By Andrew Bell
Louisville City FC defeated Detroit City FC by a 1-0 score Saturday afternoon at Lynn Family Stadium in a game that saw LouCity dominate across all aspects of the match. The boys in purple battered Le Rouge for 80 minutes before finding the go-ahead goal via Wilson Harris’s run into the box to meet Dylan Mares’ cross.
Harris, LouCity’s leading scorer in 2022, got on the scoresheet for the first time this season after streaking into the box, opening his body up and tapping the ball into the net. The preseason signing and USL Championship veteran Mares immediately made a difference after subbing on in the 74th minute and assisting six minutes later.
“I thought it was a complete performance from the group,” LouCity head coach Danny Cruz said after the game. “I thought we controlled the first half and I thought we did an excellent job in the second half. I thought today you saw a group that was fighting for one another, fighting for the group. I’m really, really proud of the performance.”
LouCity’s win Wednesday over regional rival Lexington SC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup proved to be a midweek morale booster, as Saturday’s performance against Detroit showed a LouCity side oozing with the confidence missing in its previous two league outings. Against Detroit, City snapped a rare two-game league play losing streak and boosted the boys in purple up from fourth to second in the Eastern Conference.
Gonzalez, Harris at the heart of renewed attack
LouCity’s 59% possession on Saturday wasn’t wasted. Against Detroit, the boys in purple put up a season-high 21 shots, with seven landing on target. Thirteen of City’s shots came from inside the box and a staggering 26 crosses were attempted.
Jorge Gonzalez and Harris were key figures in those numbers. The Man of the Match Gonzalez recorded five shots, with four coming from inside the box and three landing on target.
“He’s someone that we’ve missed,” Cruz said of Gonzalez, who missed the end of the 2022 season with knee trouble. The midfielder also had to wait for his 2023 debut coming back from a preseason injury.
“He brings so much quality,” Cruz added. “I thought he was excellent in his role today, what I asked him to do. He exploited the spaces that we talked about during the week. He’s an important piece in what we’re trying to do here.”
Harris posted a team-high six shots — four from within the box — and made the most of his lone shot on target by grabbing the winning goal.
The pair wasn’t just on the end of chances. Gonzalez and Harris were creating opportunities in high quantities as well. They combined for six created chances and four crosses. In their defensive duties, the attackers together won the ball seven times off Detroit and recorded the same number of duels.
The duo’s ever-threatening attacks forced Detroit City to commit numbers behind the ball, giving Le Rouge few chances to counter-attack.
A major midfield effort
LouCity’s midfield on Saturday — consisting of Rasmus Thellufsen, Tyler Gibson, and Paolo DelPiccolo — was crucial in preserving their team’s second clean sheet of the 2023 campaign. Together, the three had five interceptions, three clearances, and won possession 19 times.
Detroit won possession in the final third on just four occasions, meaning LouCity’s middle three worked effectively with the defense to quickly distribute the ball and kickstart the attack. The trio also contributed heavily moving forward, recording a combined 59 passes into the attacking third.
Crucially, Gibson acted as the anchor in the middle against Detroit, allowing his midfield counterparts to join the attack. Additionally, Gibson’s part allowed his team to comfortably send at least one fullback up the flank to provide even more support for LouCity’s offensive blitz.
Evidencing Gibson’s defensive sureness and his team’s trust in it, Thellufsen and DelPiccolo fused with the offensive to contribute seven crosses and six created chances while outside backs Amadou Dia and Manny Perez entered advanced positions to provide a combined nine crosses and three created chances.
LouCity’s win against Detroit gives City momentum heading into next weekend’s match against familiar foe San Antonio FC, which LouCity fell short to in the USL Championship Final last season. The boys in purple will look to exact their revenge in a home game Saturday night that kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
