Louisville City FC went from near-certain winner to the wrong side of a stunning defeat Saturday night in a matter of minutes, falling apart late in a 2-1 loss to Orlando City B.
Some takeaways from the game…
Top play: On a corner kick in the 12th minute, Paolo DelPiccolo found a lunging Guy Abend for what was, at the time, a go-ahead goal for LouCity. The early scoring chance marked Abend’s fourth goal of the season.
Man of the Match: Sean Reynolds, in his second start back after a month out of the lineup, led the LouCity defense on Saturday. His performance was marked by a number of one-on-one highlights, twice in the first half turning possession back over to Louisville all on his own. He took a hard hit in a 70th-minute collision and continued on.
Turning point: In the dying minutes of regulation, Orlando’s attack heated up and culminated when officials awarded the visitors a penalty for a hold on a corner kick. Forward Tyler Turner netted an equalizer before Keegan Smith hit the game-winner, flipping the outcome in a matter of seconds.
Controversial call: LouCity coach James O’Connor used the majority of his postgame meeting with the media discussing the late foul that led to Orlando’s penalty opportunity. It came on the heels of another decision O’Connor didn’t much like, as late in a July 9 draw with the Charleston Battery, an opposing player appeared to knock a ball from goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh’s grasp just before the Battery equalized.
Super sub: Cameron Lancaster, inserted at halftime for Niall McCabe in the midfield, came on to tally three shots. He also nearly answered Orlando’s first goal but couldn’t finish through heavy contact with keeper Mark Ridgers, a sequence that left O’Connor wanting a foul.
What it means: New York Red Bulls II also lost for the second straight weekend, and in stoppage time, too. Saturday’s LouCity result didn’t drop the club from first place, but FC Cincinnati has solidified its spot in the Eastern Conference race, using a result against fourth-place Charleston to pull within four points of Louisville. New York is one point back. Both have a game in hand.
What’s next: LouCity won’t quite get a full week between matches, as it’s slated to travel to Pittsburgh for a 7 p.m. Friday kickoff. The clubs played to a rain-soaked, 2-2 draw in April. The Riverhounds notched a 4-1 victory over the Wilmington Hammerheads last time out for their first road win of the season.
