By Andrew Bell
Louisville City FC defeated Birmingham Legion FC by a 5-0 score Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium in a game where the boys in purple took good care of possession, looked fluid in transition and never let off the gas.
LouCity wingback Jake Morris opened the scoring for his team in the 13th minute after midfielder Taylor Davila played a fantastic cross from the right side of the box, which found Morris who smashed the ball in at point-blank range for his first goal in purple.
City forward Wilson Harris doubled the lead in the 35th minute when wingback Jansen Wilson’s cross found Harris, who settled the ball and used clever footwork to turn and score.
Harris found his second goal of the afternoon in the 66th minute once winger Ray Serrano was fed the ball on the left flank, crossed it perfectly between the Birmingham defender and goalkeeper, and came to Harris who opened his hips to guide the ball home.
Davila piled on the goal-fest following forward Adrien Perez’s drive forward with the ball as he received a give-and-go with Jorge Gonzalez and slipped the ball to Davila, who hammered it past the keeper to make it 4-0 in the 73rd minute.
In the 82nd minute, Niall McCabe was given space to dribble through the middle. McCabe then slid the ball to Serrano, who took the ball on his right and slammed it into the goal for LouCity’s fifth and final goal.
“There were some fantastic individual performances, and it was a fantastic collective performance,” LouCity coach Danny Cruz said after the game. “We don’t get complacent. We’re going to make sure we come back to work next week ready to go and ready to continue to improve. We’re focused on making sure we’re doing the right things every day. I think if we continue to do that, and if we get a continued collective buy-in from that group, we’ll put ourselves in a good position to play well. No complacency becomes important.”
The five goals put past Legion Saturday were the most the club scored since July of 2022. The boys in purple are 3-0 to open the season and, despite an opening week bye that has seen them play one fewer game than most of the USL Championship competition, LouCity sits first in the Eastern Conference. City also boasts the most goals for (9) and is tied for the fewest goals against (1) in the entire league.
Controlling the game
Despite having a slightly smaller share of possession against Birmingham on Saturday, LouCity was undoubtedly in control of the match. City controlled the pace of play and could even choose which flank to go at when advancing the ball. As a team, City numbered 58 final third entries, 223 passes in Legion’s half (compared to Legion’s 166 in City’s half) and no whistles for offsides. And while the entire team contributes to those numbers, two players in particular were influential in possession against Birmingham.
Forward Adrien Perez, who was signed from San Diego Loyal this past offseason, could often be seen dropping deep into the LouCity midfield to receive the ball. Perez’s ability to then carry the ball forward quickly allowed him to skip past opposing midfielders to find other LouCity outlets. On Saturday, Perez had 16 passes into the final third—the most out of any player on either team.
Additionally, when Perez reached Birmingham Legion’s final third, he was extremely efficient with the ball. On the night, Perez recorded four total shots, two coming from within the box on just three total touches in the opposition’s box. This efficiency could also be seen when Perez quickly linked up with Gonzalez at the top of Birmingham’s box, which drew defenders toward them and allowed Perez to slide the ball to an open Serrano for a goal. Perez created an additional two chances, two successful dribbles (tied for most on LouCity), and won three fouls.
While Perez is excellent at carrying the ball forward, Davila excels at retaining possession, beating the press, and distributing the ball accurately. On the night, Davila completed 55 of 59 passes (93% accuracy), 12 passes into the final third, and created three chances (tied for team high on the night). Davila also had the pinpoint assist to Morris for LouCity’s opening goal and scored one himself in the 73rd minute.
Reaching new levels
Before last season, there was a lot of talk about how that LouCity team could do what no other LouCity team has done — have the best record in the USL Championship at the regular season’s end. After falling short of that goal last year, perhaps those speculations were made a year or two early, as this new 2024 team looks special. Even with six new additions to just the starting lineup this campaign, LouCity looks fluid and the chemistry looks strong.
Not only has the team as a whole hit a new gear since last season, Harris seems to have also come into his own in just the first three games of this year. In LouCity’s opening game three weeks ago, Harris notched his 50th USL Championship goal, becoming the fastest player to do so, when he scored the winner against El Paso Locomotive. Now, Harris has four goals in three games and looks to be ramping up for his most productive season ever. His ability to be in the right place at the right time, paired with his clinical finishing ability, makes him dangerous.
“I think the game is just coming to me right now,” Harris said about his recent form. “I have a lot of good players around me that are helping me get good opportunities. I’ve just been working on my composure and finishing recently. I think that’s really been showing recently.”
Besides his two goals, the 24-year-old recorded three shots (three on target), two chances created, and two fouls won. From fighting to get minutes because of LouCity legend and forward Cameron Lancaster just a couple of seasons ago, Harris certainly looks like he’s filling big shoes in a big way.
Bagels at the back
LouCity’s clean sheet on Saturday is the team’s second of the season and the most in the USL Championship. Cruz’s 5-2-3 formation ensures that LouCity is never shorthanded at the back. Even when wingbacks Morris and Wilson go forward, the experience of Sean Totsch, Arturo Ordoñez, and Kyle Adams is almost unbeatable. Against Legion on Saturday, the trio combined for three interceptions, four clearances, and 11 duels won.
“We got a shutout, which the players know is important to me,” Cruz emphasized, even after a fantastic offensive showing. “It’s not just about the goals.”
LouCity goalkeeper and loanee from Austin FC, Damian Las, was huge in the clean sheet on Saturday. On the night, Las recorded three saves. His biggest came in the 69th minute when a dangerous set piece found its way to Birmingham forward Enzo Martinez, who looked sure to score from so close. But Las leaped in front of the attempt, palming the ball away from Martinez before he could get a proper go at it.
LouCity will welcome regional rival Indy Eleven to Lynn Family stadium next Saturday in a game where City will hope to match its best-ever start to a season with four consecutive wins.
