James O’Connor describes Toronto FC II as a side with “good young players, a good team, and a good coach.” Unknown, however, is what kind of squad the Major League Soccer affiliate will bring Saturday to Louisville Slugger Field.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. between undefeated LouCity and Toronto, which hasn’t allowed a goal in three of its five games. The club enters having earned points in back-to-back scoreless draws
“They’ve got a new formation, they’ve been playing three — and similar to the first team — three in the back,” said O’Connor, LouCity’s head coach, at his weekly press conference. “Difficult game.”
Also difficult is that Toronto FC II’s coach, Jason Bent, has nearly 30 players to choose from when selecting a team. According to the club’s website, only defender Lars Eckenrode is unavailable due to injury.
Still, LouCity has showcased potential early in the 2017 season. The club went into the week as the final team in the USL’s Eastern Conference without a loss.
“We’ve been pleased with how the guys have been.” O’Connor said. “The group of guys that we have, we think they’ve been top class with their attitudes and training and professionalism. Really pleased with our group.”
LouCity drew 9,074 fans last time it played at Slugger Field, claiming a 2-1 win April 15 over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The club saw strong support on the road last weekend against FC Cincinnati even with Thunder Over Louisville going on in town and rain forecast.
“The supporters that came up to Cincinnati got right behind the team, and it was great to see so many up there supporting the team,” O’Connor said. “Big thank you to everyone who travelled up on Saturday to support us.”
Also new this week…
• The USL positioned LouCity as the top Eastern Conference side and at No. 2 overall in its latest power rankings released Monday.
“Still undefeated after its trip to Cincinnati, Louisville came out of its games against Tampa Bay and FCC with four points, and a solid place in the Eastern Conference standings,” wrote the USL’s Nicholas Murray. “Brian Ownby’s goal against Cincinnati was not only a thing of beauty; it could also be the stepping stone the attacking midfielder needed to start taking more chances. With the number of weapons he has around him, Louisville will remain a danger to any side it encounters.”
• Ownby’s strike is up for USL Goal of the Week, determined by a fan vote. LouCity moved from end to end with swift passing and a nice one-touch pass from Kyle Smith to Ownby, who dribbled to his left and shot into the left corner to put LouCity up in the first half.
• Likewise, goalkeeper Tim Dobrowolski is up for USL Save of the Week. With the score 1-0 in the second half, his fingertips were the only things stopping Matt Banner from equalizing on a long-distance strike. As with Ownby, Dobrowolski needs fan votes to win.
