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WHAT             2018 USL Cup celebration 

WHERE          Headliners Music Hall
                       1386 Lexington Rd
                       Louisville, KY 40206

WHEN            Tuesday, November 13, 2018

                        6:00 p.m.: Doors open

                        7:00 p.m.: Program begins.

WHO               Louisville City FC players, coaching staff

                        Louisville City FC front office

                        Fans

Louisville City FC will hold a celebration of their 2018 USL Cup triumph on Tuesday, November 13—one year on from the club’s first title—at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville. The event will run from 6:00-9:00 PM, with doors opening at 6:00 PM and the program beginning at 7:00 PM. Featuring the music of DJ Ryan Coxx, fans will be able to meet the team as well take their picture with the USL Cup. This event will replace the previously scheduled Friday announcement at Copper & Kings. Join us on Tuesday as we celebrate the back-to-back league champions!

Louisville City FC won back-to-back USL Cups after defeating Phoenix Rising FC, 1-0, thanks to a goal by Luke Spencer just after the hour mark at Lynn Stadium.

What Happened?
For the second consecutive year, Louisville City FC took on a Western Conference opponent in a match deciding who would be crowned USL Cup champions.

This year’s foe happened to be Didier Drogba and Phoenix Rising FC.

Through the first 20 minutes of action, both sides saw multiple scoring opportunities off free kicks though neither club were able to find the back of the net.

Play would continue through the first 45, though neither club would concede as both entered the half scoreless.

In similar fashion to the first, neither Phoenix Rising nor LouCity were able to capitalize on early scoring opportunities through the first 15 minutes of play.

It wasn’t until a LouCity corner kick from Oscar Jimenez sent into the penalty box that the night’s scoring sheet would finally be opened.

After several headers from the likes of Paco Craig and a bicycle kick attempt from Ilija Ilic, the ball finally fell at the feet of forward Luke Spencer who slotted it past Phoenix goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski for the 1-0 lead.

No more than three minutes passed before midfielder Brian Ownby had one of the night’s best runs, slipping through PRFC defenders before eventually losing possession ending in a LouCity corner.

Nothing would come off the set piece.

As time continued, neither side would score over the remaining 28 minutes as LouCity captures back-to-back USL Cup championships.

Injury Report:

• Cameron Lancaster (leg)

Louisville City FC 1 : 0 Phoenix Rising FC
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Lynn Stadium | Louisville, KY
40 degrees / partly cloudy
Attendance: 7,025

Scoring Summary:
LOU – Luke Spencer 62’

Disciplinary Summary:
PHX – Joseph Farrell (caution) 39’
LOU – Kyle Smith (caution) 45’
PHX – Didier Drogba (caution) 73’
PHX – Kevon Lambert (caution) 84’
LOU – Luke Spencer (caution) 90’+1
LOU – Greg Ranjitsingh (caution) 90’+2

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Greg Ranjitsingh (GK); Alexis Souahy, Paco Craig, Oscar Jimenez, Kyle Smith; Paolo DelPiccolo (c), Niall McCabe, George Davis IV (Sean Totsch 84’); Luke Spencer, Ilija Ilic (Devon “Speedy” Williams 70’), Brian Ownby (Magnus Rasmussen 90’+2)

Bench: Shaun Francis, Richard Ballard, Tim Dobrowolski, Luke Spencer, Sean Totsch

After advancing past New York Red Bulls II on Friday to repeat as Eastern Conference champions, Louisville City FC moves on to the 2018 USL Cup where they will face Phoenix Rising FC!

The match will take place on Thursday, November 8 at Lynn Stadium in Louisville with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. ET. Shown on ESPN2, local radio coverage will be held on 790 WKRD.

A few important things to note about coming to the match tonight:

• Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
• ALL bleacher tickets are the same
• Individual wanding will take place upon entering the facility
• NO chairs will be allowed on the berm
• PLEASE REVIEW THE CLEAR BAG POLICY BELOW**

Be sure to view the University of Louisville’s clear bag policy ahead of the historic cup final:

PARKING INSTRUCTIONS: Fans are encouraged to take I-65 to Crittenden Drive to Central Ave or I-264 to Crittenden Drive to Park Ave to Floyd Street to access parking.

The final match of the 2018 season pits Louisville City FC against Phoenix Rising FC in the USL Cup on Thursday night. With storylines abound, City is seeking to defend it’s 2017 USL Cup by becoming just the second-ever team to win back-to-back championships, while Phoenix Rising FC look to win their team’s first-ever championship when traveling to Louisville.

When & Where
The match is set to take place on Thursday, November 8 at Lynn Stadium with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. ET.

The match will be aired on ESPN2 as well as streamed on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the match on 790 WKRD. Fans can also follow #LOUvPHX on Twitter & Instagram.

TV: ESPN2
RADIO: 790 WKRD 
STREAM: ESPN+

DOWNLOAD: LouCity app for iOS | LouCity app for Android

Where They Stand
#2 Louisville City FC:
18-6-9, 66 points – 2nd in EC 

#3 Phoenix Rising FC:
19-9-6, 63 points – 3rd in WC

Last Time Out
For the third straight year, Louisville City and New York Red Bulls II faced off to see which side would be crowned Eastern Conference champions.

No more than 11 minutes passed before the cold temperatures influenced the match as a premature injury sidelined forward Cameron Lancaster. Luke Spencer entered as his replacement.

The first true scoring opportunity for either side came in the 16th when LouCity’s George Davis IV was called for a foul in the penalty box leading to a Red Bulls II penalty kick.

The visitors’ Chris Lema stepped up to the ball, slipping on Slugger Field’s turf and launching the ball over the crossbar as LouCity escaped with no harm delivered.

The defending champions earned themselves a penalty kick five minutes later when LouCity forward Ilija Ilic’s goal line run ended in a foul by a member of the Red Bulls II backline. Ilic would then open the night’s scoring as he aimed right and NYRBII goalkeeper Evan Louro dove left to convert the spot kick.

After an impressive performance saw him score twice in last week’s win over Bethlehem Steel FC, midfielder Brian Ownby found Spencer in the 6-yard box who then doubled the hosts’ lead with a strike past Louro. Louisville City entered the break with the 2-0 lead.

A service from Red Bulls II’s Ethan Kutler found forward Tom Barlow in the penalty box, eventually leading to a Barlow header and bringing the visitors within a goal.

However, Los Morados had their answer thanks to the first of two Devon “Speedy” Williams strikes on the night.

The first came when Niall McCabe found Williams on the left side of the penalty box before Williams’ bending shot snuck past Louro for his side’s third goal of the night.

The second came two minutes later when Williams’ strike from the top of the box rocketed into the back of the net as Ownby recorded his second assist of the match.

With his side up 4-1, Brian Ownby added to his fantastic two-game stretch when the midfielder’s strike from the top of the box gave his side the 5th and final goal of the night.

Louisville City would go on to win the match by a final score of 5-1 as the club advanced to their second straight USL Cup final.

Injury Report
QUESTIONABLE – Cameron Lancaster (leg)

Standout performers from the 2018 USL regular season were honored on Monday as the United Soccer League announced the 2018 USL All-League Teams, with a pair of players from FC Cincinnati, Louisville City FC and Orange County SC each earning First Team honors and 14 clubs from across the league being represented among the 22 selections overall.  

The 2018 USL All-League Team was voted on by club management and a league-wide media panel that included representation from every USL market.

Two players earned selection to the All-League First Team for a second consecutive season, with defenders Forrest Lasso of FC Cincinnati and Paco Craig of Louisville City FC once again recording standout seasons for their respective clubs. Two other players, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midfielder Kenardo Forbes and Sacramento Republic FC forward Cameron Iwasa, also earned their second career selections with Second Team honors.

Lasso was joined on the All-League First Team by FCC teammate Emmanuel Ledesma, who set a USL regular-season record with 16 assists as the duo helped lead the side to the 2018 USL Regular Season Championship. FCC’s Corben Bone was also recognized on the All-League Second Team after a standout season for the club. 

Louisville forward Cameron Lancaster, who claimed the USL Golden Boot with a regular-season record 25 goals, was also selected alongside Craig from the defending USL Cup champion, while Orange County SC was represented on the First Team by midfielder Aodhan Quinn and forward Thomas Enevoldsen, whose contributions led OCSC to a first-place finish in the Western Conference for the second time in the club’s history.

The finalists for the 2018 USL Awards will be announced on Tuesday, preceding the 2018 USL Cup, which will air live on ESPN2 and the WatchESPN app in the United States and be broadcast globally in more than 50 countries on ESPN International on Thursday, November 8 at 8 p.m. ET as Eastern Conference champion and defending USL Cup champion Louisville City FC faces Western Conference champion Phoenix Rising FC and legendary forward Didier Drogba at Lynn Stadium in Louisville, Ky.

2018 USL All-League First Team
GK – Maxime Crepeau, Ottawa Fury FC: Crepeau set a USL regular-season record with 15 shutouts as he recorded 82 saves across 31 appearances for a 72.6 save percentage.

D – Paco Craig, Louisville City FC: Craig finished second among defenders with 239 duels won at a success rate of 66.8 percent and ranked in the top five among defenders with 133 aerials and 171 possession recoveries. 

D – Joe Greenspan, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Greenspan led a Hounds defense that tied the USL regular-season record with 17 shutouts, posting 176 clearances while winning 67.1 percent of duels and 76.2 percent of aerial duels over the season.

D – Forrest Lasso, FC Cincinnati: Lasso led the league with 223 clearances while finishing second in the league with 32 blocked shots and 172 aerials at an 82.7 percent success rate.

M – Tah Anunga, Charleston Battery: Anunga was dynamic in the center of the Battery’s midfield, leading outfield players with 308 possession recoveries, finishing second with 72 tackles won, while posting an 83.51 passing accuracy rate on 52.58 passes per 90 minutes.

M – Solomon Asante, Phoenix Rising FC: Asante recorded 13 goals and eight assists to lead Rising FC to a top-three finish in the Western Conference, while also finishing third in the league in chances created (98) and fourth in chances created from open play (56).

M – Emmanuel Ledesma, FC Cincinnati: Ledesma set a single-season record with 16 assists in the regular season, and with 16 goals also became the first player in the USL’s history to record at least 15 goals and 15 assists in the same campaign.

M – Aodhan Quinn, Orange County SC: Quinn played every minute of the regular season to lead OCSC to a first-place finish as he recorded 11 goals and 14 assists while leading the league with 103 chances created and finished second among outfield players with 289 possession recoveries.

F – Thomas Enevoldsen, Orange County SC: Enevoldsen finished tied for second in the league with 20 goals at a chance conversion rate of 28.99 percent, while also recording nine assists and 63 chances created as he played every minute of the regular season.

F – Cameron Lancaster, Louisville City FC: Lancaster set a USL single-season record with 25 goals to claim the USL Golden Boot and scored at a rate of a goal every 80.16 minutes while registering seven of his tallies from outside the penalty area.

F – Daniel Rios, North Carolina FC: Rios recorded 20 goals to finish tied for second in the league and did so at a chance conversion rate of 32.79 percent, the highest of any player to record at least 15 goals in the regular season as he averaged a goal every 111.05 minutes. 

Louisville City FC clinched their second Eastern Conference Championship on Friday with a 5-1 win over the New York Red Bulls II. The win sends LouCity to the USL Cup for the second-straight year, becoming only the second team to do so (Swope Park Rangers, 2016-17).

Scouting Phoenix Rising FC
Phoenix became Western Conference champions for the first time in club history on Saturday night, defeating top-seed Orange County SC, 2-1. Rising FC is led by Premier League titleholder and former Golden Boot winner Didier Drogba, who will be playing in his final professional soccer match on Thursday night. Forward Chris Cortez leads the offensive efforts for Rising FC with 19 goals on the season. 

Louisville City Playoff Scoring
Louisville has had its most productive scoring playoffs in club history in 2018 and still has one match remaining in the season. The 11 goals scored so far in the playoffs top the previous high of 7 goals in four games in 2017. The 11 goals are also the most scored so far in the playoffs in the USL. Louisville has had six different goal scorers in the playoffs, the most of all teams in the playoffs this season. 

Playoff Stat Comparisons
Goals Scored: Louisville 11, Phoenix 9 (1stand 2ndin USL)
Goals Allowed: Louisville 2, Phoenix 3
Number of Goal Scorers: Louisville 6, Phoenix 5 
Top Goal Scorer in the Playoffs: Brian Ownby 3, Didier Drogba 3, (both tied for 1stin USL)
Top Goal Scorer: Cameron Lancaster (26), Chris Cortez (19)
Saves: Carl Woszczynski 10, Greg Ranjitsingh 8 (T-1stand 5thin USL)
Clean Sheets: Greg Ranjitsingh 1, Carl Woszczynski 1

Monday, November 5

10a-9p: Oxmoor Mall
Near Starbucks–center of the strip

Tuesday, November 6

10a-9p: Oxmoor Mall
Near Starbucks–center of the strip

Wednesday, November 7

11a-1p: Molly Malone’s (St. Matthews)
1:30-3:30p: Molly Malone’s (Highlands)

Thursday, November 8

3:00-7:30p: Cardinal Stadium parking lot