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After a recent home win, Louisville City FC’s Devon “Speedy” Williams wrote on the locker room whiteboard that he’d be taking the club’s next penalty kick — and that was before the midfielder gained the confidence of an international call up.

In his first game back from a friendly with the Jamaica National Team, Williams followed through, finishing a 55th-minute penalty Saturday to cap a solid all-around performance against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

“Speedy’s done so well,” forward Luke Spencer said after LouCity’s 3-0 away win. “He’s been another guy who’s been in and out of the team and had to sacrifice for the team. He earned the Jamaican call up for his hard work, and today he was brilliant.

“We wanted to reward our teammate for working hard on the pitch. We know he doesn’t always necessarily get the reward.”

Williams’ goal capped scoring in LouCity’s victory as he became the 16th of 17th field players on the roster with a goal this season. A graduate of Pittsburgh’s Robert Morris University, Williams also completed 85 percent of his 95 passes Saturday.

“He’s someone I look up to because of his work ethic,” said defender Kyle Smith. “It’s great to see him get a goal.”

Williams received the international call for a Sept. 2 friendly against a Canadian side that included LouCity teammate Mark-Anthony Kaye. Both subbed on in the second half, with Williams’ cap the second of his career — and first in seven years.

His comeback performance included four interceptions and a total of 18 gained possessions. Fans voted Williams their Man of the Match.

“He had a very strong performance,” said coach James O’Connor. “When you look at, even at the end, his energy with the way he’s closing people down and getting back to the midfield. He’s always looking to spin it forward. He’s got good quality and a solid future ahead of himself.”

Here’s more from Saturday’s win…

• Williams and Kaye weren’t the only LouCity players to show strength in their return. Out on a three-game red card suspension since Aug. 20, defender Kyle Smith scored LouCity’s second goal of the night in his return and nearly had another in the second half O’Connor said would have been a “goal of the season contender.

• LouCity completed a season sweep of its three-game series with the Riverhounds, topping them by an aggregate score of 7-0. Notably, the boys in purple are the first visiting club to win three games in a year at Pittsburgh’s Highmark Stadium, which was also the site of a 9-0 U.S. Open Cup win back in May over Tartan Devils Oak Avalon FC.

• Considering LouCity has rotated goalkeepers this season, the duo of Greg Ranjitsingh and Tim Dobrowolski have combined to create one of the top position groups in the USL. Ranjitsingh posted his seventh clean sheet of the year Saturday. Along with three more from Dobrowolski, they’ve matched league-leading Diego Restrepo from San Antonio FC, who has 10 clean sheets.

Seeking a season sweep of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Louisville City FC’s back on the road this weekend for a 7 p.m. Saturday start at Highmark Stadium.

Here’s what to watch for…

Tune In

TV: WBNA TV-21 will air the game live and in high definition locally with Mike Watts, voice of the USL, on the call.

Radio: TJ Walker (play-by-play) and Jeff Milby (color commentary) will voice the action on NewsRadio 840 WHAS, with pregame coverage starting at 6:45 p.m.

Streaming: Watch at www.loucity.com.

Follow Along

For Starting XI information and in-game updates, check us out on social media. It’s @loucityfc on Twitter, Louisville City FC on Facebook and louisvillecityfc on Instagram. Live stats are available at the USL Match Center. Vote for the Modelo Man of the Match on Twitter starting in the 75th minute.

Links

• Abend renews attacking mentality late in season
• Videos: O’Connor, players preview Saturday’s game
• Squad management has LouCity peaking at right time

Notes

Eastern Conference race: LouCity heads into Saturday atop the USL table for the third week in a row. Even with the Charlotte Independence at 47 points, the boys in purple sport a better goal differential, the tiebreaker. The Riverhounds sit 10th but just one point from moving into the top eight, the playoff cut line.

Playoff Picture: With eight games left, LouCity is seven points from clinching a playoff spot, and that number could drop further with favorable results around the league. Additionally, the club will push for a top-four finish that guarantees LouCity would host its opening-round playoff game.

Scouting Pittsburgh: The Riverhounds enter Saturday on a five-game unbeaten streak that has them within reach of the playoffs despite a lowly first half of the season. Forward Corey Hertzog has four goals in the last three games, and he’ll look to break through against LouCity, which hasn’t conceded to Pittsburgh in two previous meetings.

The season series: On May 20, Luke Spencer’s seventh-minute tap-in goal made the difference in a 1-0 LouCity win at Highmark Stadium. Similarly, Cameron Lancaster opened scoring in the eighth minute in the June 17 return game at Slugger Field. Lancaster went on to record a brace in LouCity’s 3-0 win.

Abend honored: Midfielder Guy Abend, who scored the only goal in last Saturday’s win over the Charleston Battery, earned a USL Team of the Week spot for his effort. It was Abend’s first goal of the year and came on top of a performance in which he completed 67 of 77 passes and didn’t commit a foul in the victory.

Squad at full strength: Defender Kyle Smith, who for most of this season led the club in minutes played, is eligible again Saturday after finishing out a three-game suspension. Smith received the penalty following a red card Aug. 20. Additionally, midfielder Brian Ownby made his first start in a month last weekend, while internationals Mark-Anthony Kaye (Canada) and Devon “Speedy” Williams (Jamaica) will be available for selection in Pittsburgh.

Bounce-back trend: The boys in purple made it five straight wins immediately following a loss this season with their 1-0 victory over Charleston. It has been more than a year — since July 30, 2016 — that LouCity has dropped consecutive games. So far this season, the side has tallied a trio of three-game winning streaks.

Top-ranked form: Along with sitting at the top of the USL Eastern Conference standings, LouCity this week took over the No. 1 spot in the league’s Power Rankings. The boys in purple are tied for first with the Western Conference’s Reno 1868 FC. Overall, LouCity has won six of its last eight games to climb the rankings.

Ranjitsingh solidifies role: With five consecutive starts, goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh has staked his claim between the posts. Ranjitsingh made two notable saves against the Battery, which came in the 11th and 16th minutes, to hold the shutout. He has totaled six clean sheets this season to go with the three by Tim Dobrowolski.

Injury/discipline report: Coach James O’Connor said this week that forward Cameron Lancaster has played through a broken a toe, the only notable ailment on the roster. Midfielder George Davis IV and Defender Paco Craig both sit on four yellow cards, with the fifth resulting in a one-game suspension for accumulation.

Guy Abend’s ready for the locker room “trash talk” to end.

Previously one of just three Louisville City FC players without a goal this season, the midfielder changed that last weekend, scoring the game-winner in a 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery. Abend credited a renewed mentality for the breakthrough after he ranked second on the team in scoring last year.

“I actually talked about that with a really good friend — we talked about it last week before the Orlando game — and then the game came and I had two or three chances with the headers and he sort of helped me realize that I wasn’t attacking the balls like I used to last year,” Abend said.

“…The hit I took last year — I think it did something mentally.”

Abend lunged in for a strike on Aug. 27, 2016, and scored it to open another 1-0 victory. But in the process, he took a shot to the head that sidelined him with a concussion. Just more than a year passed before Abend hit the back of the net again in last Saturday’s Battery win.

He’ll be back on the hunt Saturday as LouCity travels to play the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the last of three games this season between the clubs.

“That’s something that he has in his game — to be able to come in and score,” said coach James O’Connor. “To score there and shoot with the accuracy he did was really great.”

Finally, he did, becoming the 15th player on LouCity’s roster to register a goal this season. The two field players who haven’t — Tarek Morad and Devon “Speedy” Williams — will continue hearing about it from their teammates.

Fellow midfielder Niall McCabe said he’s not done ribbing Abend.

“No, I don’t think I’ll let him off the hook about that,” McCabe said. “It took him too long. Someone of his quality — he should be getting a bit more. But no, it’s great he got that monkey off his back, if you will, and he was really pleased — and it won us the game so really pleasant for him.”

Along with the goal against Charleston, Abend nearly scored as well two games back in LouCity’s loss to Orlando City B. He threatened with headers in both halves at Slugger Field, looking much like the player that tallied five goals during his 2016 campaign.

The native of Israel is in his third season with LouCity — but this marks the first in which he’s stayed healthy throughout. A knee injury suffered on a dirty tackle knocked him out for most of 2015, and Abend missed time in 2016 with his concussion.

Now, Abend’s 22 appearances are tied for the team lead. His total passes (1,046) and passing accuracy on the opponent’s half of the pitch (76.2 percent) are both near the top of the club as well.

When it comes to scoring, Abend has been “unlucky,” O’Connor said, though that appears to be changing with eight games left in the regular season.

In his third season as a head coach, Louisville City FC’s James O’Connor continues to learn from the club’s first two campaigns in managing a squad heading into the playoffs.

O’Connor said Tuesday at his weekly press conference he’s paying special attention to squad management in training, deciding how hard to work his players — and when it’s appropriate to dial back the intensity.

“Us as a coaching staff, what we always do — we reflect and look how we can improve,” O’Connor said. “We’re always striving for growth. So, there are aspects that play a big part in our culture.”

In 2015, LouCity ended the regular season with three straight losses. Last year, though, O’Connor spoke often of saving his team’s legs for game day. The boys in purple lost just once in their final nine games, that a 1-0 defeat to the eventual league champion New York Red Bulls II.

Now, O’Connor has his club in first place in September for the first time, with LouCity’s next test a 7 p.m. Saturday game away against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Midfielders Mark-Anthony Kaye (Canada) and Devon “Speedy” Williams (Jamaica) are back from international duty, and Kyle Smith over the weekend finished his three game suspension, the result of a red card back in August.

Most players on the 20-man roster are healthy. Those with issues are playing through them.

“I have to give Cameron (Lancaster) great credit,” O’Connor said. “He’s got a fractured toe for the last few weeks and he’s still been able to roll himself out there. It gives you the indication as the type of character that we have in the changing room.

“So, these are all aspects that play a part in what we are trying to do.”

Here’s more from O’Connor’s press conference…

On patience paying off in Saturday’s win over Charleston:  “I think it was a lot of possession — a lot possession in areas we’re trying to get into goal-scoring positions. Sometimes you get there. Sometimes you don’t. The keeper makes a couple of good saves, so you need to make sure you stop the counter attack and keep it in their half, which we did. But equally, I think it was a great example of showing patience and, I would say, tolerance to keep going then obviously break the down and get the goal. It was an important goal for us and a big three points for us.”

On the trend of bouncing back after losses: “We’ve shown through the course of the year the guys have good mentality, good character. I think we’ve spoken a lot about trying to give good performances, strong performances and concentrate really on process — not necessarily getting caught up in things you can’t control. So I think that’s something they’ve really taken on board this year. We’re really pleased with our performance. The guys deserve enormous credit for how they performed throughout course of the season. We just need to keep it going, because Pittsburgh are a dangerous team.”

On the club’s 15th goal scorer and diversity from the offense: “It’s nice. It’s pleasing. For me, as long as we’re scoring goals, it doesn’t really matter to me who is scoring goals as long as someone is scoring. I think from the collective group it shows you the contribution everyone has made this year. I think that’s been the big thing in previous years. We’ve had probably one striker that scored a lot of goals, whereas this year we’ve had multiple players that have pitched in and scored, which is obviously testament to all the guys and how hard they’ve worked throughout the course of the year.”

Louisville City FC midfielder Guy Abend scored his first goal of the season on Saturday, and on Tuesday the United Soccer League followed up by naming him to its Team of the Week.

Abend’s 78th-minute shot, one taken after a failed Charleston Battery clearance, ended up the game-winning at Slugger Field in a key Eastern Conference matchup. LouCity maintained first place with eight fixtures left in its regular season.

Abend also completed 67 of his 77 passes — a 77 percent clip — and went without a foul in the holding midfield.

A native of Israel, Abend is in his third season with LouCity, where last year he ranked second on the team in scoring. Abend credited a sharper attacking mindset for his goal Saturday, when he corralled a ball near the top of the box and skipped it past the Charleston goalkeeper’s right.

With the strike, Abend became the 15th player on LouCity’s roster to score this season as the club heads into Saturday’s 7 p.m. away game against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

USL Team of the Week

GK – Josh Cohen, Phoenix Rising FC – Cohen notched a three-save shutout, including a game-save stop in stoppage time while his side was holding a one-goal lead, as Rising FC defeated Seattle Sounders FC 2 on Saturday night.

D – Noah Powder, New York Red Bulls II: Powder had a goal and assist and also notched five tackles and six interceptions in a standout two-way performance, as New York defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies 4-2.

D – Jimmy Ockford, Reno 1868 FC: Ockford earned his second consecutive selection, as he scored his third goal of the season, completed 41 of 43 passes. He also recorded three tackles, three interceptions and 10 clearances in a 3-1 win against Orange County SC.

D – Pascal Eboussi, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: Eboussi scored the equalizer in stoppage time, as the Switchbacks grabbed a vital point in a 2-2 draw against Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday night.

M – Florian Valot, New York Red Bulls II: Valot scored a goal, his second in as many games, and added an assist as the Red Bulls II moved into the playoff positions with a 4-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

M – Michael Reed, San Antonio FC: Reed provided the service on both goals as San Antonio rallied to take a 2-1 victory against Real Monarchs SLC on Saturday night.

M – Guy Abend, Louisville City FC: Abend scored the only goal and also completed 67 of 77 passes, as Louisville took a 1-0 victory against the Charleston Battery to remain on top of the Eastern Conference.

M – Jalen Brown, Rochester Rhinos: Brown’s first professional goal proved to be the game-winner as the Rhinos defeated Toronto FC II to move into the top four in the Eastern Conference.

F – Juan Pablo Caffa, Tulsa Roughnecks FC: Caffa had a goal and assist as the Roughnecks took a win and a draw from its first two games on their trip to the Pacific Northwest to move into fifth in the Western Conference. 

F – Lebo Moloto, Swope Park Rangers: Moloto scored both goals as the Rangers took a 2-0 victory against OKC Energy FC to solidify its place in the top four in the USL Western Conference. 

F – Enzo Martinez, Charlotte Independence: Martinez scored a pair of goals as the Independence pulled away for a 3-0 victory against the Richmond Kickers, and he moved into a tie for the league-lead in goals.

Bench: Fabian Cerda (TUL), Amadou Dia (PHX), Jonathan Barden (OTT), Masta Kacher (COS), Andrew Wiedeman (CIN), Marcus Epps (BST), Ariel Lassiter (LA)

Already No. 1 on the USL Eastern Conference table, Louisville City FC boasts a form to back it up, also coming in atop the latest USL Power Rankings released Monday.

The boys in purple are in a tie for first — a five-person panel votes to assemble the rankings — with Reno 1868 FC out of the Western Conference.

San Antonio FC, Real Monarchs SLC and the Charlotte Independence round out the top five.

The USL’s Nicholas Murray pointed out two key stats that have LouCity on a roll lately.

First, while none of its players are in the top 10 in scoring in the league, LouCity’s had 15 on its roster hit the back of the net, most recently Guy Abend in Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery.

Second, while rotating between goalkeepers Greg Ranjitsingh and Tim Dobrowolski, LouCity sits third in the league with 10 shutouts as the club “continues to get things done at both ends of the park,” Murray wrote.

Overall, LouCity has won six of its last eight games heading into Saturday’s 7 p.m. away matchup against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

One of Louisville City FC’s most important players gets only a few touches of the ball per game — and that’s how the club prefers it

Goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh has consistently led and organized one of the United Soccer League’s best defense, with LouCity’s 1-0 win Saturday over the Charleston Battery his sixth clean sheet — fifth in the Eastern Conference.

“I think with our team, defensively we’re really strong, not only in our back four but in front of them,” Ranjitsingh said. “We work really hard, and we really limit the opposition’s chances. I think for us, the goalkeeper on our team, it’s going to come down to maybe one moment in the game or two moments in the game where you have to come up big and make the save, and that’s how it’s been because the rest of the game, they’re going to shut it down for you and keep it clean.”

Ranjitsingh only had to make two saves against the Battery, and they were both game-saving stops. 

The first came in the 11th minute, when Charleston’s Maikel Chang fired a strike across goal from the right side of the box. Ranjitsingh quickly reacted to the blast and palmed the shot just over the far post.

The keeper’s second save came five minutes later as Heviel Cordoves tried his luck from outside of the box, and Ranjitsingh was up to the task. 

For goalkeepers though, the stats don’t tell the whole story. There’s no stat to track how Ranjitsingh organizes the defense in front of him, making sure they are positioned in the right places to cut out passes and prevent shots.

Consider that, for instance, Ranjitsingh has faced 42 shots in 14 games played. FC Cincinnati’s Mitch Hildebrandt has faced a stunning 116 shots in 25 games, good for more than 4.6 shots on-target per game. Hildebrandt has saved nearly 70 percent of those, but the defense in front of him keeps one of the USL’s other top keepers busy.

Organizing the defense, and the team in front of a goalkeeper, is a skill that requires intense focus and constant communication. 

“I think it’s all mental,” Ranjitsingh said. “With goalkeeping, everything is all about mentality and confidence.”

What the statistics do say is that Ranjitsingh is one of the best at his position. It’s why he earned a call last year to the Trinidad and Tobago National Team.

He’s saved two-thirds of the shots he’s faced, made 13 catches, seven punches and 19 clearances. Those are better numbers than Hildebrandt and Orlando City B’s Earl Edwards Jr. They’re similar numbers to Charlotte Independence’s Cody Mizell and Toronto FC II’s Angelo Cavalluzzo. 

Having a capable second goalkeeper in Tim Dobrowolski has kept Ranjitsingh on his toes in training. Added are Ranjitsingh’s intangibles: setting up a wall for a free kick or making game-saving stops. Having moved past an injury in the season opener, Ranjitsingh’s living up to the hype in 2017.

Opinions expressed in this piece were not subject to club approval. For more insights on LouCity, follow former Courier-Journal reporter Dan Karell on Twitter: @DanKarellPreps.