Home

Louisville City FC goalkeeper Parker Siegfried is headed back to the club after a two-week loan spell with Sporting KC, it was announced Wednesday.

Siegfried, an Ohio State graduate in his second professional season, gained experience training with a Major League Soccer side and appeared on the bench for Sporting KC’s season-opening victory April 17 over New York Red Bulls II.

While on a semi-guaranteed contract, Siegfried added short-term depth to a Sporting KC team dealing with multiple injuries between the posts. He’ll now rejoin fellow LouCity goalkeepers Chris Hubbard and Simon Lefebvre in a battle for playing time at the USL Championship level.

LouCity is off this week following a 2-0 victory last Saturday over Atlanta United 2. The club next hosts Birmingham Legion FC at 7:30 p.m. on May 8 at Lynn Family Stadium.

Louisville City FC and head coach John Hackworth have mutually agreed to terminate Hackworth’s contract with the club, it was announced Tuesday.

Top assistant Danny Cruz, has been appointed interim head coach as the 2021 season continues. The boys in purple — who opened with a 2-0 victory last Saturday over Atlanta United 2 — return May 8 to host Birmingham Legion FC at Lynn Family Stadium.

“We are excited for Danny to take the reins of LouCity — a well-earned opportunity,” said LouCity president Brad Estes. “The momentum of this organization is unwavering, and we will continue to support our players and staff in their mission to fill the trophy case.”

Cruz joined the club’s staff in September of 2018, seeing through the end of a campaign leading to LouCity’s second straight USL Championship title. Also as technical director for the boys in purple, his responsibilities have included retaining and signing players.

“I have a responsibility to that group in the locker room and to this club to continue the success that’s expected,” Cruz said. “I take a lot of pride in that, and I understand the importance of the opportunity.”

A U.S. Soccer Federation A license coaching candidate, Cruz spent nearly a decade as a professional player, too, totaling 137 Major League Soccer appearances with the Houston Dynamo, D.C. United and Philadelphia Union.

The Petersburg, Va., native Cruz and his wife, Brittany, live in Louisville with their son, Santiago.

The USL Championship on Tuesday announced its Player of the Week, presented by Cleer Audio, for Week 1 of the 2021 regular season with Louisville City FC midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo earning the honor.

The team captain DelPiccolo registered both goals in a 2-0 opening night victory over Atlanta United 2 while recording a game-high five shots overall. He also completed 49 of 65 passes and defensively made eight recoveries.

The brace brought DelPiccolo to 10 regular season tallies for LouCity since he joined the club prior to the 2016 season.

The Championship’s Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship.

DelPiccolo earned 56 percent of the ballot for his performance. FC Tulsa’s Joaquin Rivas finished second with 44 percent after scoring the opening two goals of his side’s 3-1 victory in the Black Gold Derby against OKC Energy FC at Taft Stadium on Saturday night.

By subbing on Saturday night for Louisville City FC, George Davis IV became one of what will be a select few players this year to appear in a USL Championship game for an 11th consecutive season since the league launched.

That longevity is a testament to Davis IV’s talent but also landed the 33-year-old in a dual role as team administrator beginning to take a look into running a soccer club, too. The forward continues to train and play for the boys in purple while holding a key role in making the 2021 team tick on a day-to-day basis.

How’s he balancing those duties? Pretty well, if Saturday’s time on the pitch is any indication. Three minutes after coming on, Davis IV crossed to midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo for a point-blank goal in a 2-0 victory over Atlanta United 2 at Lynn Family Stadium.

“It’s incredible what he’s doing. It really is,” said DelPiccolo, also LouCity’s captain. “But people sometimes forget that he’s a three-time champion and this guy is a baller. He is far from the end of that, so he comes out and grabs an assist and we see it every day in training. He’s a good footballer, so it doesn’t surprise anybody. We are happy for him but not surprised at all.”

LouCity’s head coach, John Hackworth, termed DelPiccolo’s thoughts “exactly accurate.”

“I probably can’t add anything to it except for that I am really proud of both of them,” Hackworth added. “To be veterans of this club and veterans of this league and pros for as long as they have — then to be really influential in a result — is fantastic.”

Davis IV played previously in the USL for the Dayton Dutch Lions, Los Angeles Blues, on loan with Orlando City and the Richmond Kickers. He joined LouCity in 2016 and on Saturday marked his 129th USL Championship appearance for the club, second on the list behind Niall McCabe.

Davis IV’s 234 regular season USL appearances are the most all time.

“I am really fortunate to have been blessed with health and the opportunity to continue to play,” Davis IV said. “So, it’s been a long time and I’ve seen a lot of growth in the league and its awesome to be in a facility like we were in tonight and play for this group and this club. I’m glad to be a part of it all.”

Davis IV replaced striker Cameron Lancaster in what was, at the time, a 1-0 game in LouCity’s season opener.

“Really it’s about taking care of the ball, and then if you get an opportunity, take it,” he said.

Jonathan Gomez — a defender some 16 years Davis IV’s junior — played his veteran teammate in behind on the left side of Atlanta United 2’s defense. Davis IV dribbled, head up, until he caught a glimpse of DelPiccolo at the far post.

It was just a matter of DelPiccolo tapping in from there to double the lead.

“I still have a strong mentality,” Davis IV said. “I go out, and that’s what I love to do is play, so I still give it my all when I have the opportunity to put my boots on. But obviously before and after, it’s a little bit different for me.

“The club has put a lot of trust in me to start to take care of some operations and work on the technical staff and work with the front office a little closer, so it’s a role of adapting and learning and I’m just trying to do it to the best I can.”

Davis IV’s best has set a league standard for more than a decade. It still holds true in 2021.

It seemed like only a matter of time Saturday night for a Louisville City FC side that out-shout, out-possessed and generally out-played visiting Atlanta United 2. Then the largest crowd in Lynn Family Stadium’s brief history got its chance to erupt.

Paolo DelPiccolo found the back of the net in the 69th and 87th minutes of a 2-0, opening night victory over Atlanta United 2 in front of 7,652 fans — 50% of stadium capacity thanks to newly approved limits set by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

A victory started the boys in purple right where they’ve left off in prior seasons, all six of which have culminated with appearances in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference Final to go with two league titles.

“I hope that everybody recognizes that that was a good team in Atlanta – really organized,” said LouCity’s head coach, John Hackworth. “They took away a lot of what we were trying to do. At the same time, I felt like as the game grew on, we just got better and better.

“I felt like we were going to get one sooner or later. Eventually, we did. It was nice to add the second and nice that George (Davis IV) comes on and gets an assist to Paolo — wonderful from that perspective.”

En route to victory, LouCity had to survive some anxious moments as Atlanta United 2 fielded a young squad antsy to counter attack. By halftime, goalkeeper Chris Hubbard had made his only save of the night, stuffing a breakaway chance by Atlanta’s Coleman Gannon, and three of four defenders on LouCity’s back line saw yellow cards.

A set piece truly jump started the host side’s offense when Oscar Jimenez looped in a corner kick from the left side that found DelPiccolo’s first goal. The midfielder and captain DelPiccolo competed his second half brace when tapping in a cross from the veteran forward Davis IV.

“Every game is different, and all the roles are different,” said DelPiccolo, who over the last year has moved up in LouCity’s attack. “Playing with your back to the goal, turning in different ways, finding different spots on the field — and the more you do it the more comfortable you get with it.

“Every single game I play, I feel something, I go watch the film, I look at something, and then I try and keep finding better and better spots.”

By the final whistle, LouCity had totaled 14 shots to Atlanta’s 3 and comfortably completed passes at an 82% clip. The boys in purple possessed the ball 60% of the way, avoiding an opposing shot on target after the 29th minute.

So began a 32-game USL Championship season with a key victory. Atlanta United 2 hails from the newly established Central Division, a group of clubs LouCity will face twice home and twice away in 2021. The top four advance to the playoffs.

“We’ve had a lot of time to prepare and it’s nice to see the guys come out and leave it all on the field,” said Davis IV, who in addition to being a rostered player is doubling as a team administrator this season. “For myself, I know that I have a role to fill and whatever that may be I just want to try to do it the best that I can.

“Tonight, I was fortunate to get myself on the pitch and provide an assist for Paolo. You know, I may get a few minutes here and there, I may start, I may not play. But whatever it is, I’ll be prepared.”

Given Kentucky Derby week is ahead, the boys in purple will take a hiatus before returning to host Birmingham Legion FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8, in the second of four straight at Lynn Family Stadium to start the new campaign.

Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Atlanta United 2

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 7:36 p.m.

Weather: 55 degrees, rain

Man of the Match: Paolo DelPiccolo

Attendance: 7,652

Scoring

Louisville City (0, 2, 2)

Atlanta United 2 (0, 0, 0)

Goals

Louisville City:

69’ (36 – DelPiccolo assisted by 19 – Jimenez)

87’ (36 – DelPoccolo assisted by 22 – George Davis IV)

Stats Summary: Louisville City / Atlanta United 2

Shots: 14 / 3

Shots on Goal: 5 / 1

Fouls: 14 / 17

Offside: 2 / 5

Corner Kicks: 5 / 1

Saves: 1 / 4

Lineups

Louisville City: 1 – Chris Hubbard, 8 – Akil Watts (55’ 20 – Jimmy McLaughlin), 4 – Sean Totsch, 3 – Alexis Souahy, 19 – Oscar Jimenez, 42 – Jonathan Gomez, 36 – Paolo DelPiccolo, 13 – Corben Bone, 7 – Napo Matoso (70’ 12 – Tyler Gibson), 11 – Niall McCabe (55’ 29 – Antoine Hoppenot), 17 – Cameron Lancaster (84’ 22 – George Davis IV)

Subs not used: 16 – Simon Lefebvre, 66 – Joshua Wynder, 15 – Pat McMahon

Atlanta United 2: 23 – Vincent Reyes, 2 – Aiden McFadden, 24 – Josh Bauer, 6 – Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, 13 – Caleb Wiley, 34 – Brendan Lambe, 8 – Chris Allan (81’ 35 – Efrain Morales), 28 – Tyler Wolff (70’ 9 – Phillip Goodrum), 10 – Darwin Matheus (78’ 15 – Alex Garvba), 22 – Coleman Gannon, 36 – Jackson Conway

Subs not used: 7 – Amadou Macky Diop, 5 – Abdoulaye Diop

Discipline Summary

Louisville City: Souahy (yellow) 25’

Atlanta United 2: Kamden (yellow) 33’

Louisville City: Totsch (yellow) 37’

Louisville City: (yellow) Jimenez 39’

Referee: Lukasz Szpala

Assistant Referees: Walt Heatherly / Chris Schurfranz

Fourth Official: Nabil Bensalah