HERRIMAN, UTAH – Louisville City FC is bringing home hardware from its preseason trip to Utah. LouCity beat the host Real Monarchs 3-1 in the final match of the round-robin event to win the 2020 Wasatch Cup Saturday morning at the Zions Bank Real Academy.
“I’m really pleased with the performance,” Louisville City coach John Hackworth said. “We really executed in all phases. It was a great way to end a long trip like this. I really felt good about our preparation and then when you have those ideas and then your players go out and implement it, it’s a really nice thing.”
Louisville City held a two-point lead on the Monarchs and Union Omaha in the Wasatch Cup table heading into Saturday morning’s rematch of the 2019 USL Championship Final. The Boys in Purple had four points after beating the Colorado Springs Switchbacks and notching a point for a draw vs. Union Omaha.
With Saturday’s 3-1 win, LouCity finished the event with seven points, clinching the Wasatch Cup trophy.
Louisville City started the match with a lineup full of attacking talent with 2018 Golden Boot winner Cameron Lancaster up top along with Abdou Thiam, Brian Ownby, and Magnus Rasmussen, who led the team in goals in 2019. Corben Bone and Speedy Williams joined Rasmussen in the middle with Oscar Jimenez, Alexis Souahy, Jimmy Ockford, and Pat McMahon along the back four. Ben Lundt started the match in goal for LouCity.
Louisville City started the match strong, getting a goal on a beautifully-placed shot by Thiam in the 7′ with an assist to Ownby. Then Louisville City pushed the lead to 2-0 when Lancaster scored on a corner kick from Jimenez in the 25′. The corner was deflected by Rasmussen to Lancaster who quickly put it into the back of the net.
Just over two minutes later, Louisville City went ahead 3-0 on a goal by Ownby with an assist to Rasmussen. After giving up a goal in the 34′, Louisville City went into halftime with a 3-1 lead.
City started the second half with a similar lineup to the first half, but started making substitutions in the 61′. Chris Hubbard came in as goalkeeper with Jimenez joined by Sean Totsch, Wesley Charpie and Akil Watts on the back line. Napo Matsoso, Paolo DelPiccolo, and Niall McCabe were in the middle with George Davis IV, Antoine Hoppenot and Cameron Lancaster up top.
LouCity’s current roster, listed alphabetically by position:
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Hubbard, Ben Lundt, Muamer Ugarak
Defenders (6): Oscar Jimenez, Pat McMahon, Jimmy Ockford, Alexis Souahy, Sean Totsch, Akil Watts
Midfielders (7): Corben Bone, Paolo DelPiccolo, Napo Matsoso, Niall McCabe, Magnus Rasmussen, Speedy Williams, Elijah Wynder
Forwards (6): George Davis IV, Antoine Hoppenot, Cameron Lancaster, Brian Ownby, Luke Spencer, Abdou Thiam
PRESEASON SCHEDULE
After returning home from Utah, Louisville City will have a pair of preseason matches left before opening its USL Championship schedule on March 7 at North Carolina FC. The Boys in Purple will open Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday, April 11 vs. Birmingham Legion in a nationally televised match on ESPN News.
WASATCH CUP SCHEDULE:
February 16 – Real Monarchs – 0, Union Omaha – 0
Louisville City FC – 3, Switchbacks FC – 0,
February 19 – Real Monarchs – 0, Switchbacks FC – 0
Louisville City – 1, Union Omaha – 1
February 22 – Real Monarchs – 1. Louisville City FC – 3
Union Omaha v. Switchbacks FC – 1:30p ET
