It was another Saturday night at Lynn Family Stadium, which is to say Louisville City FC scored multiple goals, won, and sent a crowd of about 10,000 home happy.
Early substitute Sam Gleadle headed in the opener before Sean Totsch converted a second half penalty in a 2-1 LouCity victory over North Carolina FC.
A stoppage-time goal from the visitors took some shine off the win. But first-place City improved to 10-1-2 nonetheless, with its 32 points three better than the Charleston Battery on the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference table.
“We need to be better about closing games out,” said coach Danny Cruz. “When we look at, obviously, as the season progresses and every point mattering, there’s a difference between 2-0 for the final five minutes and 2-1. You’re under it.
“I’m obviously proud of the guys for defending the box late. I haven’t seen the goal back — it was hard to see from the view I had — but we’ll take a look at it and make sure it’s something we look to improve upon.”
Saturday’s result pushed LouCity’s home record to 7-0 with a +23 goal differential this season. However, it arrived in different fashion for a club that entered averaging 4.5 goals per game at Lynn Family Stadium.
This was the first one-goal home margin of victory, and it lengthened City’s current unbeaten streak to eight games dating back to early April.
“We left a lot of chances out there — probably should have put the game away earlier — and we didn’t get the clean sheet, either,” said winger Aiden McFadden. “But it says a lot to still get the three points. I haven’t looked at the film, but I already think we struggled in a lot of areas. That being said, we picked up three points. It’s a win, but I think we can be a lot better.”
Gleadle, the game’s opening goal scorer, didn’t start Saturday but found himself called on as a substitute in just the 13th minute after teammate Adrien Perez absorbed a foul in the midfield.
That led up to a 32nd-minute sequence that saw Kyle Adams play a diagonal ball over the top, McFadden to settle it and cross, then Gleadle to head it in. It marked his first goal in purple.
City peppered North Carolina with eight more shots on target, but the eventual game winner came via a penalty kick. McFadden’s 69th-minute cross in was whistle for a hand ball, and Totsch calmly scored from the spot for his 11th straight conversion.
“Obviously it’s my first one at a big club like this, which is very exciting,” Gleadle, an offseason transfer from Monterey Bay FC, said of his goal. “Just to be able to help the team and get three points and keep the train moving was a big moment for me — and having my family here was very special.”
North Carolina — back in the USL Championship this season after spending the last three years in League One — got a goal back two minutes into stoppage time. LouCity defended successfully the rest of the way to stave off a rally.
From here, the boys in purple will turn their attention to a top-four showdown in the Eastern Conference. They travel to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday.
Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. North Carolina FC
Date: June 8, 2024
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 8 p.m.
Attendance: 9,733
Weather: 75 degrees, cloudy
Scoring
Louisville City FC (1, 1, 2)
North Carolina FC (0, 1, 1)
Goals
Louisville City FC:
32’ Sam Gleadle (Aiden McFadden)
70’ Sean Totsch
North Carolina FC:
90’+2 Evan Conway (Ezra Armstrong)
Lineups
Louisville City FC: 18 – Damian Las, 5 – Arturo Ordóñez, 32 – Kyle Adams (c), 4 – Sean Totsch, 2 – Aiden McFadden, 3 – Jake Morris (64’ 13 – Amadou Dia), 17 – Taylor Davila (86’ 11 – Niall McCabe), 23 – Elijah Wynder, 7 – Ray Serrano (64’ 25 – Jansen Wilson), 21 – Jorge Gonzalez (64’ 22 – Dylan Mares), 16 – Adrien Perez (13’ 20 – Sam Gleadle)
Subs not used: 12 – Danny Faundez, 6 – Wes Charpie, 80 – Hayden Stamps
Head coach: Danny Cruz
North Carolina FC: 1 – Jacob McGuire, 7 – Lamar Batista, 27 – Bryce Washington, 42 – Ezra Armstrong, 14 – Rafael Mentzingen, 17 – Collin Martin, 15 – Michael Maldonado, 44 – Raheem Somersall (81’ 6 – Jacori Hayes), 8 – Louis Perez (76’ 19 – Garrett McLaughlin), 16 – Rodrigo da Costa, 11 – Evan Conway
Subs not used: 4 – Justin Malou, 5 – Daniel Navarro, 48 – Kyrome Lumsden, 61 – Xavier Holloway, 77 – Jacob Whitfield
Head coach: John Bradford
Stats Summary: Louisville City FC / North Carolina FC
Shots: 17 / 13
Shots on Goal: 9 / 2
Possession: 37% / 63%
Fouls: 17 / 10
Offside: 5 / 4
Corner Kicks: 3 / 5
Discipline Summary
Louisville City FC:
63’ Arturo Ordoñez (yellow card)
North Carolina FC:
26’ Bryce Washington (yellow card)
87’ Bench (yellow card)
90’+ 4 Lamar Batista (yellow card)
Referee: Abdou Ndiaye
