Louisville City FC and Toronto FC II sit on opposite ends of the USL Eastern Conference table, but the visitors enter Saturday’s game at Slugger Field in some of their best form.
Here’s what to watch for with game time set for 7:30 p.m.
Tune In
TV: WBNA-21 will air the game live and in high definition locally with Dave LaMont on the call.
Radio: Pregame coverage begins at 7:15 p.m. on 840 WHAS and the iHeartRadio app with T.J. Walker (play by play) and Jeff Milby (color commentary) at the mic.
Streaming: Watch live via the USL Match Center.
Follow Along
For Starting XI information and in-game updates, check us out on social media. It’s @loucityfc on Twitter, Louisville City FC on Facebook and louisvillecityfc on Instagram. Vote for the Modelo Man of the Match on Twitter starting in the 75th minute.
Links
• LouCity enjoys a day at the races before Toronto game
• Ownby, Dobrowolski sweep USL weekly awards
• Toronto’s unknowns will make for ‘difficult game’
• Video: Coach O’Connor’s weekly press conference
Notes
Unbeaten start: LouCity’s five games to open the season without a defeat mark the club’s longest streak since it started play in 2015. Last time out, coach James O’Connor’s side earned a point on the road with a 1-1 draw at FC Cincinnati. LouCity enters the weekend a point behind the league-leading Charleston Battery on the Eastern Conference table.
Evolving lineup: Defender Paco Craig made his first start of the year at Cincinnati and went the full 90 minutes as O’Connor added height to his back line. Tarek Morad shifted from center defense to left back, and Guy Abend entered in the central midfield. On the return from season-ending hip surgery last season, Niall McCabe has gone the full 90 in the club’s last two games as well.
DelPiccolo thriving: University of Louisville graduate Paolo DelPiccolo, named the captain before LouCity’s opener, has excelled in that role. Playing in the central midfield spot formerly occupied by Aodhan Quinn — now at rival FC Cincinnati — DelPiccolo has completed 81 percent of a team-leading 279 passes. He connected on nearly 90 percent in the game at Cincinnati.
Awards sweep: Midfielder Brian Ownby (Goal of the Week) and goalkeeper Tim Dobrowolski (Save of the Week) both prevailed in a fan vote for United Soccer League recognitions for their performances against FC Cincinnati. Ownby connected on a long-race goal in the 20th minute, while Dobrowolski came up with a fingertip save that preserved a 1-0 first half lead in the 40th minute.
Scouting Toronto FC II: Having posted back-to-back scoreless draws entering Saturday, the “Young Reds” have lost their four previous meetings with LouCity. While Toronto has given up as many as four goals in a game, the side also leads the USL in clean sheets with three. The club has been limited in its attack, totaling nine shots on goal so far this season with goals by Malik Johnson and Ryan Teifer.
Solid showing: On the heels of an April 12 stadium site announcement — LouCity plans to build a 10,000-seat facility in the Butchertown Neighborhood — 9,074 fans packed Slugger Field the following Saturday for the Tampa Bay game. It was the second-largest crowd to see a USL regular-season game at Slugger behind only last year’s game against FC Cincinnati, which drew 10,062.
Davis IV on a tear: Midfielder George Davis IV scored his team-leading three goals this season in a matter of three games, starting with a March 30 Man of the Match performance at Orlando City B. The University of Kentucky graduate sits third on the all-time USL scoring list at 41 goals. Nine of his 11 shots this season have been on goal, and he also added an assist in the Orlando victory.
Finally conceded: It took nearly 360 minutes for an opponent to score a goal this season on LouCity, a streak that ended in the 89th minute of a 2-1 win April 15 against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Martin Paterson’s strike in the box connected in the 90th minute. Previously, LouCity’s only goal allowed was an own goal March 30 at Orlando City B. Including the own goal, only 10 shots have landed on frame against LouCity.
Injury report: Goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh will sit out a fifth straight game after suffering a hip flexor injury in the first half of LouCity’s opener. He is receiving treatment and transitioning back into training. Devon “Speedy” Williams was available but did not appear against FC Cincinnati. He left the Tampa Bay game with pain in his glute and has continued to train regularly.
