Support for Louisville City FC is up this season — but it’s not the only club experiencing increased attendance numbers.
During Week 9 of the 2017 season, the USL hit the 500,000-spectator mark this past weekend, the league announced.
“Our fans passionately support our teams and increasingly recognize the high level of competition being delivered every week on the pitch, as well as the first-class content being produced by our clubs, our staff and USL Productions,” said USL President Jake Edwards.
Attendance currently sits 30 percent ahead of last season, when the league hit the mark in Week 12.
LouCity saw a crowd of more than 9,000 in April on the heels of its stadium site announcement in the Butchertown Neighborhood. The club typically sees higher numbers during summer.
“The best is yet to come as we enter the summer and teams angle for a coveted playoff spot heading into the fall,” Edwards said.
LouCity returns home June 7, when it hosts the Charlotte Independence in a midweek game at Slugger Field. There’s also the potential of a U.S. Open Cup game in Louisville against MLS’ Columbus Crew the next week.
• Some notable press: The largest Division II soccer league in the world earned some recognition recently from the Los Angeles Times, which highlighted the move by former Chelsea star Didier Drogba to Phoenix Rising FC.
Drogba will also have a role with the club’s ownership.
“MLS is one model. USL is a completely different model,” James Keston, who bought the Orange County club last year, told the LA Times. “People like me – especially ones who saw MLS 10, 15 years ago and found it very interesting – now look at USL and see that same interesting growth and say there are amazing things we can do with this business.”
The USL has doubled in size since its inaugural season in 2011, since then adding a number of midwest stalwarts such as LouCity, FC Cincinnati and Saint Louis FC.
Drogba is the latest international star to sign on with the league, following in the footsteps of another big Chelsea name, Joe Cole, whose Tampa Bay Rowdies moved to the USL starting this year.
“Whoever wants to come here and play, I will advise them to come,” Drogba told the Times. “Because I think the league will become even more competitive.”
• Catching up: For Devon “Speedy” Williams, last week’s trip to Pittsburgh was a homecoming. The midfielder hails from Robert Morris University, where he suited up for 71 games, and the school caught up with him following a training session in the Steel City.
• Power Rankings: Following a two-game road swing in Pittsburgh, LouCity stuck at the No. 5 spot in the Week 9 USL Power Rankings. remains stagnant in the USL Power Rankings for Week 9.
Unbeaten San Antonio FC led the new poll with 50 points, followed by: Real Monarchs SLC (45 points), the Tampa Bay Rowdies (38 points) and Charleston Battery (36 points).
LouCity dropped two spots to No. 5 during Week 8 following a 2-0 loss — its only defeat of the season — to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Thanks to Luke Spencer’s early goal against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the boys in purple held their position having played fewer games than clubs ahead of them in the standings.
