ORLANDO — Two games into the 2017 season, Louisville City FC midfielder George Davis IV believes his club already found one of its strengths.
Whereas LouCity has in the past leaned on a lone striker to carry the scoring load — Matt Fondy had a USL-record 22 goals in 2015, and Chandler Hoffman scored 14 in 2016 — this year’s roster appears ready to field multiple threats.
“We have a lot of players who can score goals at any time — guys who can make stuff happen,” Davis IV said. “It’s going to be good that we don’t rely on one person, or even a couple of guys to score goals for us. As a group, we can all get the job done.”
Thursday night’s 3-1 away win over Orlando City B backed up the statement.
LouCity received goals from both its strikers to see the pitch, Luke Spencer and Cameron Lancaster, with another score by Davis IV sandwiched between them. Davis IV, rookie Richard Ballard and Niall McCabe, who came on in the second half, all delivered assists.
Suddenly, a team that opened its season last weekend with a scoreless draw looks to — again — have one of the United Soccer League’s top offenses.
“I think on Saturday we created so many chances and didn’t convert that we had a good focus in training all week that we needed to score goals,” said Davis IV, reflecting on the first game against Saint Louis FC. “We have guys on the team who are all capable of scoring, and we put it together.”
“Look, we’ve got really good players,” added coach James O’Connor. “I think the players deserve enormous credit. The way we played tonight, I thought we created a lot of chances. On another night, we would have perhaps scored a few more.”
Lancaster’s 11th minute strike, which came seconds after captain Paolo DelPiccolo dispossessed an Orlando midfielder in his own half of the field, gave the forward a long-awaited goal from the run of play.
Davis IV netted the shot that put LouCity in front for good, slotting a it between the opposing keeper’s legs after Ballard made an inspired run into the box. Spencer, who played but didn’t score last year for FC Cincinnati, had chances before finally breaking through Thursday while tallying six shots. He finished one off in the 76th minute.
“I should have had more, obviously,” Spencer said. “But that’s the striker mentality. If you miss one, miss another one, you just have to stay with the game and get one eventually. That’s what I did today.”
Spencer’s goal was also years in the making. He set scoring records at his hometown school, Xavier University, but suffered a knee injury after selected in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The striker surprised even his teammates after his shot with a backflip on the field.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and that celebration, too” he said. “It was good to come back and get that goal, and hopefully there will be more to come.”
“He’s an athletic guy,” added Davis IV, who then smiled. “Hopefully he doesn’t do it anymore. I don’t think James is too fond of it.”
