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Niall McCabe’s native Ireland had already captured the “Six Nations” rugby championship, a serendipitous St. Patrick’s Day victory, before the Louisville City FC midfielder took his own turn on the pitch.

A game-winning assist and a goal later, McCabe settled into a green interview chair — he picked it over the red alternative, of course — and declared this “the perfect day.”

LouCity extended its unbeaten streak in United Soccer League openers with credit due to McCabe. He propelled the boys in purple past a halftime stalemate, going on to defeat USL newcomer Nashville SC by a 2-0 score at Slugger Field.

“He’s really pushed himself, and he’s been able to get the reward today for it because he’s worked exceptionally hard,” said LouCity coach James O’Connor. “In the preseason games, he covered an awful lot of ground. In training, he works exceptionally hard.

“It’s always nice when you get players working as hard as that rewarded with a goal or an assist.”

On this March 17, McCabe created his own luck.

To open the 56th minute, the midfielder found himself draped by a defender but the ball at his feet. After an extra touch to create space, he launched a cross from distance along the left side and found forward Luke Spencer — the club’s leading scorer during its USL Cup-winning 2017 campaign — for the season’s opening goal.

Eight minutes later, he booted another bit of service from near the same spot. That one found defender Paco Craig’s head but flew just over the bar.

Two minutes after that, in the 66th, McCabe did the finishing as the beneficiary of a hammered Oscar Jimenez pass across the face of goal. Jimenez “really needed to smash the ball,” McCabe said. “It’s the only way it could have gotten to me.”

On the perfect day, it did.

“Two yards out, I‘d hope I wouldn’t miss,” McCabe added. “But hey, you’ve still got to put it in the back of the net. Thankfully I was able to get into the right position to help the team and put the goal away.”

McCabe rounded out the afternoon by completing 70 percent of his passes, a respectable number given he worked on the left wing, with most of his attempts moving the ball forward. Two of those passes were credited as “key” by Opta statistics.

“A goal and an assist — that’s what you’ll see in the papers if you’re reading the headlines — but he’s working really hard to press the ball and really hard to do the defensive work as well,” Spencer said of McCabe, who opened his fourth season with LouCity on Saturday.

One of five players on the roster who enjoyed another 2-0 victory, in LouCity’s inaugural opener in 2015 at Slugger Field, McCabe has continued to develop.

He rehabbed from hip surgery that ended his 2016 season to register 3 goals and 4 assists the next year. He has an infant son to take care of, Luca Emmet McCabe. And he’s a leader in the locker room for a club that has never fallen short of the Eastern Conference Final — for local hoops fans, the USL’s equivalent to the Final Four.

At age 27, McCabe’s not done, either.

“I always want to win,” he said. “Last year was great, but we all want more. I think we’re just so competitive. Every day in training, it doesn’t matter if it’s 4 v. 4, 5 v. 5 — everyone wants to win. So when you go out there on the Saturday, it’s the mentality of us all.

“We all just want to get better and improve and take the next step. It’s just showing up every day and doing the right things.”

Louisville City FC earned the first three points of the season on Saturday afternoon, defeating Nashville SC, 2-0, in the 2018 season opener.

What Happened?
LouCity had its first opportunity of the night just nine minutes in as forward Luke Spencer tested Nashville ‘keeper Matt Pickens from close-range only to be denied by the big man, who sat tight on his line. The first chance of the night for the visitors came after 24 minutes when midfielder Ryan James got on the end of a cross only to head over the crossbar and away from danger.

At the break, the “Boys in Purple” were locked at zeros with their counterparts.

Starting the second half with a bang, LouCity’s Shaun Francis nearly helped open the scoring in trying to connect with George Davis IV, only for a defender to intervene and yield a corner. However, after 56 minutes, the hosts broke the deadlock. Taking a cross from midfielder Niall McCabe, who earned Man of the Match for his work today, Spencer buried the chance and LouCity went one-up. Ten minutes later, the “Boys in Purple” went up two thanks to McCabe, who put home a rolled cross from defender Oscar Jimenez after 66 minutes.

The Nashville attack would test LouCity ‘keeper Greg Ranjitsingh a couple times more before the end of the match, but the Trinidad & Tobago nationalist would smother everything in front of his net to preserve his clean sheet and help hand his side their first three points of the year.

The Key Points:

• LouCity took the lead thanks to Luke Spencer’s goal just after halftime
• The hosts doubled their tally after McCabe tapped home a cross from Jimenez
• Goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh earned his first clean sheet

O’Connor’s Takeaways:

On the match:
“Really pleased. I think when you look at everything that’s been thrown at the players in the preseason, I think it’s been fantastic. The mentality that they showed was really good and I thought the performance was very professional and very strong.”

On Niall McCabe:
“I’m absolutely thrilled for Niall. It was a great ball in and a great goal. Not just Niall, though, when you look at all the guys and how hard they’ve worked, it’s been pleasing to see the effort, the attitude, and the togetherness. The mentality they showed was really, really good. For me, it’s a proud moment because you look at how good that performance was and we’re very, very pleased.”

On Nashville:
“When you look at Nashville, I think they’re going to go on and have a very strong year. When you look at the game and the first half, it was a tactical battle at times. For us to be able to go and get a win like that, it’s very encouraging. But, it’s one win. We have a really tough game coming up next Saturday, so we’ll keep the usual focus and be ready for that.”

On preparations:
“It was difficult. It’s always a challenge because you look and you’re trying to double guess personnel, double guess formations, but again when you look at the growth of the USL and the way that there are another six or seven teams coming in next year and everyone who came in … You’re going to play against teams that have brand new franchises.”

On formation:
“For me, it’s about space. It’s not necessarily formation, it’s trying to understand spatial awareness. That’s something our players have really been able to take on board.”

Player Point of View: Niall McCabe

On his day:
“It’s been a good day! Ireland won their grand slam at Six Nations, and Paddy’s Day, and a good start for us today… It’s kind of the perfect day, if you will.”

On the goal:
“We played real nice combination play. Luke dummied two defenders and played a real nice ball down the side for Oscar, and I can’t credit Oscar enough; he really needed to smash the ball across, it’s the only way it could’ve gotten the pass to me. From two yards out, I’d hope I wouldn’t miss so thankfully I was able to get in a good position and help the team to put the goal away.”

On the tactics:
“We talked about just getting more room in behind. I felt like we were playing too much in front of them and it was easier to defend. We got runners in behind to try and stretch their back five and cause them more trouble … I felt like we did a really good job in the second half of doing that. They’re a good team. They didn’t let us play the way we had hoped to. As a first-year team, they came out all guns blazing so credit to them. They made it really difficult for us.”

On what separates his play:
“Just the will to win. I want to win… everything. Last year was great but we all want more. I think we’re just so competitive. Every day in training, it doesn’t matter if it’s 4v4 or 5v5 or whatever, everyone wants to win. So when we go out on a Saturday, it’s the mentality. We all want to improve and take the next step… It’s about showing up every day and doing the right things.”

Team News:
Midfielder Brian Ownby missed out on today’s match due to illness.

LouCity 2 : 0 Nashville SC
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Slugger Field – Louisville, KY

Scoring Summary:
LOU – Luke Spencer 56’ (Niall McCabe)
LOU – Niall McCabe 67’ (Oscar Jimenez)

Starting XI (3-4-3): Greg Ranjitsingh (GK); Paco Craig, Sean Totsch, Pat McMahon; Shaun Francis, Paolo DelPiccolo, Kyle Smith, Oscar Jimenez; Niall McCabe (Magnus Rasmussen 87’), Luke Spencer, George Davis IV (Richard Ballard 76’)

Bench: Tim Dobrowolski, Cameron Lancaster, Ilija Ilic, Alexis Souahy, Devon Williams

For the first time since the 2017 USL Cup, Louisville City FC is playing a competitive fixture at Slugger Field!

This Saturday afternoon matchup features the champions taking on the newcomers as Nashville SC rolls in from a few hours south. The contest is Nashville’s first-ever competitive league match.

When & Where

LouCity welcomes Nashville SC for a 3:00 P.M. kickoff at Slugger Field. Coach O’Connor and crew are unbeaten through their three previous opening contests, with two at home in Louisville. 

Catch all the action on local station WBNA 21 or over the airwaves on 790 WKRD AM. Fans can also follow the match live on Twitter & Instagram.

TV: WBNA 21
RADIO: 790 WKRD

DOWNLOAD: LouCity app for iOS | LouCity app for Android
READ: Slugger Field A-to-Z

Last Time Out

LouCity wrapped up their 2018 preseason slate with a 1-1 draw against fellow USL side Saint Louis FC at Arad McCutchan Stadium in Evansville, IN.

The “Boys in Purple” faced an early deficit after a difficult to handle back pass saw a LouCity defender put the ball into the back of his net just three minutes in. However, head coach James O’Connor’s crew got back on the front foot in quick succession as they tested the opposition goal. Despite the looks, LouCity trailed 1-0 at the break.

As the game ebbed and flowed in both directions, LouCity was able to take advantage of a more open contest. In the 72nd minute, they found their goal. As the opposition goalkeeper spilled a previous effort, midfielder Niall McCabe was in perfect position to fire home from point-blank range. The goal was McCabe’s third in as many games and put him top the charts as preseason came to a close.

Neither side would find the winner they pushed for in the final 15 minutes, but O’Connor was satisfied with the team’s draw as they then immediately turned their attention to Nashville SC.

READ: #LOUvNSH – Talking Points

From the Gaffer

On preseason and a title defense:
“We’ve been pleased. I think through the course of our preseason we were able to get a lot of work done. Unfortunately, a couple of guys picked up some niggles but we’ve managed to iron that out. We feel as if preseason has gone well and we’re excited and are looking forward to the game.”

On Nashville:
“It’s very difficult when you play against a brand-new team that has no real history. I think to try and get a gauge on what they’re going to do, what personnel, what formation… I think it’s pretty difficult to get a good steer on that. Obviously, they’ve got massive plans there. They’ve got a very experienced coach and they’ve got very experienced players, so we’re expecting a very tough game.”

Back home at Slugger Field:
“I think I’ve said this many times but we’ve got the most passionate and the best supporters in the league. When you look at the passion that they bring, it creates a very exciting atmosphere and we’re certainly looking forward to getting back out and playing in front of them.”

On facing an expansion club:
“I think for us, when you look at the players they [Nashville] have signed, the coach, the plans for Nashville, and the proximity in regards to Louisville–I think it’s another regional rivalry—so when you look at all those factors it’s a fabulous game to open the season with.”

Team News

QUESTIONABLE – Alexis Souahy (leg)
QUESTIONABLE – Ilija Ilic (leg)

#LOUvNSH: Talking Points

1) STAR Power?

Louisville City FC hits the field Saturday afternoon in their new-look 2018 home kits sponsored by GE Appliances! Featuring gold trim spilling down the side of the home kit, the club’s traditional all-purple stripe features one important addition: the star.

Winning the 2017 USL Cup, LouCity gets to add that coveted star above their crest for the first time. The club will debut their new home kit this weekend but will have to wait until an April 7 match against FC Cincinnati to show off their new away jerseys. LouCity’s third-kit will be put into action on April 14 against Richmond Kickers during the team’s “Blackout Night” promotion.

2018 jerseys will be available for purchase at the match!

2) ST. PADDY’S DAY DELIGHT?

For the first time ever, LouCity opens their season on St. Patrick’s Day! The match, presented by Fourth Street Live! is part of the extended 2018 USL season. Spanning 34 games, the run from mid-march to mid-October will be the longest in league history.

On Saturday afternoon, LouCity celebrates head coach James O’Connor’s homeland with green beer and more St. Patrick’s Day drink specials at our ‘Party by the Pitch’, presented by Lunazul! Plus, don’t miss your chance at an exclusive St. Patty’s Day t-shirt at our merchandise stops. The party gets underway at 1:30 p.m. at Slugger Field.

– Click HERE for Single Game Tickets vs. NASHVILLE SC –

3) ANOTHER AFTERNOON AT SLUGGER

Last year’s season opener was a doozy. Though the “Boys in Purple” would not find a winner through their 0-0 draw with Saint Louis FC, the match kicked off a six-game unbeaten run that drew out in the month of May.

Ten of eleven members of O’Connor’s starting squad returned for the 2018 season (Ranjitsingh; Jimenez, Totsch, Smith; Williams, PdP; Ballard, Davis IV, Ownby; Lancaster), with a solid portion of those ten expecting to earn a second straight start to begin the season.

4) ON YOUR MARKS

Season openers have been good to LouCity, traditionally, with the team unbeaten through their first three since 2015. 

In the club’s first-ever match in March 2015, it was midfielder Magnus Rasmussen who scored the first goal in club history in the 23rd minute to ignite the Slugger Field crowd. In 2016, LouCity required a last-gasp winner from forward Cameron Lancaster (90+4′) to beat the Charlotte Independence, 0-1, at Ramblewood Soccer Complex in Charlotte. And finally, last year’s nil-nil with STLFC marked the third straight season that LouCity’s opposition failed to beat the team to start the year.

However, this year is different than in years past. Much was unknown in 2015, but both Charlotte and Saint Louis were familiar opposition in 2016 and 2017, while Nashville SC comes in tested but relatively unseen. The “Boys in Purple” will have to click from the get-go in order to achieve the result desired this coming Saturday.

LouCity wrapped up their 2018 preseason slate with a 1-1 draw against fellow USL side Saint Louis FC at Arad McCutchan Stadium in Evansville, IN.

What Happened?
The “Boys in Purple” faced an early deficit after a difficult to handle back pass saw a LouCity defender put the ball into the back of his net just three minutes in. However, head coach James O’Connor’s crew got back on the front foot in quick succession as they tested the opposition goal.

Midfielder Richard Ballard and forward Luke Spencer saw a pair of opportunities fall their way, but the closest LouCity came to getting on the board came in the 32nd minute. Gathering the ball in the box, Spencer did well to create space before getting a shot away that ended up on the wrong side of the post. Despite the looks, LouCity trailed 1-0 at the break.

The match opened up more as the second half wore on and both sides nearly capitalized on efforts inside the first ten minutes after the half. Coming on in place of Greg Ranjitsingh, ‘keeper Tim Dobrowolski made an imperative save in the 53rd minute to keep his side in the contest. Stretching to put fingertips on a bullet from STLFC, the third-year netminder pushed the chance off the crossbar.

As the game ebbed and flowed in both directions, LouCity was able to take advantage of a more open contest. In the 72nd minute, they found their goal. Forward Cameron Lancaster entered in place of Luke Spencer at halftime and forced a good save from the STLFC ‘keeper in the run of play. As the opposition goalkeeper spilled the effort, midfielder Niall McCabe was in perfect position to fire home from point-blank range. The goal was McCabe’s third in as many games and put him top the charts as preseason came to a close.

Neither side would find the winner they pushed for in the final 15 minutes, but O’Connor was satisfied with the team’s draw as they prepare to face Nashville SC in the regular season opener on Saturday.

The Key Points:

• LouCity went down early in part to an own goal in the 3rd minute of play
• Niall McCabe’s equalizer came off the back of a saved effort from Cameron Lancaster in the 72nd minute

O’Connor’s Takeaways:

On tonight’s 1-1 draw:
“We’re obviously disappointed with the goal we gave away; just a lack of concentration. But, overall, I thought we had good control of the game, just thought we needed to show a bit more quality. I mean in the first half we had four shots from good opportunities and certainly one really good opportunity, and they made a huge save. We need to force their ‘keeper to make saves.

I thought we had a decent amount of possession in the second half and scored a goal, but maybe needed to be a little bit sharper and have a little sharper movement and a better understanding. Really good game for us and it gives us some really good things to work on this week, so we’re thankful for Saint Louis for coming and we wish them all the best in their season.”

On defensive stability:
“On their goal, from our standpoint, it’s something we don’t expect to see. But, you take that out of the first half and I thought we played some nice football. We needed to have a little bit better understanding of where space was and then how to attack that space. Our timing of runs and movement we can work on. In regards to the game, it was a great warmup for next week.”

On McCabe’s goalscoring:
“We’re pleased. Niall’s had a great preseason—great attitude, great work ethic, etc. So we’ve been pleased with Niall but with all the guys really. In the end, when you look at the changes we made, in that last 30 minutes they were making changes and our lads were playing against fresher players yet we maintained our level of intensity, which is important. We’ve got a couple of guys we needed to manage minutes-wise to look after them, but we’re pleased.”

On the regular season:
“I think the priority is making sure that we’re ready this week. Monday morning we’ll see who’s okay and who has a couple of niggles. We also rested a few as well just to make sure that we give ourselves every opportunity to have a full squad to select from next Saturday.”

Player Point of View: Tim Dobrowolski

On his saves and the match:
“It’s always good to get in and see some shots, but obviously we wanted to eliminate their chances. But, when they come, we were prepared and I was glad to make the saves. Great to play against former teammates and excited to get after it next weekend.”

On the week:
“Obviously there are things we can take away—positive and negative—so we’ll review the tape and get back to our groove to get pumping for next weekend.”

On the opener:
“It’s always nice to start the season at home in front of our fans. They treated us so well last year and we’re looking forward to giving back to them again.”

Team News:
Shaun Francis made his first official start as a member of the “Boys in Purple,” going the full 90 minutes.

LouCity 1 : 1 Saint Louis FC
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Arad McCutchan Stadium – Evansville, IN

Scoring Summary:
STL – Own Goal 3’
LOU – Niall McCabe 72’

Louisville City FC has signed former MLS defender Shaun Francis for the 2018 season pending league and federation clearance, the club announced today. The defender joins the ranks as the 20th rostered player for head coach James O’Connor. Terms of the deal will not be disclosed, per club policy.

“Delighted to be able to sign someone of Shaun’s caliber,” said O’Connor. “Really pleased with his attitude and his quality, and we’re very excited to have somebody like that on board.”

Francis joins the “Boys in Purple” after spending time with San Jose Earthquakes before a trade to Montreal Impact. Drafted in the fourth round (63rd overall) of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew, Francis spent his first two years with the Black & Gold before landing in Chicago in 2013, making a combined 29 appearances between the two clubs. The versatile defender’s lengthiest spell was his three years with San Jose Earthquakes, where he appeared in 69 matches in all competitions after being selected in stage two of the 2013 MLS Re-Entry Draft.

 “James and his staff have done an excellent job of retaining and attracting talented players. Shaun’s signing further proves this. Go City!” added LouCity chairman, John Neace.

Joining Devon “Speedy” Williams as one of two Jamaican internationals on the roster, Francis has netted three times in 11 appearances for the “Reggae Boyz,” including goals in the 2010 Caribbean Cup, in 2017 Caribbean Cup qualification, and in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“I’m excited to be here and want to thank James and Dan [Byrd]. You can see they really care about the players,” said Francis. “The players really trust in this process and we can definitely be a championship team. They push us but you can tell they care about the players first and I’m ready to get going.”

Carrying a green card, the defender does not count against LouCity’s allotted number of international slots.

PLAYER INFORMATION
Name:             Shaun Francis
Position:         Defender
Hometown:    Mandeville, Jamaica
Born:               10/2/1986
Height:            6’0
Weight:           165 lbs
Prev. Club:      Montreal Impact (MLS)
Twitter:           @rivi29

Louisville City FC Roster as of Friday, March 9:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Tim Dobrolowski, Chris Hubbard, Greg Ranjitsingh

DEFENDERS (6): Paco Craig, Shaun Francis, Pat McMahon, Alexis Souahy, Kyle Smith, Sean Totsch

MIDFIELDERS (8): Richard Ballard, George Davis IV, Paolo DelPiccolo, Oscar Jimenez, Niall McCabe, Brian Ownby, Magnus Rasmussen, Devon “Speedy” Williams

FORWARDS (3): Ilija Ilic, Cameron Lancaster, Luke Spencer

Rounding out their 2018 preseason slate, LouCity meets Saint Louis FC for the first time since a regular season contest last July.

As STLFC shifts to the Western Conference, the preseason meeting is set as the scheduled time the two will face each other this year. Led by new head coach Anthony Pulis, the visitors enter with fresh legs having not played since a March 3&4 double date with F.C. Denver in Fenton, MO.

When & Where

LouCity’s second-annual trip to Evansville sees them cross paths with STLFC at Arad McCutcheon Stadium in Evansville, IN; Kickoff set for 4:00 P.M. CT / 5:00 P.M. ET.

With no stream provided, fans can follow the match live on Twitter & Instagram.

DOWNLOAD: LouCity app for iOS | LouCity app for Android

Last Time Out

LouCity faced Lipscomb University for the second year running at the Elizabethtown Sports Park in Elizabethtown, KY. Though frigid temperatures and light snowfall did their best to keep people away, the “Boys in Purple” knocked off the Bison, 3-0, in front of a couple hundred supporters who proudly braved the conditions.

Establishing themselves early, LouCity created a number of chances in the first few minutes but would not get on the scoresheet until a 17th-minute strike from forward Cameron Lancaster. Changing the pace, midfielder Magnus Rasmussen added his second goal of preseason just before the half after combining with Lancaster to open up space for a curling effort. 

A second half that also included plenty of chances, LouCity would only capitalize on one. Adding its third goal of the match in the 47th minute, George Davis IV netted his first of preseason thanks in part to a slight deflection that directed his effort in.

From the Gaffer

On the final preseason test:
“No injuries. We know the club Saint Louis well but this team is completely different. Anthony [Pulis] has made a lot of signings as their new coach. But the biggest thing for me tomorrow is our adjustment. We played on turf on Wednesday so we’ll have to manage minutes on Saturday. That change of surface in going from grass to turf to grass, and we’ve got guys that have picked up some niggles so we just need to be careful tomorrow and sensible in our approach. We’ll make that decision then as to who should maybe be risked and who shouldn’t. That will be the biggest thing for us.”

On the regular season:
“It will be nice to see our supporters again. For them, it’s always nice to have the team at home and we’re excited to play in front of them. They bring such great passion to our games. For us to get back into the regular season and in and amongst the real competition is what we’re here for, so we’re excited and looking forward to it.”

Team News

OUT – Alexis Souahy (leg)
OUT – Ilija Ilic (leg)
Questionable – Brian Ownby (illness)