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Louisville City FC hosts Toronto FC II for the only meeting between the pair at Slugger Field in the 2018 regular season.

When & Where
The match will take place on Tuesday, August 28 at Slugger Field with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.

The match will be aired on WBNA as well as streamed on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the match on 1080 WKJK. Fans can also follow #LOUvTOR on Twitter & Instagram.

TV: WBNA
RADIO: 1080 WKJK
STREAM: ESPN+

DOWNLOAD: LouCity app for iOS | LouCity app for Android

Where They Stand
Louisville City FC:
13-4-7, 46 points – 2nd in EC

Toronto FC II:
2-18-3, 9 points – 16th in EC

Last Time Out
Louisville City FC thrashed Richmond Kickers in a 0-6 rout on Saturday night at City Stadium.

Pressure from Louisville City would pay off in the 33rd minute when a foul drawn by Carranza opened the door for another Cameron Lancaster free kick, a bending shot in the upper-90 which opened the night’s scoring sheet.

Just three minutes later, former Richmond Kicker George Davis IV found himself in close range off a Shaun Francis service into the penalty box and eventually slotted his 6th goal of the season past Kicker goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg to double the lead for the visitors.

City would enter the break with a 0-2 lead.

The second 45 saw an unselfish Louisville City side add to their halftime lead with another flurry of goals. Recording his first-ever goal as a member of the “Boys in Purple”, Carranza finished a beautiful run off a through-ball from Shaun Francis and made the lead for the visitors grow to 0-3.

Three minutes later, Niall McCabe made it a four-goal lead for his side with his third strike of the 2018 campaign before Luke Spencer’s brace in the 78th and 81st-minute goals would make it 0-6 in City’s favor. Spencer’s goals were his second and third in two appearances this week.

Ranjitsingh’s 10th clean sheet of the season makes it nine unanswered goals for Louisville City and seven points earned in the same number of days.

HIGHLIGHTS: City produces 0-6 rout of Richmond

Rewind against Toronto FC II
Louisville City FC and Toronto FC II will face off for the first time in the regular season on Tuesday night at Slugger Field.

KY Lottery Kees to the Game
Louisville City FC

Here are the KY Lottery Kees to the Game for #LOUvTOR:

1. Don’t get complacent
2. Dominate again in possession
3. Take advantage of fresh legs

Team News
OUT – Magnus Rasmussen (Knee Sprain)
OUT – Brian Ownby (Concussion)

Forward Cameron Lancaster –
On the free kick:
“I thought it was a perfect position for me. I back myself on any of those free kicks in that area and thankfully this one went in.”

On finding a groove this season:
“I focus on my technique in training and the more I practice in training the better it is in the games.”

On scoring another winner and another contribution to the team:
“I feel proud just to help these boys get over the line sometimes and we’re all together. We’re all backing this manager and it’s good vibes in the dressing room.”

On picking up another knock:
“Yeah, it’s just a knock. It’ll be fine.”

On the team’s emphasis this week:
“We’re going to try and rest over the next two or three days and hopefully the recovery goes well so we can go again on Tuesday.”

Midfielder Jose Carranza – 
On making his debut:
“I think overall it was a good team performance and a good business trip. We got what we needed to do done and we got six points. That’s what’s most important.”

On scoring his first goal for City:
“It’s honestly a true blessing. The guys have been really supportive since day one and it feels good to repay them with a goal.”

On having another game in just four days’ time:
“It’s about recovery at this point. We have so many games in such little time that we just have to stay focused and recover.”

Overall impression on the performance:
“I think the game opened up in the second half and we took advantage of playing a little better, playing a little smarter, controlling the game more in that second half. Things are going to happen when a game like that starts to spread out. We knew the space was going to be there to attack and the guys did a great job in the second half.”

On his message to the team at the half:
“I wasn’t that happy with the [first half] performance as a whole. I thought our press was not as collective as I wanted it to be and I thought we were poor in transition in some moments with giving them some opportunities. We scored two great goals [in the first half]. Cam scores a wonderful free kick and that takes a lot of pressure off and the second goal was beautiful as well. But the message was that we needed to play better and that, if we did, the game was going to really open up and we could find some opportunities.”

On Jose Carranza’s debut and overall outing:
“I’m really happy for Jose. I thought he came in and contributed. He had a little bit of a tough first half in some moments but what we asked him to do tonight was to make sure he was working on both sides of the ball, trying to find it in good spots, trying to keep it moving, and he contributed and that’s good.”

On Richard Ballard’s return to the field:
“I love that Rich got back out there. You’ve got Rich out there, you’ve got Illy [Ilic] out there… It was so nice to have some attacking subs tonight and get these guys some minutes that are really important so that, moving forward, they are ready when we really need them.”

On the impact subs of Luke Spencer and Ilija Ilic:
“It’s wonderful, it’s wonderful. These guys are great in that, if we can interchange and have guys put in a good shift here against a certain opponent, we’re going to be fine.”

On the team’s ninth clean sheet and the performance of Greg Ranjitsingh and the defense:
“It’s wonderful for Greg but the whole defense played really well. They limited Richmond and Greg made a couple of key stops there, so that was good. I’m going to help Greg buy bagels this week because every time we get a shutout the poor guy has to buy bagels for everybody. I’m going to help him this time.”

On the turnaround to Tuesday against Toronto FC II:
“We can’t let our guard down. We have to continue to improve with every game. I’ve said it before; the mentality of this group is fantastic and our objective tonight was to come out and improve on the previous performance we put in against Charlotte and I think we accomplished that.”

On another clean sheet and the team’s performance:
“I thought it was great. Obviously, when we’re getting some goals like that—one, two, three, all the way up to six—it’s really important that we stay mentally focused on the game and don’t let one slip by. The worst is when you get a lot of goals going forward and you just let one sneak by and it puts a dent on a perfect performance. I’m glad the lads were able to keep it clean and get a lot of goals in this game.”

On the Richmond threat:
“I thought that as the game went on and we kept scoring, I just wanted us to stay focused in the back and Richmond did a good job at times when they would counter off a transition and sometimes they would get a shot off. Other than that, I thought the guys did a really good job of limiting opportunities and making it an easy night for myself.”

On the style of John Hackworth:
“It’s great. We have the idea that we want to play out of the back and I really like that idea because we get to keep possession, we aren’t just kicking the ball forward and hoping for a 50/50. Hackworth has really given us that mentality to keep the ball and play forward so we’re excited about that.”

Louisville City FC thrashed Richmond Kickers in an 0-6 rout on Saturday night at City Stadium!

What Happened?
In his debut with Louisville City, former Atlanta United 2 midfielder Jose Carranza made his presence felt early with a physical style of play while recent signee James Sands made his second start with City.

Pressure from visiting Louisville City saw multiple opportunities for the “Boys in Purple” to open the scoring sheet early against a Richmond Kickers side which entered Saturday following a 3-2 win over Penn FC, snapping a five-game losing streak.

21 minutes into the match, the Kickers recorded their first shot on target when the ever-dangerous Brian Shriver’s took a free kick just outside the penalty box only to be denied by a diving Greg Ranjitsingh.

More pressure from Louisville City would pay off in the 33rd minute when a foul drawn by Carranza opened the door for another Cameron Lancaster free kick, a bending shot in the upper-90 which opened the night’s scoring sheet.

Just three minutes later, former Richmond Kicker George Davis IV found himself in close range off a Shaun Francis service into the penalty box and eventually slotted his 6th goal of the season past Kicker goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg to double the lead for the visitors.

City would enter the break with an 0-2 lead.

The second 45 saw an unselfish Louisville City side add to their halftime lead with another flurry of goals. Recording his first-ever goal as a member of the “Boys in Purple”, Carranza finished a beautiful run off a through-ball from Shaun Francis and made the lead for the visitors grow to 0-3.

Three minutes later, Niall McCabe made it a four-goal lead for his side with his third strike of the 2018 campaign before Luke Spencer’s brace in the 78th and 81st-minute goals would make it 0-6 in City’s favor. Spencer’s goals were his second and third in two appearances this week.

Ranjitsingh’s 10th clean sheet of the season makes it nine unanswered goals for Louisville City and seven points earned in the same number of days. The club returns to action on Tuesday, August 28 at Slugger Field as the USL’s Eastern Conference second place team hosts Toronto FC II. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Key Points:

• An unexpected “water break” occurred in the 4th minute of Saturday’s match when technical difficulties with City Stadium’s sprinkler system caused a brief stoppage of play.
• Louisville City’s latest signing, 19-year-old Jose Carranza, made his debut with his new club, impressing on multiple scoring chances created.
• Cameron Lancaster tallied his 16th goal of 2018 with another brilliant free kick, making the Englishman the league’s Golden Boot leader once again.
• Following a leg injury barring any action until late, Louisville-native Richard Ballard returned to the pitch for the first time since March after relieving goal scorer George Davis IV.
• Louisville City’s 6 goals tie the club’s record for most goals scored in USL play (6-2 against OKC Energy, 6-4 against New York Red Bulls II).

Injury Report:
OUT – Brian Ownby
OUT – Kyle Smith
OUT – Magnus Rasmussen

Richmond Kickers 0 : 6 Louisville City FC
Saturday, August 25, 2018
City Stadium | Richmond, VA
79 degrees / sunny

Scoring Summary:
LOU – Cameron Lancaster 33’
LOU – George Davis IV 36’
LOU – Jose Carranza 58’
LOU – Niall McCabe 61’
LOU – Luke Spencer 78’
LOU – Luke Spencer 82’

Disciplinary Summary:
RIC –Neil Hlavanty, yellow 40’
RIC – Braeden Troyer, yellow 52’
RIC – Prince Agyemang, yellow 56’

Starting XI (3-4-3): Greg Ranjitsingh (GK); Alexis Souahy, Paco Craig, James Sands; Jose Carranza (Ilija Ilic 62’), Paolo DelPiccolo (c), Shaun Francis; Niall McCabe, Pat McMahaon, George Davis IV (Richard Ballard 65’); Cameron Lancaster (Luke Spencer 65’)

Bench: Chris Hubbard, Oscar Jimenez, Sean Totsch, Devon “Speedy” Williams

John Hackworth on the absence of defender Kyle Smith:
“Kyle is a little banged up but he should be fine. We have this four-game stretch where it’s going to be extremely tough so we didn’t think it was worth the risk of potentially getting injured and not being available next week. The medical staff has done a great job of getting us as ready as possible, but we don’t want to risk him this evening.”

On facing the Kickers:
“I think they are a team that is trying to play a good style of soccer in all of their phases. They have a little bit of freedom to do so with a new coach, knowing that they are preparing really for the future, tring to build something. When I’ve watched their games, especially their last game against Penn, I’ve been really impressed with the way they’ve played.”

On the team’s emphasis:
“We’re looking to improve on what we did against Charlotte and now it’s about looking to capitalize on what we think we can do tonight against the Kickers.”

On expectations for #RICvLOU:
“If both teams play the way they have played recently, it will be a pretty open game. With both teams trying to establish the way that we want to play and they want to play, it could be a little bit of a chess match and especially early on. Richmond has been a really good team in possession and, obviously, we have as well. Whichever team starts to dictate the rhythm and speed of play will have an advantage.”

Louisville City FC rounds out a two-game road trip on Saturday night when they head to Richmond to face the Kickers in a rematch of the 2-1 thriller that took place in May of this season.

When & Where
The match will take place on Saturday, August 25 at City Stadium in Richmond, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.

The match will be aired on WDRB as well as streamed on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the match on 840 WHAS. Fans can also follow #RICvLOU on Twitter & Instagram.

TV: WDRB
RADIO: 840 WHAS
STREAM: ESPN+

DOWNLOAD: LouCity app for iOS | LouCity app for Android

Where They Stand
Louisville City FC:
12-4-7, 43 points – 3rd in EC

Richmond Kickers:
6-25-3, 21 points – 14th in EC

Last Time Out
Louisville City FC defeated the Charlotte Independence, 0-3, following a resounding performance that saw forward Cameron Lancaster bag a brace with fellow attacker Luke Spencer finding the back of the net in just his second appearance since recovering from injury.

Twelve minutes in, persistence paid off as City drew a penalty on ‘keeper Andrew Dykstra. Stepping up to the spot, Cameron Lancaster made no mistake despite Dykstra’s correct guess and the visitors held an early advantage, 0-1. The goal was Lancaster’s 14th in league play, elevating him to T-1 in the USL Golden Boot race.

In the 30th minute, as the “Boys in Purple” developed a counter attack, Lancaster struck another beautiful ball with a shot far-post around Charlotte’s Owundi and out of the reach of Dykstra. His brace makes him the league’s leading goal scorer heading into the weekend.

Following several attempts from a depleted Independence side, one of City’s latest signs in James Sands recorded his first assist with his new club as veteran Luke Spencer scored his first goal since returning from knee surgery and giving the visitors the 3-0 lead. 

Neither side would add to the scoring sheet the rest of the evening as Ranjitsingh recorded his eighth clean sheet on the year.

HIGHLIGHTS: City smashes Charlotte

Rewind against Richmond Kickers
Louisville City FC last took on the Kickers in the team’s fourth game of the season back on April 14 at Slugger Field.

The Kickers took an unexpected lead in the 18th minute when Brian Shriver spun on a dime to fire a shot past Ranjitsingh from a tight angle.

In the 64th minute, the tide turned for City as they were awarded a penalty. Defender Kyle Smith stepped up to take and slotted the spot kick in to equalize.

WATCH: A 2-1 thriller ends in favor of LouCity thanks to George Davis IV

In the dying moments of the match, City continued to press and their resiliency paid off once again, this time in the form of a George Davis IV winner. Going from end-to-end, City countered quickly as they ran at the Kickers well into stoppage time.

Forward Ilija Ilic ended up with the ball just outside the 18-yard-box, but the Serbian sniper displayed his keen ability to pick a pass, finding George Davis IV making a run from a wide position. Producing a poised but powerful finish, Davis IV scored his first of the year in the form of a last-gasp winner to see City keep all three points in Louisville.

KY Lottery Kees to the Game
Louisville City FC takes on the Richmond Kickers for the final meeting between the pair in the regular season. 

Here are the KY Lottery Kees to the Game for #RICvLOU:

1. Be aware of Shriver’s presence
2. Take advantage of the conditions
3. Draw pressure and hit them on the break

Coach John Hackworth’s pre-match comments
On if the team is adjusting to his style:
“Yeah, I think we’re getting there. I thought we were excellent in our build-up play, I thought our possession really wore Charlotte down in both halves and that opened up a lot of space. I think the players are adapting a little bit and I think that’s great to see. I still think we can get better at it in moments. We made some mistakes that allowed their team a chance, but at the same time I’m proud of the way we performed and the willingness of the guys to go do it. To come on the road is never easy.”

On Luke Spencer’s return:
“I don’t know when the last time he scored was… I know I wasn’t here. Long time coming. I’m happy for him. Anytime a guy is coming back and now is contributing and hitting the back of the net, that’s fantastic.”

On the key to a quick turnaround with Richmond on Saturday:
“The key is that all the guys in the locker room and our training staff do the best job possible of trying to recover and re-gen from this result to be ready for another tough road game after another day of travel. Those are all cumulative factors. So, we need the guys who were on the bench to be ready. The guys that didn’t play tonight might have an opportunity and I expressed that in the locker room so we’ll hopefully get these guys rested and see what we can do about going out and doing the same thing again.”

Team News
QUESTIONABLE – Ilija Ilic (Groin)
QUESTIONABLE – Richard Ballard (Stress Fracture)
OUT – Magnus Rasmussen (Knee Sprain)
OUT – Brian Ownby (Concussion)