Louisville City FC and Saint Louis FC will settle their Kings’ Cup rivalry series on Saturday night. In the bigger picture, both clubs can also take important steps toward their respective postseason berths.
A win, draw or combination of other results around the United Soccer League locks up the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed for LouCity, while Saint Louis FC must win to retain a shot at making the playoffs.
Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.
Team Records
LouCity: 16-4-8 (56 points) in 28 games; 2nd in the USL’s Eastern Conference standings.
Saint Louis FC: 8-11-9 (33 points) in 28 games; 13th in the USL’s Western Conference.
Follow Along
Saturday’s game will air, as with other LouCity games, live on Youtube. Also watch at www.loucity.com.
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram.
Vote for LouCity’s Modelo Man of the Match starting at the 75th minute on Twitter.
Links
- LouCity’s depth proving valuable ahead of St. Louis trip
- Know the foe: More about Saint Louis FC
- Video: LouCity coach O’Connor previews the game
- Boombozz back as Saturday’s official watch party spot
- McCabe undergoes surgery as club takes ‘proactive approach’
- With playoffs near, LouCity fully clicking again
By the Numbers
7 – LouCity has scored more goals in its series with Saint Louis FC than in any other versus a USL rival.
6,311 – Even away from Slugger Field, Kings’ Cup competition attracts a large crowd on average.
4 – If LouCity manages a fourth straight clean sheet, it would mark the longest such streak in club history. A fourth consecutive victory would cement its second-longest winning streak.
Notes
Playoff picture: With a point for a draw or three for a win, LouCity would clinch the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference on Saturday night. But kickoff is an hour and a half after FC Cincinnati starts against Orlando City B. Should Cincy do anything but win, LouCity would clinch a second-place finish regardless of its result. A slew of clubs — Richmond, Charleston and Rochester — have 45 points apiece in a gridlock for the No. 7 seed, which opens the postseason against the 2.
LouCity rolling: Since suffering back-to-back defeats for the only time this season to end July, the LouCity that managed to go 17 straight games unbeaten earlier this season has reappeared. The club is 4-1-2 since then, with the only loss to the eventual USL Eastern Conference champion New York Red Bulls II. Currently, the club is riding a three-game winning streak, with each of those victories shutouts.
The Kings’ Cup: Supporters coined the rivaly for their cities’ French namesakes — King Louis XVI (Louisville) and King Louis IX (St. Louis) — before their clubs met four times last year as Eastern Conference rivals. LouCity supporters hold the Kings’ Cup heading into Saturday and would keep it if the boys in purple win, draw or take this season’s series on goal differential. Saint Louis FC, now a member of the Western Conference, fell 2-0 at Slugger Field on May 14.
Featured forwards: Though both are in the Golden Boot race, LouCity and Saint Louis feature strikers seemingly going in opposite directions late this season. Louisville’s Chandler Hoffman has 14 goals but none since July. Meanwhile, Saint Louis’ Irving Herrera enters off a hat trick performance and win over San Antonio FC. FC Cincinnati’s Sean Okoli and Jack McBean, an LA Galaxy II star on loan in Europe, hold the USL scoring lead with 15 goals apiece. Last year, LouCity’s Matt Fondy scored 22 goals in 28 regular-season games to claim the Golden Boot.
A new 1-2 punch: Lately, Hoffman has split time up top. Cameron Lancaster appeared last time out as LouCity’s starting forward with Magnus Rasmussen behind him in the attacking midfield. Both players scored — Lancaster on a penalty kick and Rasmussen a shot from just outside the box — as Louisville shut down a Richmond Kickers squad that had played 10 straight games unbeaten. For their efforts, Rasmussen and Lancaster were named to the USL’s Team of the Week.
Smith to sit: After picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in stoppage time of last weekend’s win over the Richmond Kickers, Kyle Smith, the USL Midseason Rookie of the Year, will miss Saturday’s game. In the portion of Thursday’s training session open to the media, Ben Newnam played at Smith’s right back position, while Tarek Morad filled in on the left. Enrique Montano is also a consideration for playing time on the back line, where Sean Reynolds and Paco Craig have played consistently in center defense.
