Louisville City FC defender Brandon Dayes returns to the lineup for an after dark matchup with Western Conference leading Orange County SC.
Kickoff at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, Calif., is set for 10 p.m. ET. The game will air locally MyTV 58 and on ESPN Louisville’s 680 AM/105.7 FM. For streaming, log on to ESPN+ or WDRB+.
Tonight will be Dayes first game for Loucity since July 11 against Lexington SC. Dayes was away on internationl duty, competing in Mexico for the United States U-19 National Team at the Concacaf U-20 Championships.
Playing in all six matches for the “Stars and Stripes,” the 17-year old had two goals in the tournament while playing 318 minutes. In club play this year, Dayes has played in 16 matches, starting all of them at center back.
Dayes will start tonight once again at center back, occupying the middle spot on the back three. To Dayes left will tonight’s captain, the veteran Amadou Dia.
Dia, the 10-year USL Championship veteran, has made 21 appearances this season for LouCity, playing both as a wingback and defender. Dia has been in the top third in the league this season for aerial duels won per 90 minutes (1.66).
The right center back spot will be filled by Aiden McFadden. Since returning from injury, McFadden has appeared in four matches, playing a full 90 minutes in the last two.
The trio will stand in front of Hugo Fauroux in net. Tonight will be the fifth-straight start for the Frenchman, a stretch of games where he’s made 10 saves on 17 shots faced.
The wingback positions will be filled by Sam Gleadle on the right, and Jake Morris on the left. This will be Gleadle’s first start since July 18 at the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
Jake Morris has become a lock for LouCity at the left wingback position, starting in eight straight matches since June 20th. Morris was a big part of Louisville’s clean sheet on Wednesday in Tampa Bay, making six defensive contributions in 69 minutes played.
The two men in the midfield will be Zach Duncan on the left and Evan Davila on the right. Duncan has been one of the stronger shooting midfielders in the USL Championship this season, being in the 94th percentile for midfielders. Evan Davila will also be making his third start in last five appearances.
The attacking trio will consist of Ray Serrano on the left wing, Quenzi Huerman on the right wing, and Tola Showunmi at center forward. This will be the first time this season this will be the starting attack for Louisville.
Ray Serrano will be making his 27th appearance across all comps this season. He ranks third on the team in league play with six goal contributions.
Quenzi Huerman will be making a rare start tonight, being only his third of the regular season. The off-season signing from Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC has completed 77.3% of his passes in league play.
Tola Showunmi will also return the lineup for the first time since May 9 against Pittsburgh. Showunmi has been a threat while coming off the bench this season, averaging 3.57 shots per 90 minutes played.
On the bench, eight subs are available for selection for interim head coach Simon Bird, including leading goal scorer Jansen Wilson, who currently has seven goals in league play. Others available include: Danny Faundez, Manny Perez, Sean Totsch, Cam Duke, Taylor Davila, Mukwelle Akale, and Chris Donovan.
Team Sheet at Orange County
1 – Hugo Fauroux
3 – Jake Morris
13 – Amadou Dia
5 – Brandon Dayes
2 – Aiden McFadden
23 – Sam Gleadle
6 – Zach Duncan
27 – Evan Davila
7 – Ray Serrano
21 – Quenzi Huerman
14 – Tola Showunmi
Available substitutes: 12 – Danny Faundez; 4 – Sean Totsch, 8 – Taylor Davila, 9 – Chris Donovan, 14 – Manny Perez, 25 – Jansen Wilson, 28 – Cam Duke, 47 – Mukwelle Akale
