Now 12 games into the USL season and in the midst of a Lamar Hunt Open Cup run, Louisville City have seen early success in their title-defending campaign.
The club’s 7-2-3 league record is good for second in the Eastern Conference following Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Penn FC, though the “Boys in Purple” have games in hand on the rest of the conference.
While Louisville City has yet to complete a match with an entirely healthy roster, the club has seen a number of players taking on unexpected roles.
Of those players is forward Ilija Ilic who has shown his striking ability in the absence of teammates Cameron Lancaster and Luke Spencer, though Ilic’s performance is of no marvel to head coach James O’Connor.
“I know how good the players are. We’ve got really good players, so I think for me that wasn’t the surprise,” said O’Connor. “It was great to see that, but we see so much of it in training.”
A true test comes in the form of a five-game stretch over the next 15 days including Wednesday night’s Open Cup match against Nashville SC.
For midfielder Niall McCabe, a continuation of early success comes down to the club’s overall fitness developed during preseason training and team character.
“It comes down to our mentality, character, and training,” said the Irishman. “We train at a very high intensity and we’re all fit. We have players that can step in and do the job as well as anybody.”
The Open Cup Round of 16 matchup will be Louisville City’s third go-around with one of the USL’s latest additions in Nashville.
Both sides won 2-0 on their home turf, with Wednesday’s match being held at the University of Louisville’s Lynn Stadium.
“We’ll come into the Nashville game with expectations to try and get to the next round and keep progressing,” said McCabe.
Though the Round of 16 contest is the last all-USL match in the Open Cup, the opponent’s level of play has no affect on the club’s mentality.
“We’re trying to beat whatever team is put in front of us and put in good performances,” said McCabe. “It’s just another game for us and hopefully things come out well for us and we’re through to the other side.”
