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Takeaways: LouCity features newcomers, looks like its old self
Louisville City FC on Saturday looked much like the team that closed the 2016 season with a run to the Eastern Conference Final, except only the scoreboard said otherwise.
While new Saint Louis FC coach Predrag “Preki” RadosavljeviÄ’s teams thrive while possessing and attacking – same as LouCity – the boys in purple limited both in their season opener at Slugger Field.
LouCity did it even with five newcomers in its lineup and withstood the mid-game departure of goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsinght.
Here’s what we learned…
• Coach James O’Connor named midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo, a University of Louisville graduate, as his team captain. DelPiccolo still holds the career assists record at U of L and figures to see plenty of minutes in 2017.
• Fans voted Richard Ballard their Modelo Man of the Match, and rightfully so. Ballard started on the right wing in his pro debut, often showing an ability to dribble past defenders and thrive in one-on-one situations. The goals didn’t come, but they appear on the way for the Louisville native.
• Ranjitsingh, who started for LouCity, suffered a non-contact injury late in the first half and left the game after seeing a trainer. He was forced to leave the 2016 Eastern Conference Final with a pulled groin, but after Saturday’s game, O’Connor said he wasn’t sure what ailed Ranjitsingh this time.
• Niall McCabe, who missed the last two games of 2016, received a warm welcome from LouCity fans as he subbed in late in the second half. McCabe came on as an 83rd-minute substitute for Cameron Lancaster, officially bringing his recovery from season-ending hip surgery in 2016 full circle.
• LouCity will see its depth return soon. Just five players filled out the bench – the USL allows three subs – though Mark-Anthony Kaye is on tour with Canada’s U-23 National Team. Defenders Paco Craig and Sean Reynolds continued to serve red card suspensions dating back to last year. Kaye, by the way, started Saturday in a 1-0 Canada win.
• The final score for Saturday’s game was 0-0, but that’s not it for the Kings’ Cup series this year. LouCity plays a return game in Missouri on July 22. More immediately, it’s purple against purple Thursday for LouCity’s next game at Orlando City B.
Replay: Watch back the LouCity-Saint Louis FC game
LouCity facing unknowns with Saturday's opponent
Louisville City FC’s players often speak of a lengthy offseason and eagerness to return to the pitch. Since last playing a United Soccer League game in October, they’ve had plenty of time to study up on opponents.
Even still, Saturday’s foe remains a mystery.
Rival Saint Louis FC will arrive to Louisville Slugger Field for a 2 p.m. kickoff with a different coach, the former Major League Soccer boss Predrag RadosavljeviÄ, and just four returning players from a roster that missed the USL playoffs last year.
“It’s a whole new squad, a whole new coach, and a whole new philosophy,” said LouCity coach James O’Connor. “…For us, it’s very much a case of focusing on what we can control in this particular game and then trying to maybe elaborate on some of the things that we think they may do — but then being equally open-minded to what we see and what happens in the game.”
• Checklist | Make the most of your LouCity game day
Other than that, LouCity will focus on executing its own game plan. With O’Connor, that typically means keeping possession with a purpose.
A returning core of players from last year’s Eastern Conference finalist have had nearly six weeks of preseason training to mesh with a handful of newcomers, among them Louisville native Richard Ballard, USL veteran Brian Ownby and Devon “Speedy” Williams, who played last year for league champion New York Red Bulls II.
“We’ve been really pleased,” O’Connor said. “I think when you bring in a new group, a third group if you’d like, I think there’s a little bit more experience than what we were looking for and our expectations. The new guys that have come in have really settled in quickly with what we are trying to do.”
• Watch | LouCity coach O’Connor’s full preview
Where LouCity’s newcomers may fit into Saturday’s starting lineup remains unknown, though there’s opportunity. Defenders Sean Reynolds and Paco Craig will sit out after receiving red cards in the final game of 2016, while midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye is away on international duty with Canada’s U-23 national team.
The shakeups don’t quite compare to Saint Louis FC’s roster turnover. New signings include goalkeeper Devala Gorrick, formerly of the USL’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks, as well as Konrad Plewa (New York Red Bulls II), Christian Volesky (Rochester Rhinos) and Octavio Guzman (Sacramento Republic FC).
The last time Saint Louis’ RadosavljeviÄ — known commonly as Preki — coached a full USL season he won a title in Sacramento in 2014.
“We’ve watched some film on former teams,” said LouCity defender Tarek Morad, “so if they play a similar style of play that we’ve seen then we’ll be prepared.”
After coming down to the last of four meetings in 2015, the Kings’ Cup rivalry between LouCity and Saint Louis wound up lopsided in 2016. LouCity took a 2-0 victory at Slugger and 5-1 win on the road.
The two teams also opened their inaugural seasons against one another, with LouCity prevailing by a 2-0 score. There were many unknowns then as well.
“It’s very tough,” said Williams, the newcomer in the midfield, “but it’s all about our organization and our preparation, and I think we’re as prepared as we can be for the game.”
What to watch for: LouCity-Saint Louis FC
Louisville City FC’s 2017 season will start with shades of its inaugural opener, back in 2015 when Saint Louis FC also visited Slugger Field. The boys in purple will hope for a similar result — it was a 2-0 final score then — when the Kings’ Cup rivalry renews at 2 p.m. Saturday.
With the early kickoff, LouCity is slated to play the first game of the United Soccer League season. Here’s what to watch for…
Tickets
Single game tickets start at $15, while LouCity offers a five-voucher flex pack for $70 and season tickets at as low as $180 (just $11.25 per game). Buy before game day to save on your purchase, and call (502) 384-8799 to avoid online fees.
Tune In
TV: WDRB, Louisville’s Fox affiliate, will air the game live and in high definition. Mike Watts (play by play) and Alberto Munoz (color) have the call.
Radio: Pregame coverage begins at 1:45 p.m. on 840 WHAS and the iHeartRadio app. T.J. Walker (play by play) and Jeff Milby (color commentary) have the call.
Streaming: Watch live on the USL Match Center.
Follow Along
For Starting XI information and in-game updates, check us out on social media. It’s @loucityfc on Twitter, Louisville City FC on Facebook and louisvillecityfc on Instagram.
Links
• LouCity facing unknowns with Saturday’s opponent
• Videos: O’Connnor, Morad preview Saint Louis FC game
• Make the most of Saturday with our game day checklist
• Louisville native Ballard set for professional debut
• Spotlight on LouCity from the Voice-Tribune
• SBNation.com previews the 2017 season
Notes
Getting to the points: Since entering the USL, LouCity’s 108 points in 58 regular-season games played are most of any club in the league. Three points are earned for a victory and one for a draw. LouCity is 31-15-12 overall.
Independent Louisville: LouCity advanced to the Eastern Conference Final last year for the second straight season. Of the final four teams left in the league. LouCity was the only one not owned or operated by a Major League Soccer franchise.
Coaching consistency: Head coach James O’Connor, assistant Daniel Byrd and Thabane Sutu, who coaches goalkeepers, this week signed new contracts good through the 2020 season, when LouCity plans to open its soccer-specific stadium. Their team’s goal differentials — plus-21 in 2015 and plus-25 in 2016 — ranked second in the USL.
New sponsorship: Louisville-based GE Appliances was announced this week as LouCity’s front-of-jersey sponsor, following in the footsteps of Humana, which adorned kits in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The club will continue to wear purple at home with white and gold on the road.
Moving up: The USL in January earned provisional Division II status from U.S. Soccer, putting it on even footing with the North American Soccer League and just one rung below MLS. The USL will field 30 teams in 2017, including new Eastern Conference clubs the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Ottawa Fury FC.
Core returns: James O’Connor executed options on or secured under new contracts 13 players from last year’s team. Combined, they made starts at all 11 positions, included in the bunch co-second-leading scorers George Davis IV and Guy Abend.
The founders: Seven players are back for a third season with LouCity, here since the club started play in 2015. They are goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh, defenders Tarek Morad and Sean Reynolds, midfielders Niall McCabe and Guy Abend as well as forwards Cameron Lancaster and Ilija Ilic.
The City’s own: LouCity signed its first Louisville native this offseason in Richard Ballard, a midfielder who graduated from DuPont Manual High School and played at Indiana University. Paolo DelPiccolo, who graduated from the University of Louisville, and University of Kentucky grad George Davis IV are also back for another season.
Newcomers’ theme: LouCity’s recent signings have a history of winning. Midfielder Devon “Speedy” Williams was part of a New York Red Bulls II team that took both the USL’s regular-season and playoff titles. Midfielder Sean Russell played for a title-winning team in Ireland last year. And defender Sean Totsch took the USL title in 2015 with the Rochester Rhinos.
Battle at striker: Chandler Hoffman, who led LouCity with 14 goals last season, has departed. The striker spot was wide open in the preseason with returners Ilija Ilic and Cameron Lancaster competing for playing time along with Luke Spencer, a new signing from FC Cincinnati. Each are looking to feature as a consistent starter at the pro level for the first time.
Injuries/discipline: Injuries/discipline: Midfielder Niall McCabe has recovered well from season-ending hip surgery last fall. He’ll be available for selection Saturday. Defenders Sean Reynolds (three games) and Paco Craig (one game) are both suspended for the opener after shown red cards in the final game of 2016. LouCity midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye will also miss the opener while on international duty with Canada’s U-23 national team. He also plays Saturday in a tournament in Qatar.
Falls City Brewing Co., LouCity partner for jersey sponsorship
Falls City Brewing Co., a historic brand synonymous with Louisville for more than a century, will adorn the back of Louisville City FC’s jerseys this year in an expanded partnership with the pro soccer club.
The sponsorship deal was announced Friday, on the eve of LouCity’s 2017 season opener against rival Saint Louis FC at Slugger Field.
“LouCity and Falls City are brands with tremendous momentum in the region right now,” said Pat Denbow, LouCity’s director of sales and marketing. “Falls City has been a great partner to us in the past, and we love seeing this relationship continue to grow.”
Based on 10th Street in downtown Louisville, Falls City Brewing Co. re-opened in Louisville in 2010 with a passion for making great craft beer and a dedication to celebrating the rich brewing history of their home town.
LouCity fans can find Falls City beer in Slugger Field this season at the bar near Gate 5.
“Falls City Brewing Co. is proud to announce a partnership with Louisville City FC,” said Shane Uttich, president of Falls City Brewing Co. “The growth of the club is exciting to watch, and it’s an organization we wanted our name synonymous with. Louisville City and Falls City — it does have a ring to it.”
Friday’s addition of Falls City to the back of LouCity’s shirts follows a previous announcement that GE Appliances, another locally headquartered company, will in 2017 appear on the front.
LouCity’s players will show off the new kits Saturday in home purple. They’ll wear gold and white jerseys this year on the road.
Replica versions will soon go on sale to the public.
GE Appliances unveiled as new LouCity jersey sponsor
Two local staples, Louisville City FC and GE Appliances, a Haier company, have partnered to feature the iconic GE Appliances brand on the front of game jerseys during the 2017 season. The 100+ year-old appliance brand, which is in half of homes across the country, will be immediately recognizable by fans.
LouCity will continue to wear purple kits at home with a white GE Appliances logo across the front of the shirts. Black GE Appliances logo and lettering will adorn the club’s white and gold hoop jerseys, now LouCity’s official away design. A third kit will be revealed later.
“As we begin taking the first steps toward building our stadium and securing Louisville City FC’s long-term future in the community, we are proud to announce our new look and partnership with GE Appliances,” said LouCity chairman John Neace. “GE Appliances touts dependability, durability and quality — the same things we look for in our players.”
GE Appliances strives to help people improve their lives at home through a proven record of design, production and service. With manufacturing facilities in Louisville and surrounding states, GE Appliances produces everything from refrigerators to cooking products and water filtration systems. The company prides itself on innovation and American-made products.
Replica LouCity kits featuring the GE Appliances logo will soon be available for purchase. Players will don them for the first time Saturday as the club kicks off its United Soccer League season at 2 p.m. in a rivalry game against Saint Louis FC at Slugger Field.
“GE Appliances has been a part of the Louisville community for well over 60 years. Partnering with Louisville City FC is a great way to represent the 6,000 current local employees as well as the thousands of GE Appliances’ retirees that have remained in the community,” said Rick Hasselbeck, chief marketing officer.
Much like its new front-of-jersey partner, LouCity has a track record for success.
The club has posted consecutive second-place USL finishes and last season drew an average of 7,200 fans per game to Slugger Field, ranking third of nearly 30 teams in the league. LouCity returned the core of 2016’s roster and welcomed a number of talented newcomers, including exciting rookie Richard Ballard, a Louisville native and Indiana University graduate.
Videos: O'Connor, Morad preview Saturday's season opener
LouCity Coach O'Connor, staff sign on through 2020 season
Louisville City FC head coach James O’Connor, assistant coach Daniel Byrd and goalkeepers coach Thabane Sutu this week agreed to new contracts with the club that will hold one of the United Soccer League’s top staffs together for the long-term.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled we are,” said LouCity chairman John Neace, “to announce we’ve signed new contracts with Coach O’Connor and staff which will keep them here with us through the 2020 season — when we plan to play our first season in our soccer-specific stadium.”
Led by the coaching trio, LouCity has accumulated more USL points and goals than any other team in the league since starting play in 2015. Both years were capped by runs to the USL’s Eastern Conference Final.
O’Connor and company will aim for a USL championship during the 2017 season set to open Saturday. Tickets remain available by calling (502) 384-8799 or emailing tickets@louisvillecityfc.com.
“I’m obviously delighted to put pen to paper and commit,” O’Connor said. “A lot of credit needs to go to John Neace. I think he’s played a key role in my signing and all of the coaching staff, and I have to thank Gary Mellor of Beswicks Sports for advising me.
“It’s a really exciting time for us to be associated with Louisville City when you look at the plans for the future. I feel honored and privileged to be in such a good position, and I’m really excited to be the head coach of Louisville City.”
O’Connor, a native of Ireland who played for storied clubs such as Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, took his first head coaching job with LouCity as the club was forming in 2014. He holds a top-level UEFA Pro License and has quickly established a winning tradition here.
Stars to come through Louisville — guided by O’Connor and Byrd — include 2015 USL MVP Matt Fondy and Bryan Burke, who was named Defender of the Year that same season. In 2016, defender Kyle Smith went from a tryout signing to USL Midseason Rookie of the Year, and striker Chandler Hoffman was named Midseason MVP.
LouCity went 14-8-6 last year even after losing Fondy, who set the USL record for goals in a season by netting 22 in 28 games. O’Connor navigated his side to a streak of 17 league games unbeaten.
Sutu, a local legend who also serves as technical director for the United 1996 FC youth program, has showcased an ability to quickly develop goalkeepers. In 2015, then-starter Scott Goodwin posted a 1.19 goals-against average between the posts.
When Goodwin left the club to enroll at Harvard Medical School, Greg Ranjitsingh stepped in and went five straight games without allowing a goal. Ranjitsingh transformed into an international talent, called up in the fall to train with Trinidad and Tobago during World Cup qualifiers.
The core of LouCity’s roster returned for the 2017 season, which will consist of 16 home games played between Saturday and October. Season ticket packages start at $180 (just $11.25 per game) with single-game tickets $15 in advance.
Game Day Checklist: Saint Louis FC
Fans filing into Slugger Field this Saturday for Louisville City FC’s season opener against Saint Louis FC won’t find a drastically different experience from the past. Why mess with success?
But we’ve made a few tweaks to improve the experience a season after LouCity averaged more than 7,200 in per-game attendance, third in the United Soccer League.
Here’s what to expect this weekend:
• A revamped tailgating experience in the lot directly West of Slugger Field will feature the club’s officially recognized supporters groups and the LouCity Tailgaters, who have set an appropriate theme for the early kickoff: omelettes. Meet them after 10 a.m.!
• Gates open this season an hour and a half before game time — right at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
• About 40 minutes before kickoff, the March to the Match will begin with a new route to Slugger Field. Fans will start at the corner of Floyd and Washington streets, loop through the tailgate lot, up Preston, down Main and into the stadium. Here it is in map form.
• During warmup, have a listen to the WFPK Pregame Playlist, a group of songs curated by local host Laura Shine. You’ll hear everything from Bob Marely to Django Django, the funky British art/electronic band. Here’s your friendly reminder to support local public media.
• This year, LouCity’s game programs are free of charge — but highly limited in supply. Pick one up on your way into the stadium for a Saint Louis FC preview and feature on midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye. Included inside is also a coupon for a discounted haircut at Great Clips.
• LouCity’s 2017 schedule posters arrived this week and will be available — also for free — at the merchandise booth on the concourse at Slugger Field. Check out the new look here.
• Once the game kicks off check in via the new LouCity mobile app, available on Apple and Android, to immediately receive $5 off a purchase at the merchandise booth. Tally check-ins over the course of the season to be entered to win signed LouCity gear, exclusive experiences and even 2018 season tickets.
• Entering this season, LouCity has a new recognized supporters group alongside of The Louisville Coopers: Scouse’s House, the group headed by Englishman Michael “Scouse” Bromilow. Find more info on our supporters groups here.
• Scouse’s House will line up along the patio deck behind Slugger’s East goal. The Coopers will again hang out in the Supporter Zone behind the West goal. We’re looking forward to the banter between them!
• During the second half of Saturday’s game, check out our Twitter account — @loucityfc — to vote for a Modelo Man of the Match. We’ll choose four nominees. Fans select a winner.
• Back this year, if LouCity scores two goals, fan get 50 percent off a regular menu price large or extra large Papa John’s pizza the day after the game. Use the online promo code “LCFC50” when ordering.
