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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. 

To open June, Louisville City FC went on the road and made a defeat at Atlanta United 2 its second straight.

What coach Danny Cruz said afterward: “There’s zero doubt in my mind that this is going to be turned around.” What he didn’t mention: The boys in purple had just played absent two key pieces of their lineup.

With Cameron Lancaster and Jonathan Gomez back in the squad this road trip, both scored eye-catching goals amid a first half flurry in lifting LouCity to a 3-2 victory Saturday over FC Tulsa at ONEOK Field.

The win marked LouCity’s third straight victory following those consecutive losses — all of them since last Saturday, making for nine points earned over eight days. In turn, the result broke FC Tulsa’s seven-game home unbeaten streak dating back to last year.

“Difficult conditions — the field was very small, extremely hot, three games in one week — but I was so proud of the group,” Cruz said. “I told them at the end of the day, it’s about getting three points, and you have to be able to win games and grind games out, especially on the road. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Lancaster missed that Atlanta game resting a sore hamstring. The dual-national Gomez, since named to the U.S. Men’s National Team’s preliminary roster for the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup, was away training with Mexico’s first team.

The duo has now contributed to goals in each of LouCity’s last three games — all wins — with the run boosting the boys in purple to a tie for first with games in hand in the USL Championship’s Central Division standings.

Lancaster banked in a second-minute olympico to open scoring, drilling one off the far post and in. He then both earned and scored on a penalty in the 10th minute.

In between those strikes, Gomez got in behind the defense and smashed a shot past the FC Tulsa goalkeeper for his first goal as a professional.

“We wrote it up beforehand,” Lancaster said of his sterling first strike. “We had a look at the pitch, and we saw it was quite tight — quite narrow. We practiced it before, and Danny 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.”

The hosts answered a scoring outburst for the boys in purple thanks to fancy 22nd-minute footwork in the box by forward Rodrigo da Costa, who sat down a LouCity defender and finished smoothly. FC Tulsa also hit side netting once more in the first half before continuing to push into the second.

Tulsa’s Marlon capitalized on a 55th-minute counter to bring the deficit to one. From there, a 57% possession split favoring the home side told the story of a lopsided second half that had LouCity on its heels.

“We just kind of took our foot off the gas,” Gomez said. “We let them control the time at games. I think we needed to keep possession and, like Cam said, get that fourth goal.”

The boys in purple did have chances to pad their lead. Midfielder Niall McCabe nearly converted an olympico of his own on a 54th-minute corner, and defender Wes Charpie’s header off a 65th-minute corner hit the bar and fell straight down. Charpie appealed, but the referee didn’t award a goal.

Chris Hubbard came up with five saves as LouCity salted away the final minutes and continued its hot streak on some tired legs. The club is next back in action Saturday, June 26, hosting rival Indy Eleven at Lynn Family Stadium.

“Ultimately,” Cruz said, “we come away with three points with a group that absolutely grinded, and I’m really proud of them.”

Game Summary: FC Tulsa vs. Louisville City FC

Venue: ONEOK Field

Kickoff: 8 p.m.

Weather: 91 degrees, mostly sunny

Man of the Match: Cameron Lancaster

Attendance: 3,976

Scoring

FC Tulsa (1, 1, 2)

Louisville City FC (3, 0, 3)

Goals

FC Tulsa:

22’ da Costa (assisted by Suarez)

55’ Marlon

Louisville City FC:

2’ Lancaster

7’ Gomez (assisted by McMahon)

10’ Lancaster (PK)

Stats Summary: FC Tulsa / Louisville City FC

Shots: 13 / 13

Shots on Goal: 7 / 4

Fouls: 15 / 14

Offside: 3 / 1

Corner Kicks: 3 / 4

Saves: 1 / 5

Lineups

FC Tulsa: 1 – Sean Lewis, 26 – Jorge Corrales, 2 – Kevin Garcia, 13 – Matthew Sheldon, 5 – Leo Folla (79’ 18 – Solomon Kwambe), 11 – Joaquin Rivas, 92 – Dario Suarez, 21 – Kembo Kibato, 10 – Marlon, 44 – Eric Bird (77’ 9 – Jerome Kiesewetter), 16 – Rodrigo da Costa

Subs not used: 20 – Ciaran Winters, 31 – Austin Wormell, 33 – Lucas Coutinho, 99 – Raphael Ayagwa, 28 – Jesus Hernandez

Louisville City FC: 1 – Chris Hubbard, 15 – Pat McMahon (62’ 6 – Wesley Charpie), 4 – Sean Totsch, 42 – Jonathan Gomez (87’ 9 – Jorge Gonzalez), 3 – Alexis Souahy, 12 – Tyler Gibson (62’ 8 – Akil Watts), 13 – Corben Bone, 36 – Paolo DelPiccolo (45’ 10 – Brian Ownby), 11 – Niall McCabe, 7 – Napo Matsoso, 17 – Cameron Lancaster (45’ 21 – Kyle Greig)

Subs not used: 24 – Parker Siegfried, 29 – Antoine Hoppenot

Discipline Summary

FC Tulsa: Rivas (yellow) 60’, Marlon (yellow) 70’

Louisville City FC: McCabe (yellow) 88’

Referee: Brandon Stevis

Assistant Referees: Francisco Bermudez, Truman Berghall

Fourth Official: Connor Stockton

Continuing his quick ascent on the international soccer scene, Louisville City FC defender Jonathan Gomez has been named to the U.S. Men’s National Team’s preliminary roster ahead of next month’s Concacaf Gold Cup, it was announced Friday.

Gomez is the only USL Championship player on U.S. Soccer’s list of 60 players. At the end of this month, the federation will make 23 call ups for the biennial tournament that determines a champion across North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

To download the Preliminary Rosters, click on the following links: Prelims, Group A, Group B, Group C and Group D. 

“It’s great to see the performances I’ve put in lately acknowledged,” Gomez said. “If I get to go, this is another great opportunity, and I want to make the most of it.”

The 17-year-old fullback, a Dallas native of Mexican descent, also trained in recent weeks with Mexico’s national team during its run to a second place Concacaf Nations League finish to the U.S.

Per FIFA rules, so long as the rising dual-national star isn’t capped more than three times with a nation, he retains the option to align with either over the longterm.

“We are happy that JoGo is being considered for the Gold Cup,” said LouCity’s head coach, Danny Cruz. “He has done a good job remaining humble and looking to improve on a daily basis. When you look at JoGo’s development and the pathway that he chose in coming to Louisville City, we firmly believed that these opportunities would come for him. It is a testament to JoGo, to the club as well as to this locker room that he is being considered.”

U.S. camp opens for the Gold Cup on July 5 in Kansas City before the Americans begin group stage play July 11 at Children’s Mercy Park, home to Major League Soccer’s Sporting KC. Eight nations advance to knockout play, which leads up to an Aug. 1 final at the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

According to MLSSoccer.com, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has indicated he’s unlikely to call up many key players who just led the U.S. to its Nations League title. The Gold Cup both overlaps with Europe’s preseason and is a stopgap to all-important World Cup qualifying this fall.

Such an approach could make room for Gomez, who has distinguished himself in club play so far this season for LouCity. The boys in purple are unbeaten aside from the two games Gomez spent away with Mexico. Upon his return, Gomez contributed to goals both in last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Memphis 901 FC and Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Birmingham Legion FC.

Gomez came up through FC Dallas’ academy and played for the USL League One side North Texas SC before signing a pro deal with LouCity last year. His older brother, Johan, also started his career closer to home before signing with FC Porto in Portugal’s first division.

Similarly, Gomez intends to ply his craft in Europe next year upon turning 18, the age to obtain the necessary work visa.

Louisville City FC earned a hard-fought three points over Birmingham Legion FC on Wednesday night, with Cameron Lancaster’s penalty and Napo Matsoso’s run-and-slam goal giving the separation needed for a 2-0 win. The victory keeps LouCity on course for first place in the Central Division once it plays the same number of matches as its primary competitors, including Birmingham. 

The win represented substantial progress for LouCity (4-2-1) in seeing out leads and securing key points. Jonathan Gomez claimed Man of the Match, and deservingly so, but honors could’ve also gone to goalkeeper Chris Hubbard, versatile midfielder Napo Matsoso or right back Akil Watts, each of whom played particularly well. 

Here’s what we learned from the win:

Fortitude to see out win in chippy game

This was a big result. Not only does it pull LouCity within three points of the division leaders with two games in hand, but the three points also reflect real growth. A 1-1 draw with Birmingham five weeks ago played out similarly — an early goal followed by a chippy game and ultimately a breakdown that allowed the Legion to equalize. This time, LouCity got its early goal but only tightened up as the game progressed. The boys in purple smoothed out their build from the back after some early communication and passing miscues. The midfield made everything difficult for Birmingham, and the high press flustered the Legion as they tried to work possession to their wingbacks. It was a close-to-complete performance from LouCity.

Work rate wins

Again, this isn’t anything we necessarily learned. We knew Jonathan Gomez, Akil Watts and Napo Matsoso, among others, have exceptional work rates. But that came through again as LouCity fought off Birmingham’s attacking moves that continued late into the contest. Matsoso, who scored one of the best goals in recent LouCity memory to go up 2-0, switched from the right winger spot to central midfield midway through the match, and his industrious ball-winning masterfully bothered Birmingham. Gomez and Watts along the flanks gave LouCity serious speed and energy, and both players got forward and defended with verve. Watts was especially impressive defensively, bottling up Junior Flemmings, the league’s top scorer last season. Gomez’s dynamic running and passing helped create the Matsoso goal, and his ability to pick out a pass from the end line is going to make him a lot of money in Europe. 

Chris Hubbard’s aerial command

Claiming his third clean sheet of the season, the Louisville native illustrated why he won the starting job this season. He is good with his feet — distributing from the back with a real calmness — and commands his area. He picks the right times to come off his line, and his read on set pieces delivered into traffic in front of him makes him a valuable defensive presence. He made multiple catches and punches off crosses that could’ve been dangerous. Hubbard earned the clean sheet. 

Jimmy McLaughlin provides width

In his first start for his team, McLaughlin pulled defenders wide to the touch line and played really well off the dynamic Gomez, whose runs forward can also get wide or plunge into the middle. McLaughlin’s pass to Cameron Lancaster set up Gomez’s sprint to the end line that led to Matsoso’s goal. The winger also gave Sean Totsch a regular option for his long-ball switches from the center back spot, forcing Birmingham to shift its entire shape to meet McLaughlin as he collected in dangerous areas. It was a solid starting debut for McLaughlin after three appearances off the bench.

Jorge Gonzalez on the subs bench

This is a good sign — the Portland Timbers loanee made the 18 for LouCity after missing out on the early stages of the season through injury. The 22-year-old Spaniard is an electric playmaker who can operate out wide, in central midfield or even in a false nine role, and his addition to Danny Cruz’s selection options makes the boys in purple that much more dangerous.

Cameron Lancaster netted a penalty in the first half, set up another goal in the second, and Louisville City FC cruised to a Wednesday night victory over USL Championship Central Division leader Birmingham Legion FC.

It was, for all intents, a ho-hum 2-0 win for the boys in purple as they made it back-to-back victories at Lynn Family Stadium, prevailing in front of 9,576 fans amid the busiest stretch of their young season.

But it’s that schedule congestion that also led head coach Danny Cruz to make six lineup changes from a win over Memphis 901 FC on a sweltering Saturday. LouCity next travels to finish the week against FC Tulsa, where it could match Legion FC on top of the Central Division table with games in hand.

“That is the definition of a team: when you can make those changes, still perform well and still win a game,” Cruz said of his personnel shuffling. “Ultimately, that is what we must continue to do.

“…I am really happy. Six points out of two games is really important. I talked to the players about the importance of getting their legs right. We are pushing toward Tulsa.”

The star striker Lancaster looked offensive-minded from the opening whistle Wednesday, trying a shot from distance just seconds into the game that led to a deflected save and corner. By the 25th minute he was headed to the penalty spot after dragged down on the corner of the box.

By converting with a rocketed shot, the Englishman made it his third goal this season, all via penalties.

“It’s going to give us a lot of confidence going into next game, and it’s nice to get some kind of revenge,” Lancaster said. “We take confidence from it and go into next game trying to get three points.”

LouCity and Birmingham — teams that played to a 1-1 draw in their other meeting back on May 8 — appeared statistically equal at the half. Yet right out of the locker room, the boys in purple doubled the lead.

In the 48th minute Lancaster flicked a ball back into the box and to a dashing Jonathan Gomez, who drove straight to the end line. His cross found a diving Napo Matsoso for a goal.

“Everyone on the team knows that when JoGo has the ball and he’s driving forward, no one is going to catch him,” Matsoso said. “So, (I was) just making as hard of a run that I can in the box and getting my man. Luckily JoGo had his head up and found me in the box and I was able to finish it.”

LouCity’s offense didn’t muster much once Lancaster left in the 66th minute, but the boys in purple were staunch enough defensively that they didn’t need to, holding Legion FC to a single shot on target in either half.

Goalkeeper Chris Hubbard came up with his pair of saves when needed, and the home side got an especially fortuitous bounce in the 37th minute when an unmarked J.J. Williams’ header bounced off the post.

Just prior, Lancaster saw what would have been his second goal of the night not counted for offside in a game where LouCity — known to create many chances — chose quality over quantity. The boys in purple tried eight total shots, with six on goal.

“Ultimately, winning is contagious, and that locker room is used to it,” Cruz said. “When you get two losses in a row, no one was more unhappy than them. They’ve taken these two games really well. I told them that I want nine points from the week, and I know that is their expectation as well. We will look to evaluate players’ health and how their bodies are feeling and then move toward Tulsa.”

Kickoff Saturday is at 8 p.m. ET. WBKI/The CW will air it on TV, ESPN Louisville has the radio call and ESPN+ live streaming is available for another Central Division matchup.

Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Birmingham Legion FC

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Weather: 85 degrees, mostly sunny

Man of the Match: Jonathan Gomez

Attendance: 9,576

Scoring

Louisville City FC (1, 1, 2)

Birmingham Legion FC (0, 0, 0)

Goals

Louisville City FC:

25’ Lancaster (PK)

48’ Matsoso (assisted by Gomez)

Stats Summary: Louisville City FC / Birmingham Legion FC

Shots: 8 / 8

Shots on Goal: 6 / 2

Fouls: 11 / 13

Offside: 2 / 4

Corner Kicks: 7 / 4

Saves: 2 / 4

Lineups

Louisville City FC: 1 – Chris Hubbard, 8 – Akil Watts, 4 – Sean Totsch, 3 – Alexis Souahy, 7 – Napo Matsoso, 12 – Tyler Gibson, 36 – Paolo Del Piccolo (81’ 29 – Antoine Hoppenot), 11 – Niall McCabe (56’ 13 – Corben Bone), 42 – Jonathan Gomez, 17 – Cameron Lancaster (66’ 21 – Kyle Greig), 20 – Jimmy McLaughlin (56’ 10 – Brian Ownby)

Subs not used: 24 – Parker Siegfried, 6 – Wesley Charpie, 9 – Jorge Gonzalez

Birmingham Legion FC: 1 – Matt VanOekel, 3 – Phanuel Kavita, 21 – Alex Crognale, 24 – Jonathan Dean, 5 – Mikey Lopez (45’ 7 – Ryan James), 6 – Anderson Asiedu (83’ 13 – Jake Rufe), 16 – Diago Kobayashi (69’ 12 – Eli Crognale), 20 – Zach Herivaux, 77 – Junior Flemmings (69’ 17 – Jaden Servania), 11 – Neco Brett (69’ 8 – Bruno Lapa), 23 – JJ Williams

Subs not used: 18 – Trevor Spangenberg, 22 – Ben Ofeimu

Discipline Summary

Louisville City FC: McCabe (yellow) 24’

Birmingham Legion FC: A. Crognale (yellow) 90’

Referee: Lukasz Szpala

Assistant Referees: Matthew Seem & Chris Schurfranz

Fourth Official: Michael Samour

Louisville City FC hosts Birmingham Legion FC at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in a rematch of clubs that both have reason to hope for more than the last time they saw one another.

Back on May 8, LouCity conceded an equalizing goal after Birmingham was awarded a penalty kick, then allowed to retake it when the referee judged goalkeeper Chris Hubbard to have left his line early. The boys in purple were also adjusting to their first game under direction of head coach Danny Cruz, and Lynn Family Stadium was limited to half its current 100% capacity.

There are a pair of reasons why Birmingham should pose a larger threat this go around, too, than in last month’s 1-1 draw. Legion FC played with key offensive pieces missing. The 2020 USL Championship Golden Boot winner Junior Flemmings and JJ Williams — a University of Kentucky product who scored and assisted goals in his club’s Saturday victory over OKC Energy — were both suspended.

With its weapons available, Birmingham is the hottest team in the league, entering on a four-game winning streak that has the side atop the Central Division table. LouCity, meanwhile, sits six points behind in third but with two games in hand having ended a losing skid in last weekend’s win over Memphis 901 FC.

Division rivals will clash four times during the USL Championship’s 32-game campaign, twice home and away. After this mid-week matchup, LouCity finishes the series in Birmingham on Aug. 28 and Oct. 30, the latter a regular season finale that could have a say in the playoff race.

Here’s what to know heading into Wednesday…

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. Live stats can be found at www.loucity.com/match-center.

• On the WBKI-TV (The CW)/ESPN+ streaming call: Josh Eastern (play by play) and Devon Kerr (color).

• And for ESPN 680/105.7 on the radio: Jeff Greer and Casey Whitfield.

Notes to know

Floodgates open: In consecutive losses, first to Indy Eleven and then at Atlanta United 2, LouCity out-shot opponents 42-11 but got out-scored 3-1. That drought looked forgotten as the boys in purple scored all three of their goals in 12 minutes last Saturday following a Memphis 901 FC red card. The scoreline marked the most lopsided LouCity result since the last time Memphis visited in September of 2020, then a 4-1 victory.

For the fans: Lynn Family Stadium shouldn’t just be a fun place for the home side to play. It also appears daunting for opponents with 100% capacity allowed going forward. A record 12,115 were on hand for Saturday’s Memphis game, which doubled as a Grand Opening celebration for a gem of a venue that had the misfortune of completing construction just as the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The chances are there: LouCity out-shot Memphis 18-3, continuing to spark quality opportunities on goal. Midfielder Corben Bone ranks second across the USL Championship with 19 chances created, while the numbers also evidence this in midfielder Niall McCabe’s 41 total crosses, also second in the league. The boys in purple are mid-packers in terms of conversion rate, with its 12% tied for 19th of 31 teams.

And about the defense: LouCity has only asked goalkeeper Chris Hubbard to make eight saves this season, among the fewest in the league. And among five goals conceded, just two have stemmed from the run of play. The boys in purple — knock on wood — have paused a trend that saw them drop points due to penalty kicks both against Birmingham and in a May 29 loss to Indy Eleven.

A milestone moment: Seven seasons into his professional career, Wes Charpie found himself deflecting in a game-winning goal against Memphis, sliding on his back and celebrating. All were firsts for the central defender who has seen his career take him to Toronto, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Memphis and now LouCity. Charpie scored off an extended set piece in the 58th minute of his first start of the season as he comes back from a quad injury.

From the spot: Forward Cameron Lancaster, back with LouCity this season on a new contract, rose to his usual spot of leading scorer alongside of captain Paolo DelPiccolo when earning and scoring on a 68th-minute penalty versus Memphis. A second goal of the season — Lancaster also scored a penalty May 22 against San Diego Loyal — moved his career total in purple to 52 in USL play.

Well-deserved tallies: Two players with the type of pace that constantly has them in position to create goals finished one together Saturday. Defender Jonathan Gomez drove to the end line and played in the sort of cross that could have doubled as a shot. Following a deflection, forward Brian Ownby skied for a header in basketball alley-oop fashion to mark his first goal and Gomez’s first assist of the season.

Back from El Tri: Gomez made the Memphis game his return to Louisville after a two-week stint training with the Mexican National Team as the it participated in the CONCACAF Nations League’s final. At just 17 years old, the Dallas native Gomez is a rising star defender who, because he remains uncapped, retains the option to represent the United States moving forward. On the club level, he’ll have an eye toward Europe after this season.

A starting role: Having signed with LouCity less than a month ago, forward Kyle Greg is already in a prominent spot on the lineup sheet, starting two straight games as Lancaster takes it easy on a sore hamstring. Greig didn’t contribute to a goal against Memphis, but his physical play at center forward led to a foul drawn, red card shown to Memphis and a set piece that resulted in Charpie’s go-ahead strike. A USL Championship fixture over the years, Greig has scored 58 career league goals.

Injury report

• Oscar Jimenez (out)
• Abdou Thiam (out)
• Elijah Wynder (out)

Milestone watch

• Niall McCabe is one appearance away from his 150th Louisville City FC appearance and two goals away from 20.

• Kyle Greig is one appearances away from making his 200th USL Championship appearance.

Soccer Holdings, LLC — parent company of Racing Louisville FC and Louisville City FC — will host a pair of Pride Night celebrations at Lynn Family Stadium in conjunction with the clubs’ upcoming games.

Racing’s Wednesday, June 23, matchup with the NC Courage and LouCity’s Saturday, June 26, showdown against Indy Eleven will serve as occasions to further align with the LGBTQ+ community and fundraise for associated local nonprofits.

Proceeds from all team Pride merchandise, now available online and in Lynn Family Stadium’s Team Store, go toward the Butchertown Neighborhood-based Louisville Pride Foundation. The foundation seeks to promote unity between LGBTQ and straight allies by engaging in a conversation with the broader community about what makes us one while celebrating what makes us different.

Additionally, supporter groups representing both clubs are actively participating in a Prideraiser, pledging to donate to the Louisville Youth Group for every Racing or LouCity goal scored in June. LYG creates a brave space for LGBTQIA+ Youth and Allies and is dedicated to providing youth with skills and experiences designed to help them thrive as community leaders now and in the future. Click here to contribute to the Prideraiser.

Players will also get in on Pride Night recognition with Racing’s kits to be decorated in rainbow numbers and LouCity wearing its 2021 Pride Warmup Jersey in pregame. A number of activations, including a pre-LouCity National Anthem performance by Voices of Kentuckiana, a chorus that celebrates diversity, will surround Pride Night games.

Following the final whistle, bring proof of your ticket purchase for free admission to PLAY Dance Bar, at 1101 E. Washington Street, for official Pride Night after parties. Proceeds from an occasion-oriented custom cocktail will be donated the Louisville Pride Foundation.

“Having the chance to be a part of our Pride Night planning and Pride Month activations has been really special,” said Lauren Schuster, the clubs’ community engagement coordinator. “As an organization, developing the growth and continuing to foster a meaningful relationship with the LGBTQ+ community is imperative to us.

“Here at Racing and LouCity we believe in equality for all. Using our platform to help create a space where those around us can be their most authentic selves is only the beginning of what we want to be a part of within the LGBTQ+ community.”

Beyond Pride Nights, Soccer Holdings is exploring a workshop and/or training from Louisville-based Queer Kentucky to educate its employees further about inclusion, diversity, intersectionality, and trans-inclusivity.

Louisville City bounced back from a rare two-match losing streak in grand fashion, taking its chances and slotting three second-half goals past visiting Memphis 901  FC on a historic Saturday evening at Lynn Family Stadium. 

In front of the stadium’s first-ever capacity crowd, LouCity (3-2-1) played with the urgency it lacked in attacking spaces the past two matches, the boys in purple matching the energy of the crowd of 12,115. Wes Charpie, the deserving man of the match, opened the scoring in the 58th minute, with Cameron Lancaster’s penalty and Brian Ownby’s header 10 and 12 minutes later putting the exclamation points on the win. Thanks to a solid back line performance and his usual area command, Chris Hubbard earned his second clean sheet of the young season. 

Here’s what we learned from the all-around performance by Louisville City:

Consistent movement and space exploration makes LouCity so much more dangerous.

When Antoine Hoppenot and Brian Ownby, the inverted wingers in Danny Cruz’s 4-3-3 formation, can find spaces and run into them, LouCity attacks with a different dynamic. It helps having Paolo DelPiccolo and Corben Bone finding half spaces and delivering good service ahead, too. 

Hoppenot has done well in recent matches getting into scoring positions, though he’s still looking for that finishing touch. Ownby’s re-insertion into the lineup after his two-match suspension gives LouCity a persistent runner who is constantly trying back-shoulder runs off defenders. Their movement inside and out allows the fullbacks to pick their spots, with Hoppenot tucking inside and Jonathan Gomez giving great overlapping help on the left. That’s exactly what happened Saturday, and LouCity looked much more serious getting forward. 

Wes Charpie, in rich form, solidified the defensive lines Saturday night.

Playing confidently alongside Sean Totsch, Charpie’s versatility helps a lot — he can play out left as he did at Atlanta United 2 or at center back — and his ability to switch fields with long passes lets LouCity’s fullbacks advance much higher up the touchlines in possession. 

More importantly, as a group, LouCity communicated and organized much better as a defense. The boys in purple tracked runners, marked at the back post and played much cleaner possession when building out of the back. The conceded penalties all came from shaky play out of defense, but there were no moments like that vs. Memphis.

Persistence pays off.

LouCity had its chances in the opening 45 minutes, mixing well-worked moves with threatening long shots but coming up empty. Still, it felt like there were goals to be had. And they came in the second half. 

LouCity’s finishing around goal has been a bugaboo, as the team ranked second in the USL Championship in expected goals per match (1.73) but only had six in five matches to show for it. Perhaps all it took to break that spell was seeing the ball ripple the net. Charpie broke the dam with a heads-up redirection of DelPiccolo’s recycled cross off a blocked set piece. It seemed simple, but the cool finish in front of goal is exactly the type of breakthrough LouCity needed after banging on the door. Lancaster left no doubt on his penalty, and Ownby put in the extra effort needed to nod in Gomez’s deflected cross. 

What a difference Gomez makes.

This isn’t exactly something we learned Saturday, but the 17-year-old is a game changer on the flanks. He can really get high up the touchline while also allowing Hoppenot to cut inside, and he recovers well in defense, covering a lot of ground. LouCity is a different team with him on the field, and Saturday just added to that argument.

There were pregame pyrotechnics, a flyover and cello National Anthem performance by Kentucky native Ben Sollee. And that was just the beginning of the show Saturday.

Louisville City FC broke out of its scoring slump with a flurry of second half goals, downing Memphis 901 FC by a 3-0 score in Lynn Family Stadium’s Grand Opening game at 100% capacity.

All seating sold out in advance, with only general admission tickets available upon walkup. There was one final roar of the crowd when a record attendance of 12,115 flashed up on the video board.

In the minutes prior, LouCity quickly ran away from Memphis, tallying more than two goals in a game for the first time since Sept. 19, 2020 — the last time 901 FC visited.

“I think you could feel it. You could feel it on the bench,” head coach Danny Cruz said of the support. “The players even talked about it in the locker room. This atmosphere is something special, and the players feed off it and you can certainly see once they got the first (goal), they were itching to go again.”

It all started with a key, 57th-minute whistle when Memphis defender Skylar Thomas was sent off after dragging down LouCity forward Kyle Greig near the box. Paolo DelPiccolo’s ensuing free kick was blocked, but the rebound returned to him. The captain played a ball in that caught defender Wes Charpie’s foot and deflected for Charpie’s first professional goal.

“It was amazing,” Charpie said. “This club is so special to me, and I still feel like a new guy here. It’s got such rich history from day one with the owners and everyone involved. It feels like a family here, and tonight I felt like it was a whole piece to it all. To give them something to smile about and get the win was the cherry on top. I’m so happy to be a part of it.”

Cameron Lancaster both earned and scored on a 68th-minute penalty kick to double the lead. Then in the 70th minute, Jonathan Gomez’s drive to the end line resulted in a deflected cross. Brian Ownby skied to head it in and finish the chance.

LouCity, which out-shot Memphis 18-3 and held 63.4% of possession, made for a reversal in form Saturday after dropping back-to-back games. The victory moved the boys in purple to fourth in the USL Championship’s Central Division standings. The top four advance to the playoffs at the end of the 32-game season in October.

“It’s been a good week of training and we were focused,” Charpie said. “We wanted to give everybody here a special night and get back to what we are good at, and that is playing football and winning soccer games. I’m very happy that we did that tonight.”

Gomez, who was away from the team for its two defeats, returned just in time for the weekend from a stint training with Mexico’s National Team. Charpie made this his first start of the season, too, after overcoming a nagging quad injury.

Having improved to 3-2-1, LouCity faces a quick turnaround and some scheduling congestion next. The boys in purple host Birmingham Legion FC on Wednesday before traveling to play FC Tulsa next weekend.

Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Memphis 901 FC

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Weather: 93 degrees, partly cloudy

Man of the Match: Wes Charpie

Attendance: 12,115

Scoring

Louisville City FC (0, 3, 3)

Memphis 901 FC (0, 0, 0)

Goals

Louisville City FC:

58’ Charpie (assisted by DelPiccolo)

68’ Lancaster (penalty kick)

70’ Ownby (assisted by Gomez)

Stats Summary: Louisville City FC / Memphis 901 FC

Shots: 18 / 3

Shots on Goal: 8 / 1

Fouls: 9 / 8

Offside: 0 / 2

Corner Kicks: 5 / 3

Saves: 1 / 5

Lineups

Louisville City FC: 1 – Chris Hubbard, 15 – Pat McMahon, 4 – Sean Totsch, 6 – Wes Charpie (74’ 3 – Alexis Souahy), 10 – Brian Ownby, 36 – Paolo DelPiccolo, 13 – Corben Bone (89’ 20 – Jimmy McLaughlin), 12 – Tyler Gibson, 42 – Jonathan Gomez (75’ 8 – Akil Watts), 29 – Antoine Hoppenot (62’ 11 – Niall McCabe), 21 – Kyle Greig (62’ 17 – Cameron Lancaster)

Subs not used: 24 – Parker Siegfried, 7 – Napo Matsoso,

Memphis 901 FC: 13 – John Berner, 7 – Mitch Guitar (65’ 19 – Dre Fortune), 3 – Zach Carroll, 33 – Skyler Thomas, 9 – Kyle Murphy (59’ 5 – Brecc Evans), 23 – Leston Paul, 2 – Mark Segbers, 36 – Andre Rynolds (60’ 8 – Raúl González), 11 – Michael Salazar (66’ 16 – Rashawn Dally), 30 – Laurent Kissiedou, 14 – Francis Atuahene (45’ 10 – Kadeem Dacres)

Subs not used: 28 – Brady Scott, 18 – Dominic Oduro

Discipline Summary

Memphis 901: Segbers (yellow) 16’

Louisville City: Ownby (yellow) 22’

Memphis 901: Thomas (yellow) 50’

Memphis 901: Thomas (ejection) 57’

Louisville City: McCabe (yellow) 72’

Referee: Greg Dopka

Assistant Referees: Justen Lopez & Mike Nickerson

Fourth Official: Chris Schurfranz