After battling congested scheduling and a bevy of injuries over the first half of the season, Louisville City FC coach Danny Cruz will finally go without a game-to-game lineup change Friday night.
With kickoff set for 9 p.m. ET at FC Tulsa’s ONEOK Field, LouCity is sticking with the same bunch that defeated rival Indy Eleven last weekend by a 2-0 score, snapping a three-game losing streak.
It’s just the second time this season Cruz hasn’t made a change, the other being from an April victory over San Antonio FC into a draw at the Charleston Battery.
Oliver Semmle is back in goal, one shutout away from 11 and the USL Championship’s single-season rookie record for clean sheets. In front of Semmle are a back three of, from left to right, newcomer Kyle Adams, Wes Charpie and Sean Totsch.
Amadou Dia (left) and Oscar Jimenez (right) will operate as wing backs in this 3-4-3 shape alongside a midfield duo of Tyler Gibson and Elijah Wynder. The front three consists of Brian Ownby, Cameron Lancaster and Rasmus Thellufsen.
Against Indy, this group both scored multiple goals — the fourth time that’s happened for LouCity this season — and held the Eleven without a shot on target. It marked a shift from City’s regular four-back formations thanks to Adams’ arrival on transfer from San Diego Loyal.
The boys in purple will host an in-form Tulsa side that, until last weekend’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, pulled themselves back into a USL Championship Playoffs position on a five-game winning streak.
Friday’s game will air locally on WBKI/The CW and ESPN 680/105.7. USL Championship games also stream live via ESPN+.
Team Sheet vs. FC Tulsa
28 — Oliver Semmle
32 — Kyle Adams
6 — Wes Charpie
4 — Sean Totsch (C)
19 — Oscar Jimenez
13 — Amadou Dia
12 — Tyler Gibson
23 — Elijah Wynder
10 — Brian Ownby
5 — Rasmus Thellufsen
17 — Cameron Lancaster
Substitutes: 18 — Danny Faundez, 15 — Manny Perez, 11 — Niall McCabe, 22 — Dylan Mares, 7 — Ray Serrano, 90 — Maarten Pouwels, 14 — Wilson Harris
