After logging minutes off the bench in a midweek friendly, defender Manny Perez returns to Louisville City FC’s starting 11 for Saturday’s 8 p.m. kickoff against Las Vegas Lights FC.
A 24-year-old outside back, Perez is dangerous moving forward, ranking second on the team in crosses attempted and crossing accuracy. He’s missed all of June’s USL Championship games after tweaking his groin late last month.
Perez is one of two changes dating back to last weekend’s draw at Phoenix Rising FC. Goal scorer Dylan Mares also enters for Elijah Wynder, who’s out with an injury.
Nine familiar faces fill out the rest of LouCity’s regular 4-4-3 formation — and the lineup should be relatively fresh despite this marking the squad’s third game in eight days.
Amadou Dia, Tyler Gibson and Wilson Harris weren’t rostered for Wednesday’s international friendly against FC Kaiserslautern. Others played but didn’t have to endure a full 90 minutes as City finished the game with a number of its youth academy standouts on the pitch.
In front of goalkeeper Oliver Semmle — he was on the team sheet but did not play against FCK — are a back four of Dia, Sean Totsch, Wes Charpie and Perez. Gibson, Mares and Rasmus Thellufsen make up the midfield. The front three remains the same as the Phoenix game, from left: Enoch Mushagalusa, Wilson Harris and Ray Serrano.
Saturday’s game airs on WBKI/The CW and ESPN 680/105.7 with streaming coverage on ESPN+.
Team Sheet vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
28 — Oliver Semmle
13 — Amadou Dia
4 — Sean Totsch (C)
6 — Wes Charpie
15 — Manny Perez
12 — Tyler Gibson
5 — Rasmus Thellufsen
22 — Dylan Mares
77 — Enoch Mushagalusa
7 — Ray Serrano
14 — Wilson Harris
Substitutes: 18 — Danny Faundez, 19 — Oscar Jimenez, 8 — Carlos Moguel Jr., 36 — Paolo DelPiccolo, 11 — Niall McCabe, 10 — Brian Ownby, 90 — Maarten Pouwels
