Carlos Moguel Jr. netted a free kick, and Niall McCabe rocketed in a shot from distance Sunday afternoon as Louisville City FC came back to draw Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 2-2.
It was a high-level preseason matchup in Tucson, Arizona, between the defending USL Championship Players’ Shield holder LouCity and league winner Colorado Springs.
About a quarter hour after Moguel Jr. halved a two-goal Switchbacks lead, McCabe scored an 88th-minute goal of a lifetime to level the score. Colorado Springs attempted to clear a corner kick, and the ball bounded to McCabe outside the top of the penalty arc. The veteran midfielder zipped a rising shot through traffic and into corner netting.
LouCity mounted its rally after a frustrating first half that saw chances created but not finished. Manny Perez forced an early save from the Colorado Springs goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation, Sam Gleadle couldn’t make the most of a turnover in the Switchbacks’ half, and newcomer Zach Duncan put another try on target from the top of the box.
That allowed Colorado Springs to shift momentum with a 42nd-minute counter attack leading to Yosuke Hanya’s opening goal. A trialist scored for the Switchbacks on the other side of the halftime break.
“We’ve been pushing the group extremely hard over the course of this camp, and we’ve been on the road for quite a bit of time,” said coach Danny Cruz. “But this afternoon’s performance wasn’t up to the standard we have for each other. The positive is we were able to come back from being down two goals to zero. At the same time, we did not meet our expectation from both a work ethic and mentality standpoint.”
LouCity saw each of its roster players log minutes Sunday, which also marked Brian Ownby’s return to the pitch. The veteran winger played the opening 15 minutes as he continues to ease back from a season-long injury in 2024.
Late in the going, a LouCity Academy standout also saw the field when St. Xavier High School’s Brandon Dayes came on in relief of Kyle Adams in defense.
City’s out-of-town preseason tour concludes this week as the boys in purple travel to play Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders on Wednesday. The squad will then return to Louisville for the run up to its March 8 regular season opener.
2025 Louisville City FC Preseason Schedule
February 1 at Austin FC (L, 3-1)
February 5 vs. New Mexico United (D, 0-0)
February 9 vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (D, 2-2)
February 12 at Seattle Sounders FC
February 22 vs. Lexington SC
March 1 vs. Knoxville SC
