Louisville City FC coach James O’Connor tweaked his club’s formation a bit Sunday, pushing up his outside backs — Kyle Smith and Oscar Jimenez — into the attack.
The move paid off, as Smith in the 25th minute starting the scoring before Brian Ownby and Richard Ballard added goals of their own in a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls II, a rematch game from the 2016 Eastern Conference Final.
Questions of LouCity’s goal-scoring abilities again seemed a matter of the past. On June 3, the club scored four in a draw with the Charleston Battery. The netted another shot in a midweek win over the Charlotte Independence. Now, another victory has the boys in purple within sight of the Eastern Conference lead.
With 22 points, LouCity’s just one behind the second-place Tampa Bay Rowdies with three games in hand. The Charleston Battery have five more points than LouCity, but are giving up two games at the one-third mark of the 2017 season.
Here’s what else stuck out Sunday…
• Heading into the game, the Red Bulls II had scored a goal in every game aside from one. A pair of tackles in the box by defender Paco Craig bolstered the lineup, and goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh made a pair of stops — one in both halves — that should have him in USL Save of the Week contention.
• Ownby continued proving he’s one of LouCity’s top playmakers. In addition to scoring the club’s second goal, he assisted Smith’s shot that opened the scoring on a run into the box and a ball flicked back through the defense. Smith comfortably finished the chance.
• After five games in just more than two weeks, LouCity will look to match its season-best winning streak at 7:30 pm. Saturday at Slugger Field. LouCity also knocked off Orlando City B, the Richmond Kickers and Tampa Bay Rowdies from March 30-April 15.
