Seventy-seven players donned black and white practice shirts decorated with the Louisville City FC logo on Saturday morning in hopes of earning a contract out of the club’s open tryouts.
The group split into six teams for 11-on-11 games, which were overseen by LouCity players at Collegiate Fields. Coach James O’Connor and his assistant, Daniel Byrd, were on hand to observe from the sidelines.
“We’ve got specific criteria for every position,” said O’Connor, who returned this week from a trip to Europe, where he scouted more players for his 2017 roster.
“Equally, it’s difficult for players coming into an environment where they’re playing with guys they don’t know. For the guys coming here, they need to be able to keep the ball. They need to show good game understanding.”
They also need to be, as O’Connor often says, much like Kyle Smith. The Cincinnati native last year became the first player to make LouCity’s roster out of the open tryout. He switched to defender from midfielder, where Smith played at Transylvania University, and went on to be named the United Soccer League’s Midseason Rookie of the Year.
Third-year LouCity midfielder Niall McCabe headed up a squad at the tryouts Saturday. He has remained in Louisville during the USL offseason to rehab after hip surgery.
“I’m just looking for, similar to what Kyle brought to the tryouts last year, a great work rate, willingness to learn and do what’s expected for his position,” McCabe said. “I’m not looking for guys who are going to look fancy doing step-overs and nothing like that. I’m looking for a guy who’s going to work hard and help out his team whenever he can.”
LouCity will also host an invitation tryout in January. O’Connor has said he’s seeking a left-footed left back along with a third goalkeeper, help in the midfield and potentially another striker. The club has announced 13 returners from last season’s team, which advanced to the USL’s Eastern Conference Final, with announcements on new signees to come soon