Guy Abend’s ready for the locker room “trash talk” to end.
Previously one of just three Louisville City FC players without a goal this season, the midfielder changed that last weekend, scoring the game-winner in a 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery. Abend credited a renewed mentality for the breakthrough after he ranked second on the team in scoring last year.
“I actually talked about that with a really good friend — we talked about it last week before the Orlando game — and then the game came and I had two or three chances with the headers and he sort of helped me realize that I wasn’t attacking the balls like I used to last year,” Abend said.
“…The hit I took last year — I think it did something mentally.”
Abend lunged in for a strike on Aug. 27, 2016, and scored it to open another 1-0 victory. But in the process, he took a shot to the head that sidelined him with a concussion. Just more than a year passed before Abend hit the back of the net again in last Saturday’s Battery win.
He’ll be back on the hunt Saturday as LouCity travels to play the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the last of three games this season between the clubs.
“That’s something that he has in his game — to be able to come in and score,” said coach James O’Connor. “To score there and shoot with the accuracy he did was really great.”
Finally, he did, becoming the 15th player on LouCity’s roster to register a goal this season. The two field players who haven’t — Tarek Morad and Devon “Speedy” Williams — will continue hearing about it from their teammates.
Fellow midfielder Niall McCabe said he’s not done ribbing Abend.
“No, I don’t think I’ll let him off the hook about that,” McCabe said. “It took him too long. Someone of his quality — he should be getting a bit more. But no, it’s great he got that monkey off his back, if you will, and he was really pleased — and it won us the game so really pleasant for him.”
Along with the goal against Charleston, Abend nearly scored as well two games back in LouCity’s loss to Orlando City B. He threatened with headers in both halves at Slugger Field, looking much like the player that tallied five goals during his 2016 campaign.
The native of Israel is in his third season with LouCity — but this marks the first in which he’s stayed healthy throughout. A knee injury suffered on a dirty tackle knocked him out for most of 2015, and Abend missed time in 2016 with his concussion.
Now, Abend’s 22 appearances are tied for the team lead. His total passes (1,046) and passing accuracy on the opponent’s half of the pitch (76.2 percent) are both near the top of the club as well.
When it comes to scoring, Abend has been “unlucky,” O’Connor said, though that appears to be changing with eight games left in the regular season.
