By Andrew Bell
Louisville City FC played to a 0-0 draw Saturday against first-year USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in a game where LouCity couldn’t get firing offensively but continued to be dominant defensively.
While it’s not the result City was looking for, the draw on Saturday makes it five games in a row unbeaten in the USL Championship, tying its longest streak since April to May of 2023. Rhode Island FC, who’s playing its first season in the USL Championship, is likely a better team than its 11th-place table position in the Eastern Conference suggests. RIFC has given up several late leads this season and is only three points back from a playoff spot. The draw also comes on the tail end of a travel-heavy month for the boys in purple.
“I thought the players definitely put in a shift,” head coach Danny Cruz said after the game. “We need to be better in the final third for sure in our decision making and quality technically, but … you could tell that was the case for both teams. I thought the entire group defended really well. We were really happy with that side of the game today. We just needed a bit more quality in the final third.”
Missing a finishing touch
LouCity’s usual offensive prowess wasn’t there against Rhode Island on Saturday. City possesses the most goals in the league, having scored at least twice in eight of their 10 total league games played this season. On Saturday, however, a multitude of chances failed to find a quality finish.
Twenty-two crosses were put in on Saturday for City, three more than its season average. Additionally, LouCity had five corner kicks against Rhode Island. Clearly, it wasn’t a lack of getting to the wide areas but rather a clinical finish needed in the box. LouCity also took 16 shots, with only three landing on target Saturday.
Midfielder Taylor Davila and outside back Aiden McFadden were particularly crucial in creating LouCity’s chances on Saturday. Davila created four, the most out of any player on Saturday, and had an additional 17 passes in the final third, two crosses, and two shots. McFadden, who’s on loan to City from Atlanta United, created two chances, four crosses, and five dribbles against Rhode Island.
“I’m not worried about it at all,” Cruz said after being asked about his team’s off performance on the attack. “I alluded to it earlier, but there’s a reason why three out of the five games [Rhode Island] has played here have been 0-0. The field is slow for both teams.”
Cruz’s lack of concern is understandable. His team is flying offensively this season and poor pitch conditions can easily disrupt a game plan that includes quick switches and possession.
Defensive masterclass
Despite the attack not getting off the ground for the boys in purple, City’s defense was as robust as ever on Saturday. The clean sheet against Rhode Island was LouCity’s sixth of the year, the most in the USL Championship right now.
Arturo Ordoñez specifically did a fantastic job of containing Rhode Island forward Albert Dikwa, who was last year’s USL Championship Golden Boot winner with 20 goals on the season. On the day Ordoñez had a tackle, an interception, and 10 clearances, while nullifying Dikwa’s impact on the game.
Rhode Island displayed a lightning-quick counter attack on Saturday, one that pressured City’s defenders to make smart choices. LouCity’s experienced back line of Sean Totsch, Ordoñez and Kyle Adams, stayed exceptionally disciplined, not committing fouls in or around the box, as such mistakes can usually determine the outcome of close games. The trio committed just three fouls between them all game.
“We all felt like we were pretty solid today,” Davila said about his team’s defensive shift on Saturday. “They’re a tough team. Those forwards up top present challenges and we dealt with it well. We felt like we were tough to break down today.”
LouCity has another quick turnaround, as they’ll play Detroit City FC on Wednesday at Lynn Family Stadium. City hasn’t dropped points at home this year and will look to continue that streak against Detroit.
