In both its previous meetings with Orlando City B, Louisville City FC has won by tallying its season-high in goals with four. More firepower is expected Saturday when the Lions visit Slugger Field for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
Tickets remain available — single-game admission starts at $15 — to see the first-place club back in action at home.
Team Records
LouCity: 12-2-6 (42 points) in 20 matches; 1st in the USL’s Eastern Conference standings.
Orlando City B: 6-6-7 (25 points) in 19 matches; 3rd in the USL’s East.
Follow Along
Saturday’s game will air, as with other LouCity games, on Youtube with Jim Wombwell at the microphone and Ken Lolla providing commentary.
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram and loucityfc on Snapchat.
Vote for LouCity’s Modelo Man of the Match starting at the 75th minute of Sunday’s game on Twitter.
Links
- LouCity looks for win without captain Quinn
- Know the foe: Orlando City B
- Video: Coach O’Connor previews Orlando game
- Craig seizing opportunity in LouCity lineup
- “It’s not all doom and gloom” after Cincy loss
- “Top of the league for a reason” despite defeat
Notes
The streak ends: LouCity went into last weekend’s FC Cincinnati game on a string of 17 straight games unbeaten, five off the USL record set by the 2013 Richmond Kickers. While the streak is over following a 2-0 defeat in the River Cities Cup finale, the loss marked only Louisville’s second of the season and left the club in first place in the Eastern Conference standings. LouCity’s previous franchise-best undefeated streak was six games in 2015.
Scoreboard watching: LouCity may very well have to produce a result against Orlando City B to stay atop the table on Saturday. At 42 points, Louisville has tallied one more than the second-place New York Red Bulls II. New York, which also lost last weekend, hits the road to play the Richmond Kickers on Saturday. Third-place FC Cincinnati (37 points) and fourth-place Charleston Battery (35) also meet in a pivotal game.
Quinn sitting: Louisville City FC’s captain picked up his fifth caution at Cincinnati and, as a result, will miss a game due to the USL’s rules on yellow card accumulation. Expected to start in place of Aodhan Quinn in central midfield are the team of Guy Abend and Paolo DelPiccolo, two players who typically rotate alongside of the captain. Quinn has two goals this season — both off set pieces, and one against Orlando in a free kick voted among June’s top goals of the month.
Orlando connections: After a short-lived affiliation between LouCity and Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC ended, Orlando formed its B team to house development closer to home. Ties to the Lions still remain in Louisville, with coach James O’Connor and Quinn former players there. Orlando maintains a seat on the Louisville board, while owner Wayne Estopinal continues to invest in the Lions.
Lolla at the mic: With ESPN 680’s Bob Valvano out of the booth for a game, University of Louisville men’s soccer coach Ken Lolla will step in to provide commentary alongside of Jim Wombwell on Saturday night. Lolla, who has led U of L to the College Cup final and a No. 1 national ranking in his decade at the school, has also pitted his Cardinals against LouCity the last two years in preseason play.
Stats leaders: USL Midseason MVP Chandler Hoffman (14 goals) and Midseason Rookie of the Year Kyle Smith (6 assists) are both one off the league lead in their respective categories. Hoffman is chasing the LA Galaxy II’s Jack McBean, who has 15 goals, while the right back Smith is one assist from equaling Sacramento Republic FC’s Daniel Barrera.
Greg in goal: It took 15 appearances for goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh to take a defeat. Since replacing Scott Goodwin, who departed for Harvard Medical School, Ranjitsingh has posted a shutout month of May with five straight clean sheets, and his 0.80 goals against average ranks third in the 29-team USL.
2015 stalwarts return: Since missing more than a month’s worth of games, midfielder Kadeem Dacres has regained a starting spot on the right side, while Magnus Rasmussen has impressed while easing into the lineup following offseason hip surgery. Either of the high scorers from last season stand to log significant time Saturday with winger Andrew Lubahn recovering from burns to his feet caused during a steamy afternoon in Cincinnati.
