Louisville City FC entered the weekend having numbered a USL Championship-leading 13 different goal scorers just before the season’s midpoint. The club’s 14th came from an unlikely — but all important — source.
A first own goal of the campaign preceded a converted Cameron Lancaster penalty Saturday as the boys in purple cruised to a 2-1 victory over OKC Energy FC in front of 10,602 fans at Lynn Family Stadium.
LouCity improved to 10-3-3 overall and continues to hold the Championship’s highest point total at 33. Going back to June 12, the club has dropped just one of its last 11 games.
“We’re in a good way right now, but for me we haven’t accomplished anything yet,” said head coach Danny Cruz. “You don’t win anything for being in first place in the middle of the year. With that being said, extremely, extremely proud of this group.
“When you look at the season we’re having so far and the different ways that we’re winning and responding after losing two games I think it shows a true resolve— a true character — and I give all the credit to that locker room. It’s a joy to work with them every day.”
The boys in purple were dominant most of the way in a game where they moved ahead on that first half own goal. Forward Jimmy McLaughlin created space for himself in the box, delivered a cross and had an Energy defender get on the end of it for a go-ahead strike in the 36th minute.
LouCity held the visitors to just one shot in the opening 45 minutes and controlled 65% of possession. That lone attempt, as Villyan Bijev got in well behind the defense, was a chip gone awry and cleared by the defense.
“We were moving the ball pretty well, had a couple half chances, and I think if we were a little bit sharper in more areas we maybe come away with a little more goals,” said midfielder Corben Bone. “But we get the goal and that’s super important.
“We limited their chances. We like to use the phrase ‘defend and advance,’ and I thought we did that well — controlled the game. We could have been a little bit sharper in the final third to find ourselves one or two up, but we found one and go into halftime with a good first half.”
A second half sub helped the home side hold on as left back Jonathan Gomez, who came on in the 57th minute, turned to lure in an OKC Energy defender in the 75th minute and draw a penalty. Seconds later, Cameron Lancaster fired his shot into the back of the net.
Lancaster — healing from a head injury three games back — returned to the lineup Saturday as one of seven changes from Wednesday’s away victory over Sporting KC II. He made the penalty his team-leading eighth goal of the campaign, good for third in the USL Championship.
The Energy threatened to play their way back into contention late as they wound up with a penalty kick of their own. Bijev was forced to re-take it after stopping on his initial run up, but he slotted the second try into the back to the net, too, in the 87th minute.
While LouCity surrendered the late goal, it came away with all the points to conclude a busy portion of the schedule on a high note. The boys in purple drew July 23 at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC before the midweek win at Sporting KC II.
Following this most recent win, the club is off until next Saturday when it hosts SKC II again at 7:30 p.m. inside Lynn Family Stadium.
Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. OKC Energy FC
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Man of the Match: Cameron Lancaster
Attendance: 10,602
Scoring
Louisville City FC (1, 1, 2)
OKC Energy FC (0, 1, 1)
Goals
Louisville City FC:
37’ Own goal
76’ Lancaster
OKC Energy FC:
87’ Bijev
Stats Summary: Louisville City FC / OKC Energy FC
Shots: 14 / 6
Shots on Goal: 3 / 3
Fouls: 16 / 9
Offside: 4 / 5
Corner Kicks: 2 / 2
Saves: 2 / 2
Lineups
Louisville City FC: 24 – Parker Siegfried, 66 – Joshua Wynder, 6 – Wesley Charpie (57’ 42 – Jonathan Gomez), 4 – Sean Totsch, 8 – Akil Watts, 13 – Corben Bone (72’ 3 – Alexis Souahy), 7 – Napo Matsoso, 20 – Jimmy McLaughlin (57’ 22 – George Davis IV), 29 – Antoine Hoppenot (57’ 10 – Brian Ownby), 9 – Jorge Gonzalez, 17 – Cameron Lancaster (80’ 21 – Kyle Greig)
Subs not used: 1 – Chris Hubbard
OKC Energy FC: 1 – CJ Coachran, 20 – Connor Donovan, 5 – Samuel Rogers (78’ 24 – Kodai Iida), 17 – Jonathan Brown, 4 – Mitchell Osmond, 28 – Deklan Wynne, 8 – Hiroki Kurimoto, 14 – Charlie Ward (78’ 6 – Brad Dunwell), 13 – Aidan Daniels, 9 – Jamie Chavez 22 – Zachary Ellis-Hayden, 21 – Villyan Bijev
Subs not used: 19 – Muengnenshime Goshit, 18 – Tucker Stephenson
Discipline Summary
Louisville City: Wynder (yellow) 45’
Louisville City: Gomez (yellow) 90’+2
Referee: Adam Kilpatrick
