For the first time in 2022, Louisville City FC will play Saturday while rebounding from a loss.
City is hoping to bounce back from a 4-3 defeat May 13 at LA Galaxy II, with that result snapping a 13-game unbeaten streak across all competitions to open the season.
The boys in purple are back home — where they’ve been just about unbeatable over the last year — to host USL Championship expansion side Monterey Bay FC for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
LouCity has lost just once at home since COVID-19 capacity restrictions lifted last June and sport a plus-25 goal differential in USL Championship matches over that span. The club led the league in attendance last season, and another crowd of 10,000-plus is expected Saturday.
Saturday’s game is the first of three at home in eight days. LouCity also hosts Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC on Wednesday in a Round of 16 U.S. Open Cup game before FC Tulsa enters on May 28 for a rare afternoon opening whistle at Lynn Family Stadium.
Here’s what to watch for as Monterey Bay makes its first visit to Louisville.
Follow along…
- The game game will air live locally on WBKI and ESPN Louisville’s 680/105.7, with streaming via ESPN+ and the WDBR Now app.
- For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Also find the club at louisvillecityfc on Instagram.
Story lines…
New kids on the block: Also known as Union, Monterey Bay FC is one of two newcomers in the USL Championship this season alongside Detroit City FC. Led by Frank Yallop – the former Canada national team coach who also led Phoenix Rising and a number of Major League Soccer sides – Monterey Bay is currently 2-7, with wins against fellow Western Conference clubs Oakland Roots SC and Las Vegas Lights FC.
Going for gold: A quarter of the way through the season, both forward Wilson Harris and Morton are on track to win the top stat categories for their positions. With six goals in league play, Harris sits in a five-way tie for the Golden Boot, awarded to the league’s top scorer. Morton’s seven clean sheets lead the USL Championship – San Antonio FC’s Jordan Farr is second with five – giving him the advantage for the Golden Glove.
Record Ray: Forward Ray Serrano just about made club history at LA Galaxy II when scoring LouCity’s opener just 61 seconds into the match. It went down as the second-fastest goal ever scored for the boys in purple, coming only four seconds later than Magnus Rasmussen when he netted an opening-minute goal on June 8, 2019, in a win over Loudoun United FC.
Defensive depth: While LouCity gave up as many goals in the LA Galaxy II loss as it had in 10 prior league games this season, a midweek U.S. Open Cup victory stretched the back line in particular. Already dealing with injuries to outside backs Amadou Dia and Manny Perez, the club also went to penalties to knock off Detroit after 120 minutes of play. It led to a back line of Owen Damm, Josh Wynder, Ian Soler and Jan-Erik Leinhos playing together for the first time.
Niall in form: LouCity midfielder Niall McCabe has returned to the pitch in impressive fashion having missed the start of the season with a non-COVID-19 illness. McCabe has numbered three goals and an assist in six appearances. The 31-year-old scored in last weekend’s loss, hitting a free kick from 20 yards out in the 51st minute. McCabe’s three goals are his most since City’s 2019 campaign.
OJ’s back: LouCity’s all-time assists leader upped his total to 32 on Friday night when Harris finished Oscar Jimenez’s 78th-minute cross. The outside back made his first appearance of the season earlier this month against Atlanta United 2, entering as a substitute to mark his return from a preseason knee injury.
A club debut: Recalled from his loan with USL League One side Northern Colorado Hailstorm, 18-year-old Damm made his club debut against LA Galaxy II. Holding down the left flank of City’s back line, Damm won four duels and three fouls and made one clearance before Jimenez subbed on for him at halftime. From Versailles, Ky., Damm signed a professional deal this past offseason out of LouCity’s youth academy.
