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LouCity set for preseason opener against Young Harris
Louisville City FC coach James O’Connor recognizes his fortune in having seven players returning for their third season with his club. Leading a team of 20 in all becomes easier when the veterans are there to help new talent transition to LouCity.
“People get used to their surroundings, get used to each other, get used to the movements,” O’Connor said.
With three weeks of training down, LouCity has a chance to show how well its team has bonded so far when the club kicks off a preseason game at 11 a.m. Saturday. NCAA Division II Young Harris College is in for a meeting at the club’s training ground at Thurman-Hutchins Park.
The game is closed to the general public but will be attended by a select group of season ticket holders. Follow @loucityfc on Twitter for in-game updates.
LouCity opened training last month at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where O’Connor stressed base fitness and injury prevention. Now, the coach’s attention has turned to tactical strategies of his style, based on keeping possession and wearing down opponents.
“We had a great two weeks in Florida,” said forward Ilija Ilic. “…I feel good.”
“It’s making sure those aspects are being ticked,” O’Connor added, “and the goal is to get the players exactly where we want.”
After Saturday’s game, LouCity has three more preseason tests before its March 25 United Soccer League opener against Saint Louis FC.
The club will on March 8 meet NCAA Division I Lipscomb on at the Elizabethtown Sports Complex before traveling to play the University of Kentucky on March 15 in Lexington. Both of those games are open to the public free to attend.
LouCity will close its preseason slate March 18 by matching up with the North American Soccer League’s Indy Eleven at the University of Evansville’s Arad McCutchan Stadium. Admission is $5 at the gate.
LouCity roots run deep with Saturday's preseason opponent
Niall McCabe saw tiny Young Harris College, which had an enrollment of about 800 students when he arrived, as the ideal spot to play soccer without the distractions of a big city.
The North Georgia school likewise attracted Ilija Ilic and Paco Craig, two other Europeans seeking an education while they played the game they love.
“The USA’s the only country where you can do that,” Ilic noted.
And so the trio, all from Europe, honed their skills as Young Harris transitioned from a junior college to four-year liberal arts institution. They had dreams of playing soccer professionally, and it’s something more than a coincidence that years later, they all star for Louisville City FC.
• VIDEOS: Previewing Saturday’s preseason opener
Much of the credit belongs to Young Harris coach Mark McKeever, who will lead the Mountain Lions during Saturday’s closed-door preseason game at the LouCity training ground. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. at Thurman-Hutchins Park.
“We’ve all got great respect for Mark,” said LouCity coach James O’Connor. “He’s an excellent coach. He’s someone who I believe will move on to bigger and better things. He’s got an outstanding record there. He’s got a really good eye for a player.”
The midfielder McCabe, a native of Ireland, is someone McKeever said “set the standards” for the Young Harris program. He registered 11 goals and 17 assists as a senior.
Ilic, a forward, followed by being named the the NCAA Division II Men’s Player of the Year in 2014 as he totaled 27 goals and 13 assists. The Serbian was also named the Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year.
A defender, Craig earned Peach Belt Conference Freshman and Player of the Year awards during his college career. In his final season before signing with LouCity, the Englishman led a defense that posted a 1.04 goals-against average.
• PRESEASON: Information on other upcoming fixtures
“You really just get to focus on what’s important,” McCabe said of Young Harris, Ga., “and if you’re serious on playing soccer at the next level, it was a great environment to be in. Mark helped as well.”
McCabe was among LouCity’s first signings before the 2015 season. Ilic earned a contract after a trial with the club, as did Craig, who joined for 2016. While each play different positions, there’s a chemistry among the group.
“It just means that when you get on to the field again, you have a bit more familiarity with each other,” Craig said. “You kind of understand each other better, which just makes things go smoother basically.”
Craig said he’s “buzzing for” Saturday’s game, which will be closed to all but a group of LouCity season ticket holders who have RSVP’d. He joked McKeever could receive a few jeering texts before kickoff.
As for where these players’ loyalty belongs?
“I’m playing for Louisville now,” McCabe said with a grin. “I’ll take a 5-nil win.”
Videos: Coach, players update training and preview Saturday's game
2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup format finalized
Louisville City FC will enter this year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — the annual knockout tournament open to amateur and professional clubs — as one of a modern era-record 99 teams competing in 2017, U.S. Soccer announced Wednesday.
United Soccer League sides start competition on May 17 in the Second Round against a First Round winner from Open Division local qualifiers. Six contenders from U.S. Soccer’s other Division 2 league, the North American Soccer League, will debut at the same time as their USL counterparts.
From there, Second Round winners meet one another May 31 in the Third Round before Major League Soccer teams enter June 14 in Fourth Round play. Once the U.S. Open cup whittles down to 16, a fixed bracket will set up the rest of the tournament, which concludes with the Final on Sept. 20.
Details of LouCity’s May 17 game — opponent, time and location — will be announced later.
Teams are typically paired geographically in early round play. Last year, LouCity opened by topping Detroit City FC, from the National Premier Soccer League, in a penalty kick shootout before facing the NASL’s Indy Eleven. In 2015, LouCity advanced to play the Chicago Fire, taking the MLS side to extra time.
“It’s a fantastic tournament,” said LouCity coach James O’Connor. “I really enjoyed our first year, getting to play the Chicago Fire in Chicago. I was disappointed with the way it worked out for us last year, losing to Indy Eleven after going up 1-0. So this year we’re excited to get back into the competition — really looking forward to it.”
FC Dallas last fall extended a 17-year streak of MLS teams winning the U.S. Open Cup. But lower-division clubs often score upsets, and in 1999, the Rochester Rhinos became the most recent USL member to win the tournament.
This year, the winner will receive $250,000, a berth in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions’ League and have its name engraved on the historic Dewar Challenge Trophy, one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in U.S. team sports. The runner-up will earn $60,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $15,000 cash prize.
An American champion has been crowned for 103 consecutive years dating back to 1914. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor United States soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
See more from U.S. Soccer on contending teams and format: http://bit.ly/2lUeZOc.
LouCity kicking off season with celebration at Baptist Health Eastpoint
As Louisville’s professional soccer team gears up for its March 25 season opener against Saint Louis FC, the club will take part in a family-friendly event hosted by one of its partners, Baptist Health Sports Medicine.
The season kickoff celebration is set for Friday. March 10, from 6-8 p.m. at Baptist Health Eastpoint, 2400 Eastpoint Parkway. It’s open to the public and will offer the community to meet players, take photos and sign autographs.
Music and group photos in the free photo booth will be provided by The Party Stage. Additionally, a mobile gaming truck will be on site along with foosball. Prizes such as Louisville City FC apparel, ticket vouchers and a three-month membership to Baptist Health Performance Training will be given away.
Guests can take a break from the action and grab a free bite provided by Raising Canes and Salsarita’s. Account executives from the Club will also be available for ticket and apparel purchases.
“The past two seasons for Louisville City FC have been extremely successful both on and off the field,” said Nick Sarantis, Sports Medicine Operations manager. “The buzz and excitement in Kentuckiana continues to grow as we approach the third season. Having the opportunity to host the annual kickoff event for the third year in a row allows our friends, families and the community a chance to meet and interact with the team, visit Baptist Health Eastpoint, and enjoy an evening of fun and celebration.”
Louisville City FC will play 32 games during its regular season, which runs from March through October. Baptist Health Sports Medicine provides the club with its comprehensive, multidisciplinary services, including dedicated team physicians, sports performance, athletic training and physical therapy.
About Baptist Health
Founded in 1924 in Louisville, Ky., Baptist Health is a full-spectrum health system dedicated to improving the health of the communities it serves. The Baptist Health family consists of eight hospitals (seven owned and one managed); employed and independent physicians; more than 170 outpatient facilities, physician practices and services, including urgent care and retail-based clinics; outpatient diagnostic and surgery centers; home care; occupational medicine and physical therapy clinics; and fitness centers. Its subsidiary, Baptist Health Plan, provides health insurance, managed care services and administrative services to employers, employees and their dependents, serving members in Kentucky and surrounding states.
Baptist Health’s seven owned hospitals include more than 2,100 licensed beds in Corbin, La Grange, Lexington, Louisville, Madisonville, Paducah and Richmond. Baptist Health manages Hardin Memorial Hospital, a 300-bed hospital in Elizabethtown.
Baptist’s physician network includes more than 450 employed physicians and more than 1,600 independent physicians. It employs more than 16,000 people in Kentucky and surrounding states.
About Louisville City FC
Louisville City FC is an American professional soccer club based in Louisville, Ky., and competing in the United Soccer League. LouCity, which plays its home matches at Louisville Slugger Field, has made back-to-back runs to the USL Eastern Conference Final since starting play in 2015.
iHeart sets radio assignments for 2017 LouCity games
Louisville City FC and iHeartMedia on Monday announced radio station assignments for the 2017 regular season that feature at least 19 games broadcast on flagship 840 WHAS (WHAS-AM). Four games were slated for Cards Radio 790 KRD (WKRD-AM) and two for Talk Radio 1080 (WKJK-AM).
Destinations for LouCity’s other seven games — including the opener and a handful played during college football season — will be determined later.
The club recently forged a landmark broadcast rights deal with iHeartMedia to join its other sports partners: the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky and Louisville Bats. Home and away games will air on iHeart’s family of networks, complemented by the weekly “Soccer City” radio show from 9-10 a.m. Saturday on 790 WKRD.
T.J. Walker (play-by-play) and Jeff Milby (color commentary) will call the action on LouCity game broadcasts. Additionally, Milby hosts “Soccer City,” which is presented by Mulloy Commercial Real Estate.
LouCity’s agreement with iHeart includes game coverage on the iHeartRadio mobile app and expanded promotional announcements across several iHeartMedia radio stations.
The broadcasts will consist of 15-minute pregame and postgame shows, allowing time for exclusive interviews and updates from around the United Soccer League, of which LouCity is one of 32 teams this year.
The 2017 season kicks off at 2 p.m. March 25 as LouCity hosts rival Saint Louis FC at Louisville Slugger Field. LouCity returns the core of a roster that advanced to last year’s USL semifinals and brought in seven newcomers, among them Louisville native and DuPont Manual High School graduate Richard Ballard.
Times and station assignments are subject to change. Bookmark LouisvilleCityFC.com/2017schedule for updates.
2017 LOUISVILLE CITY FC RADIO SCHEDULE
(station / broadcast start times in parenthesis)
March 25: LouCity vs. Saint Louis FC (TBA / 1:45 p.m.)
March 30: LouCity at Orlando City B (WKRD / 7:15 p.m.)
April 8: LouCity at Richmond Kickers (WHAS / 4:45 p.m.)
April 15: LouCity vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
April 22: LouCity at FC Cincinnati (TBA / 6:45 p.m.)
April 29: LouCity vs. Toronto FC II (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
May 13: LouCity at Tampa Bay Rowdies (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
May 20: LouCity at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (WHAS / 6:45 p.m.)
June 3: LouCity at Charleston Battery (WHAS / 6:45 p.m.)
June 7: LouCity vs. Charlotte Independence (WKJK / 7:15 p.m.)
June 11: LouCity at New York Red Bulls II (WHAS / 3:45 p.m.)
June 17: LouCity vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
June 24: LouCity at Harrisburg City Islanders (WHAS / 6:45 p.m.)
July 1: LouCity vs. Ottawa Fury FC (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
July 9: LouCity at Charleston Battery (WHAS / 6:45 p.m.)
July 15: LouCity vs. FC Cincinnati (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
July 22: LouCity at Saint Louis FC (WHAS / 8:15 p.m.)
July 29: LouCity vs. New York Red Bulls II (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
Aug. 5: LouCity at Charlotte Independence (WHAS / 6:45 p.m.)
Aug. 12: LouCity vs. FC Cincinnati (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
Aug. 20: LouCity at Bethlehem Steel (WHAS / 4:45 p.m.)
Aug. 23: LouCity vs. Harrisburg City Islanders (WKJK / 7:15 p.m.)
Aug. 26: LouCity vs. Orlando City B (WHAS / 7:15 p.m.)
Sept. 2: LouCity vs. Charleston Battery (TBA / 7:15 p.m.)
Sept. 9: LouCity at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (TBA / 6:45 p.m.)
Sept. 15: LouCity vs. Bethlehem Steel (TBA / 7:15 p.m.)
Sept. 20: LouCity vs. Rochester Rhinos (WKRD / 7:15 p.m.)
Sept. 24: LouCity at Ottawa Fury FC (WHAS / 1:45 p.m.)
Sept. 27: LouCity at Toronto FC II (WKRD / 7:15 p.m.)
Sept. 30: LouCity at Rochester Rhinos (TBA / 5:45 p.m.)
Oct. 7: LouCity vs. Charlotte Independence (TBA / 7:15 p.m.)
Oct. 14: LouCity vs. Richmond Kickers (TBA / 7:15 p.m.)
Video: Coach O'Connor reviews LouCity's Florida trip
Third round of LouCity charity jersey auctions underway
Louisville City FC fans raised well over $1,000 this month bidding on game-worn jerseys from the 2016 season. A third (and final) round of players’ tops — home purple, away white/gold and a yellow goalkeeper version — are now available on eBay.
Proceeds benefit Engelhard Elementary School’s Blessings in a Backpack, a program that ensures students won’t go hungry on the weekends. It’s a cause close to the club’s front office after players and coaches volunteered at Engelhard during an offseason service project.
Bidding on each jersey started at $75, less than the cost of a replica kit. Photos on each auction listing will show any wear and tear sustained on the item. Winners of LouCity’s jersey auctions will be contacted with the option of having their jersey signed by returning players only. Shipping is a flat rate of $6, with free pickup available for free at the club’s office, 127 S. 6th Street.
Email LouCity’s director of media relations, Jonathan Lintner, with any questions about the auctions at jlintner@louisvillecityfc.com.
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LouCity players pushing through preseason at IMG Academy
BRADENTON, Fla. — Paco Craig’s legs are heavy, and his body’s sore.
“But it’s all for a good cause,” the Louisville City FC defender said after the first of his team’s two training sessions Thursday at the IMG Academy.
Time in Florida is coming to a close for the United Soccer League club, which has made double sessions the norm since traveling south. Training opens with regular stretches and jogging before players break off into “boxes,” a tiring, possession-based drill. The last few days, LouCity has also started establishing attacking principles.
As for the benefits of all this conditioning?
“I think we’ll start to see it as soon as we have a little bit of a rest period when we get back to Louisville,” said midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye. “For sure we’ll see it in our preseason matches. Hopefully we’re fitter and stronger than our opponents, and we can really emphasize what we’re wanting to work on.”
A week from Saturday, LouCity hosts NCAA Division II Young Harris College — alma mater of Craig, Niall McCabe and Ilija Ilic — in a closed-door game at its training ground in Louisville. After three more preseason tests, LouCity starts its season March 25 against United Soccer League rival Saint Louis FC at Louisville Slugger Field.
At IMG, LouCity has access to its own pitch, and players live in a private village. All meals are provided at the facility’s cafeteria on campus — though with Wednesday afternoon off, they were treated to lunch by club chairman John Neace, who stopped in to check on the team.
“You don’t feel like it, but every day we’re getting stronger,” Craig said. “As a unit, we’re looking more and more on the same page. Then maybe after you get a couple days of rest, the body fully heals and we’ll be ready to go.”
After training, it’s typical for LouCity players to head to IMG’s stadium to take in a preseason game. Saint Louis FC, FC Cincinnati, the Ottawa Fury and OKC Energy FC are on campus along with Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire.
LouCity’s own competitions will have to wait one more week.
“After all this hard work,” Kaye said, “I think it’s a reward to play a preseason game.”
