Reigning USL Championship Player of the Year Taylor Davila will start against Hartford Athletic Friday, returning to the LouCity lineup after missing last week’s win over Loudoun United FC with an injury.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET at Trinity Health Stadium in Connecticut. The game will air in Louisville on WBKI/The CW and ESPN Louisville’s 680 AM and 105.7 FM. For streaming, WDRB+WAVE will carry the LouCity broadcast, with ESPN+ carrying the Hartford Athletic feed.
Davila has been a fixture in the LouCity lineup this season. Last week’s 2-1 win was the first game in which the 26-year-old did not appear for LouCity this season. He had appeared in all 33 games for the club prior to last week, across all competitions.
He leads the team with 2,728 minutes and 29 starts in 33 appearances, in all competitions. His nine assists also lead the team, including eight in league play, tied for second in the USL Championship.
Davila’s inclusion represents the only change in the LouCity lineup. Brandon Dayes, who started last week, is unavailable while away on international duty with the United States U-19 National Team.
The front three of Chris Donovan, Ray Serrano and Quenzi Huerman is the only line of the team unchanged, however. The trio each registered a goal contribution in last week’s win — Serrano and Donovan scored, while Huerman tallied an assist on Serrano’s goal. Huerman also was involved in the buildup to Donovan’s winner, taking the shot that ricocheted into Donovan’s path.
Babacar Niang starts for the second consecutive week, in midfield with Davila. Niang made his first appearance since June 20 in last week’s win, missing time with injury. Friday marks the first time he has started back-to-back games with LouCity. This is his first year with the club, on loan from Minnesota United FC of Major League Soccer.
The backline sees one switch — with Dayes away on international duty, Kevon Lambert will move from midfield to defense. The 6-foot-4 Jamaican midfielder has deputized at center back multiple times this season, including when he scored a brace versus Birmingham Legion FC on July 29.
Captain Kyle Adams and Aiden McFadden will start either side of Lambert in the back three. Notably, McFadden is 82 minutes from 10,000 in his USL Championship career.
Veterans Amadou Dia and Manny Perez will occupy the wingback places, on the left and right respectively.
Ryan Schewe starts once again in goal. The loanee from Sporting Kansas City of MLS made six saves in last week’s win, tied for the most saves in a league game by a LouCity goalkeeper this season.
Jansen Wilson, the team’s leading scorer with 12 goals in all competitions, is among the substitutes. Like Davila, he did not appear in last Saturday’s game, the first time this season he did not appear for LouCity. Wilson had seen action in all 33 previous games, with 21 starts.
Collin Haus will serve as the backup goalkeeper Friday. The 18-year-old LouCity Academy player joined the LouCity senior team this week on a USL Academy contract.
Zach Duncan is also available, looking to make his return to the field for the first time in a month. The 26-year-old Australian midfielder has not played since Aug. 22, due to injury.
LouCity regulars Jake Morris, Tola Showunmi, Sam Gleadle, Evan Davila and Mukwelle Akale round out the substitute options.
Team sheet at Hartford Athletic
29 – Ryan Schewe
13 – Amadou Dia
32 – Kyle Adams
31 – Kevon Lambert
2 – Aiden McFadden
15 – Manny Perez
8 – Taylor Davila
19 – Babacar Niang
7 – Ray Serrano
21 – Quenzi Huerman
9 – Chris Donovan
Available substitutes: 91 – Collin Haus; 3 – Jake Morris, 6 – Zach Duncan, 14 – Tola Showunmi, 23 – Sam Gleadle, 25 – Jansen Wilson, 27 – Evan Davila, 47 – Mukwelle Akale, 99 – Cooper Conley
