LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville City FC has partnered with 790 WKRD and iHeartMedia to launch the area’s first soccer-specific radio show that debuts Saturday from 9-10 a.m. on Louisville’s Sports Station.
Steve Peake, a former member of the club’s front office, will host “Soccer City” presented by LouCity, a comprehensive program covering both Louisville City FC and soccer on a broad scale.
“It’s an exciting time to be a soccer fan in Kentuckiana, and it’s about to get even better,” said Tony Vanetti, show host and sports director of the iHeartMedia Kentucky/Indiana region. “This town deserves a radio show dedicated to soccer, and iHeartMedia and Louisville City FC are teaming up to make it happen. This is just the beginning.”
Peake, a former co-host for 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, will feature weekly interviews with LouCity personalities. He emphasized “Soccer City” will appeal to all fans of the game and take listener calls.
The show’s start coincides with what many have coined the Summer of Soccer. The United States Men’s National Team advanced out of group play in the 100th Copa America — though the first played in the U.S. — and the Women’s National Team will take aim at a fourth straight gold medal at the Rio Olympics.
LouCity meanwhile ran its unbeaten streak to 11 United Soccer League matches over the weekend with a 2-2 draw against the Wilmington Hammerheads at Louisville Slugger Field. The club hits the road Saturday for a rematch with the Rochester Rhinos, the 2015 USL champion that knocked LouCity out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference final.
“I think it’s been in the last six or seven years that we’ve really seen in North America the sport grow at a rapid pace, and a great trajectory as supporters continue to come in and learn more about soccer,” said Louisville City FC president Amanda Duffy. “They get excited about it. They’ve learned the soccer culture, and they’re bringing it in unique ways to all the markets that have professional teams.
“…It’s come a long way, and it’s certainly moving at a fast pace. This show is now able to expand on that and talk about how the sport has grown in the United States and right here in Louisville.”
