Louisville City FC notched a season-high five goals in a 5-3 win over league-leading NY Red Bulls II Saturday night at Slugger Field. The Boys in Purple extended their Eastern Conference-best unbeaten streak to eight games with six wins and a pair of draws since their last loss on July 28.
“I think it’s just one of those statement games really,” Hackworth said. “I feel like we’ve been doing really well. I think this is eight games unbeaten and no one’s really given us a lot of credit for that run. That’s a really amazing run at this time. You play the top team in the league right now and on the table and nothing speaks more than to go out and execute the way that we did.”
The New York Red Bulls II came into Slugger Field as the top team in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s what we have to do and what we believe we should do,” Louisville City coach John Hackworth said of knocking off the top-rated Red Bulls. “I give them a lot of credit because they’ve had an excellent season and they’re in a great position. This is the position that we want to be in. I’ve said it all along, I believe that we are playing the best soccer of anybody right now, so that gives us a lot of confidence when we go face a team like New York.”
New York drew first blood with a goal by Vincent Bezecourt in the 20’, but Louisville City scored three straight goals to take a 3-1 lead.
“It was a fantastic response,” Hackworth said. “The character of this group is really amazing. I just told them that not only am I proud of them but the way that they responded. Especially against a team like New York, who is really a tough team to play against and to break down. Especially if they go a goal up on you, I can’t say enough about it.”
Louisville City’s first goal, a screamer from Oscar Jimenez after an assist by Speedy Williams, equalized the score at 1-1 before Napo Matsoso had back-to-back goals in the 31’ and 33’ to put Louisville City up 3-1.
“That was the first time (scoring two goals in a game as a pro) and it felt amazing to have another win at home,” Napo Matsoso said. “It’s a massive win against Red Bulls. All the goals came because of the team. We all believe in each other. We say every time after training, before training, ‘We believe in ourselves. We believe in what we are doing every game.'”
A handball call in the box gave the NY Red Bulls a penalty kick in the 37’, and Jared Stroud buried the shot to pull within a goal. But Louisville City got a goal in stoppage time from Antoine Hoppenot (assist to Brian Ownby) to give the Boys in Purple a 4-2 lead going into halftime.
LouCity midfielder Niall McCabe drilled a beautiful strike from 10 yards beyond the 18 to push LouCity’s lead to 5-2 in the 59’. The booming goal brought the 9,846 fans to their feet. A 71’ minute goal by Omar Sowe pulled the Red Bulls to within 5-3, but they couldn’t inch any closer.
STANDINGS UPDATE:
The win moved Louisville City from 7th to 6th in the Eastern Conference standings with 50 points. LouCity is two points behind fifth-place Pittsburgh Riverhounds and five points behind 4th place Nashville SC. NY Red Bulls II are now in a three-way tie for the league lead with 56 points but remain in 1st due to the goal differential tiebreaker.
GOALS:
20’ – Bezecourt – NYRB, 0-1
24’ – Jimenez – LouCity, 1-1
31’ – Matsoso – LouCity, 2-1
22’ – Matsoso – LouCity, 3-1
37’ – Stroud – NYRB, 3-2
45+2’ – Hoppenot – LouCity, 4-2
59’ – McCabe – LouCity, 5-2
71’ – Sowe – NYRB, 5-3
