The final leg of the Kings’ Cup rivalry between Louisville City FC and Saint Louis FC is set for 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 local) Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Fenton, Mo.
Before kickoff, here’s what to watch for…
Tune In
TV: WBNA TV-21 will air the game live and in high definition locally with commentary by Ari Shanok and Devon Kerr..
Radio: TJ Walker (play-by-play) and Jeff Milby (color commentary) will voice the action on NewsRadio 840 WHAS, with pregame coverage starting at 8:15 p.m.
Streaming: Watch live via the USL Match Center or at www.loucity.com.
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 training, playing smarter thanks to PlayerTek
• Videos: O’Connor, players preview Saturday’s game
• Players encouraged by Kaye’s Gold Cup run
• LouCity’s Smith more than just a pro soccer player
• Club in solid standing at 2017 season’s halfway mark
Notes
The standings: After suffering a loss to rival FC Cincinnati, LouCity (8-3-5, 29 points) dropped to the No. 3 spot on the USL Eastern Conference table now behind the Charlotte Independence, winners of six straight. Saint Louis FC (5-7-4, 19 points) sits 13th but enters Saturday off a 1-0 win over the No. 1 Charleston Battery. LouCity sits six points back from the Battery.
Last time they met: LouCity hosted Saint Louis FC in both teams’ season openers on March 25, playing to a scoreless draw. It was a breakout game for Louisville native Richard Ballard, as the rookie earned Man of the Match honors while helping his side carry more than 60 percent of possession.
The Kings’ Cup: Now in its third season, the trophy will find its offseason home Saturday. LouCity supporters claimed it after their club won the series in 2015 and 2016, with a 5-1 result the decisive finisher last year. The boys in purple are 3-1-3 all-time against Saint Louis FC.
Bouncing back: A 3-2 defeat last Saturday to FC Cincinnati marked just LouCity’s third loss of the year and first at Slugger Field this season. But the boys in purple have a history of bouncing back well. They went on to win their next game after both previous losses and have dropped consecutive games just once in the last calendar year.
LouCity shorthanded: USL rules require a one-game suspension for accumulation of five yellow cards, meaning both midfielder (and captain) Paolo DelPiccolo and defender Kyle Smith will sit out Saturday. Before the Saint Louis FC game, Smith, recently named USL Midseason Defender of the Year, had been on the field for the entirety of LouCity’s season, totaling 1,440 minutes in 16 games.
Kaye’s Cup run ends: With the Canadian National Team’s 2-1 quarterfinal loss Thursday to Jamaica, midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye will return to LouCity following international duty at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Kaye became the first LouCity player to start for his national team in a July 11 group stage game and went on to appear in Canada’s next game as a substitute.
High heat expected: With temperatures on the rise throughout the Midwest this week, the projected high Saturday in Fenton, Mo., site of Saint Louis FC’s Toyota Stadium, is 103 degrees. Playing on turf will only raise the temperature on the field for what will be LouCity’s hottest game so far in 2017.
Ilic settling in: Forward Ilija Ilic has taken hold of the starting striker spot for LouCity with starts in the club’s last three games, two of which he scored, most recently on a cheeky penalty try against FC Cincinnati in just the eighth minute. Ilic spent most of 2015 on the bench with USL MVP Matt Fondy leading the way, then played behind Chandler Hoffman, the Midseason MVP, in 2016. Now, he’s earned his chance up top.
Ownby on a roll: A major addition to this year’s LouCity squad, veteran midfielder Brian Ownby was in contention for USL Player of the Month in June after tallying three goals and two assists. Overall, he’s tied for the team lead in both statistical categories. Ownby has appeared four times on the USL Team of the Week.
Ballard setting the pace: Since LouCity’s season opener in March, Louisville native Richard Ballard has proven he belongs at this level. The rookie, named Man of the Match in his debut, has more recently featured as a substitute, racking up two goals and two assists in 14 appearances. The midfielder hit a game-winner over Charlotte in June and fired in another shot later that month against the New York Red Bulls II.
