Home

Capping off a highly successful first year, Louisville City FC’s youth academy was this week ranked 11th in the Elite Clubs National League’s Boys Overall Top 25 list.

The ECNL’s Top 25 was set in order of point totals across ECNL competitions and saw LouCity listed above, among others, youth systems for Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for our club, the staff, the players and the families,” said academy director Mario Sanchez. “In the first year of existence in a great league to get into the Top 25, I couldn’t be prouder. It goes along with what we have done since day one to be the best academy in the country. The results have shown it, and now we must continue to grow and get better.”

LouCity’s youth program — which operates alongside the Racing Louisville FC academy — began play in the fall of 2020, with the ECNL widely recognized as the nation’s leading youth soccer development platform. The local academies are fielded with a mission to provide a pathway to professional, collegiate and national team opportunities for their players.

Brothers Elijah and Josh Wynder have already graduated from the academy to sign pro deals with the USL Championship first team. LouCity was also one of only two clubs to be represented by each age group — U-13 through U-19 — in the ECNL playoffs.

“That is something that we are extremely proud of,” Sanchez said. “We have an approach that encompasses all age groups. That to me is a sign of development. We are not picking one or two age groups but from the little ones up, they are getting what they need to be the best players they can be.”

Along with ECNL competitions and other tournaments, LouCity fielded a USL Academy League squad in 2021, gathering its top talents from across age groups, many of them well-known all-state performers on their high school squads, to compete in a nine-game campaign. The season could eventually grow to match the USL Championship in breadth, providing a top-flight reserve league for pros to log needed minutes and young talent to prove itself.

“Ultimately, we want our kids from the greater Kentuckiana area to have the best opportunities and development,” Sanchez said. “To see the growth and to see the success, I couldn’t be prouder for the club. Now, it is making sure we continue to grow.”

The LouCity and Racing academies will look to build off their momentum in a second ECNL season kicking off in September for age groups U-14 and younger. Older players return to competition in October and November.

ECNL’s 2020-21 Top 25 Clubs

1. San Diego Surf
2. Dallas Texans
3. Eclipse Select
4. CESA
5. Crossfire Premier
6. NCFC Youth Academy
7. Charlotte Independence Pro
8. Charlotte SA Academy
9. GSA
10. Pateadores
11. Louisville City FC
12. FC Dallas
13. Pipeline SC
14. San Diego SC
15. Albion Hurricanes FC
16. Florida Premier
17. NEFC
18. Richmond United
19. Houston Dynamo Youth
20. Arlington Soccer
T21. NTH-NASA
T21. Utah Avalanche
23. Lonestar SC South
24. Florida Kraze
25. Ohio Premier

At one end of the pitch, a Sporting KC II defender had just chopped down Jorge Gonzalez to force a turnover when seconds later — with Louisville City FC defenders appealing for an offside call — the visitors put an equalizer in the back of the net.

That might have been a problem for any other club in the USL Championship, but LouCity responded Saturday night with a trio of late goals in a 4-1 victory over SKC II at Lynn Family Stadium.

The offense kept on humming amid a run of 11 unbeaten games over the last 12, keeping the boys in purple atop the Eastern Conference’s Central Division with an 11-3-3 record — those 33 points now seven better than second-place Birmingham Legion FC.

“Hell of a second half,” said coach Danny Cruz. “I spoke to the players about the importance of starting well … but i didn’t feel for the first 40 minutes there that we played to the ability that we needed to — small details that we can continue to work on.

“I’m happy with the result. Unbelievable atmosphere again — certainly gives us a push even after they score a goal. I know we’ve been talking about it lately, but that’s why it’s so important to play in this place with these fans.”

Adding to Jorge Gonzalez’s stoppage-time strike to end the first half, Brian Ownby headed in a 72nd-minute corner, Cameron Lancaster finished an assist from Ownby three minutes later, and Jimmy McLaughlin had a deflected shot from distance eke over the end line past the 90th minute.

The scoring spree more than negated Enoch Mushagalusa’s 68th-minute breakaway goal that had him shushing a crowd of 10,470. Tables turned not too long later on a night LouCity looked in full control.

“First and foremost, we don’t want to concede that goal,” Lancaster said. “That’s not in our DNA. That’s not what we want to happen. Good heart — good spirit to get the second and third and get up quickly.”

The boys in purple out-shot SKC II by an 18-3 margin, conceded only the one try on target and held 57.3% of possession. Chances were aplenty as LouCity racked up 19 attempted corners, too.

It was on corner No. 17 that Ownby, with service from Jonathan Gomez, skied for his headed goal that broke the deadlock. Ownby also pushed his career-high assist total just past the season’s midpoint seven when setting up Lancaster’s scoring chance.

The Tottenham Hotspur product Lancaster hit 60 career USL Championship goals — 59 with LouCity and one during his season with Nashville SC — before McLaughlin put the exclamation point on an electric final 20 minutes.

“We know we have the talent, work ethic and attack,” Ownby said, “and it’s just finding that final piece — final pass — because you see we get there a lot in the final third and it’s a final connection and we could be banging in four or five goals every game. So it’s just working on that final product.

“We know we have it, it’s just being patient and letting the game come to us and I think we did that after the first goal.”

Smoke poured from the Estopinal End of Lynn Family Stadium to the point that twice, a false fire alarm went off inside the venue. It was a fitting end to the club’s Supporter Appreciation Night thanking those who make the stadium atmosphere what it is each game.

LouCity will be back in a week’s time, hosting Central Division rival FC Tulsa, the only side to defeat the boys in purple since June 12.

Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Sporting KC II

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Weather: 86 degrees, Partly sunny

Man of the Match: Brian Ownby

Attendance: 10,470

Scoring

Louisville City FC (1, 3, 4)

Sporting KC II (1, 0, 1)

Goals

Louisville City FC:

45+3’, Gonzalez (assisted by Bone)

71’, Ownby (assisted by Gomez)

75’, Lancaster (assisted by Ownby)

90+4’ McLaughlin (assisted by Hoppenot)

Sporting KC II:

68’, Mushagalusa

Stats Summary: Louisville City FC / Sporting KC II

Shots: 18 / 4

Shots on Goal: 7 / 1

Fouls: 14 / 7

Offside: 0 / 5

Corner Kicks: 19 / 2

Saves: 0 / 3

Lineups

Louisville City FC: 24 – Parker Siegfried, 15 – Patrick McMahon, 4 – Sean Totsch, 6 – Wesley Charpie, 42 – Jonathan Gomez, 12 – Tyler Gibson, 13 – Corben Bone (60’ 11 – Niall McCabe), 36 – Paolo DelPiccolo (77’ 7 – Napo Matsoso), 10 – Brian Ownby (80’ 20 – Jimmy McLoughlin), 9 – Jorge Gonzalez (77’ 29 – Antoine Hoppenot), 17 – Cameron Lancaster (85’ 3 – Alexis Souahy)

Subs not used: 1 – Chris Hubbard, 8 – Akil Watts

Sporting KC II: 22 – Kendall McIntosh, 24 – Kayden Pierre, 98 – Matthew Constant (78’ 46 – Jacob Davis), 16 – Graham Smith, 33 – Daniel Barbir, 49 – Coby Jones. 32 – Christian Duke, 39 – Petar Cuic (87’ 56 – Jayin Van Deventer), 99 – Zion Long (67’ 44 – Rojay Smith), 37 – Jamil Roberts (78’ 88 – Isaiah LeFlore), 77 – Enoch Mushagalusa

Subs not used: 42 – Remi Prieur, 50 – Aljaz Dzankic, 84 – Jahon Rad

Discipline Summary

Sporting KC II: Jones (yellow) 9’

Louisville City: Matsoso (yellow) 84’

Louisville City: Hoppenot (yellow) 87’

Sporting KC II: Davis (yellow) 89’

Referee: Elton Garcia

Assistant Referees: Walt Heatherly & Christopher Slane

Fourth Official: Noah Matos

Coming off one of its best-ever months, Louisville City FC opens August’s USL Championship slate at 7:30 p.m. Saturday when hosting Sporting KC II.

The boys in purple won five times in July, twice defeating SKC II in Kansas City. This third of four meetings will move the series from Children’s Mercy Park to LouCity’s Lynn Family Stadium.

The Butchertown neighborhood facility has served as a fortress for the boys in purple this season. LouCity leads the 32-team USL Championship in attendance, welcoming an average of 9,805 per game. The number jumps to 10,726 for games since capacity limits were lifted earlier this summer.

The crowd can expect goals this weekend with LouCity and SKC II playing to a combined 6-3 score in their previous two meetings, both victories for the boys in purple on July 2 and July 28.

Both squads are one game removed from seeing each other last week. LouCity defeated OKC Energy FC on the weekend, while Sporting dropped a game to Memphis 901 FC.

LouCity will finish its four-game series with SKC II — each Central Division squad plays the others twice home and away in 2021 — on Oct. 9.

Here’s more of what to watch for Saturday…

Follow along…

• For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Also find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram. Live stats can be found at www.loucity.com/match-center.

• On the WBKI-TV (The CW)/ESPN+ streaming call: Josh Eastern (play by play) and Devon Kerr (color).

• And for ESPN 680/105.7 on the radio: Jeff Greer and Oscar Jimenez.

Notes to know

Home field advantage: Fans get to enjoy three things when they come to games at Lynn Family Stadium: A beautiful stadium, great atmosphere and, often, a win. Following a heavy home slate in the first half of the season that saw the boys in purple play their opening four matches in Louisville, the club now boasts a 7-1-2 home record. With six games at Lynn Family Stadium remaining on the calendar for 2021, LouCity is well on pace to pass its previous record for home wins at 10, set in both 2015 and 2019. 

Going streaking: LouCity started 2021 on unfamiliar terms with a 2-2-1 record. After getting settled in, the team has taken off. Since dropping two in a row to Indy Eleven and Atlanta United 2 at the front of the season, the boys in purple are 8-1-2 and have outscored opponents 27-14 during that stretch. That streak puts the club at the top of the Eastern Conference and Central Division with 33 points on the season.

Greig’s goals: No player in the USL Championship has scored more against SKC II than Kyle Greig, a native of Wisconsin who grew up in Kansas City. Greig registered a brace back on July 2 in a 4-2 victory over the club and converted a one-touch goal when they reconvened on July 28. Going back to SKC II’s origins as the former Swope Park Rangers, the veteran striker Greig has tallied eight goals against his hometown side.

Tucked in, locked in: LouCity has been able to put together one of the league’s best records with a litany of different lineups. But while head coach Danny Cruz has constantly shuffled the starting 11, there’s one consistent piece: defender Sean Totsch. A 2020 All-League First Team selection, Totcsh is making another strong case in 2021. He’s the only player to have played a full 90 minutes in all 16 games and leads the league in passes with 1,082 in addition to his 45 clearances and 23 interceptions.

Cam’s back: Having left a July 14 contest against OKC Energy FC with a head injury, Cameron Lancaster reminded why he’s LouCity’s leading scorer last Saturday night, sinking a penalty kick in the 76th-minute that would eventually stand as the game-winning goal, once again over visiting OKC. Despite injuries that have sidelined the striker off and on this year, Lancaster has poured in eight goals. His next will be his 60th in USL Championship play, making him the sixth player to reach that total.

Parker on the pitch: Making his Lynn Family Stadium debut last Saturday night, goalkeeper Parker Siegfried continues to make a push for the No. 1 spot between the posts as he earned his second consecutive start and third overall this year. The former trialist and Columbus Crew Academy product had arguably his best outing in purple against the Energy, finishing with a pair of saves and a stoppage time punch out to help the home side secure three points.

Delivery guys: Through 16 games, LouCity has seen 13 goal scorers and 10 players register an assist. That includes winger Brian Ownby’s career-high six assists and young outside back Jonathan Gomez’s five. LouCity has had at least 15 players register assist since 2017, aside from in 2020, when the season only measured 16 games. The club won the USL title in 2017 and 2018 and returned to the final in 2019.

Another JoGo: Forward Jorge Gonzalez has returned from an early season injury to add to LouCity’s red-hot attack. The loanee from Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers came on as a halftime substitute and scored a go-ahead goal one minute into that stint on July 28 at SKC II. Gonzalez then received his first start in purple the following weekend in the victory over OKC Energy FC. The 22-year-old from Spain wears No. 9 and can feature in an array of attacking roles.

Injury report

• Oscar Jimenez (out)
• Abdou Thiam (out)
• Elijah Wynder (out)

Milestone watch

• Cameron Lancaster is one goal away from his 60th USL Championship goal.

Soccer Holdings, LLC, continued to illustrate Wednesday that the new Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center will be used as more than a world-class facility for its professional clubs.

Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC players joined in on a Blessings in a Backpack packing day designed to raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity in Louisville as well as educate the community about resources available. Joining the pros were also members of the University of Louisville’s athletics teams.

“It’s awesome,” said Racing forward Emina Ekic, also a Louisville native. “We had practice, then lift, we ate and we came right out here. It’s nice that it’s here so we have more opportunities to do things and give back to our community with our busy schedules.

“We’re having a lot of fun with it and getting competitive.”

Powered by Kroger, the event centered on assembling 400 bags donated to Engelhard Elementary, the 1004 South First Street school where LouCity/Racing players also recently hosted a literacy and soccer camp.

Blessings in a Backpack — a national program originally launched in Louisville — mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for children across America who might otherwise go hungry. The 501(c)(3) charity organization now has eight regional chapters that will distribute more than three million bags of food this year to kids who need them most.

“We get a chance to appreciate what we have personally,” LouCity defender Pat McMahon said of Wednesday’s event. “It just puts things in perspective.”

Opened this summer, Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, at 801 Edith Road minutes from Lynn Family Stadium, sits on a complex including four turf fields that have been used for adult soccer leagues, youth clinics and a number of community events. The building houses day-to-day operations for LouCity, Racing and their respective youth academies.