Every day this week, we’re looking back at memorable moments from Louisville City FC’s 2016 season. Weigh in with your own stories on our Facebook page.
Tarek Morad watched from the sidelines June 25 as fans filled seats at Slugger Field that, simply, had never been occupied before at a Louisville City FC game. They crowded the right and left field lines, settled in behind home plate and gathered behind the East goal opposite where supporters cram into the stadium.
It resulted in a record home attendance of 10,062 for LouCity’s 0-0 draw against FC Cincinnati. Even without a goal during the match, “I had not heard it that loud,” said Morad, the second-year defender. “The only game I could compare it to was maybe the year preview when we hosted Orlando City’s first team.”
When Major League Soccer’s Orlando came to town in August of 2015, LouCity drew 9,434 for the friendly. The first visit by new rival FC Cincinnati — as well as a few hundred fans in orange and blue gear — pushed LouCity to a new record home attendance.
Club president Amanda Duffy saw it coming, tweeting out the day before the game that LouCity had set a new high mark for pre-sale. Perfect weather cleared the way for a walkup crowd as well.
“The energy, the noise and excitement on that night resonated with every single person in the stadium and captured what we strive for in Louisville at every home game,” Duffy said. “The increase in our average home attendance this season and that single-game benchmark positions us to set new standards heading into the 2017 season that keep Louisville City at the forefront of fan support in USL.”
The LouCity-FC Cincinnati matchup made for an ideal showcase to a national audience. ESPN3 aired the rivalry game, adding sideline reporting from former U.S. Women’s National Team member Heather Mitts.
Coach James O’Connor echoed Duffy, saying he hopes to see 10,000 fans at Slugger Field again.
“I think to the players, it was huge,” O’Connor said. “People underestimate the importance of the crowd. When you’re looking at that amount of people, the energy the crowd can bring to a team is really, really important. For us, it was fantastic to get 10,000 people into the stadium.
“Our goal is to see that more regularly next year. For our players and that particular game, they were all speaking afterward about what it meant to them and the energy it gave them. It was a great milestone for the club.”
