off and on this year, Lancaster has poured in eight goals. His next will be his 60th in USL Championship play, making him the sixth player to reach that total.
Parker on the pitch: Making his Lynn Family Stadium debut last Saturday night, goalkeeper Parker Siegfried continues to make a push for the No. 1 spot between the posts as he earned his second consecutive start and third overall this year. The former trialist and Columbus Crew Academy product had arguably his best outing in purple against the Energy, finishing with a pair of saves and a stoppage time punch out to help the home side secure three points.
Delivery guys: Through 16 games, LouCity has seen 13 goal scorers and 10 players register an assist. That includes winger Brian Ownby’s career-high six assists and young outside back Jonathan Gomez’s five. LouCity has had at least 15 players register assist since 2017, aside from in 2020, when the season only measured 16 games. The club won the USL title in 2017 and 2018 and returned to the final in 2019.
Another JoGo: Forward Jorge Gonzalez has returned from an early season injury to add to LouCity’s red-hot attack. The loanee from Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers came on as a halftime substitute and scored a go-ahead goal one minute into that stint on July 28 at SKC II. Gonzalez then received his first start in purple the following weekend in the victory over OKC Energy FC. The 22-year-old from Spain wears No. 9 and can feature in an array of attacking roles.
Injury report
- Oscar Jimenez (out)
- Abdou Thiam (out)
- Elijah Wynder (out)
Milestone watch
- Cameron Lancaster is one goal away from his 60th USL Championship goal.
