By Quin Welch, LouCity Insider
RICHMOND, Va. — Louisville City FC (6-1-3, 21 points) stole a point in a 0-0 draw against the Richmond Kickers on Saturday night in Richmond, lengthening the team’s unbeaten streak in all competitions to nine.
LouCity coach James O’Connor’s squad was stout defensively, keeping its fourth straight clean sheet in USL action. Center backs Sean Reynolds, Tarek Morad and Conor Shanosky — who came on for Morad in the second half — all kept things straightforward in the middle, while full backs Ben Newnam and Kyle Smith pushed forward all game, making life difficult for Richmond defenders.
Despite the push made by both Newnam and Smith, LouCIty were unable to come away with a goal to earn the three points. O’Connor said his squad’s fatigue after playing three games in a week affected his players’ ability to get that coveted goal.
“I thought we looked really tired and really jaded,” O’Connor said. “I think when you look at our decision making, our passing and our quality, it was really tired. It was a case where we looked really fatigued.”
The LouCity coach made some tactical substitutions at halftime to inject some offensive firepower into the lineup by bringing on assist man Paolo DelPiccolo, an energetic George Davis IV and the awe-inspiring Cameron Lancaster. The three subs all made an impact — DelPiccolo distributed, Davis created and Lancaster was close to scoring the go-ahead goal on a few occasions.
Although LouCity didn’t come home with maximum points, O’Connor said he was pleased his guys dug deep enough to take one home from Virginia after a thrilling Open Cup match that required penalty kicks on Wednesday.
“I need to give the players a lot of credit,” O’Connor said. “A lot of them played a huge amount of minutes on Wednesday and then we went out and pushed hard again. It’s disappointing, but it’s a decent point away from home.”
After returning home from Richmond, Louisville City will head back on the road to face the Charleston Battery on May 28 (7:30 p.m. | WATCH), followed by an Open Cup fixture with Indy Eleven on June 1 (7:30 p.m. | TICKETS). O’Connor said it’ll be important for everyone on his team to remain rested and focused through the road streak.
“It looks like we’re going to be driving around the country for the next little bit,” O’Connor said. “It’s just a part of it. We’ve got a few away games coming up, but it’s a chance to show some mental toughness and mental strength. We’re definitely looking forward to those games.”
LouCity returns to Slugger Field on June 11 to host Wilmington Hammerheads (7:30 p.m. |TICKETS).
Fans can stay up to date with all of Louisville City’s breaking news, roster updates and ticketing information by following the Club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Season tickets are available for Louisville City’s historic second season via the Club’s official website.
Additional Notes
- Louisville City FC comes into the game at the top of the Eastern Conference with 20 points through nine contests. Richmond comes into the game at seventh with 14 points.
- LouCity grabbed four points in two matches against the Kickers in the Club’s inaugural season. They brought home a 1-1 draw in LouCity’s first ever away game and won in a 3-0 rout in July.
- Former Richmond midfielder George Davis IV currently plays for LouCity. Davis appeared 53 times for Richmond, scoring 19 goals. Davis scored his first goal with LouCity last week against Saint Louis, earning him USL Team of the Week honors.
- LouCity have gone 287 minutes without conceding a goal and have kept three straight clean sheets in USL play before Saturday’s match.
Resumen: LouCity, líder de la USL, deja los Kickers sin goles
RICHMOND, Va. – Louisville City FC (6-1-3, 21 puntos) robó un punto en un 0-0 empate contra los Richmond Kickers el Sábado en Richmond, alargando la racha a nueve partidos sin perder.
La defensa del equipo del entrenador James O’Connor estuvo fuerte, manteniendo su cuarto partido consecutivo en la USL donde no dejan oponente anotar un gol. Defensores centrales Sean Reynolds, Tarek Morad y Conor Shanosky – quien entro por Morad en el segundo tiempo – mantuvieron todo enfrente de ellos, mientras los laterales Ben Newnam y Kyle Smith empujaron adelante durante el partido, haciendo el partido difícil para la defensa de Richmond.
A pesar del esfuerzo hecho por Newnam y Smith, LouCity no pudieron encontrar el gol para agarrar los tres puntos. O’Connor dijo que el cansancio de jugar tres partidos en una semana afecto su equipos habilidad de anotar el gol.
“Pensé que nos mirábamos bien cansado y hastiado,” dijo O’Connor. “Pienso que cuando miras nuestra decisiones, nuestros pases y nuestra calidad, se miraba cansado. Era un caso donde nos mirábamos bien cansado.”
O’Connor hizo unos substitutos tácticos durante medio tiempo para infundir más potencia en el ataque por metiendo a Paolo DelPiccolo, el activo George Davis IV y el inspirador de cosas impresionante Cameron Lancaster. Los tres sustitutos hicieron un impacto – DelPiccolo distribuyó, Davis creó y Lancaster llego cerca de anotar en varias ocasiones.
Aunque LouCity no regresaron a casa con los tres puntos, O’Connor dijo que estaba contento con su equipo alcanzó profundo para llevarse un punto de Virginia después de un partido de la Open Cup emocionante que requirió tiros penales el Miércoles.
“Tengo de darle crédito a los jugadores,” dijo O’Connor. “ Muchos de ellos jugaron un tremendo de minutos el Miércoles y salieron y empujaron fuerte otra vez. Es decepcionante, pero es un punto decente afuera de casa.”
Después de regresar de Richmond, Louisville City regresa al camino para enfrentar a Charleston Battery el 28 de Mayo (7:30 p.m.), seguido por el partido de la Open Cup con Indy Eleven el 1 de Junio (7:30 p.m.). O’Connor dijo que va ser importante que todos los jugadores se mantengan relajado y enfocado.
“Parece que vamos estar manejando todo el país por un ratito,” dijo O’Connor. “Es parte del deporte. Tenemos unos partidos afuera de casa, pero es una oportunidad de enseñar fortaleza y fuerza mental. Estamos excitado para estos partidos.”
LouCity regresa a Slugger Field el 11 de Junio para jugar contra Wilmington Hammerheads (7:30 p.m.)
Aficionados pueden seguir toda la nueva noticias y información de boletos por nuestras medios sociales oficiales sobre Facebook, Twitter y Instagram. Boletos de temporada están disponible para nuestra segunda temporada sobre nuestro sitio web oficial.
Louisville City FC Match Report
Match: Richmond Kickers vs. Louisville City FC
Date: May 21, 2016
Competition: United Soccer League
Venue: City Stadium
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. EST
Weather: 69 degrees; rainy
Key Defensive Stops and Saves
LOU: 26’ – Greg Ranjitsingh: Ranjitsingh tipped a screeching goal-bound ball over the crossbar after a Richmond strike from outside of the box.
Lineups
LOU: 13-Greg Ranjitsingh; 24-Kyle Smith, 15-Sean Reynolds, 6-Tarek Morad (46’ 5-Conor Shanosky), 2-Ben Newnam; 8-Guy Abend, 4-Aodhan Quinn (c) (46’ 36-Paolo DelPiccolo), 77-Andrew Lubahn (46’ 22-George Davis IV), 11-Niall McCabe (83’ 14-Ilija Ilic), 12-Mark-Anthony Kaye; 17-Chandler Hoffman (64’ 9-Cameron Lancaster)
Subs not used: 20-Enrique Montano, 1-Scott Goodwin
RIC: 30-Charlie Horton; 18-Alex Lee, 31-Braeden Troyer, 8-Hugh Roberts, 2-William Yomby; 26-Miguel Aguilar, 22-Brian Ownby (78’ 9-Anthony Grant), 11-Luiz Fernando (85’ 23-Sascha Gorres), 28-Samuel Asante, 15-Lucas Paulini (73’ 14-Yudai Imura); 17-Jason Yeisley
Subs not used: 0-Sawyer Gaffney, 25-Travis Pittman, 10-Sunny Jane, 24-Jackson Eskay
Quote Sheet
O’Connor on his team’s fatigue: “I thought we looked really tired and really jaded. I think when you look at our decision making, our passing and our quality, it was really tired. It was a case where we looked really fatigued.”
O’Connor on staying on the road: “It looks like we’re going to be driving around the country for the next little bit. It’s just a part of it. We’ve got a few away games coming up, but it’s a chance to show some mental toughness and mental strength. We’re definitely looking forward to those games.”
O’Connor on his players’ toughness: “I need the players a lot of credit. A lot of them played a huge amount of minutes on Wednesday and then we went out and pushed hard again. It’s disappointing, but it’s a decent point away from home.”
