After Louisville City FC returned to training this week, preparing for Sunday’s Eastern Conference Final against the New York Red Bulls II, coach James O’Connor focused more on his players than those on other remaining USL rosters.
With the Western Conference Final coming down to the Swope Park Rangers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, LouCity is the only team left that’s not owned or operated by a Major League Soccer Franchise.
“It speaks volumes about what the club has achieved,” said O’Connor, who advanced LouCity just as far in the 2015 playoffs, during the its inaugural season. “…It just shows you the quality of players we have here. It’s not something that should ever be taken for granted. It’s a really competitive league.”
LouCity tallied 60 points in 30 regular-season USL games, good for second behind the record-setting Red Bulls II, who racked up 69. Six of New York’s points came via victories over LouCity, which is 0-4 all-time against its next playoff opponent.
Against the Red Bulls, as well as other MLS reserves in the 29-team USL, LouCity has often matched up against next-level talent. O’Connor believes he has players capable of playing in MLS, too.
“I really do,” he said. “I look at the quality we have — I have great respect for our guys. I’m looking forward to it. Everybody’s going to expect New York to win the game. Nobody’s going to expect us to do anything. That’s fine. We’ll see Sunday. We’ll see how the game goes Sunday.”
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. Watch the game live at www.loucity.com.
Ranjitsingh living in the present: LouCity goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh’s rationale for putting previous defeats to the Red Bulls II behind him is simple.
On Sunday, “It’s going to be zero-zero at the beginning of the game,” he said, adding that the boys in purple will have a clean slate in the Eastern Conference Final.
Ranjitsingh has conceded just two goals in his six games since LouCity’s Aug. 19 defeat to New York. Also, rookie Tim Dobrowolski posted a shutout Sept. 3 against FC Montreal, in the only game Ranjitsingh missed while on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago.
Ranjitsingh’s goals against average is down to 0.83 per game, and his save percentage is a solid 72.5.
“Obviously, going up to New York, we feel like we have some unfinished business there,” he said. “…We’ve still got to take care of it like any other game. We can’t play the occasion. We’ve just got to play the game, go up there and hopefully get a good result.”
Dacres playing for hometown pride: A Rosedale, N.Y., native, midfielder Kadeem Dacres registered the goal last weekend that vaulted LouCity into the Eastern Conference Final. And he’ll have plenty to play for Sunday in a return to Red Bull Arena.
A graduate of the Met Oval Academy, his youth club often played against up-and-coming Red Bulls stars.
“It was years ago,” he said, having forgotten the series record between Met Oval and the Red Bulls. But Dacres knows LouCity will be looking for its first win in five tries.
“A lot of my family members and friends will be there,” he said. “If you see any Dacres jerseys, you’ll know…If anything, it’ll just give me more motivation to do much thing out there and make them proud.”
