By Andrew Bell
Louisville City FC shared the spoils with Memphis 901 FC in a 1-1 away draw Saturday after the lively game featured a staggering 26 combined shots from the teams.
LouCity opened the scoring early when Ray Serrano’s ninth-minute corner was whipped in low. Center back Sean Totsch bolted to meet it and nodded the ball across the face of goal and into the far corner.
Memphis found their equalizer in the 52nd minute after a 901 FC forward was played through to the end line and chipped the ball toward goal. Memphis’ Luiz Fernando left a foot behind to pull the ball into the net.
For the ensuing 38 minutes, the teams traded turns pushing forward in search of the winning goal. LouCity showed tremendous defensive grit by absorbing a multitude of chances created by quality Memphis pieces.
“I think the thing that was most poor on the night that caused us a lot of issues was that when we won the ball and looked to play forward, we immediately turned it over again,” LouCity head coach Danny Cruz said of his side’s shortcomings on the night. “There’s clear areas where we know we need to be better.”
Still, Cruz kept things in perspective, saying, “We’re in a good spot in the table. We have some home games coming up, fortunately, and we’ll look to keep building from there.”
While LouCity would’ve liked to have some chances back, the point earned propels the boys in purple up to second in the Eastern Conference, just a point off of the Charleston Battery’s 15. City is also now four games undefeated in league play, with eight of the club’s 14 points earned during this current streak
Diligent defending
Despite conceding an unlucky goal against the run of play early in the second half, LouCity showed immense defensive strength throughout the contest in Memphis.
No matter how solid a group is at the back, counterattacks can always be fatal when a team’s defense hasn’t fully positioned itself behind the ball. For Memphis, counters were few and far between. As a testament to City’s fantastic conditioning and formation, 10 LouCity players could often be found behind the ball when defending against Memphis 901.
Among those working tirelessly to defend was Serrano. Not only did he get into advanced positions when his team was in possession, but he also worked even harder to ensure few chances came from his side of the pitch. In his 61-minute shift against 901 FC, Serrano posted three tackles, four won duels, and an interception. Notably, the winger logged minutes against FC Cincinnati in LouCity’s midweek U.S. Open Cup match, yet didn’t show any signs of heavy legs or a lack of sharpness against Memphis.
In the rare instance that Memphis could be found streaking forward, City midfielder Tyler Gibson worked efficiently to stave off attacks and interrupt 901 FC’s transition from midfield to attack. On Saturday, he registered three duels and two interceptions. When Gibson did win possession back, he distributed the ball quickly and accurately, recording a team-high 78% passing accuracy for almost 30 passes.
On the night, Memphis put up 17 shots against the boys in purple, yet that number isn’t reflective of the chances LouCity actually conceded. When Memphis was on the attack, City’s defensive unit ensured that most of 901 FC’s shots were either ambitious efforts from far out or blocked before reaching goal.
Of Memphis’s 17 shots, only four landed on target, compared to LouCity’s five of nine shots on goal. Four of 901 FC’s shots came from efforts outside of the box while many Memphis tries from inside were shepherded away from goal by crowding the ball with purple shirts. Finally, four of LouCity’s blocks were on Memphis shots from around the six-yard box, meaning that City refused to give up ground in and around the goal.
Crucial to these numbers were Josh Wynder, Sean Totsch, and Gibson who, combined, stuffed six Memphis efforts.
Pushing for the winner
Although LouCity did well to get numbers behind the ball when defending, Cruz’s men were anything but offensively tame against 901 FC. Of City’s nine shots, six came from inside the box and five were on target. This includes one of City’s best chances of the night, when Serrano redirected a long ball back to Paolo DelPiccolo. His shot nutmegged the Memphis goalkeeper but was cleared off the line by a defender.
Numbers like 15 crosses, six corner kicks, and nine created chances for City suggest a high offensive output.
The most threatening attacking pieces of the night for LouCity came from Wilson Harris and Jorge Gonzalez. Harris took four shots, three landing on target, which included a 25th-minute power strike from outside the box and a 82nd-minute attempt that was spilled by Memphis’ goalkeeper. Dylan Mares nearly stabbed in the winning goal as a result.
Harris also played an important role in LouCity’s holdup play. When LouCity won the ball back in its own defensive third, Harris could be found checking in to receive the ball, protecting possession with the ball at his feet, and turning to create chances as his team worked to transition into attack.
Gonzalez’s 60 minutes on the field saw him produce a pair of shots and crosses as well as two final-third entries. The Spanish playmaker made five passes into the final third, won two fouls, and used his pace to turn the corner on defenders, drawing Memphis players into the wide channels.
LouCity will rest over Kentucky Derby weekend and then host Miami FC on May 13 at Lynn Family Stadium, where the boys in purple will look to convert more offensive chances and continue their solid defensive form.
