By Chris Mattingly
Issac Cano realized a dream Saturday.
A preseason Louisville City FC signing to a USL Academy contract, the 19-year-old forward made his first team debut as a starter in front of 8,176 fans at Lynn Family Stadium, where the boys in purple hosted Mexico’s Atlante FC for an international friendly.
Cano, a product of Lexington powerhouse Paul Laurence Dunbar, has trained with the LouCity first team most of this year in addition to playing for the academy’s U-19 squad that won the prestigious Dallas Cup back in April.
“I thought Issac, for his first real good amount of minutes for us, did a really good job,” LouCity coach Danny Cruz said after Saturday’s game. “He’s been excellent in training. I didn’t start him for any other reason other than he has done a good job.
“We felt this would be a good opportunity for him and a good moment to see these guys come on the field. It’s what we are all about.”
Cano echoed Cruz, saying the coach told him “to keep plugging away” and that “I’ve been doing really well in training.” Playing as a winger atop LouCity’s 4-3-3 formation, Cano earned a corner for City in the Atlante game’s opening seconds and got up to put a headed shot in during the 21st minute.
“This is my dream,” Cano said. “This was what I was looking forward to my whole entire life, so to finally get in, my mindset was to go out there and take the opportunity that was presented in front of me.”
Cano was joined in LouCity’s starting 11 by two players he hopes to follow by going from a USL Academy contract to pro deal: midfielder Carlos Moguel Jr. and defender Owen Damm.
“It’s only going to get bigger from here,” Moguel Jr. said of the academy’s influence on the first team. Moguel Jr. added of Cano’s debut in particular that, “Some kids would shy away, but with him, competing, he went out and did everything he could.”
Cano has often sat in the Lynn Family Stadium stands and participated in training sessions on the pitch there. He’s used to a big stage, too, winning the 2021 state title with Paul Dunbar in addition to various academy tournaments.
Once out there Saturday, he had a moment of realization, thinking to himself, “I can do this.”
Brothers Elijah and Josh Wynder and defender Sebastian Sanchez round out a group of five players who have gone from amateur to pro contracts out of LouCity’s academy. Cano, at least for now, has forgone playing collegiately in an effort to be next in line.
“I give all the credit to Mario Sanchez and Luke Spencer and everyone involved in the program,” Cano said of the academy. “They create the way if you really want to work for it. You tell them your dream — your goal — and they’ll help you get to it every time.”
