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Another member of the Louisville City FC family will don red, white and blue as club equipment manager Ben Hulsman joins the United States Men’s National Team for its January training camp.

Serving as the USMNT’s assistant equipment manager, Hulsman has traveled with the squad for its Phoenix-based leg of team activities which will feature about 19 domestic-based players. Training started Friday and will run through Jan. 21, including a number of closed-door scrimmages.

“I am humbled and grateful to have been selected for this unique opportunity,” Hulsman said. “My goal is to be a net positive asset for the players and staff in this camp and use this as an opportunity to soak up knowledge of my profession at the highest level and bring that back to my role with Louisville City.”

Hulsman, a 30-year-old Louisville native, graduated from Trinity High School and attended the University of Louisville. He initially joined the LouCity team staff as an intern before promoted to a full-time role during the 2018 season, when the boys in purple became the first back-to-back USL Championship title winners.

“I am happy Ben has been provided an opportunity with the national team,” said LouCity coach Danny Cruz. “Knowing Gregg (Berhalter, USMNT coach) and his environment, there is no doubt in my mind that he will learn a tremendous amount and have the ability for individual growth. This is an exciting opportunity that he has certainly earned.”

Hulsman’s call up of sorts follows another historic moment for LouCity when former defender Jonathan Gomez in December became the first active USL Championship player to appear for the USMNT. Gomez, 18, has since transferred to La Liga club Real Sociedad in Spain to continue his ascent up the international soccer ladder.

This next USMNT camp opens at a crucial time for the national team as it readies for World Cup qualifying matches Jan. 27 versus El Salvador in Columbus, Ohio; Jan. 30 at Canada in Ontario; and Feb. 2 against Honduras in Minnesota.

“Our focus for the next two weeks is to prepare the domestic-based players to be included in the World Cup qualifying training camp,” Berhalter said. “This upcoming window presents an opportunity to move closer to our ultimate goal of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”

Currently second on the Concacaf table, the USMNT is seeking a top-three finish to automatically qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The fourth-place team goes on to a playoff game for a World Cup spot.

USMNT’s January Camp Roster (Club/Country; Caps/Goals):

Goalkeepers (3): Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 9/0), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 13/0)

Defenders (6): George Bello (Atlanta United; 6/0), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution; 0/0), Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United; 1/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 21/3), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 15/3), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 23/2)

Midfielders (6): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 45/2), Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids; 1/1), Djordje Mihailovic (CF Montrêal; 6/1), Sebastian Lletget (New England Revolution; 33/8), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 30/0), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 16/0)

Forwards (4): Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 42/8), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 5/2), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 40/10), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew; 66/14)

Louisville City FC will start its pursuit of a third USL Championship title at Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday, March 12, against Atlanta United 2.

The date was revealed Thursday as the league announced 2022’s home openers — and in this case, the first overall of 34 games for the boys in purple this year.

A full schedule will follow next week with game times to be decided later.

Season, group and premium tickets, as well as flex packs allowing for a choice of six LouCity or Racing Louisville FC games, are available at www.loucity.com/tickets.

LouCity, which returns the bulk of a roster that propelled the club to an Eastern Conference Final appearance last season, is among 27 teams competing this year within the USL Championship divided between Eastern and Western conferences.

Every team will play each of its conference foes twice – once at home, once away. For Eastern Conference clubs, the remaining eight games will be against inter-conference opponents – four at home, four away. For Western Conference clubs, the remaining 10 games will be against a combination of inter-conference and intra-conference opponents – five at home, five away. 

At the conclusion of the regular season, the top seven teams in each conference will qualify for the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs. The first overall seed in each conference will receive a bye to the Conference Semifinals. The bracket will be reseeded following the Conference Quarterfinals to ensure the first overall seed in each conference plays against the lowest-seeded remaining opponent.

The playoffs will remain a single-elimination format, culminating in the 2022 USL Championship Final on a to be determined date between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14.

LouCity — which remains the only USL Championship club to win back-to-back league titles accomplished from 2017-2018 — has also reached at least the conference final round each season since launching in 2015.

Midfielder Tyler Gibson will return for a second season with Louisville City FC having signed a new contract pending league and federation approval, the club announced Tuesday. 

The 30-year-old central midfielder made 19 starts in his 28 appearances last year, suffering an injury down the stretch of the campaign that limited his time entering the USL Championship Playoffs.

“We are extremely excited to be re-signing Tyler,” said head coach Danny Cruz. “His character both on the field and in the locker room exemplifies that of a Louisville City player. This is an important signing and one that we believe will help put us in a position to compete for a trophy this year.”

From Knoxville, Tenn., Gibson made his move to LouCity after two seasons with rival Indy Eleven. There, he played every minute of Indy’s abbreviated 2020 campaign after a breakout 2019 in which he led the USL Championship with 2,174 passes.

His original signing with the boys in purple coincided with the departure of All-League First Team midfielder Devon “Speedy” Williams, with Gibson slotting into that same No. 6 role for LouCity. Gibson proved to be a crucial distributor, ranking third on the roster by completing 86.4% of his passes.

“I’m excited and thankful for the opportunity to play for Louisville City again this season,” Gibson said. “I’m looking forward to getting back on the field with the guys and getting started. See you all soon.”

Gibson’s re-signing brings the current LouCity roster to 17 players — 15 returners, plus newcomer goalkeeper Kyle Morton (from Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo) and defender Owen Damm (from the club’s youth academy). Negotiations have continued with other potential signings with more news to be announced in due time.

Current 2022 Louisville City FC Roster

Forwards: Cameron Lancaster, Brian Ownby

Midfielders: Corben Bone, Tyler Gibson, Jay Tee Kamara, Napo Matsoso, Niall McCabe, Carlos Moguel Jr., Paolo DelPiccolo, Elijah Wynder

Defenders: Wes Charpie, Owen Damm, Oscar Jimenez, Sean Totsch, Josh Wynder

Goalkeepers: Kyle Morton, Parker Siegfried

Soccer Holdings, LLC, President Brad Estes will depart the club in the coming weeks to pursue a local business opportunity outside of soccer, it was announced Monday. James O’Connor has been appointed Soccer Holdings’ interim president amid the transition.

Since Estes began work with Louisville City FC in 2016, Soccer Holdings has grown to include the NWSL’s Racing Louisville FC and a burgeoning youth academy. Teams also call home the new Lynn Family Stadium and Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center.

“We thank Brad for his efforts these last five years and know that we wouldn’t be where we are today without his diligence and leadership,” said John Neace, Soccer Holdings’ chairman and CEO. “We wish him well and know that he will continue to do great things in his career. As we all know, you don’t replace a Brad. He will always be a part of the purple family.”

Estes, 43, is a Louisville native who originally connected to the club as a consultant through his previous role as Neace Ventures’ president. He soon afterward came on full time, leveraging a finance background during LouCity’s swift ascent on and off the field.

The boys in purple won USL Championship titles in 2017 and 2018 as a Butchertown stadium development became reality. In 2019, the NWSL granted Louisville an expansion spot in the world’s top women’s soccer league. The respective youth academies began play in 2020 before Racing hit the pitch in 2021.

COVID-19 may have dulled Lynn Family Stadium’s opening games, forcing limited capacity. But Soccer Holdings continued its growth in spite of the pandemic, investing in a state-of-the-art training facility at Champions Park that opened this past summer.

“Working for this organization has been the most rewarding five years of my career,” Estes said. “I’m excited to start my next adventure, which will allow me to be a supporter on the weekends. I owe a massive debt of gratitude to our board, ownership, players, staff, supporters, sponsors and Metro government. I’m proud of what we have been able to accomplish together.

“I wouldn’t be leaving unless this business was set up for success. It is thriving, and it will continue to do so under John and James’ leadership.”

O’Connor, LouCity’s first head coach from 2015-2018, returned in 2020 as Soccer Holdings’ executive vice president. He has spearheaded the soccer side of the clubs, including roster construction for Racing Louisville and formation of the youth academy that now numbers more than 1,000 players.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Brad over the years,” O’Connor said. “He has brought so much to the organization and has played a huge part in our success with tireless work over the last few years. We wish Brad, his wife, Emily, and the rest of his family every success in the future. We are all better for having Brad work with us, and he will be missed.

“However, we are all determined to continue moving our organization forward to achieve even more success in 2022.”

Louisville City FC has signed Kyle Morton, it was announced Tuesday, bringing a two-time finalist for USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Year to the club for the 2022 season.

Terms of the deal, which are pending league and federation approval, were not disclosed as Morton makes a move from the Major League Soccer ranks.

The West Chester, Penn., native appeared for the Houston Dynamo in its season finale but also saw action during a five-game loan spell with the USL Championship’s Memphis 901 FC. An eight-save performance in his Memphis debut earned Morton the league’s Player of the Week award back on July 13.

“We are excited to be able to add such a quality goalkeeper into this group,” said head coach Danny Cruz. “After our interview with Kyle, it was clear that we would be getting a determined player who has extremely high expectations. His ability to direct from the back and make the big saves were two key traits that stuck out to us when scouting him. We are looking forward to getting him to Louisville and integrating him into the group.”

Morton, 27, has often defended against LouCity since turning professional following his time at James Madison University.

His original club, the Rochester Rhinos, went on hiatus following the 2017 season, so Morton followed coach Bob Lilley to Pittsburgh. He missed most of 2018 with a torn anterior cruciate ligament but returned to have a career year in 2019, ranking second in the league with 13 clean sheets as the Riverhounds posted the Eastern Conference’s best record.

Morton shifted to Saint Louis FC for the 2020 campaign — one shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic — and won the starting job on an eventual playoff team. He registered a 73.5 percent save percentage while making 51 saves.

Morton’s two most-recent USL Championship campaigns met familiar ends. He was a Goalkeeper of the Year finalist, and his teams lost to LouCity in the postseason, with Pittsburgh falling in the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinal and Saint Louis FC bowing out in the same round in 2020.

“Having played against Louisville City FC however many times, including at the new stadium, and knowing the type of guys who have come through there, it was a no brainer when the offer came across,” Morton said. “If I was going to play in the USL, it was only going to be at Louisville City.

“I know about the club, the facilities and the expectations. That’s all something I want to align myself with, because it’s a challenge, and I want to win. But I know I’ll have to earn my spot. I’m excited contribute and compete for a championship.”

Morton, 27, stands at 6-foot-4. He described himself as a leader who prides himself on communication with teammates and tries to be “a physical goalkeeper in terms of commanding my area.”

“Signing Kyle was one of our primary objectives this offseason, and thanks to Danny, James O’Connor, and Austin Buchanan we got it done,” said the club’s goalkeepers coach, Scott Budnick. “Kyle is the total package, and I am glad to know we will be game planning this season with him on our side of the lineup sheet.”

Morton’s signing brings LouCity’s 2022 roster to 16 players. The club continues to negotiate with other potential returners as well as a number of new signings with more news to be announced in time.

Current 2022 Louisville City FC Roster

Forwards: Cameron Lancaster, Brian Ownby

Midfielders: Corben Bone, Jay Tee Kamara, Napo Matsoso, Niall McCabe, Carlos Moguel Jr., Paolo DelPiccolo, Elijah Wynder

Defenders: Wes Charpie, Owen Damm, Oscar Jimenez, Sean Totsch, Josh Wynder

Goalkeepers: Kyle Morton, Parker Siegfried

The United Soccer League announced its inaugural 2021 Starting XI Awards at the last week’s USL Winter Summit, honoring front office executives that delivered for their clubs and their communities throughout the past year across the USL Championship and USL League One.

Louisville City FC claimed eight of 11 awards in the Championship — which numbered more than 30 teams last season — led by President Brad Estes earning the Leadership award for his work in guiding the club to another successful campaign. LouCity Vice President of Communications Jonathan Lintner was the lone two-time award winner, earning honors in both the Public Relations & Broadcast and Digital categories.

Other LouCity honorees included Mitch Ried (Business Excellence), Dave Walkovic (Ticketing), Pat Denbow (Corporate Sales), Katie Stephenson (Consumer Products) and Erin Wilkins (Human Resources).

“We are incredibly proud of the teams we have assembled on and off the pitch,” Estes said. “These awards are a testament to the dedication and teamwork of the people that support our coaches and players day in and day out.”

Another notable honoree was New Mexico United’s Chanel Wiese, who was awarded the Community Relations award. In addition to her standout work for the club in New Mexico through the Somos Unidos Foundation, Wiese has also served as the chairperson for the past year of the USL Impact Committee as the league has endeavored to deliver initiatives that can drive social change in its communities.

Union Omaha President Martie Cordaro received the Leadership award for USL League One as Los Buhos recorded a remarkable second season that saw the club lead the league in attendance and welcome a League One Final record crowd as Omaha took its first league title. Forward Madison FC led all clubs with four awards, including both the league’s Marketing and Community Relations award as their excellent work in the Madison region continued.

The Starting XI Awards will be given annually, and no one club can be honored in the same category in consecutive years.

USL Championship Starting XI Awards

Leadership: Brad Estes, Louisville City FC
Business Excellence: Mitch Ried, Louisville City FC
Operations: Jose Lizardo & Emma Boyle, San Antonio FC
Ticketing: Dave Walkovic, Louisville City FC
Corporate Sales: Pat Denbow, Louisville City FC
Marketing: Josh Mason, Indy Eleven
Public Relations & Broadcast: Jonathan Lintner, Louisville City FC
Community Relations: Chanel Wiese, New Mexico United
Digital: Jonathan Lintner, Louisville City FC
Consumer Products: Katie Stephenson, Louisville City FC
Human Resources: Erin Wilkins, Louisville City FC

USL League One Starting XI Awards

Leadership: Martie Cordaro, Union Omaha
Business Excellence: Chris Baretta, Greenville Triumph SC
Operations: Marcus Siler & Trey Kolak, Greenville Triumph SC
Ticketing: Stacey Wise, Greenville Triumph SC
Corporate Sales: Ryan Mooney, Forward Madison FC
Marketing: Forward Madison FC
Public Relations & Broadcast: Nathan Heintschel, Richmond Kickers
Community Relations: Forward Madison FC
Digital: Justin Rolfes, Union Omaha
Consumer Products: Chase Eagan, Forward Madison FC
Human Resources: Laura Nagore, FC Tucson

The USL Championship on Tuesday announced its competition structure for the 2022 season. The league’s 27 teams will be divided into two conferences – 14 in the Eastern Conference, among them Louisville City FC, and 13 in the Western Conference.

A 34-game regular season will be played from March 11 to Oct. 15, 2022. Home openers and a full schedule for the 2022 USL Championship season will be announced in January.

Every team will play each of its conference foes twice – once at home, once away. For Eastern Conference clubs, the remaining eight games will be against inter-conference opponents – four at home, four away. For Western Conference clubs, the remaining 10 games will be against a combination of inter-conference and intra-conference opponents – five at home, five away.   

At the conclusion of the regular season, the top seven teams in each conference will qualify for the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs. The first overall seed in each conference will receive a bye to the Conference Semifinals. The bracket will be reseeded following the Conference Quarterfinals to ensure the first overall seed in each conference plays against the lowest-seeded remaining opponent.

The USL Championship Playoffs will remain a single-elimination format, culminating in the 2022 USL Championship Final on a to be determined date between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14.

“We are pleased and eager to see the Championship in a traditional two-conference alignment in 2022,” said USL President Jake Edwards. “This regular season format increases the importance of each intra-conference match while also providing the variety and intrigue of more cross-conference matchups. The schedule footprint allows our teams time to compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and finish the playoffs prior to call-ups for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”

USL Championship debutants Detroit City FC and Monterey Bay F.C. will join the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively. Detroit City will be the league’s northernmost club, with its nearest conference opponents being Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (291 mi.), Indy Eleven (322 mi.), and LouCity (363 mi.).

2022 USL Championship Alignment

Eastern Conference

Atlanta United 2
Birmingham Legion
Charleston Battery
Detroit City FC
Hartford Athletic
Indy Eleven
Loudoun United FC
Louisville City FC
Memphis 901 FC
The Miami FC
New York Red Bulls II
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Tampa Bay Rowdies
FC Tulsa

Western Conference

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
El Paso Locomotive FC
LA Galaxy II
Las Vegas Lights FC
Monterey Bay F.C.
New Mexico United
Oakland Roots SC
Orange County SC
Phoenix Rising FC
Rio Grande Valley FC
Sacramento Republic FC
San Antonio FC
San Diego Loyal SC

Continuing to illustrate opportunities presented by its youth academy system, Louisville City FC has signed defender Owen Damm to a contract that includes an academic scholarship, the club announced Tuesday.

An 18-year-old from Versailles, Ky., Damm — whose last name is pronounced “dom” — familiarized himself with the first team last season while on a USL Academy deal preserving amateur status. Rather than accept a traditional college offer, the outside back is turning professional at LouCity and will continue studying through Bellevue University, the United Soccer League’s Official Education Partner.

Other terms of Damm’s agreement, which is pending league and federation approval, weren’t disclosed.

“I’ve been following Owen for a long time within our academy, and I’ve observed him often in training with our first team,” said head coach Danny Cruz. “He’s a young player who has an extremely high ceiling, and we’re looking forward to watching his development in the professional setting.

“I’m thankful for the work that Mario Sanchez, Luke Spencer and the rest of our academy staff has done to get Owen ready for this opportunity. It’s been really impressive to see his growth over the last couple of years. He has an exciting future ahead.”

Damm is the fourth member of LouCity’s academy to sign a pro deal over the last year following brothers Elijah and Josh Wynder, plus Carlos Moguel Jr.

A Woodford County High School graduate, Damm three times made all-state lists, including a first team spot in 2020, and helped his school to a trio of district titles from 2019-2021. His amateur career finished with a 48-goal season in 19 games this past fall. That ranked him third in Kentucky in scoring and evidenced his attacking prowess.

“The scholarship made the decision easy, but there’s also nowhere I’d rather be than Louisville. I love it there — the club and city,” Damm said. “I had college options, but my goal is to be a professional and that opportunity came, so I took it.

“Training with LouCity last season allowed me to get a really good feel. There’s nothing better to learn from than experience. I also got to see how players carried out their everyday lives, and it’s going to be easier making this transition with academy teammates on the squad.

“As far as my playing style, I like to get forward on the field and impact the game offensively. Being a midfielder originally, getting up the field is natural for me.”

Damm’s parents, Heechung Ko and John Damm, recently joined him to put pen to paper on his LouCity contract at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center. The new pro intends to study sports management through Bellevue University, which per its agreement with the USL provides a full scholarship to each team with this type of opportunity in mind.

Founded in 1966, Bellevue University is one of the country’s top 20 online universities and has nearly 60,000 graduates worldwide. The Nebraska-based institution further invested in the USL after forming a local partnership with League One club Union Omaha that focuses on providing player and front office educational opportunities.

“As a dad, it’s incredible to see this opportunity for Owen,” John Damm said. “There’s a lot of people who helped — all the coaches, teammates, opponents and everyone along the way who played a part in this. We can’t thank Louisville City enough. It’s hard to put into words these feelings.

“It was our goal to see our kids pursue their dreams, and Owen’s living his dream right now. We’re still processing this. Financially, it’s huge for our family, and this club’s going to help turn Owen into a man. We’re just overwhelmed and thankful.”

Owen Damm’s signing brings LouCity’s 2022 roster to 15 players. More updates will follow as negotiations continue for other signings.

Current 2022 Louisville City FC Roster

Forwards: Cameron Lancaster, Brian Ownby

Midfielders: Corben Bone, Jay Tee Kamara, Napo Matsoso, Niall McCabe, Carlos Moguel Jr., Paolo DelPiccolo, Elijah Wynder

Defenders: Wes Charpie, Owen Damm, Oscar Jimenez, Sean Totsch, Josh Wynder

Goalkeepers: Parker Siegfried

The United States Men’s National Team registered a record 17th win in a single year on Saturday night, and Louisville City FC defender Jonathan Gomez played heavily into the outcome.

Brought on in the 78th minute for his debut in the red, white and blue, Gomez fired an 89th-minute shot from the top of the box that was saved but not handled by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s goalkeeper. Midfielder Cole Bassett tapped in the rebound to make it a 1-0 victory in a friendly at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

By making an appearance, Gomez became the first active USL Championship player ever to be capped by the USMNT.

Coach Gregg Berhalter said afterward that the 18-year-old left back was “one I’ve been impressed with in camp,” as Gomez joined the team earlier this month to train before the friendly. “He’s got a terrific mindset, he’s resilient, and he’s got character.”

The Texas native — a dual national who also trained earlier this year with Mexico’s national team — will complete his transfer to top-division Spanish side Real Sociedad once the calendar turns to 2022.

Gomez departs LouCity after a breakout 2021 season that saw him voted the USL Championship’s Young Player of the Year and earned himself a spot on the All-League First Team. The fullback brings attacking flair, numbering 2 goals and 8 assists to go with 42 key passes. Defensively, he tallied 117 recoveries thanks to a 75.9 percent tackle success rate and 54.1 percent duel success rate.

Louisville City FC will next month host its first open tryout sessions since before the COVID-19 pandemic started, allowing aspiring players the chance to be evaluated by the USL Championship club’s technical staff.

Registration has opened here at a cost of $125, which includes sessions Jan. 15-16 (Saturday-Sunday) at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, 801 Edith Road. Those 17 and older pursuing a professional soccer career are eligible.

“This is a great opportunity for us to identify talent here in our own environment,” said LouCity’s head coach, Danny Cruz. “We are looking for players that we believe fit Louisville City both on and off the field, plus give prospects the valuable experience of being evaluated in a professional setting.”

All tryout participants will receive a T-shirt. Note that the sessions will be conducted outdoors on turf fields. Players are expected to bring the gear necessary to compete, including personal water bottles.

Along with Cruz, members of LouCity’s staff — assistant coach Simon Bird, goalkeepers coach Scott Budnick and youth academy directors — will be on hand to evaluate talent.

Tryout times and other information will be relayed to participants once they’re registered. Email Budnick (sbudnick@https://www.www.loucity.com) with any questions.