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Louisville City FC’s players and staff have embarked on the club’s latest landmark move in a series of them, settling in this week at their new $15 million training facility.

The privately financed project — address 801 Edith Road — consolidates day-to-day operations at a Champions Park site adjacent to River Road that’s fewer than two miles from Lynn Family Stadium.

The building includes a new locker room space, weight room, dining hall and media/film room in addition to the outdoor amenities: a large grass pitch and multiple turf fields to accommodate play rain or shine, day or night.

“It shows the growth of the club,” said head coach Danny Cruz. “This facility’s unbelievable. It’s pretty amazing to see the smiles on the guys’ faces when they walk in. Everything here has been fantastic.”

Ground was broken on the project on Aug. 4, 2020. Minor construction will continue in the coming weeks, putting finishing touches on the building before a proper ribbon cutting.

The facility — built by AML Construction and operated by ASM Global — will also house the NWSL expansion side Racing Louisville FC, youth academies and back office staff.

“We started in 2015 on a baseball field, in an office that doubled as our team store, and now we’re moving into a 30,000 square-foot facility housing our men’s pro team, women’s pro team, academy and staff,” said club president Brad Estes. “It was all pulled off during a pandemic, which speaks to our ownership’s faith in the organization’s vision to press forward.

“Culturally, as we see each other daily and forge deeper relationships, we believe this is the next big step for us to grow together as an organization.”

The training facility adds a new level of convenience for a team that has already proven itself dominant, winning consecutive USL Championship titles in 2017 and 2018. Players were based in one place but trained in another — going from their stadium to Thurman-Hutchins Park — for their first six-plus seasons.

Moving forward, the grounds make for an all-in-one daily experience.

“That’s going to be one of the biggest things for us — just be able to come in, have our meetings here, change here, train here and come back,” said Paolo DelPiccolo, a veteran midfielder and LouCity’s captain. Plus, he said with a smile, “A lot of peoples’ cars are starting to smell from driving to and from training.”

DelPiccolo emphasized that players have had to earn this sort of setup.

“We talk a ton about not taking things for granted,” Cruz added. “I think it’s no secret that here at Louisville City, we’re doing things right. When you come here and wear this crest, there’s a sense of pride that comes with it.

“I want everybody, when they walk into this place, to not think, ‘This is great. We deserve it.’ It’s more about, ‘I’m proud to be here, and I want to be here.’”

Facilities for LouCity and Racing Louisville are nearly mirror images of one another. The professionals will primarily use grass pitches, while the academy trains on turf. Already, the facility has hosted a number of community events, from college soccer games to youth sports camps. Visit www.loucity.com/rentals for more information on event bookings.

Racing Louisville FC and Louisville City FC have partnered with the Veteran Tickets Foundation to honor service members and first responders with admission to a pair of upcoming games.

In conjunction with the clubs’ Community Heroes nights at Lynn Family Stadium, fans can purchase a discounted ticket to Racing’s Saturday matchup with Portland Thorns FC or LouCity’s July 17 game versus Atlanta United 2.

That ticket will then be transferred to VetTix, and the club will match every contribution with an additional ticket going free to a service member, first responder and their families.

• Buy for Racing
• Buy for LouCity

VetTix, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit named among America’s Best Charities, provides tickets to events which reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, build life-long memories and encourage service members and veterans to stay engaged with local communities and American life.

“We’ve successfully partnered with VetTix in the past, and it’s exciting to do it again in helping welcome some local heroes to Lynn Family Stadium,” said Dave Walkovic, the clubs’ director of ticket sales.

The organization works with all branches of the military, involving active service members, veterans and families of troops killed in action. Powered by VetTix, 1st Tix was more recently launched to similarly support active and retired law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, nurses and 911 dispatchers.

Combined, VetTix and 1st Tix have provided nearly 10 million tickets to military members, first responders and their families. Learn more at VetTix.org and 1stTix.org.

Racing, the NWSL expansion club playing its inaugural season in the world’s top women’s soccer league, hosts Portland at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. LouCity, the two-time USL Championship title winner, plays its Community Heroes night game at the same time on July 17.

Louisville City FC hosted Indy Eleven on Saturday for a 2-1 defeat at Lynn Family Stadium with the final scoreline perhaps misrepresenting what was a statistically superior evening for the boys in purple.

Penalty drama stole the show as both of Indy’s shots on target were taken from the spot in a game LouCity otherwise dominated.

Midfielder Corben Bone opened the scoring just before the half by smashing a shot off the post following a deflection by Cameron Lancaster. But over the final 45 minutes, Indy forward Jordan Hamilton converted both his penalty tries — in the 63rd and 89th minutes — to lead his side to a win.

A win on the night would have sent LouCity to first place in the USL Championship’s Central Division. Now, though, the boys in purple are fourth, holding the final playoff spot early in the campaign with a game in hand on third-place Atlanta United 2, next weekend’s opponent.

Here’s what we learned Saturday…

Indy’s defense tough to crack

Indy Eleven’s spot kicks were two of just five shots throughout the whole game for the visitors. 

LouCity coach Danny Cruz, understandably disappointed, said he was “obviously really frustrated to lose here at home. I thought we were the better team and the issues that they caused we worked through all week. We talked about transition, talked about being responsible with the ball.”

Indy Eleven sat back most of the game, lining up five defenders when LouCity was on the ball and only sending a few players forward at a time to attack in the form of their pacy wingers and striker.

This standoffish approach made penetration of their back line difficult and transition play strenuous for City. It showed especially in the second half after the equalizing and winning spot kicks from Indy.

“[Cruz] comes out with a good game plan we work on for the whole week.” said LouCity defender Pat McMahon. “They probably sat back a little more than we were thinking but we adjusted and then halftime, [Cruz] gave us what we should have done and we didn’t execute it.”

A solid shift from Bone

The 32-year-old veteran midfielder was voted Man of the Match for his efforts, likely a product of his first half goal. But Bone was prominent in other areas, too.

Bone led LouCity in shots on target and passed with an 87.5% accuracy, tops in the home side’s midfield. He contributed two open play crosses and created a chance for the boys in purple outside of the goal.

Bone has, in the past, taken some time to get into peak form. But he caused enough problems Saturday — also gaining possession from Indy five times — to think Bone is poised to contribute to more goals soon.

Penalties spoil an otherwise good night

Clearly, the statistics show a dominant performance from the boys In purple and a confident offensive plan despite the defeat. While execution was lacking in the final third, and the offense tended to repeatedly work down the wings than find more creative solutions up the middle, the approach generated chances.

LouCity finished by holding 65% of possession and tried 18 shots. The club’s 22 crosses were five more than were tried a week ago in a win over San Diego Loyal, too.

Not only did City’s offensive stats increase from last time out. Their defensive numbers did, too, with 43 duels won and 12 tackles compared to 37 and 11 against San Diego. Of course, that’s a pair of defensive gaffes leading to penalties notwithstanding.

“I was really proud of how we played in the first half — didn’t concede a shot, really, really proud of the group,” Cruz said. “Ultimately, you end up losing two to one so it doesn’t matter how beautiful the football was in the first half.”

Six players scored goals Saturday night, but that wasn’t enough to settle the difference between rivals Louisville City FC and Indy Eleven in front of 10,927 at Lynn Family Stadium.

Still, a 3-3 draw extended LouCity’s unbeaten streak to four games and continued a stay near the top of the USL Championship’s Central Division standings with a game in hand.

Midfielder Corben Bone equalized on a 78th-minute flick in off a cross from forward Brian Ownby, the final goal in a back-and-forth game — but also the only one scored in the second half.

“We needed to do better in the first half specifically defending in advance,” said head coach Danny Cruz. “That was the biggest thing. We adjusted at half, and I thought our center backs did a much better job in the second half. We scored three goals again — happy about that, so certainly a lot of positives.

“I’m still proud of the group. I’m certainly not mad, but I’m frustrated that we didn’t win on a night that I felt, especially in that second half, we deserved to.”

Indy Eleven twice matched LouCity in the opening 45 minutes. First, the visitors responded with a goal three minutes after Paolo DelPiccolo finished another Ownby assist in the sixth, then again six minutes after Jonathan Gomez rejiggered a long-distance goal in the 14th.

Though Manuel Arteaga moved Indy ahead just before the half, the tying strike seemed on its way over a final 45 when LouCity out-shot Indy 9-2 and tried 26 crosses to the Eleven’s 2. The assault continued after Bone tapped in his goal, then offered a signature point toward the assist man Ownby.

Then the final whistle blew, aptly, with Indy in its own half and LouCity continuing to press.

“It’s important to get the point,” Bone said. “You know you never want to lose at home. You never want to drop points…Thought it was a bit better in the second half. We defended much better and the attacking was a bit more fluid to get a goal there and tie it up.”

Indy returned to Lynn Family Stadium after the first meeting of Louisville Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest foes in which it escaped with a 2-1 victory, converting a pair of second half penalty kicks back on May 29. That was a defensive aberration as much as Saturday, with coach Danny Cruz saying LouCity wasn’t broken down so much as guilty of individual mistakes leading to goals.

“We’re causing our own problems right now, so we need to obviously look at that and continuously try to improve,” Cruz said. “It’d be easy for heads to go down eighty minutes into the game, but I was really proud of the group and the fight. Thought we were going to win the game. Told them at halftime that if we got the next goal, I felt we were going to win.

“I was proud that they took the messaging at half and they implemented, but ultimately feels like a loss for sure.”

Perhaps, too, the boys in purple were unlucky not to have received a penalty try of their own. In first half stoppage time, Ownby went down in the box as Indy goalkeeper Robert Edwards came off his line to lunge for the ball. Late in the second half, Gomez also hit the turf after a push on his run past a defender at the end line.

At those moments, 10,000-plus sounded like much more on an evening that served as a celebration beyond a game that could have kept a neutral fan’s attention with the best of them. LouCity hosted Pride Night in recognition that Lynn Family Stadium is a space for all to be their true selves.

With the boys in purple now 5-2-2 on the season, they next travel for a Friday meeting with Central Division side Sporting KC II.

Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Indy Eleven

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Weather: 85 degrees, mostly cloudy

Man of the Match:

Attendance: 10,927

Scoring

Louisville City FC (2, 1, 3)

Indy Eleven (3, 0, 3)

Goals

Louisville City FC:

6’ Paolo DelPiccolo (assisted by Brian Ownby)

14’ Jonathan Gomez

78’ Corben Bone (assisted by Brian Ownby)

Indy Eleven:

9’ Cammy Smith (assisted by Neveal Hackshaw)

20’ Neveal Hackshaw (assisted by Nick Moon)

41’ Manuel Arteaga (assisted by Cammy Smith)

Stats Summary: Louisville City FC / Indy Eleven

Shots: 15 / 8

Shots on Goal: 5 / 4

Fouls: 13 / 9

Offside: 4 / 3

Corner Kicks: 6 / 2

Saves: 0 / 2

Lineups

Louisville City FC: 1 – Chris Hubbard, 8 – Akil Watts (46’ 15 – Patrick McMahon), 4 – Sean Totsch, 6 – Wesley Charpie, 11 – Niall McCabe (69’ 29 – Antoine Hoppenot), 36 – Paolo DelPiccolo (68’ 7 – Napo Matsoso), 13 – Corben Bone, 12 – Tyler Gibson, 42 – Jonathan Gomez, 10 – Brian Ownby, 21 – Kyle Greig

Subs not used: 24 – Parker Siegfried, 3 – Alexis Souahy, 22 – George Davis IV, 20 – Jimmy McLaughlin

Indy Eleven: 26 – Bobby Edwards, 20 – Karl Quimette, 3 – AJ Cochran, 15 – Neveal Hackshaw, 17 – Nick Moon (86’ 19 – Rece Buckmaster), 5 – Jared Timmer, 7 – Ayoze (62’ 98 – Peter Vassell), 8 – Cammy Smith, 27 – Nicky Law (71’ 28 – Gershon Koffie), 10 – Gordon Wild (71’ 2 – Patrick Seagrist), 29 – Manuel Arteaga (62’ 22 – Jordan Hamilton)

Subs not used: 13 – Eric Dick, 6 – Jeremiah Gutjahr

Discipline Summary

Louisville City: Corben Bone (yellow) 32’

Indy Eleven: Cammy Smith (yellow) 33’

Louisville City: Antoine Hoppenot (yellow) 70’

Indy Eleven: Peter-Lee Vassell (yellow) 74’

Referee: Gabriele Giusti

Assistant Referees: Chris Shurfranz & Christopher Slane

Fourth Official: Michael Samour

Louisville City FC hasn’t played since July 29, yet the boys in purple managed to improve their outlook when it comes to the USL Championship’s playoff race.

With the top-two finishers from each regional pod advancing to the postseason, Group E-leading Indy Eleven (5-2-0, 15 points) has lost two of its last three after an unbeaten start.

Saint Louis FC (3-2-1, 10 points) dropped points in its last two games — first a defeat and then a draw at the death Wednesday night as it hosted Sporting KC II.

SKC II (2-3-1, 7 points), previously without a point, has won two of its last three.

LouCity 2-3-0, 6 points) sits at the bottom of the group. But it holds games in hand on every rival while the boys in purple aim for a six-point swing Saturday night, when Indy Eleven visits Lynn Family Stadium for an 8 p.m. kickoff.

So continues the Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest — supporter-named, of course — a competitive series since Indy Eleven joined the USL in 2018.

Both clubs own a regular-season win to go with three draws. The playoffs lean purple, with LouCity capturing both postseason meetings, including a come-from-behind victory in the 2019 Eastern Conference Final when these clubs last met.

The newest chapter will be written in Group E play as LouCity takes the rare role of underdog on its home turf.

Coach John Hackworth says…

“It’s an opportunity. We got results to go our way over the weekend, and that happens in sports sometimes. Sometimes it goes the other way. Right now, even with (Wednesday) night, Sporting Kansas City and Saint Louis playing to a 1-1 draw. That means that both of those teams only got one point. We’re in a position that if we do what we’re capable of doing Saturday night, we’re right back in the thick of things.

“You’ll have the feeling that all of us have fans, staff, club, where we haven’t maybe reached our full potential so far this year. We’re back in the thick of it. That doesn’t mean it’s over, but it certainly is a fantastic opportunity and one that we are fully aware of right now and exited to have.”

Key players

LouCity: Forward Cameron Lancaster, who set the USL’s scoring record with 25 goals in 2018, is carrying the attacking load while back on loan from Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC. The Englishman scored to win LouCity’s March 7 season opener and has since broken through in back-to-back games. His July 25 header pushed the boys in purple past Sporting KC II, and he delivered a beauty of a free kick goal July 29 in a 2-1 loss to that same foe.

Indy Eleven: Lancaster ranks third in the USL in scoring with three goals. He and the rest of the league are chasing Indy Eleven forward Tyler Pasher, who has registered six goals in seven appearances. All were off his left foot, with the lone strike from outside the box a strike from distance at the death in a July 22 away win over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Pasher, a 26-year-old native of Canada, is in his third season with the Eleven.

Follow along

For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Also find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram.

On the WBKI (The CW)/ESPN+ streaming call: Chris Wittyngham (play by play) and Ryan Davis (color).

And for AM 790 WKRD on the radio: Clay Ables (play by play) and Jeff Greer (color).

LouCity links

• New signing Johnson aims to add ‘spice’ to LouCity’s lineup

• Watch: Hackworth, players preview Indy Eleven’s visit

• LouCity ‘setting the benchmark’ with training facility

• Courier Journal: LouCity sees ‘opportunity’ vs. Indy

• WAVE3: LouCity’s safety, attendance plan successful

Notes to know

The right side of history: In 2019, coach John Hackworth’s first full season leading LouCity, the boys in purple also limped into August, fighting for a playoff spot off consecutive losses to end July. Can they similarly turn things around in 2020? August 2019 began a 10-game unbeaten streak for the club, which earned points in 12 of its final 13 games. That sparked a run back to LouCity’s third straight USL Championship Final appearance.

LouCity’s lapses: In a 1-3 beginning to the USL Championship’s restart, LouCity has been outscored 6-3 by visitors to Lynn Family Stadium. A trend can be seen in the turnovers. The boys in purple gave up possession inside their own half or near the half line leading to three of those six goals, including Sporting KC II’s 83rd-minute game winner last time out on July 29.

JoGo gets a start: Youth international Jonathan Gomez, who has represented both the United States and Mexico, logged 26 minutes across his first two LouCity appearances upon the USL’s restart. The 16-year-old left back then found his way into a starting role in the second of two straight Sporting KC II games. Gomez was unable to clear a ball into the box leading to the visitors’ initial goal but was otherwise solid in his first start on a professional contract, completing 90% of his passes from the left back spot.

Minus Magnus: LouCity and its leading scorer from last season, midfielder Magnus Rasmussen, agreed effective July 31 to terminate their contract. Rasmussen and his wife, Camilla, earlier this month welcomed new daughter Olivia to their family in Denmark, where he will remain amid the COVID-19 pandemic. LouCity’s technical staff plans to re-sign Rasmussen for 2021 after he poured in 13 regular-season goals and four more in the playoffs in 2019.

Fresh face: Forward Jason Johnson, a Jamaican international who most recently suited up for the Western Conference’s Phoenix Rising, added to some firepower Monday when announced late last month as LouCity’s newest signing. Johnson missed most of 2019 with an injury. But two seasons ago, he tallied nine goals, including a soaring scissor kick that won USL Goal of the Month for June of 2018. Johnson is available for selection Saturday.

In the stands: LouCity’s attendance of 4,850 (about 30% of maximum capacity) in its first four games back have marked the highest number of people to attend team sporting events in the country since the COVID-19 pandemic put sports on pause. Club officials are following local government guidance and the Venue Shield plan devised by stadium operator ASM Global that calls for wearing masks in the building, physical distancing and temperature checks, among other measures to keep fans safe.

With Louisville City FC newly atop the USL Championship’s Central Division table having earned nine points last week in a matter of eight days, it’s fair to say no one player has influenced those outcomes as much as Cameron Lancaster.

The striker — who added a tint of purple to his hair to coincide with the winning streak — has scored five goals through eight games this season, ranking sixth in the league’s Golden Boot race. He also leads the USL Championship in both shots per 90 minutes and shots on target per 90.

This stirring start to 2021 follows an offseason decision by Lancaster to make his return to LouCity permanent after spending the 2020 season on loan from Nashville SC of Major League Soccer. The multi-year contract ensures the Brit will continue to add to his resume as one of Derby City’s most prolific scorers, with 51 goals in 102 regular season appearances to date.

“I’ve been brought into to score the goals and be that man up top,” said Lancaster, who came up through English Premier League giant Tottenham Hotspur’s academy before his move to the United States as LouCity launched in 2015. “So, there’s pressure, but it’s hard not to love playing in this stadium, playing for this coach and playing for the boys. I feel at home and comfortable.”

Since a June 6 loss at Atlanta United 2 — Lancaster was out of the squad with a sore hamstring — he has netted four goals in three games. Two of those came in Saturday’s 3-2 victory at FC Tulsa, where he banged in both an Olimpico from the corner and penalty kick in the first 10 minutes.

“I’m feeling good. I’m feeling confident. Obviously the goals help,” Lancaster said postgame. “You know the main thing, it’s not really about me. The main thing is we got the win. It was a tough game. It was a tough place to come. They were tough to break down. They have some good players on the pitch so overall it was a good win for us.”

LouCity’s record improved to 5-2-1. Its 16 points match those of Birmingham Legion FC atop the standings, but the boys in purple have a better goal differential to break the tie. They also hold a game or more in hand over most Central Division clubs.

Going back to his goal straight from the corner — ESPN’s SportsCenter featured it across social media channels — it was surprising to see Lancaster taking that sort of set piece. He said it was all part of the plan.

“We wrote it up beforehand,” Lancaster said. “We had a look at the pitch, and we saw it was quite tight — quite narrow. We practiced it before, and Danny [Cruz] said why not give it a go for the first corner? We got the first corner pretty early in the game. I went for it, and thankfully it came off.”

Lancaster has also been clinical from the spot, converting penalties in his last three games. Going back to May 22 he had his other PK attempt this season blocked but scored on the rebound.

At Tulsa, he both earned and converted on a penalty that had LouCity up 3-0 early, with the goal ultimately becoming the deciding goal.

“When he gets to the spot you can tell how calm he is — how collected he is,” Cruz said. “He never gets nervous in the moment. I’ve yet to see it in the years I’ve been with him. We are getting in good positions and forcing opponents to make tough decisions in the box. When those calls come, the expectation is he’s going to score, and he’s certainly shown that.”

Lancaster performed similarly last season, when during an abbreviated campaign on loan he scored seven goals in as many games on LouCity’s return trip to the Eastern Conference Final. The club’s quest to go one game further in 2021 continues Saturday when rival Indy Eleven visits for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Lynn Family Stadium.

Louisville City FC set the pace early, smashing in three goals in 10 minutes, then hung on for the ride, outlasting Tulsa, 3-2, in a thrilling USL Championship affair Saturday night in northeastern Oklahoma. The boys in purple got two goals from Cameron Lancaster and a third from teen sensation Jonathan Gomez, climbing into first place in the Central Division with a game in hand on Birmingham. 

Here’s what we learned from the adventure at ONEOK Field, where Lou City (5-2-1) claimed its first away win of the season:

Crack, boom, another boom

LouCity’s goal output against expected goals per game didn’t quite match to open this season. But the club is seemingly dead set on evening up those figures. Eight goals in three games is a big statement, and three in 10 minutes Saturday night is a thrown gauntlet. That they did so in such different ways — from a corner, counter and penalty — that made the finishing touch that much more impressive. The funny thing is, LouCity felt like it could score even more in the past three, and that’s a good sign that the execution in front of goal is headed in the right direction. 

And he can finish, too

Watching Gomez progress game by game is a treat on its own, and the improvement is more than incremental. The 17-year-old is blowing up right in front of our eyes, and he added goalscoring to his arsenal on Saturday night. We know the Texas native can make runs down the flank. We know he can get into dangerous positions where he deftly picks out passes. At Tulsa, he sprinted into the counterattack, received Pat McMahon’s excellent ball ahead, carried into the area and thumped home a confident finish, his first as a pro. As fullbacks play higher and higher up the lines, they’re scoring more goals at the highest levels, and Gomez showed he can get there. That was a big moment for Gomez, one that felt as though it was due. 

Building from the back a work in progress

LouCity’s passing out of the defensive half didn’t quite connect Saturday, leaving goalkeeper Chris Hubbard exposed on a few occasions too many. High presses are so common now that City has to be prepared to navigate them. The Tulsa match illustrated the work ahead as LouCity’s spacing seemed off at times, with zero or just one option through the middle and little chance to break through to get a numerical advantage into the attacking half. The distance between teammates once Tyler Gibson received the ball deep in the central midfield hung him out to dry, and the execution of the second and third passes after Hubbard’s restarts put City under some difficult defensive pressure. The team improved at this last season after a shaky start, so we assume the same will come this year. But City is fortunate more goals haven’t come from these breakdowns in possession.

Seeing three points out

Saturday’s match showed LouCity’s resolve in completing a win, with Tulsa banging on the door and the visitors tidying up defensively as the game grew. The big breakthrough came when Wes Charpie scored off a corner — we all know the ball crossed Tulsa’s goal line — and should have pushed City back up two goals. Alas, goal-line technology hasn’t reached the USL Championship yet. LouCity kept its cool and used organization and patience to see off Tulsa. Winning rollercoaster games is an important experience to have as a playoff team.