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“I’ve been watching them for three years online, following everything. I sat up until 6:00 in the morning in Spain watching the live feed from the Metro Council meeting when the stadium was finalized. I’m all in. I’m there.”

James Dean Hall has been following the club since its inception. He’s seen every match, listened to every podcast, been there for every moment, including the 2017 USL Cup victory. He’s just had one slight barrier between him and the club—the Atlantic Ocean.

Hall and his wife work for the state department and were based in Virginia, but her next assignment was set to place them in sunny Spain for three years as part of her tour. A Louisville native and long-time soccer fan, Hall had to take off before he could see his hometown club take flight in 2015 under head coach James O’Connor. However, his support never wavered. He kept up with the club’s results, off the field activities, and everything leading up to the Butchertown stadium development. 

His favorite part of being a LouCity fan so far, though? Educating his father, James Coburn Hall, who fell in love with the sport on a trip to visit his son in Spain back in January 2017. 

“He stayed for the full three months that’s allowed without a visa, and while he was there, we went to some games. We went to an Atletico Madrid match. He had never been to a soccer match in his life and, to put it in his words, he didn’t know what he was looking at. But, we went to the Atletico match and he just loved it,” said James Dean. “He was like ‘son, I can’t believe this! There’s so much more you can see than what’s on television.’”

The experience left a mark on his father, so James Dean suggested they travel to see the Santiago Bernabéu, the home of 12x European Cup winners Real Madrid C.F. After arriving at the Galacticos’ facility, the pair inquired about a stadium tour only to learn that Los Blancos had a match that evening. Instead of turning away the opportunity, James Coburn slapped down his credit card and purchased a pair of match tickets on the spot. It was the moment James Dean realized the World’s Game had his father as a fan for life.

“I told him you know what, you’re very lucky. You just saw two matches within a span of three or four days. You can’t get any better than that’,” said James Dean. “Later on, that week we were talking, and I said, ‘I don’t know if you know this or not, but Louisville has a professional team. They’re getting ready to start their third year of play, they play at Slugger Field, and they’ve had lots of success.”

The news thrilled James Coburn, a resident of Fredericksburg, Indiana. 

“I showed him some stuff online and everything, showing him tickets, and basically to wrap it all up, he ended up buying season tickets for that season! I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ He bought himself season tickets and he went to, not every game last season, but just about every single one of them with the exception of two, maybe three,” stated an amused James Dean. 

“He was there for the whole thing. He was there for the 5-0 win against Cincinnati, he was there for the championship game, and everything. He loved it! I’d watch the games on YouTube at like, 3-something in the morning, and I’d call him the next day and say, ‘What’d you think about that game?’ And he’d talk about it for however long. He loves it!”

Now, James Dean is back stateside, traveling to Louisville from Washington D.C. for his first match at Slugger Field. Who better to accompany him than his father, already a season ticket holder?

“We both are! We’re both attending. Like I said, we’re in town, in the area traveling. I said while we’re here, I don’t want to miss a Louisville City FC game,” said James Dean. “We’re going to go to the tailgate this Saturday, and since I’m in town, [James Coburn] has no problem doing anything. He’ll do the whole deal. We can’t wait.”

It’s all been perfect so far for LouCity. Two wins at home to start the year were followed by an impressive away win at FC Cincinnati to kick off our 2018 campaign.

The “Boys in Purple” have only gotten started, though, and a weekend visit from the Richmond Kickers stands in the way of what could potentially be LouCity’s best start ever through four games. 

When & Where

LouCity hosts the Richmond Kickers for Black Out Night at 7:30 p.m. in our home confines of Slugger Field. The Kickers enter off the back of earning four points in their last two matches.

Local station WBNA will air this weekend’s match on your screen while 840 WHAS AM carries the action over the airwaves. Fans can also follow the match live on Twitter & Instagram.

TV: WBNA
RADIO: 840 WHAS AM
STREAM: ESPN+

DOWNLOAD: LouCity app for iOS | LouCity app for Android

Last Time Out

Louisville City FC defeated FC Cincinnati, 0-1, in front of a crowd of over 25,000 at Nippert Stadium on Saturday night.

After a little persistence in the attacking third, the “Boys in Purple” broke the deadlock just 13 minutes in. As FCC failed to clear a loose ball in their penalty area, forward Cameron Lancaster came sweeping in to fire home from close range with his left foot. At the break, LouCity led, 0-1.

In the end, another steadfast performance from LouCity saw them earn all three points in the Dirty River Derby. Behind the 1-0 win, LouCity moves to 3-0-0 (9 pts.) on the season, while goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh earned his third consecutive clean sheet.

WATCH: This is City – Pat McMahon

KY Lottery Kees to the Game

As LouCity looks to stay unbeaten, a few Kees to the Game presented by Kentucky Lottery:
1. Back Home Again
After a 0-1 road win at FC Cincinnati, LouCity returns to Slugger Field looking to use their home environment for good in search of a fourth straight win.

2. Mark Shriver
Richmond forward Brian Shriver has been involved in every goal the Kickers have scored so far, scoring, assisting, and drawing a penalty in their four games so far. 

3. Feed the midfield
LouCity has had major success early on when pushing the ball through midfielders like Kyle Smith, Paolo DelPiccolo, “Speedy” Williams, Oscar Jimenez, and others. 

From the Gaffer

On seeing growth:
“I think even longer term, you’re always trying to educate and always trying to be better. We enjoy working with our players and we want them to be here. Whether it’s the start of the season or middle or end of the season, we’re always trying to plant seeds for the future and make sure people have understandings of expectation and teaching. My job more so as a coach is to teach and make sure people have a good understanding of what we’re trying to get across to them.”

On reaching the team’s potential:
“There’s loads of things we can work on. I literally spent the last four-and-a-half hours working on things with the guys as regards to ‘that was good, that we can be sharper with’. For us, the 3-0-0 record—I have no interest in any of that. I’m dialed in to Richmond and making sure our guys are zoned in as to what they need to do against Richmond. In regards to the most pleasing aspect, when I sit with one of our players, there’s a desperation for them to get better. They don’t sit and think ‘oh, I’ve played like Pele today’, they sit and go ‘okay, what can I get better at?’ and want to get better. They want to grow. Some areas of the game, they can get coaching on, and it’s really, really great that we have players like that. If you have players that come in satisfied with performances that maybe you aren’t as a coach, that’s probably where you have a problem.”

On returning home:
“[Richmond head coach] Leigh (Cowlishaw] is someone who I have tremendous respect for. He’s done a phenomenal job with Richmond and is a very, very good coach. It’ll be nice to see Leigh and [defender] Conor [Shanosky]. Obviously, Conor played for us as well. It’s great to play in front of our supporters, that’s the biggest thing. To get home and play in front of our supporters is something we always look forward to and are excited about.”

On different goalscoring options:
“It’s pleasing. It would be more pleasing if we scored 14 and not four, but it’s great that we’ve got guys that are capable of scoring goals. We know our lads are capable of scoring goals.”

Team News

OUT – Richard Ballard (stress fracture, out for foreseeable future)

Louisville City Football Club and Falls City Brewing Co. are excited to celebrate the continuation of our partnership and the launch of Falls City Beer’s new taproom and brewery next Wednesday, April 18 from 6-8 p.m.

After the launch of the Louisville City FC Golden Ale last month, join LouCity players and coaches for a meet-and-greet with fellow fanatics at the new taproom. Located at 901 E. Liberty Street in the NuLu/Phoenix Hill neighborhood, come out next Wednesday and cheers what is sure to be another fantastic season!

In addition, the LouCity Golden Ale brew is available for purchase in 6-pack cans at local grocery stores and liquor stores, as well as select bars and restaurants in the Louisville area. For more information, visit www.loucity.com and FallsCityBeer.com.

– LouisvilleCityFC.com | Follow Louisville City FC on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram–

Louisville City FC to Enter 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Second Round

“Boys in Purple” face winner of Kingston Stockade FC (NPSL) and Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) on Wednesday, May 16  

LOUISVILLE (April 11, 2018) – Louisville City Football Club has finalized details surrounding the 105th edition of the historic Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which begins on Wednesday, May 9. LouCity will face the winner of Kingston Stockade FC (NPSL) and Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) on Wednesday, May 16. Should Kingston Stockade FC win, the “Boys in Purple” will travel to Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie, New York for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Should the Long Island Rough Riders be victorious, LouCity will host the PDL side at Woerhle Athletic Complex in Jeffersonville, Indiana for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff. 

The “Boys in Purple” begin their search for a first-ever USOC trophy in the competition’s Second Round of play alongside the rest of the USL clubs. The match will be sandwiched between a trip to Nashville SC on Sunday, May 13 and a home match against Atlanta United FC 2 on Saturday, May 19.

Head coach James O’Connor expressed his readiness on entering the competition, adding:
“Obviously, we’re really excited. I think it’s a fantastic competition and it’s a competition we enjoy playing in and are looking forward to.”

One of the nation’s oldest tournaments in any sport, the U.S. Open Cup also holds a place as one of the world’s longest continuously-running soccer competitions dating back to the inaugural run in 1914. Updates on the tournament—including live scores and the competition’s bracket—can be found on the tournament’s official Twitter (@OpenCup) and unofficial tracker (@USOpenCup)as well as on USSoccer.comand thecup.us.

Prizes for this year’s tournament include increases of $300,000 for the champion (previously $250,000); $100,000 for the runner-up (previously $60,000) and $25,000 for the team from each lower division that advances the furthest (previously $15,000), including PDL & NPSL sides. Besides lifting the historic Dewar Trophy as tournament winner in September, the champions will also earn a spot in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League, the regional club championship tournament for teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

More details regarding ticketing and match information will be available in the coming days. For an updated schedule and all things LouCity, visit www.loucity.com.

– LouisvilleCityFC.com | Follow Louisville City FC on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram–

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About Louisville City FC
Since its launch in 2014, Louisville City FC has been committed to serving the community of Louisville and state of Kentucky as the lone professional soccer team.  The 2017 season marked the third year of play for LouCity in the United Soccer League (USL), a professional soccer league based in the United States and Canada. On October 26, the Louisville Metro Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new soccer-specific stadium in the Butchertown neighborhood with a projected opening slated for March 2020.

Finishing in the top five in average attendance in the USL at Slugger Field since 2015, LouCity’s remarkable 2017 campaign included winning the USL Cup in the club’s first appearance in the final. Get the latest news on LouCity FC at LouisvilleCityFC.com and via the club’s  channels on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.­­

PACO CRAIG VS. BRIAN SHRIVER

After making Team of the Week for the second time in four weeks, defender Paco Craig will be one of the team’s defenders assigned to keeping Richmond forward Brian Shriver at bay this Saturday night.

Scoring against Red Bulls II in their 1-1 draw last weekend, Shriver’s move from North Carolina FC to the Virginia-based club has proven successful in his short time. One of four goalscorers on the year, Shriver also leads the team in assists (2) and key passes (4). 

Alongside Sean Totsch, Pat McMahon, and goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh, Crag has been a consistent part of the LouCity team that has kept three clean sheets in its three matches so far.

READ | #LOUvRIC: Talking Points

CAMERON LANCASTER/LUKE SPENCER VS. TRAVIS WORRA

Whoever is tasked with leading the line for LouCity this weekend will likely face Kickers’ ‘keeper Travis Worra in the confines of Slugger Field. 

In Richmond’s four matches so far, Worra has conceded a total of seven goals. However, a 4-1 loss at Bethlehem Steel FC to open the season has skewed that number as the Kickers have conceded just three in as many games since that point. 

Meanwhile, both Cameron Lancaster and Luke Spencer have found their way on the scoresheet in 2018 as LouCity’s attacking ceiling has yet to be reached. Lancaster’s winner against FC Cincinnati last Saturday night marked his first of the year. Meanwhile, Spencer’s tally in the season opener against Nashville not only opened his account but was also LouCity’s first goal of the season.  

KYLE SMITH VS. HEVIEL CORDOVES

One of the more versatile players on the LouCity roster, Kyle Smith has transformed from defender to holding midfielder early on for the “Boys in Purple”. Deployed alongside Paolo DelPiccolo, Smith saw his position change even within a match–like in last Saturday’s 0-1 win over FC Cincinnati. Starting out wide, Smith switched from that position to something more central, to eventually dropping deeper as a part of the dedicated backline. 

On Saturday at 7:30p, he’ll go toe-to-toe with Kickers’ forward Heviel Cordoves, who sits second on the team in total duels (41) and leads the squad in aerial duels (19). While also assisting in keeping Shriver away from dangerous channels, Smith may also have the duty of forcing Cordoves away from opportunities that create chances for the visitors moving forward.

TICKETS: Black Out Night vs. Richmond Kickers

PAOLO DELPICCOLO VS YUDAI IMURA

Finally, captain Paolo DelPiccolo lines up against Kickers’ midfielder Yudai Imura this weekend as both players like to use their ability to distribute the ball as a sparkplug for success.

DelPiccolo has been outstanding in his three appearances so far, earning Team of the Week honors for his performance in LouCity’s 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies in Week 3. Last week in Cincinnati, DelPiccolo helped to contain a number of influential attacking options for FCC and was part of the defensive effort that kept a third straight clean sheet.

Meanwhile, Imura enters the weekend’s contest as one of the Kickers’ top passers–completing just shy of 80% of his attempts in four appearances. Like Shriver, Imura is one of few to have found the back of the net while also creating a chance for his side. 

If LouCity is to control this match as well as their previous three, they will have to rely on DelPiccolo and the rest of the midfield contingent to shut down players like Imura when they look to break. 

Defender Paco Craig has earned a place in the USL Team of the Week for Week 4 after his standout performance in LouCity’s 0-1 win over FC Cincinnati last Saturday night. Craig was part of a backline that kept a third consecutive clean sheet thanks in part to Craig’s goal-line clearance in the first half to preserve the lead for his side.

Statistically, Craig was stellar again, winning six of his 10 duels and leading the team with 13 clearances and three blocks. Craig finished second to USL Player of the Week Neco Brett (PGH) with 35 percent, while Real Monarchs SLC goalkeeper Connor Sparrow was third on 15 percent.

USL Team of the Week

GK – Connor Sparrow, Real Monarchs SLC: Sparrow recorded a five-save shutout to help the Monarchs claim a 1-0 victory on the road against Phoenix Rising FC.

D – Paco Craig, Louisville City FC: Craig recorded 13 clearances, including a crucial goal-line clearance, as Louisville earned a 1-0 victory on the road against FC Cincinnati.

D – Ramon Martin del Campo, Fresno FC: Del Campo put in a stellar defensive effort with five interceptions, nine clearances, and two tackles, as the Foxes earned a 1-1 draw at Saint Louis FC.

D – Josh Suggs, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: Suggs scored the opening goal, recorded two key passes and won eight of 11 duels overall in the Switchbacks’ victory against Rio Grande Valley FC.

M – Tyler Pasher, Indy Eleven: Pasher scored the game-winning goal, recorded three shots overall and recorded two tackles and one interception in the Eleven’s 1-0 road win against North Carolina.

M – Leo Fernandes, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Fernandes had one goal and one assist to lead the Rowdies to an emphatic 5-0 win against Ottawa Fury FC.

M – Mark Segbers, Orange County SC: Segbers notched a pair of goals to lead Orange County to a third consecutive victory, a 3-0 win against 405 Derby rivals the LA Galaxy II.

M – Jaime Villarreal, Sacramento Republic FC: Villarreal recorded four tackles and one interception and completed 41 of 46 passes in a key central role to Republic FC’s 1-0 victory against Seattle Sounders FC 2.

F – Alan Winn, Nashville SC: Winn’s first professional goal capped a display that saw the former PDL Top Prospect record four shots overall and complete 29 of 34 passes in Nashville’s first home win.

F – Augustine Williams, Portland Timbers 2: Williams recorded a pair of assists and won four of six aerial duels, as T2 took its second road win of the season in a 3-0 victory against OKC Energy FC.

F – Neco Brett, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Brett scored a hat trick and also notched an assist as Riverhounds SC took its first win of the season in a 4-0 victory against Toronto FC II.

Bench: Owain Fon Williams (IND), Kyle Smith (LOU), Zac Portillos (TBR), Sebastian Velasquez (SLC), Gianluca Busio (SPR), Pecka (SA), Cristian Casseres (NY)

#LOUVRIC: TALKING POINTS

1) BLACKOUT vs the kickers

An incredible start to the 2018 season continues on Saturday night as LouCity hosts the Richmond Kickers on Saturday night at 7:30 P.M. for Black Out night at Slugger Field! The “Boys in Purple” are hot off the back of a 0-1 win in the Dirty River Derby at FC Cincinnati last weekend. Meanwhile, the Kickers have picked up four points in their last two games, though they remain the only points picked up so far on the season.

PREORDER: 2018 Black Out tees

2) PERFECT AT HOME

Slugger Field has treated LouCity well in the opening two home matches of the season. Unbeaten overall, the first two wins of the year came in the form of a 2-0 over Nashville SC and 1-0 over the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the month of March.

Now the “Boys in Purple” return to the friendly confines against Richmond and look to stretch their home unbeaten streak to 12 games dating back to August 2017. 

“It’s great to play in front of our supporters, that’s the biggest thing,” reiterated head coach James O’Connor. “To get home and play in front of our supporters is something we always look forward to and are excited about.”

– Tickets vs. RICHMOND KICKERS | April 14 – Blackout Night –

3) SHARING THE WEALTH

LouCity has scored four and conceded none on the year so far, but one of the most impressive portions of the team’s output has come in the form of a different goalscorer for all four. 

Against Nashville, forward Luke Spencer and midfielder Niall McCabe were on the scoresheet; against Tampa Bay, midfielder Oscar Jimenez added his name to the slate; and against Cincinnati, forward Cameron Lancaster scored his first of the year. 

“It’s pleasing. It would be more pleasing if we scored 14 and not four, but it’s great that we’ve got guys that are capable of scoring goals. We know our lads are capable of scoring goals,” said O’Connor.