Coming off victory in last week’s Prinx Tires USL Cup Final, Louisville City FC interim head coach Simon Bird will make three changes for Saturday’s trip to the Charleston Battery.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Charleston’s Patriots Point Soccer Complex.
Jake Morris, Jansen Wilson and Mukwelle Akale will all come in to the starting lineup. Of the three, Wilson was the only one to see action in Sunday’s Prinx Tires USL Cup Final at Hartford Athletic.
Morris replaces Amadou Dia at left wingback, while Wilson and Akale replace Ray Serrano and Quenzi Huerman in the attack.
Otherwise, LouCity’s team is unchanged after a stalwart defensive performance that resulted in a clean sheet against Hartford.
Kevon Lambert, who totaled 17 clearances in Sunday’s clean sheet victory, remains at center back. Those 17 clearances were the second-most on record for a LouCity player in a USL-sanctioned game, after Josh Jones tallied 19 last season in a win at Indy Eleven.
USL Cup Final MVP Aiden McFadden, who scored the lone goal on Sunday, remains at center back to Lambert’s right, with captain Kyle Adams steadily lining up to the left.
Manny Perez remains at right wingback.
Taylor Davila, who registered the assist on McFadden’s goal, and Babacar Niang will start in the midfield together. The pair start together for the third game running.
Notably, Davila is one assists away from equaling the LouCity single-season league assist record of 10, set by four players previously.
Wilson and Akale will start in support of Chris Donovan at center forward.
In goal, Sporting Kansas City loanee Ryan Schewe will start again, after earning the clean sheet last week.
On the bench, Brandon Dayes returns from international duty, where he started three games in Spain for the United States U-19 Men’s National Team. He will be joined by regulars Sean Totsch, Zach Duncan, Ray Serrano, Amadou Dia, Sam Gleadle and Evan Davila, with Ryan Troutmant serving as Schewe’s backup.
Team sheet at Charleston Battery
29 – Ryan Schewe
3 – Jake Morris
32 – Kyle Adams (c)
31 – Kevon Lambert
2 – Aiden McFadden
15 – Manny Perez
8 – Taylor Davila
19 – Babacar Niang
25 – Jansen Wilson
47 – Mukwelle Akale
9 – Chris Donovan
Available substitutes: 30 – Ryan Troutman; 4 – Sean Totsch, 5 – Brandon Dayes, 6 – Zach Duncan, 7 – Ray Serrano, 13 – Amadou Dia, 23 – Sam Gleadle, 27 – Evan Davila
