JUNE 27, 2019 – Louisville City Football Club announced a mid-season trade Thursday evening with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Louisville City forward Lucky Mkosana will head to the Rowdies while Rowdies forward/midfielder Antoine Hoppenot will come to Louisville City.
“We welcome Antoine to Louisville and our club,” Louisville City FC coach John Hackworth said. “He is a player that we believe will add a different dimension to our current roster. He is explosive and creative as an attacking player. Danny and I know him well from our time together at the Philadelphia Union. We believe he will be an important addition to our team.”
Hoppenot, a 28-year-old native of Paris, France, played for Hackworth and assistant coach Danny Cruz in the Philadelphia Union system from 2012-15. Hoppenot has played for the Harrisburg City Islanders (2012, 2014-15), FC Cincinnati (2016), Reno 1868 (2017-18) and the Tampa Bay Rowdies (2019) during his time in the USL Championship.
Hoppenot has 60 appearances in the MLS along with more than 50 in the USL. The 5-foot-8 dynamo had a tremendous collegiate career at Princeton from 2008-2011. He was named Ivy League Player of the Year and was a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy.
Hoppenot will be eligible to play immediately, including in Louisville City’s match vs. Indy Eleven Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mkosana will also be eligible immediately, and he could play during Saturday’s matchup vs. Ottawa Fury FC at Al Lang Stadium.
“We appreciate everything that Lucky has done for our club,” Hackworth said. “This was a difficult decision and was not made based on his performances while playing here for Louisville City. He is a good pro and an even better person. We wish him nothing but the best in everything he does moving forward.”
Saturday’s Louisville City vs. Indy Eleven game will be broadcast on WBKI TV locally and streamed on ESPN+. The radio broadcast will be on 840 WHAS.
