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Louisville City FC will start its pursuit of a USL Cup with an opening-round playoff game set for 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 at Louisville Slugger Field, the club announced Wednesday.

Seeding and an opponent are still to be determined, though with one more victory, LouCity would lock up the USL Eastern Conference’s No. 2 spot and face the No. 7 finisher on the table.

“Being able to host at least one playoff match again this season is a testament to the quality of our team and desire to bring USL championships to Louisville,” said LouCity president Amanda Duffy. “Due to stadium availability as well as consideration of other historical events in the Louisville community, our first-round playoff match will be played on Sunday evening.

“We are thrilled to have another opportunity to play in front of our fans, who continue to show the best support in USL.”

Tickets to the Oct. 2 game are on sale now for LouCity season ticket holders and package buyers only through Sunday. Seats remaining after that will then open to the general public, with admission starting at $15.

For tickets, visit this link, call (502) 384-8799 (option 3) or email tickets@louisvillecityfc.com. College students with a valid ID are also eligible for a $5 ticket at the door or the LouCity office, 127 S. 6th Street, starting Monday.

LouCity sports a short but successful home playoff tradition. Former striker Matt Fondy scored twice in overtime last year — the club’s inaugural season — to register a 2-0 win over the Charleston Battery. A crowd of more than 8,500 rooted on the boys in purple.

Currently on a three-game winning streak, this year’s LouCity team sits at 16-4-8, already having registered more points (56) than the 2015 team (48).

Should LouCity claim the No. 2 seed, it would also be in line to play a second-round game at home. The New York Red Bulls II, the USL Eastern Conference’s regular-season champion, have locked up the top seed.

Eight teams from the Eastern and Western conferences advance to the single-elimination playoffs. This year, 29 teams are playing in the USL.

The postseason opener will mark the first time LouCity has played a home game on a Sunday. Before the playoffs, the club travels to meet rival Saint Louis FC at 8:30 p.m. Saturday before hosting the Charlotte Independence at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 24.

Renewals remain underway for 2017 LouCity season tickets, with a number of benefits available to those who re-up with the club. Representatives are also accepting new season ticket accounts for next year.

Second-year Louisville City FC player Niall McCabe underwent successful arthroscopic surgery Wednesday afternoon to repair a hip labral tear on his left side. The midfielder is expected to make a full recovery and, after rehab and recovery, return to the field in 2017.

“We were obviously very disappointed to lose Niall, as he was having a consistent season for us,” said LouCity coach James O’Connor. “The surgery will alleviate the pain he has been getting, and by taking a proactive approach, we will hopefully have him ready for the start of preseason.

“I would also like to thank Scott Ritter, our head athletic trainer, and Baptist Health Sports Medicine, which has been a great partner for us.”

McCabe, who last appeared in a game Aug. 10 as his injury became bothersome, tallied 2 goals and 4 assists this season playing mostly as a central attacking midfielder. The native of Ireland also scored 3 goals in 2015 as a key contributor to LouCity’s inaugural campaign.

Ritter likened McCabe’s ailment to fellow midfielder Magnus Rasmussen’s labral tear suffered in 2015.

“It’s not as severe,” Ritter said. “We’re also a good two months ahead of where we were with Magnus last year. Niall should be better after this. The operation is going to give him more hip range of motion, power and mobility.”

Rasmussen made his first start of the year Aug. 27, filling in at the No. 10 spot occupied most of the season by McCabe. Back to full strength, Rasmussen returned to the scoring column in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Richmond Kickers with a 55th-minute strike from distance.

Along with defender Paco Craig and forward Ilija Ilic, McCabe is one of three players on LouCity’s roster out of Young Harris College, a Division II program in Georgia. There, he played four years and was named an All-Peach Belt Conference first team performer in 2012.

In a tweet after surgery, McCabe wrote, “Wanna say a BIG thank you to everyone who wished me well. It means a lot. Obviously I’m disappointed I can’t help the team during a crucial time in the season, but I’m 100% confident that the lads will do the business over these final few weeks.

“I will be supporting them all the way and have no doubt that the boys will do the team, staff and the supporters proud.”

Two games remain in LouCity’s regular season before the club returns home Oct. 2 to Louisville Slugger Field for a 7 p.m. opener to the United Soccer League’s playoffs. First, LouCity travels to play rival Saint Louis FC on Saturday before hosting the Charlotte Independence on Sept. 24.

The St. Matthews Boombozz Craft Pizza & Taphouse, 3939 Shelbyville Road, has added multiple TVs equipped to live stream Louisville City FC games in preparation for the club’s official watch party there Saturday night.

Boombozz will again offer food and drink specials to supporters in LouCity gear as the club hits the road to play Saint Louis FC. Kickoff in the final King’s Cup rivalry meeting this year is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.

With a victory, LouCity would lock up the USL Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Already, the club is guaranteed a top-four finish and home opener in the postseason.

While rooting on the boys in purple, LouCity fans can score the following deals at Boombozz:

• $30 – 1 large Famous Creation pizza, 1 full pretzel and beer chesse and 1 order of wings
   
• $4 Local draft flights
   
• $4 el Jimador and Old Forester drinks
   
• $4 LouCity Crush, purple, team-inspired cocktail

Magnus Rasmussen’s first goal of the season also landed the Louisville City FC midfielder on the USL Team of the Week for the first time in 2016.

Rasmussen, who scored from distance Saturday in the 55th minute of a 2-0 win over the Richmond Kickers, earned a spot on the USL’s top 11. Meanwhile, forward Cameron Lancaster found a position on the bench for converting a 19th-minute penalty kick that originally gave LouCity the lead.

• Vote Rasmussen for USL Goal of the Week

The club has won three straight games in a streak that coincides with Rasmussen’s return to the starting lineup. A Denmark native, he was LouCity’s top returning scorer from 2015 but underwent offseason hip surgery, forcing him to miss preseason.

“After such a long time, you need that game speed,” Rasmussen said Saturday. “You need that fitness. I can run all I want on the training pitch, but it’s not the same as playing a game. I feel like my game fitness is getting there.”

The 23-year-old added, after scoring eight goals last season, “It’s obviously a big moment for me to get a goal and feel like I’m making a difference on the team again.”

Next time out, LouCity will face the reigning USL Player of the Week, Saint Louis FC forward Irvin Herrera, who recorded a hat trick last weekend in a win over San Antonio FC. In his return from international duty with El Salvador, Herrera scored twice in the first half and once in the second to help keep STLFC’s playoff hopes alive. 

Kickoff Saturday in St. Louis is 8:30 p.m. ET.

USL Team of the Week

GK – John Berner, Charlotte Independence: Berner recorded a seven-save shutout as the Independence took a 4-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

D – Brent Richards, Portland Timbers 2: Richards scored the only goal as T2 took a victory against Rio Grande Valley FC, snapping the Toros’ 10-game undefeated streak.

D – Bruno Perone, Wilmington Hammerheads FC: Perone scored twice as Wilmington took a 3-0 victory against Orlando City B last Wednesday to boost his side’s playoff hopes.

D – Oumar Ballo, Swope Park Rangers: Ballo helped limit Tulsa to only three shots on goal in the Rangers’ 3-0 victory against the Roughnecks on Saturday night.

M – Jimmy-Shammar Sanon, FC Montreal: Sanon’s first professional goal lifted Montreal to a 2-1 victory against Charleston last Wednesday, the side’s third win in four games with the Battery.

M – Vincent Bezecourt, New York Red Bulls II: Bezecourt had three goals and an assist in two games as the Red Bulls II claimed the 2016 USL Regular Season Championship.

M – Luke Vercollone, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: Vercollone notched both goals as the Switchbacks took a victory on the road against Vancouver in a key Western clash.

M – David Estrada, Charlotte Independence: Estrada scored a pair of goals as the Independence took a 4-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday night.

M – Magnus Rasmussen, Louisville City FC: Rasmussen’s first goal of the season highlighted a strong all-around performance in Louisville’s 2-0 win against Richmond.

F – Sean Okoli, FC Cincinnati: Okoli had three goals in two games as Cincinnati took victories against Saint Louis and Wilmington to move back into third place in the East.

F – Irvin Herrera, Saint Louis FC: In his return from international duty with El Salvador, Herrera had a hat trick to lead STLFC to a 3-1 win on the road against San Antonio.

Bench: Mark Pais (STL), Kyle Hyland (OKC), Jordan Schweitzer (SEA), Cameron Lancaster (LOU), Trevin Caesar (OC), Noah Powder (NY), Maikel Chang (CHS).

Calling Louisville City FC a “worthy winner” over another playoff contender, the United Soccer League boosted the club from fourth to second this week in its Week 25 Power Rankings.

LouCity secured its third straight victory, this one by a 2-0 score versus the Richmond Kickers after posting 1-0 wins over both Bethlehem Steel FC and FC Montreal.

“City was excellent against the Kickers in both phases of the game,” wrote the USL’s Nicholas Murray, who assembles the league’s power rankings and kept the New York Red Bulls II in the top spot.

The Red Bulls II played to a 1-1 draw Saturday with the Rochester Rhinos after a string of seven straight wins that clinched the USL Eastern Conference’s regular-season title for them.

Behind LouCity in Murray’s rankings is the best of the West, Sacramento Republic FC, followed by Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Rio Grande Valley FC.

LouCity plays Saturday against King’s Cup rival Saint Louis FC; a win would cement a second seed in the playoffs. After that, the club closes its season at home versus the Charlotte Independence, the No. 6 club in the power rankings.

Others from the Eastern Conference — FC Cincinnati, the Kickers and Rhinos — are Nos. 7-9, respectively.

Magnus Rasmussen helped Louisville City FC to a much-needed victory over the weekend, cementing a 2-0 win over the Richmond Kickers with a screamer of a goal at Slugger Field.

Now, it’s supporters’ turn to lend a hand — really, a vote — to the midfielder.

Rasmussen’s 55th-minute blast is up for the United Soccer League’s Goal of the Week against a formidable bunch of strikes around the USL.

Competition includes Saint Louis FC Irvin Herrera, who notched a hat trick, as well as the New York Red Bulls II’s Noah Powder, Swope Park Rangers’ Kristopher Tyrpak and FC Montreal’s Jimmy Sanon.

Voting runs through 9 a.m. Thursday before the USL names a winner based on fan balloting. Cast your vote here: http://bit.ly/2c4JiJT.

Having reviewed last weekend’s win over the Richmond Kickers in detail, Louisville City FC coach James O’Connor went beyond the numbers of the 2-0 victory Monday.

He pointed out the consistency in both halves — something LouCity has lacked as of late — as reason for why it was an ideal performance. Throughout all 90 minutes, the club constantly fended off attacks, assembled counters and got in behind Richmond, a team that hadn’t allowed more than a goal during its 10-game unbeaten streak.

“To play to that level against a team that had been so hot is really, really encouraging — really pleasing,” O’Connor said at his weekly press conference. “It’s making sure now we continue from that. Don’t spend the week patting ourselves on the back. We go again and we work even harder and get after it again for Saturday.”

• Video: Watch O’Connor’s full press conference

Next up is a trip to play King’s Cup rival Saint Louis FC. Since LouCity knocked off Saint Louis on May 14 at Slugger Field, the Western Conference club has undergone a coaching change from Dale Schilly to interim manager Tim Leonard.

Saint Louis sits 12th on the Western Conference table but just four points out of eighth place, the cutoff line for the playoffs.

“They’ll be desperate to beat us,” O’Connor said.

The guys in purple will battle before that for playing time, a fight seems to have hit its peak. Guy Abend and Paolo DelPiccolo are both seeing time in the midfield, while Cameron Lancaster got the start at striker Saturday and Tarek Morad shifted to left back.

Regular starters Chandler Hoffman — LouCity’s leading scorer — and defender Ben Newnam weren’t listed on the lineup sheet.

“We’ve got good competition with the guys that we have,” O’Connor said. “That’s the biggest thing — that we make sure we max out our squad and get the most out of all our players. That’s something we’ve done throughout the course of the season.”

The coach added, “Once you get the shirt, it’s up to you to keep it.”

Here’s more from Monday’s press conference…

• O’Connor on the absence of leading scorer Chandler Hoffman and left back Ben Newnam from Saturday’s lineup: “I think people want to speak about Chandler and Ben, but they’ve both performed well throughout the season and given us a good contribution. So I think for them, it’s do what you’ve been doing. They’re back into the team. They’ve been working hard in training. And look at what some of the other guys have done. They’ve done it as well. People want to speak about Chandler and Ben, but there have been other guys throughout the course of the season that have been in the same situation. Obviously, you have to work hard to get back into the team, and when you do, you’ve got to keep your spot.”
   
• On the versatility of Tarek Morad, who has played in the central midfield and along the back line recently: “I think Tarek has got such great character and mentality. For us, it’s the trust and belief we have in him. He’s someone who can play a number of positions and has done so throughout the course of the season. It’s a credit to Tarek that he’s been able to play in three different positions. It shows his game understanding, his attitude, his mentality. But equally, when you’re a good player you like to think you can play a number of positions, and he’s someone that has been able to drop into numerous positions for us. It speaks volumes about his character and his mentality and his willingness to help adapt for the team.”
   
• On the return of Greg Ranjitsingh from the Trinidad and Tobago Senior Men’s Team, for which he played in World Cup qualifiers: “I think he’s obviously taken on board some of the things we spoke about before he went away. His development is the priority. For him to have developed so quickly — he goes in eight months a kid from Mercer (University) to an international goalkeeper is fantastic. When you get get growth like that, it’s about managing and understanding sort of how you’re going to develop and capitalize on that. For us, it’s having good conversations and good communication with the players and making sure they’re on the path that we want them to be on. He’s one of the guys that has been really open to all the instructions. He’s a pleasure to coach. He’s someone we have a lot of respect for.”

Last week, as Louisville City FC prepared for Saturday’s game against the Richmond Kickers, coach James O’Connor fielded a question inquiring why, following a pair of 1-0 wins, his club suddenly looked more defensive-minded than normal.

O’Connor asked his players for a more consistent shape and better communication. He continued to see results with a third straight clean sheet against the Kickers.

But O’Connor didn’t call for less of an attack. Offense started clicking along with defense Saturday as LouCity recorded its first multi-goal game in a month, a 2-0 win.

“Overall,” the coach said, “we have to be pleased when you get a performance like that. It was good.”

It was truly LouCity’s best outing since the club found itself amid a 17-game unbeaten streak that started in the spring and didn’t end until a July 23 loss at FC Cincinnati. Louisville dropped consecutive games for the only time this year, falling on a pair of stoppage time goals July 30 to Orlando City B, but has since then been nearly unbeatable.

Only the USL regular-season champion New York Red Bulls II have come away with the full three points against LouCity in its last seven games, during which O’Connor’s bunch is 4-1-2.

“I thought we had a very good team performance tonight — kept a clean sheet, and I don’t think they were dangerous as well,” midfielder Magnus Rasmussen said Saturday. “I thought we had some good opportunities, and the whole team played well tonight. I’m happy for the team.”

Rasmussen, slow to return from offseason hip surgery, has taken command of a starting role in the 10 spot. He scored his first goal of the season against the Kickers, a 55th-minute screamer that tacked on to an earlier penalty kick by Cameron Lancaster.

“It’s obviously a big moment for me to get a goal and feel like I’m making a difference on the team again,” Rasmussen said. “It’s hard to go through a surgery. When I started, it was my first start in 10 months. Now that I’ve got a few starts, I feel like my game is improving every game. It feels great to be back.”

Up top, Lancaster has rotated lately with Chandlher Hoffman at forward. The latter remains in the USL’s Golden Boot race with 14 goals this season, second behind only LA Galaxy II’s Jack McBean and FC Cincinnati’s Sean Okoli.

Elsewhere on the field, O’Connor has seen big contributions from Tarek Morad, who has starred in central defense, the midfield and left back all over the past month. In goal, Ranjitsingh returned last weekend from his first international call up to play for his father’s native country, Trinidad and Tobago, in recent World Cup qualifiers.

“I definitely think I left a good impression back at Trinidad and Tobago camp and hopefully look for another call coming soon,” Ranjitsingh said. “I’ll just have to wait it out and see.

“…I feel like I deserved to be there. That’s the level I want to be at. I just have to keep working hard to stay there.”

LouCity now sits a win away from clinching the USL Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed entering the league’s 16-team, single elimination playoffs. Already, the club has secured home field advantage for the opening round played the last weekend of September/first weekend of October.

O’Connor said disappointment remains in the locker room over missing out on the regular-season crown. But LouCity, a second-year club, also finished second in the conference last season while racking up 45 points. Through the same number of games in 2016 — 28 — Louisville has 53 of them.

“I think sometimes people can take things for granted, and I think it speaks volumes about the group that we have here,” O’Connor said. “…People need to understand you don’t go and get home games in the playoffs without being a good team and without having great team spirit.

“We are really really pleased with the group tonight, and I think we gave a really strong performance.”

Louisville City FC fans have the chance to cheer with one another — and at a discounted price — Saturday night in St. Louis.

Saint Louis FC is offering $12 tickets — $3 off regular single-game admission — in an away fans’ seating area at World Wide Technology Soccer Park. LouCity supporters can visit this link (http://goo.gl/aK9Bgw) and enter the promo code “LCFC” to redeem.

The seats are in Section 18, at the northeast corner of the stadium, with kickoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. local.

Before Saint Louis FC games, fans also tailgate in the back of the Soccer Park Road lot, where it’s $15 per car. Entry to other lots at World Wide Technology Soccer Park is $10.

Click here for more game day information.

LouCity defeated Saint Louis FC by a 2-0 score May 14 in the rivals’ previous meeting at Louisville Slugger Field. With Saint Louis a member of the USL’s Western Conference this season, Saturday will mark the final meeting of 2016 in the King’s Cup series.