What’s more impressive than having the USL Championship’s highest point total and the league’s second-most goals scored at the season’s midway point? Doing it all with 16 different starting lineups.
LouCity has made game-to-game changes for every match this season with only one player, defender Sean Totsch, starting each contest.
The ability to balance egos and buy in — along with the appropriate amount of depth — are all key to a championship-level team. The boys in purple appear to have all that as they chase more trophies in 2021.
“Day in and day out when it comes to training, the players have to continue to make my job difficult, and they’ve constantly done that this season,” coach Danny Cruz said after Saturday’s 2-1 win over OKC Energy FC. “For me, it really is a luxury when I feel I can make the changes that are necessary for us to win a game.”
LouCity had just made seven changes from a midweek victory at Sporting KC II. The result completed a run of seven points tallied over three games in nine days dating back to a July 23 draw at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
Lineup rotation given that sort of schedule congestion, of course, is inevitable.
“Most importantly,” Cruz said, “how these players react to that, and how the player pulled off and maybe comes in as a sub reacts to that is why this culture is so strong and it starts with that group in there. How they’ve handled it, executed and implemented, I’m certainly proud to be their head coach.”
LouCity’s players have delivered for the manager with a league-high 13 of them having scored already this year. Four players have bagged three or more goals, led by forward Cameron Lancaster’s eight. The club also has 10 players with an assist paced by midfielder Brian Ownby (six) and defender Jonathan Gomez (five).
Defensively, Totsch and Gomez have been most consistent in the lineup making 16 and 12 starts, respectively. Totsch has 23 interceptions, 79 duels won and 45 clearances in addition to a league-high 1,082 passes (86.1% accuracy). Gomez also has 23 interceptions with 78 duels won, but he’s known to heavily contribute on the offensive end as well tallying 85 crosses, matching the league lead.
Totsch was a First Team All-League selection in 2020. Gomez is making a case to join him this season.
Midfielder Corben Bone echoed Cruz’s sentiments about team culture.
“It speaks to the group — the competitiveness of the group, the level of the group, the talent,” Bone said Saturday. “You can see we can switch lineups, personnel and the results, the grind and the commitment is all the same.”
What makes LouCity truly unique?
“When your opportunity comes, take advantage of it and the guy that maybe got pulled out is rooting for you,” Bone added. “We truly are a family and we’re rooting for the collective and for this group to succeed, and you can see with all the changes and different things with the team, we’re here for each other and that’s great to be a part of.”
After an especially busy July that saw LouCity play seven games and win five of them, the boys in purple play four times in August, starting Saturday when they host Sporing KC II for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Lynn Family Stadium.
