Backed by 9,074 fans at Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville City FC capped a major week for the club on Saturday by posting a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
The win moved LouCity into a tie atop the USL Eastern Conference standings and came on the heels of the club’s Wednesday announcement that it plans to move into a soccer-specific stadium by 2020 in the Butchertown Neighborhood.
“To see so many people come out and support us tonight was fantastic,” said coach James O’Connor. “It tops off a great week for us with the stadium announcement. I thought the supporters played a really important role tonight, and I thought right at the end they were really involved, and it really helped us. That gives the players a little boost — gives you some more energy, especially at the end when it’s 2-1 and there’s tons of extra time.
“So credit to the supporters. They were fantastic tonight.”
On a 22nd-minute goal assisted by Luke Spencer, George Davis IV pushed LouCity ahead, its players wearing new black third kits for the first time. Forward Cameron Lancaster later provided the exclamation point in the 87th minute when he chipped a breakaway goal over Tampa Bay’s keeper to secure the win.
Lancaster pumped his first, and smoke poured from a jam-packed supporters section. It was the largest crowd to see a LouCity home game since last June, when a club-record 10,062 showed for a game against rival FC Cincinnati.
The Rowdies’ Martin Patterson answered with a goal of his own in the 89th minute, but LouCity dug in through stoppage time to secure its third straight victory.
“We work really hard in preseason,” Davis IV said. “It’s brought the team together, and you can see it on the pitch. We work hard for each other. We grind. We’re only a couple of games into the season. We have to keep it up and continue to build.”
Since opening the season with a scoreless draw against Saint Louis FC, LouCity has knocked off Orlando City B, the Richmond Kickers and now the Rowdies, who entered having not conceded a goal this year and a 3-0-0 record.
The Rowdies actually out-shot LouCity 15-11 and claimed 56 percent of the possession, but both sides put exactly two shots on frame. Goalkeeper Tim Dobrowolski came up with a save late in the first half that preserved what was then a 1-0 lead.
The last unbeaten team in the USL’s Eastern Conference, LouCity has accumulated 10 points in four games. Saint Louis FC is tied for first having also hit double digits, but it took that club five games to get there.
LouCity will put its record on the line next weekend to open the River Cities Rivalry against FC Cincinnati at Nipper Stadium.
Game Summary
Match: Louisville City FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Date: April 15, 2017
Venue: Slugger Field
Kickoff: 7:35 p.m.
Weather: 81 degrees, sunny
Attendance: 9,074
Man of the Match: George Davis IV
Scoring
Louisville City FC (1,1,2)
Tampa Bay Rowdies (0,1,1)
Goals
Louisville City FC: 22’ George Davis IV shot from center to bottom left corner, assisted by Luke Spencer. 86’ Cameron Lancaster shot from right side of box to center, assisted by Paolo DelPiccolo
Tampa Bay Rowdies: 89’ Martin Paterson shot from close range to the bottom left corner, assisted by Deshorn Brown
Lineups
Louisville City FC: 28- Tim Dobrowolski, 24- Kyle Smith, 19- Oscar Jimenez, 4- Sean Totsch, 6- Tarek Morad, 80- Speedy Williams (68’ 8- Guy Abend), 11- Niall McCabe, 36- Paolo DelPiccolo, 22- George Davis IV, 10- Brian Ownby (60’ 9- Cameron Lancaster), 12- Luke Spencer (74’ 14- Ilija Ilic)
Subs not used: 13- Micah Bledsoe, 18- Paco Craig, 15- Sean Reynolds, 23- Richard Ballard
Head coach: James O’Connor
Tampa Bay Rowdies: 50- Akira Fitzgerald (16’ 19- Matt Pickens), 2- Darnell King, 14- Luke Boden, 31- Damion Lowe, 3- Neill Collins, 32- Martin Vingaard (65’ 7- Darwin Jones), 23- Michael Nanchoff (78’ 19- Martin Paterson), 4- Marcel Schafer, 10- Georgi Hristov, 8- Deshorn Brown, 26- Joe Cole
Subs not used: 17- Tamika Mkandawire, 90- Kyle Porter, 13- Justin Chavez, 9- Alex Morrell
Head coach: Stuart Campbell
Discipline
Louisville City FC: 31’ yellow card to George Davis IV, 45’+ yellow card to Luke Spencer, 84’ yellow card to Kyle Smith
Tampa Bay Rowdies: 58’ yellow card to Luke Boden, 63’ yellow card to Darnell King, 71’ yellow card to Georgi Hristov
