Guy Abend stood before cameras and microphones Monday, fewer than 48 hours after Louisville City FC’s first defeat of the season, in a state of calm.
The club’s only setback of the year — a 2-0 away loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies — hasn’t seemed to rattle LouCity, but rather provided perspective. Improvement’s in the works on finishing, both goals and games.
“Obviously today was the first day of training since Saturday,” said Abend, a third-year LouCity midfielder. “It was very positive about a lot of things in the game, especially first half. I mean, I think we played well. The intensity was good. There are just days when the ball doesn’t go in, and it’s part of the game.”
LouCity was credited with just one shot on goal, a header off a corner from Kyle Smith in the second half. But Mark-Anthony Kaye drilled a shot off the post in the 15th minute, Luke Spencer saw a header fly just wide, and Brian Ownby rocketed a shot just over the bar in the minutes following the Rowdies’ first goal.
Tampa Bay managed to keep LouCity off the board, sending the boys to their only loss in seven games this season.
“From our standpoint, in the final third our decision making and that last little bit of quality we just need to sharpen the pencil,” said coach James O’Connor. “I think the first two-thirds of the field have been very good, and the passage of play has been excellent. It’s just that final third we need to nail down.”
Abend said little will change in LouCity’s approach between Saturday’s game and what’s next, a two-game swing in Pittsburgh.
LouCity starts its U.S. Open Cup run Wednesday against amateur side Tartan Devils FC and will stay in town to play the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday in a United Soccer League game. Both are set for 7 p.m. kickoffs at Highmark Stadium.
Offensively, O’Connor will look for his side to take its chances. He felt more shots should have been attempted against the Rowdies in a game his club seemed to control until Georgi Hristov curled a shot into the corner of the goal to open scoring in the 59th minute.
“In fairness to Hristov, it’s a really good finish,” O’Connor said.
“Goals change games,” the coach added. “This is the old cliche in football. They get a goal out of nothing — great piece of quality — and then we’re one-nil down.”
Tampa Bay’s Deshorn Brown then capitalized on a turnover to score in the 72nd minute. Three of five goals conceded this season by LouCity came after the 70th.
Abend said LouCity treats each game individually rather than review them as a whole.
“We hit the post a lot. We’re going to hit the cross bar a lot,” he said. “We’re going to get goals. We’re going to score goals. We’re a very talented team, and I believe the goals are going to come.”
