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Know the foe: Bethlehem Steel FC
While on the bottom half of the USL’s Eastern Conference table, Bethlehem Steel FC can boast of a scoreless draw earlier this season, one of just three clubs to shut out Louisville City FC in 2016.
The club will make its first trip to Louisville for a 7:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff at Slugger Field. Here’s what to know about the Steel…
Record: 6-10-8 (26 points) in 24 games
Conference: Eastern
Standings: 9th
Coach: Brendan Burke
LouCity all-time vs. Bethlehem: 0-0-1
Franchise history: The Steel started play this year as the official affiliate of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union. Bethlehem is about 60 miles from Philadelphia, and the club plays at 16,000-seat Goodman Stadium, also home to Lehigh University and Philadelphia Eagles training camps.
Current form: Battling to make it to 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings — the USL’s playoff cut line — the Steel have struggled lately. They most recently fell by a 3-2 score Sunday to FC Montreal and overall have lost four of their last six. Bethlehem last won a game on July 14.
Style of play: Goals haven’t lacked for the Steel, who often call upon the Union’s MLS-level talent pool to fill out squads. But there’s also plenty of turnover, as less than a full 11-player lineup and bench is listed as Bethlehem’s official roster. The club has as of late given up more goals, conceding at least two in each of its last four games.
Player to watch: Ryan Richter leads the Steel with five goals this season, but Cory Burke has been the go-to scorer lately. He scored in Bethlehem’s last two outings to double his output in 2016. A native of Jamaica, Burke is on a one-year loan from Rivolu United, a first division club in his home country.
Another to know: Midfielder James Chambers, an Ireland native with national team caps up to the U23 level, scored his first goal and added an assist Sunday in a loss to FC Montreal, showing he has settled in during his first USL stint. Chambers now leads the Steel with four assists on the year.
Boys and Girls Club kids enjoy an afternoon with LouCity players
When about 50 children from the Boys and Girls Club of Kentuckiana hopped off the bus Tuesday afternoon, Louisville City FC player Enrique Montano’s goals for them were simple.
“Have fun,” he said, “and don’t grab the ball with your hands.”
The latter often proved difficult for a group of children that included a number of first-time soccer players. But smiles certainly weren’t lacking at LouCity’s training ground, where club partner Humana sponsored a two-hour clinic for kids from the Shawnee Boys and Girls Club.
Kids grouped up by to run through drills before breaking out into scrimmages. LouCity assistant coach Daniel Byrd led the event with help from Montano and a handful of his teammates.
“A lot of them maybe have never gotten to play the game,” said goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh, who coached the oldest players on the pitch. “They were just introduced to the game today, so getting to see them touch the ball for the first time and play the game for the first time really does bring me back to when I was a youth player playing in a rec center.”
“It definitely brings back memories,” added Montano, who oversaw a group of younger children that nicknamed him “Mr. Giggles.” Laughs were aplenty.
On Wednesday, LouCity players will welcome a group from the Parkland Boys and Girls Club for another clinic.
“Getting out and about is definitely refreshing for the kids,” said Kelly Luckett, program director at Shawnee. “It’s also an experience. I’ve been there two and a half years, and it’s something we’ve never done before. It exposed a lot of the kids to soccer who had never played before. We saw some natural talent out here, so we might have some future soccer stars.”
Kids wound down with slices of pizza donated by Papa John’s and walked away with a free LouCity shirt — not a bad afternoon, and one that left Ranjitsingh joking that LouCity coach James O’Connor should order some slices after the club’s training sessions.
“It seems like they enjoyed it,” Montano said of the clinic, “and we definitely enjoyed having them here.”
Video: Humana kids clinic 'brings back memories' for LouCity players
Gallery: All smiles at LouCity's latest kids clinic
Video: LouCity's Ranjitsingh says kids fun for players, too
Takeaways: LouCity's O'Connor turns focus 'completely on the players'
Asked Monday whether he had a comment on the use of official video review in Louisville City FC’s last game, a 1-0 loss to New York Red Bulls II, coach James O’Connor said, “I want to get away from talking about referees.”
After more than a month of debatable decisions, O’Connor said he’s instead focusing “completely on the players” and LouCity’s upcoming game against Bethlehem Steel FC.
“When you come out and speak about referees, people think you’re making excuses,” the coach said at his weekly press conference. “We don’t make excuses here. I make no excuses. The players make no excuses. For me, I think we need to focus on what we can control, which is our performances. I was pleased with our performance the other night.
“I thought we deserved more than we got, but that’s sort of happened the last little while.”
A Video Assistant Referee — they’re in use the rest of the season at Red Bull Arena — helped determine that New York earned a penalty kick late in the going, and Brandon Allen converted to mark the only goal of the game. The result marked LouCity’s third loss in a month; entering July, the club only had one defeat.
On July 9, the Charleston Battery scored a late goal on a ball that appeared to be knocked out of LouCity keeper Greg Ranjitsingh’s hands. And on July 30, an Orlando City B penalty kick knotted the score at 1-1 in extra time. Orlando tacked on a game winner minutes later.
O’Connor’s postgame remarks focused on the calls those nights.
“When you have such a group of guys that work as hard as our lads do, I think they deserve credit, and I think they deserve praise,” O’Connor said Monday, ahead of Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. meeting with Steel FC at Slugger Field. “I want to be speaking about them and speaking about their performances. That’s something I want to get back to doing.”
Here’s more from Monday’s press conference:
- On getting back to scoring: “I think there’s a few variables. Confidence obviously comes in as well, and I think it’s maintaining that belief. We’ve been one of the highest scorers in the league, both last season and this season, so we know we’re going to create chances.”
- On LouCity’s back line: “I thought Friday, our defense was actually very good. Our shape was much better. I thought we limited them to their opportunity which, again, they scored a lot of goals in games previous to that.”
- On the looming playoffs: “I haven’t given up on the league, either. There’s five games to go. It’s going to be difficult. We don’t have our own fate. Certainly it’s not in our control when New York has two games in hand and is three points clear. But we’re certainly not going to roll over.”
LouCity clinches 2016 USL playoffs spot
Louisville City FC will again compete for the United Soccer League’s championship this year after clinching a playoff spot.
A Bethlehem Steel FC loss to FC Montreal on Sunday mathematically cleared the way for LouCity. The club’s 47 points are enough to ensure it a position in the 16-team, single-elimination bracket that starts play the first weekend of October.
The top-eight teams from the Eastern and Western conferences will be seeded according to their point totals, with the top-four granted host status for the opening round. From there, the better-seeded team in each matchup will play at home throughout the postseason.
Twenty-nine teams in all are competing in the USL this year.
Last week, coach James O’Connor said “it’s critical” LouCity — which at one point this season rattled off 17 consecutive games unbeaten — play its best late in the campaign.
“It’s a case of making sure that you peak at the right time, but equally, it’s a challenge because you want to peak to win the league and after that you want to peak in the playoffs,” O’Connor said. “I think for us, it’s controlling what you control. We can’t necessarily at this stage think, ‘Oh, we peaked at the start of the season.’
“You have to make sure your training is right, your focus is correct and that you’re concentrating on the action, not the result.”
LouCity could have clinched its playoff spot Friday night with a win over the New York Red Bulls II. But in a battle between first-place clubs, the Red Bulls netted a late penalty kick to secure a 1-0 win. Still, Wilmington Hammerheads FC and Bethlehem both had to win their games Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to not be eliminated from the playoffs.
With a 13-4-8 record, LouCity sits second on the Eastern Conference table behind New York, which also has two games in hand. FC Cincinnati sits five points back of Louisville, also having played two fewer games. The Charlotte Independence, Richmond Kickers and Rochester Rhinos each have 39 points while battling for fourth place and the chance to host a playoff game.
If the season ended now, LouCity would match up against the Charleston Battery in the first round of the playoffs.
Last year, LouCity finished second in the East’s regular-season standings and won its home, quarterfinal matchup with the Charleston Battery in front of 8,517 fans at Louisville Slugger Field. The eventual USL champion Rochester Rhinos then defeated O’Connor’s club in the Eastern Conference final.
Five games remain before the 2016 postseason for LouCity, which has its next opportunity to pick up points at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The club plays Bethlehem on Cancer Awareness Night at Slugger Field.
Q&A: Get to know LouCity midfielder Andrew Lubahn
(See previous LouCity Q&As with striker Chandler Hoffman, midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye, forward Kenny Doublette, defender Ben Newnam and midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo.)
What’s your favorite thing to do off the field?
I like to go for hikes, be outdoorsy, things like that. I love the water. I grew up on Lake Erie, so anything water related is pretty fun. I also love to read.
What’s your favorite book?
Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce.
What do you usually do to prepare for a game?
Mostly it’s just rest, hydration, making sure your body feels right. I room with Chandler (Hoffman) on the roadm so normally we watch a movie in the room or just talk back and forth.
Do you have any good luck charms or rituals?
I was more superstitious as a kid and kind of grew out of those. Now it’s more routine. I put everything on my left leg first.
How do you usually approach training or know when you’ve had a good day at training?
It’s tough. Normally you’re very self critical in training, so you’d be very hard on yourself during the week, and right before the game you sort of brush that all aside to be confident and prepared for the game.
How did you end up in Louisville?
James (O’Connor) actually recruited me. I was playing in Portland, and then I played in Harrisburg and I was training in New York. I got in contact with James, and we started speaking back and forth and it sounded like a really good opportunity.
Do you have a favorite soccer memory?
I won a national championship at the U19 level, which was pretty enjoyable. That’s the highest national ranking. I played in the College Cup, and then this year some games where I’ve played and scored well. Playing at Cincinnati my first game was great with the atmosphere and our team showed a lot of character.
If you had to play another position, which would it be and why?
I’d play outside back. You’re always facing forward and you get to attack.
If you weren’t a pro soccer player, what would you be doing?
Right now, maybe a writer.
Do you have a favorite sport other than soccer?
Basketball.
Do you have a game day playlist?
No. I like listening to music before, but I like having someone else pick it. If I’m in the locker room and someone else has something playing I’m not too picky.
If you could eat dinner with anyone who would it be?
Barack Obama. I think he’s checked out now, so he could be honest and not involved in politics. It’s really interesting to see where he came from and how far he’s risen.
Do you prefer to cook for others or have others cook for you?
As long as it’s good, I don’t mind.
Where is someplace you’d like to travel?
I’d love to go to India, South Africa and Croatia.
What are you hoping to do this offseason?
Hopefully continue training and playing somewhere. I’d like to take a trip. I may go to Morocco, but I’m still figuring that out. But one vacation and then back to business.
What’s one thing on your bucket list?
Travel through Europe and Southeast Asia.
Do you have a favorite TV show?
I have high hopes for The Night Of right now on HBO. It’s only two episodes in.
Do you have a favorite film?
Good Will Hunting.
What is something that you completely geek out over?
When I was younger I loved all the Harry Potter books, but since then movies. I love to watch movies.
What’s something your teammates don’t know about?
Probably that I speak Dutch. I learned Dutch when I was playing in Belgium.
After New York loss, LouCity seeks better 'end product' in attack
HARRISON, N.J. — “All teams go through little ruts,” Louisville City FC captain Aodhan Quinn said Friday night after a 1-0 loss that moved the New York Red Bulls II ahead three points in the USL standings — and with a pair of games in hand.
Down the hall at Red Bull arena, shouts could be heard from New York’s locker room. The guys in purple were more reserved.
“I think they get up for it. We get up for it,” Quinn said of games against Red Bulls II. “It’s always a good, tight game, and I think that if we get them in the playoffs, it’ll be a little different.”
That’s the hope for LouCity, which continued to out-shoot opponents Friday but come away with results less than ideal. Louisville fired 12 shots, one more than New York’s 11, but the Red Bulls II were awarded a penalty kick in the 74th minute and made it count.
There was no offsetting forward Brandon Allen’s game-winner despite a LouCity roster that coach James O’Connor says “worked extremely hard.”
“In a game like that, you need to take your chances,” added O’Connor, whose team is 1-2-2 since its 17-game unbeaten streak ended last month. “When you get into those areas, it needs to finish with a shot at goal that tests the keeper. You need to get something from it.
“I think we got into some areas, but you need to get an end product.”
O’Connor took note of defender Kyle Smith and Kadeem Dacres working well along the right side. Mark-Anthony Kaye also came on as a substitute in the 65th minute and showed skills with the ball at his feet.
There were plenty of solid looks, including two shots by forward Chandler Hoffman on goal. None found their way past New York keeper Ryan Meara even as LouCity tweaked its formation late.
But rather than try to get in behind with Dacres and Kaye pushing up, O’Connor saw LouCity playing balls too short.
“It comes down to decision making, because we’re getting to the right spots,” Quinn said. “…It’s not up to the other teams or anything. It’s down to us working harder on the training ground, and it will eventually come out on Saturdays.”
LouCity has five games to go in its regular season before the USL’s single-elimination playoffs begin. Entering the postseason in first place appears a longshot — the Red Bulls II have extra games to accumulate points — but a No. 2 finish would mean the opportunity to host at least two games to start October.
“We’re not going to give up,” Quinn said. “We’re going to keep fighting and try to get as many wins as possible and hopefully do well in the playoffs.”
Added O’Connor: “Sometimes in life, you get a good kick in the rear, so it’s all about how you react. You need to accept it, be men and fight even harder, which we’ll definitely do.”
