An emotional night at Slugger Field resulted in Louisville City FC earning a point following a 3-3 draw with New York Red Bulls II for James O’Connor’s final match in charge.
O’Connor and assistant coach Daniel Byrd depart for Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC, leaving a triumvirate of co-coaches George Davis IV, Paolo DelPiccolo, and Luke Spencer at the helm.
What Happened?
One of the greatest goals ever scored in Louisville came by way of forward Cameron Lancaster to open the scoring after just nine minutes.
Spotting the ‘keeper off his line, Lancaster didn’t think twice before bombing an effort that flew over the head of the Red Bulls’ ‘keeper and into the back of the night from just inside the halfway line. After trading chances, Lancaster was at it again in the 36th minute when he took a headed pass from Kyle Smith down before producing a calm finish at the far post to put City up two to the good.
However, after the half, Red Bulls II were determined to spoil the sendoff and worked their way back into the match through goals from Brian White, Christian Casseres from the penalty spot, and what looked to be an 87th-minute winner from midfielder Tom Barlow.
Fighting to the death, though, City refused to let the Red Bulls’ charge stand and late in stoppage time, produced a goal that all but guaranteed a point. Pressing higher and higher up the pitch, midfielder Oscar Jimenez—who has been among the league leaders in chances created since signing ahead of the 2017 season—put a pass on a plate for fellow midfielder Magnus Rasmussen. The Dane fired home a finish that was impossible to stop from the second it left his foot, helping City to earn a 3-3 draw against their 2017 Eastern Conference finalist opponents.
Louisville City FC has a full week’s rest period for the first time since May in preparing for their next match. City travels to the home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies next Saturday, July 7, with kickoff in St. Petersburg, FL set for 7:30 p.m. ET. City’s next home match is against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday, July 21, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Slugger Field. Tickets are available for as low as $16 by calling (502) 384-8799, option 2, or online at www.loucity.com.
James O’Connor post-match press conference
How hard was that for you just now?
“Obviously really difficult. We’ve got tremendous players and I think when you look at the quality of the group that’s here, when you look at the relationships we built here, it’s obviously really hard. Very difficult. We’ve got a tremendous group. Even the fight there at the end and coming back and getting the draw, it shows the focus of the group that we have. Great, great, great young men.”
Do you think you left this place in a good place?
“I think so. I think when you look at where we started, I think when you look at where we are – we’ve won a championship. We’ve got a brand new stadium. From where we started June 4th, 2014 in that space of time to go to the championship, to go to the Eastern Conference final every year, to have a 65-million-dollar stadium in three-and-a-half years, it’s pretty exceptional. The owners, the players, the supporters. I’d like to apologize to everyone in Scouse’s House. I didn’t get a chance to get down there. I came to the Coopers and by the time I finished there, there wasn’t a chance to go back. Genuinely want to tip my hat to all the supporters. They’ve been incredible.”
James, just an opportunity you couldn’t pass up?
“Yeah, I think when you look at – it’s not just the MLS. I think it’s a lot more for me. Orlando has such a special place in my heart. It’s where I first came to – Orlando. It’s not MLS.”
How quickly did it all come together? Some of the players indicated to us that it was pretty quick.
“It was exceptionally quick. Really, it was really quick. I don’t think tonight’s a night to talk about Orlando. I think tonight’s the night to celebrate the players of Louisville City. I think when you look at the players that have been here throughout the years, you look at the quality they’ve got, they’ve got a quarterfinal now against Chicago in the Open Cup. They’ve got excitement with the new stadium. It’s a huge platform to be able to build off and spring forward. My hope is that they go on and excel as they have done at times here and go on to better things as I’m sure they will.”
What are some of the biggest differences you’ve seen between now and when you first got here?
“I think we did pretty well the first year with the Eastern Conference final. I think that going and winning a championship last year, I think you can definitely see there are a lot more teams that are good in first which is to be expected. But I think when you look at the quality of players each year, we try to increase the level of quality. We try to increase the culture. We try to increase the quality of the relationships and we’ve been able to do that. That’s what makes it so hard.”
How emotional did you get when you were addressing the crowd?
“I was trying hard not to cry to be honest with you. I had to press myself doing the best that I could. It was just a very emotional time for myself and for Amy and Ollie and Masie. It’s the hardest thing I’ve done in my life.”
Before you came here today, what were you doing at home and was it difficult to not think of this as the final farewell?
“Yeah, I was saying to myself, ‘Just make sure you don’t cry like a baby’. That’s what I was saying to myself all day. I’m going to make sure I don’t. It’s hard. It’s really difficult. The players and the program mean a lot to me but the club I’m going to also means a lot as well. It’s just something that felt right.”
Do you have any mixed feelings leaving in the middle of the season?
“Of course. That’s what makes it even harder. I spoke to a lot of people and I think the consensus view is there’s never a perfect timing. Never a perfect timing for something like this. Obviously, it’s something that’s way ahead as well. When you go through professional sports when you go through the years of having the game you see a lot of things happen. Situations like this – it’s my first real experience as a coach. As a player obviously it’s slightly different. It’s something that when I look back at my time at Louisville, I have immense pride. I look where we started from. I look at all the players that have come through, the owners and Wayne Estopinal deserve a lot of credit because he was the first one that brought it here. It would be remissive of me not to mention the other day at the opening of the stadium because he was the first one that started this. And then obviously John, John Neace. Whoever comes in here is coming into a special man in John Neace. He’s a great guy.”
The Key Points:
- A Cameron Lancaster double had City up two-nil at the halftime interval
- Three unanswered goals from New York Red Bulls II temporarily put them in front
- Magnus Rasmussen’s first goal of the 2018 campaign earned City a point
Injury Report:
OUT – Richard Ballard (stress fracture)
OUT – Luke Spencer (knee)
Louisville City FC 3 : 3 New York Red Bulls II
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Slugger Field | Louisville, KY
96 degrees / sunny
Attendance: 7,689
Scoring Summary:
LOU – Cameron Lancaster 9’
LOU – Cameron Lancaster (Kyle Smith) 36’
NY – Brian White (Andrew Tinari) 49’
NY – Christian Casseres (p) 64’
NY – Tom Barlow (Jose Aguinaga) 87’
LOU – Magnus Rasmussen (Oscar Jimenez) 90+3’
Disciplinary Summary:
NY – Hassan Noam 20’
LOU – Alexis Souahy 28’
LOU – Brian Ownby 40’
LOU – Paolo DelPiccolo 45+3’
LOU – Greg Ranjitsingh 64’
LOU – Niall McCabe 67’
Starting XI (4-1-4-1): Greg Ranjitsingh (GK); Oscar Jimenez, Sean Totsch, Alexis Souahy, Pat McMahon (Shaun Francis 79’); Paolo DelPiccolo; Kyle Smith, Devon “Speedy” Williams, Brian Ownby (Magnus Rasmussen 58’), George Davis IV (Niall McCabe 58’); Cameron Lancaster
Bench: Chris Hubbard, Tim Dobrowolski, Ilija Ilic
