Oscar Jimenez spent last season in the Professional Development League, and Luke Spencer rarely got off the bench as a United Soccer League rookie. By now, Kyle Smith’s underdog story — he made Louisville City FC’s roster out of an open tryout — is well known.
All three illustrate a trend drawing LouCity coach James O’Connor increasing praise: an ability to reload a squad with overlooked talent, to the point where his club is again in the running for a USL championship.
“James has the best eye, and he trusts himself,” Spencer said. “That’s the biggest thing. You get a lot of coaches who might like a player, but they need it to be verified by a lot of other coaches. When James sees a player he likes, whether it’s Kyle, Oscar or me, he doesn’t need the verification from anyone but himself.
“He trusts himself, and we’re making the most of it on the field.”
LouCity’s carrying some of its best form this season into a pair of home games, first Wednesday against the Harrisburg City Islanders and then Saturday against Orlando City B. Both kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Slugger Field.
With Spencer, Jimenez and Smith in the lineup, LouCity posted a 3-1 win last time out over Bethlehem Steel FC. Spencer scored two goals, Jimenez tallied two assists, and Smith wore the captain’s armband.
In all, LouCity’s won four of its last five games. The victories, however, are more than 90 minutes apiece in the making. O’Connor credited his staff, which includes assistant coach Daniel Byrd and goalkeepers coach Thabane Sutu, for helping him discover talent.
“We’ve spent hours and hours and hours looking at players and trying to get the very best players we can,” O’Connor said. “We have a specific criteria for every position. Sometimes the athlete will come in and we’ll think, ‘At the moment he doesn’t check every box, but can he in three months or five months? Will he be able to tick those boxes?’”
Smith and Jimenez both played in the midfield before signing with LouCity and switching to defender. An invitation tryout yielded those two offseason signings along with Richard Ballard, a Louisville native who starred for Indiana University — but didn’t receive an invitation to Major League Soccer’s scouting combine.
“James does a really good job of knowing what he wants,” Jimenez said. “He has a certain style he plays, and he looks for certain qualities in players. He does a really good job of finding that. His roster’s small because everyone on his team can start and play 90 if they have to. It’s a credit to him and the way he goes about finding players.”
Spencer’s nine goals lead all LouCity players, that after he earned selection in the MLS SuperDraft before suffering a knee injury. The Ohio native totaled fewer than 100 minutes played last year for his hometown club, FC Cincinnati.
Jimenez, meanwhile, played for the USL’s Tulsa Roughnecks in 2015 before moving to the PDL in 2016. This year, he has established himself as a go-to on set pieces, leading to the bulk of his LouCity-high five assists.
“In Oscar’s case, he deserves tremendous credit, and the same for Luke,” O’Connor said. “We gave them opportunities, but they’re two guys who, their character has stood out like a shining star. And they’re really good footballers. I think maybe they were just overlooked, because they’re the kind of players who don’t always grab the highlights.
“We were really excited to sign such quality players who we knew were going to go and be part of what we need. For us, it’s been about giving them an opportunity. But it’s been up to them to perform.”
