One mission down, six to go.
That was the messaging from Louisville City FC forward Quenzi Huerman after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Loudoun United FC.
“We’ve got seven missions as of right now, six left now, to get as many points in the league as possible, get a home playoff game and win the (Prinx Tires USL Cup) in the meantime,” the Frenchman said. “This is mission one. That’s all that matters.”
Mission one accomplished, now on to mission two.
That mission is set for Friday in Hartford, Conn., as LouCity visits Hartford Athletic for a regular-season game. Kickoff at Trinity Health Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
It is the first of back-to-back visits to Hartford — the same two teams will square off in the same stadium next Saturday in the Prinx Tires USL Cup Final.
With the USL Cup Final looming, the attention of Simon Bird’s team is squarely on Friday’s game, he said.
“For us, it’s the next mission. The next mission is Hartford. And we know that we’ve got to take it one week at a time,” Bird said.
That’s for good reason — after a win Saturday, LouCity (10-9-6, 36 points) is poised for a late push up the standings. Louisville is two points back of fourth place, which would clinch a home playoff game, and just seven points back of second.
In other words, the story of LouCity’s 2026 season will be written over the next six games.
Hartford (9-5-11, 38 points) is one of the teams standing in LouCity’s way, on its upward regular-season climb. The Green and Blue are even with the fourth-place Pittsburgh Riverhounds on 38 points, making Friday’s game a true six-pointer in the race for fourth.
A win Friday would put LouCity there, at least for a night, leapfrogging both Hartford and Pittsburgh, though the Riverhounds visit Orange County SC at 10 p.m. ET Saturday.
Coming up with the win, though, will be difficult — Hartford is unbeaten in its last 10 games, across all competitions, including a 5-0-3 mark in league play. The club has not lost at home in league play since April 11.
Sounds like “Mission Impossible”? Not necessarily.
“We’re going there to get three points,” Bird said.
Follow Along
• The game will air locally on WBKI/The CW, with local radio coverage on ESPN Louisville’s 680 AM and 105.7 FM.
• To watch streaming coverage of the game, log on to ESPN+ or WDRB+WAVE.
• For starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter. Also, find the club at louisvillecityfc on Instagram and Louisville City FC on Facebook.
Storylines…
Drought ender: Last Saturday’s win over Loudoun United was LouCity’s first league win since Aug. 15 and first home win since July 29. Forwards Ray Serrano and Chris Donovan scored in the win, each their first goal contributions since they scored in that Aug. 15 win at Orange County.
Welcome, Collin: LouCity Academy player Collin Haus was brought in to the senior team ahead of Friday’s game. The 18-year-old goalkeeper has developed with the LouCity Academy at the club level and also plays for the Trinity High School varsity team.
Series history: LouCity leads the all-time series between the clubs 8-1-3. Hartford’s lone win came at Trinity Health Stadium on Aug. 24, 2024, 2-1. LouCity is 3-1-2 at Hartford.
Low scoring: Hartford’s success this season has come with a defense-first approach. Hartford is tied for 22nd in the league with 27 goals scored this season, but boasts the fifth-best defensive record with just 24 goals conceded. Hartford has played nine games with one or fewer total goals, including LouCity’s 1-0 win over Hartford at Lynn Family Stadium on July 4.
Familiar foe: Hartford’s head coach, Brendan Burke, is plenty familiar with LouCity. Friday will be the 17th time the 43-year-old Burke has faced LouCity, tied with Pittsburgh for his most frequent opponent. Burke has taken two wins over Louisville: in 2024 with Hartford and in 2019 with Bethlehem Steel FC.
