LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville City FC defeated crosstown opponent University of Louisville, 1-0, on a rainy Thursday in front of 1,168 fans at UofL’s Lynn Stadium.
LouCity midfielder Kadeem Dacres scored the deciding goal in the 79th minute. The returning winger blasted a shot from the corner of the 18-yard box.
“Obviously, it’s a great finish,” Louisville City FC coach James O’Connor said. “It caught the inside of his left foot. It was a really good goal. I’m delighted with the finish. For Kadeem, I’m really pleased. I thought he took his goal really well.”
Dacres’ goal was extra sweet for LouCity supporters, with LouCity firing 12 shots on goal. O’Connor said he was encouraged to see his players get so many shots off, but there were other things he thinks his team could work on.
“Once you’re creating chances, that’s important,” O’Connor said. “The chances aren’t something that I think needs work. There’s speed of play, there’s a lot of things that we need to get after. We’ll go back and work, but that’s what preseason’s about.”
LouCity possessed the ball for the majority of the game and did well by keeping the play in UofL’s defensive half.
“I think it’s important for us to dominate and we did that,” O’Connor said. “We dominated the game.
“For us, it’s a chance to get good game time for the players. We made a lot of changes at halftime and during the second half because it’s important we get the right mix and make sure the players are getting minutes under their belt.”
Paolo DelPiccolo, Louisville alumnus and all-time assist leader, played against his former school for the first time. He said he enjoyed being back at UofL, seeing his former coach, Ken Lolla, and playing in the relatively new Lynn Stadium.
“It was fun … This was the first time I’ve played here,” DelPiccolo said. “When I was here, we were at Cardinal Park. So it was fun doing that, it was fun seeing some of the same people and seeing coach again. It was a great experience to be back.”
Despite losing the game in the end, O’Connor said the Cards fought valiantly against their professional counterparts.
“Great credit to Louisville,” O’Connor said. “I thought they gave us a great game. I thought it was a really intense game, which is exactly what we need. I think they provided us a good test.”
The win over Louisville gives LouCity its second preseason victory. The Club will travel to Lexington on Wednesday to play against the University of Kentucky.
Goal Scoring Rundown:
LOU- Kadeem Dacres, 79th minute: After 11 shots, Kadeem Dacres found the back of the net from the corner of the 18-yard box. UL 0, LOU 1
Key Saves and Defensive Stops:
LOU- Scott Goodwin, 20th minute: Goodwin squeezed a Cardinal free kick that threatened his net.
Additional Notes:
LouCity midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo played for the University of Louisville from 2009-2012. He is the Cardinals’ all-time assists leader with 23.
The two sides played each other last year in a game that LouCity won by a score of 3-0.
Thursday’s game marks the first time Louisville City FC and UofL have played each other at Lynn Stadium.
The Cardinals finished their 2015 campaign ranked No. 24 in the nation.
Louisville City FC returned 13 players from 2015’s historic inaugural squad. That team reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
LouCity striker Chandler Hoffman scored a goal for UCLA when the Bruins played against Louisville in a NCAA Tournament game. The Cardinals won in a thriller by a score of 5-4.
Louisville City FC Match Report
Match: University of Louisville Men’s Soccer vs. Louisville City FC
Date: March 10, 2016
Competition: Friendly
Venue: Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EST
Attendance: 1,168
Weather: 62 degrees; rainy.