By Andrew Bell
Louisville City FC defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies by a 1-0 score Saturday night in front of an electric record home crowd of 14,673 at Lynn Family Stadium.
Despite early chances from both teams, the first 45 minutes ended in a stalemate. LouCity’s Wilson Harris broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute — just three minutes after subbing in — after pickpocketing a Tampa Bay center-back and sliding it past the Rowdies’ goalkeeper, taking a deflection on the way. City managed to fan any sniff Tampa Bay may have had at an equalizer for the rest of the game.
The teams’ previous matchup this season ended in a 1-0 loss for LouCity at Tampa Bay via a disputable first half penalty kick. Crucially, these three points give City some breathing room atop the Eastern Conference after the boys in purple entered just a point ahead of the Rowdies.
“Without that crowd tonight, the end of that game would’ve been more difficult,” said LouCity coach Danny Cruz after the match. “We’re extremely proud of the night we just had. I’m extremely proud of the players. They put on a fantastic performance with a lot of fight. That game was everything I am proud of here at Louisville City.”
You shall not pass
LouCity’s 12th clean sheet came against the best attacking team in the league, with the Rowdies putting 48 goals past opponents this season. Saturday night, the visitors didn’t manage so much as a shot on target.
City goalkeeper Kyle Morton is now tied for the most clean sheets in the USL Championship with 10 despite missing more than four weeks of action with a concussion while also keeping his team at a league-best 16 goals conceded.
“He’s one of the best goalkeepers in the league and we’re fortunate to have him,” Cruz said about Morton. “He had some massive punches from service that he had to come for. For me, he had another excellent game.”
A purple back-four consisting of Amadou Dia, Wes Charpie, Sean Totsch and Manny Perez combined for nine tackles, 10 interceptions, and 23 recoveries on the night. Frequently throughout the match, LouCity’s back line would step up swiftly as a Tampa Bay forward would start their run, leaving the Rowdies offside six times compared to City’s one.
On average this season, Tampa Bay has possessed the ball 52% of a match, giving the Rowdies’ plenty of chances to capitalize. However, against LouCity, the Rowdies were held to 38% possession, resulting in no shots on target, no corner kicks, and only five crosses.
Notably, the right back Perez’s performance was paramount in shutting down the Rowdies’ attack and sealing the win. The City newcomer’s 95-minute shift consisted of three crosses, three interceptions and a team-high seven tackles on the night.
Super sub Harris
Usually a starter at the No. 9 position, Harris made his mark off the bench, netting his 10th goal of the season while remaining the top scorer for the boys in purple. The 22-year-old registered similar goals in his last two appearances, mugging a Charleston defender last time out and a Tampa Bay defender Saturday, before cooly beating both teams’ keepers.
“He’s relentless in his pressure,” said Cruz about Harris. “He’s a lot quicker than people give him credit for. He found out he wasn’t in the starting lineup and he handled it like a pro. For him to come in and do what he did after probably being a bit disappointed with not starting, I think it shows a lot about his character.”
Through his non-stop pressure, Harris recorded two tackles, seven duels and four recoveries in his 35 minutes on the field, receiving Man of the Match honors for his performance.
Harris’ finish contributes to the eight goals LouCity have scored from substitutes this season, trailing only San Diego (10) in the category. Cruz’s squad continues to show no signs of slowing down in games, scoring in the second half 78% of the time, even against league giants such as Tampa Bay, Memphis, and Birmingham—all conceding second-half goals to City.
Totsch credited the fans for propelling his team forward: “When the intensity is right, we are invincible. On nights like tonight we feel invincible.”
