Louisville City FC dominated Sporting Kansas City II on Friday, displaying attacking proficiency in a game that ended 4-2 in favor of the boys in purple even with slight formation and positional changes.
LouCity came out in a 3-5-2 instead of its traditional four at the back. Additionally, goalkeeper Parker Siegfried stepped in for Chris Hubbard, and the speedy Jonathan Gomez found himself moving into a winger’s role.
A quieter first half for LouCity saw the first 45 minutes pass with a 1-1 scoreline. Kyle Greig notched his second goal of the season in the fifth minute, and SKC II answered eight minutes later to tie the game.
The veteran standout Brian Ownby, on the wing opposite Gomez, scored a magnificent curling, goal from the edge of the box to put LouCity ahead in the 56th minute. Center back Alexis Souahy pitched in with his first goal since 2019 just two minutes after that, and Greig registered his second of the game and 60th career USL Championship goal to round out LouCity’s scoring when Jonathan Gomez put the ball on a platter for him in the 67th minute.
The victory moved LouCity to first on the Central Division table entering the weekend — one point clear of Birmingham Legion FC as the two clubs moved even on games played at 10.
“I’m really proud of the way they came out in the second half — really proud of the group.” Said head coach Danny Cruz. “I thought more importantly they continued to fight for 90 minutes-plus. I’m not happy we conceded two goals, but I think at the end of the day, it’s a really good performance on the road.”
Here’s more of what we learned…
LouCity’s attacking output continues
LouCity has shown in the past and in Kansas that it can generate chances. Lately, the goals are following accordingly. The boys in purple have tallied 21 goals to lead the Eastern Conference in scoring and rank second in the league. A whopping 15 of those have come in the last five games during a current unbeaten streak.
Despite taking one fewer shot than SKC II, LouCity proved more efficient, converting two-thirds of its tries into shots on target, double its opposition.
Also, City put in more than double the crosses of SKC II, a clear indication Cruz’s change in formation had a positive effect given strong presence on the wings. Gomez was credited with nine of LouCity’s 12 crosses given freedom not to track back so far as a defender.
Brian Ownby’s top performance
Not only did Ownby grab a goal and an assist against Kansas, he put up incredible numbers in other categories, too. Ownby kickstarted LouCity’s momentum in the second half with his finessed shot into the top-left corner. The assist for Souahy’s goal followed two minutes later.
Ownby was productive on both sides of the pitch against Kansas. In LouCity’s adjusted formation, he tracked back without second thought, gaining possession from Kansas eight times, tied for the most out of any player on the field —including an interception that led to the opening goal.
“He’s certainly playing really well.” Cruz said of Ownby. “He continues to create problems for the opponent. He’s in a good moment right now, and I feel he’s going to continue to play well.”
Ownby followed up this performance from a two-assist game last weekend. Also notable, midfielder Corben Bone, who had the equalizer in that 3-3 draw with Indy Eleven, tallied two more assist in the SKC II victory.
What’s next
LouCity’s offense will get the credit here, but defense has locked down since conceding a trio of goals in the first half to Indy a week ago. Cruz didn’t like that SKC II was allowed to quickly level the score Friday night, but it wasn’t until the game was out of reach that the hosts scored their second goal of the evening.
LouCity held SKC II quiet by winning individual battles, taking 51 duels compared to 34 last out versus Indy.
We’ll see if the boys in purple can continue improving on their defensive numbers in a July 10 return to FC Tulsa, where it was a wacky 3-2 game last out as LouCity played on some tired legs, winning what was its third game in eight days.
