Louisville City FC triumphed by a 2-1 score Saturday over FC Tulsa in a feisty, back-and-forth game that featured 29 fouls whistled.
It was the clubs’ third meeting of the year with the results split previously. And as with the prior contests, the scoring started early.
Cameron Lancaster netted the opener in the 10th minute when he received a cross from Niall McCabe in the box. A deflection caught the opposing keeper off guard, and the ball nestled into the bottom right corner.
Lancaster registered his second of the game and doubled LouCity’s lead when a McCabe corner resulted in chaos in the penalty box. The ball dropped favorably to the Englishman, whose strike prevented a late FC Tulsa goal off a set piece near the corner flag from being consequential.
A win put LouCity at the top of the USL Championship on points, two clear of the Western Conference’s El Paso Locomotive FC. The boys in purple also have a six-point cushion over Birmingham Legion FC in the Central Division.
Aside from the late goal, head coach Danny Cruz was pleased by his team’s performance, saying, “I think we came out with the right mentality for sure. As the game progressed, we conceded a bit of possession there, but I was really happy with the group. I told the players Tulsa is a good team. We did just get three points against them, but what I love about the culture [in the locker room] is that guys are frustrated, and I think that’s the sign of a team that’s going to do something special.”
Big picture defending
Despite losing the clean sheet in the final minutes of the game, LouCity’s defense has improved massively as the season’s has progressed. City has conceded only six goals in its last seven games while scoring 16. Compare that to 11 goals conceded in the seven games before that.
LouCity’s fantastic goal differential — the +18 number is second-best across the Championship — can be credited beyond City’s strikers. Midfielder Niall McCabe led the way, gaining possession back from FC Tulsa eight times on a night the team turned over its opposition 41 times in all.
LouCity numbered 14 shots in the box while generally keeping FC Tulsa out of the area. The visitors numbered three shots in the box and had four more attempts blocked by the boys in purple.
A pep in their step
The usual back four featured Pat McMahon, Wes Charpie, Sean Totsch and Jonathan Gomez, with the latter, of course, free to move forward. Gomez also numbered a team-leading four tackles on the night.
Noticeable also was the play up front by Paolo DelPiccolo. The captain has continued to progress from his former central midfield role to at times play more like a forward. He played an eighth-minute cross from Brian Ownby off the post that nearly represented the go-ahead goal.
Prolific Lancaster stands out
The Tottenham Hotspur product ran his season total to 11 goals, which is tied for second in the league behind Colorado Springs’ prolific Hadji Barry’s 18. Lancaster put three of his shots against Tulsa on target, along the way shaking off a number of opposing fouls, particularly leading up to his second half goal.
“He’s a goal scorer — one of the top in the league and the country,” Ownby said. “So when we’re out there, we know all we have to do is give him a little chance. As a poacher in the box, the ball just seems to fall to him all the time and he finishes them.”
Lancaster led the lines in other ways, too. He won 100% of his seven duels, had two tackles, and won possession from Tulsa twice.
“The work [Lancaster] put in defensively is not easy the way that we look to press,” Cruz said. “So I was really proud of him from that standpoint and then he rewards himself with two goals.”
