By Andrew Bell
Louisville City FC picked up a point on the road Saturday night, tying Charleston Battery 0-0 with a strong defensive effort on a waterlogged field.
“I think to get a result the way that we did, to get another shutout built confidence for the group,” LouCity head coach Danny Cruz said about his team’s performance in tough conditions. “We still had a couple good chances where I think we need to do a little bit better in the final third. (The Battery) are a good team, and to come away with a point on the road, I’m proud of the group.”
LouCity and Charleston entered the game on a three- and four-game win streak, respectively. Charleston also leads the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference on 15 points, with City trailing by just two.
Although LouCity hoped to overtake The Battery on Saturday, the boys in purple did well to thwart the Charleston attack, which had scored the most goals in the league entering the contest. Cruz spoke about the importance of his team’s strong recent defensive showings by saying, “If we make sure we defend well as a group, we’re going to put ourselves in position to win a lot of games.”
Bright spots
On the offensive side of the ball, neither team had much to offer for most of the match. However, when it came to opening up space for his team on the attack, Brian Ownby was influential. The veteran winger would often receive the ball on the right wing and drive inward. This allowed offensive-minded outside back Manny Perez to use the new space left behind, as the Charleston Battery left back would often track the winger. This offensive scheme allowed Ownby to create 18 passes into the opposition’s final third while the overlapping Perez created a chance and a cross against Charleston.
One of City’s best chances of the match came in the form of linkup play between Perez and Ownby. In the 48th minute, Paolo DelPiccolo sprayed a ball out to Perez, who then played Ownby through to the end line. On a tight angle and with pressure on his back, Ownby swiveled to cross, and when the ball bounced back out to him, his shot was dragged just wide. On the night, Ownby tallied three shots—the most out of any player on the pitch — and won Man of the Match honors for his role.
Defensively, LouCity center back Sean Totsch was dominant. Working in tandem with Josh Wynder, Totsch was able to explode forward to win aerial duels and apply pressure to the back of Charleston forwards and midfielders.
Battery forward Augustine Williams’ impact was minimized as a result of Totsch’s alert pressure. Williams, who entered the fixture with four goals through six matches, was often forced backwards with Totsch breathing down his neck. As a result, only a fourth of Williams’ passes went toward LouCity’s goal.
Totsch recorded a clearance and won 100% of his tackles and aerial duels on the night. Perhaps showing frustration, Williams was whistled for two yellow card fouls and sent off late in the going.
You shall not pass
When a chance slipped by LouCity’s first line of defense, goalkeeper Oliver Semmle was there to clean up. In the 24th minute, Semmle demonstrated safe hands by dealing with a Battery shot from just outside the box. In the 53rd minute, a threatening Charleston chance from a ball over top was snuffed out when Semmle left his box to make a clean tackle. In the 60th minute, a looping and curling shot was easily covered by the German goalkeeper, despite the ball bouncing dangerously right before reaching him.
With a chance to win the game, the Battery striker Williams was put through on goal with only Semmle in front of him. The goalkeeper made himself big enough to put Williams off, and the shot pulled wide.
Semmle’s confidence in dealing with aerial battles, shots on target, and one-on-one chances allowed his defensive line to trust his capabilities and avoid making dangerous and desperate tackles.
Semmle has undoubtedly secured the starting job in goal for now, as the preseason signing hasn’t conceded in his four starts in purple. Semmle has played a crucial role in LouCity’s now four-game unbeaten streak, which has seen the boys in purple propel up to second in the Eastern Conference and advance past regional rival Lexington SC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup earlier in the month.
LouCity will travel to Ohio on Wednesday to play FC Cincinnati in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup. The game will be City’s first taste of Major League Soccer opposition this regular season. In preseason play, LouCity looked solid against MLS juggernaut Seattle Sounders, where LouCity was defeated by just a goal, plus drew with Nashville SC and Sporting KC.
