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Louisville City FC coach John Hackworth figured that, should his club get the chance to play for a third USL Championship title, it would mean going through Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

The unique nature of the 2020 season format means these powerhouse sides are meeting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in a first-round playoff game at Lynn Family Stadium.

Officially termed an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, the game will send on to the East’s semifinal its winner to face either Hartford Athletic or Saint Louis FC.

LouCity is on a run of 11 games unbeaten with victories in their last six. Pittsburgh comes to town having won six of seven in a regular season where the ‘Hounds set club records for goals scored per game (2.44) and goals against (0.63).

Here’s how to follow along with Saturday’s game with a full LouCity-Pittsburgh preview also available.

For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Also find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram.

On the WBKI-TV (The CW)/ESPN+ streaming call: Mike Watts (play by play) and Devon Kerr (color).

And for AM 790 WKRD on the radio: Clay Ables (play by play) and Jeff Greer (color).

On a jam-packed edition of the Soccer City radio show powered by Kentuckiana Toyota Dealers, host Lance McGarvey covered plenty of ground with a trio of guests.

After looking to Louisville City FC’s Saturday game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, the radio team spoke with Scott Stewart, director of communications and public relations with the USL Championship, while running down the league’s postseason bracket.

Scouse Bromilow, head of the Scouse’s House supporter group, and Morgan Hackworth, son of LouCity coach John Hackworth/San Diego Loyal player, also joined to discuss a controversial end to his club’s season.

Catch Soccer City live from 9-10 a.m. each Saturday on AM 790 WKRD, plus follow via iHeart Radio and subscribe for new editions through Apple Podcasts. Saturday’s edition can be heard below:

More than four months after Louisville City FC played its first — and, so far only — game of the USL Championship season, the campaign continues Sunday.

The boys in purple are set to open Lynn Family Stadium at 5 p.m. against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in front of a national TV audience, with this the USL’s first “triple cast” airing on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and SiriusXM FC. Audio is also available on News Radio 840 WHAS and via the iHeartRadio app.

Lynn Family Stadium, in the Butchertown neighborhood just east of downtown Louisville, can regularly accommodate up to 15,304 fans. It will be closer to 30% capacity on Sunday owing to physical distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a high-profile matchup as the Riverhounds, who are coached by USL title winner Bob Lilley, formerly of the Rochester Rhinos, enter off winning the league’s Eastern Conference regular-season crown in 2019. LouCity then knocked off Pittsburgh in the playoffs in the Riverhounds’ most recent game.

While LouCity defeated North Carolina FC by a 1-0 score to open 2020, the Hounds didn’t start their own season before leagues around the world were shut down to mitigate spread of the coronavirus.

Message from Coach

“I think we all need to realize that we’re going to have a lot of sorting out of ideas in those first 20 minutes. Pittsburgh hasn’t played a game at all. They had players through their entire preseason — one of their better players for sure that  they acquired did not play at all due to injury in the preseason. We hear that player’s back — they’re healthy. My point of all of this is that this is a bit of an unknown.

“We’re going to have to be really disciplined in how we approach this game, especially early. Soccer is a 90-plus-minute match and, therefore, allows us some time. But if you make a mistake early, it can really hurt you. So I expect both teams, while being on national TV, will want to make sure that we display our styles and things like that. I think you’re going to see both teams try to feel each other out early.” — John Hackworth, LouCity coach and sporting director.

Key players

LouCity: Striker Cameron Lancaster, who scored a USL-record 25 goals in 2018 for LouCity, is back with the boys in purple on loan from Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC. His goal in the season opener made the difference with the forward having an immediate impact upon return.

Pittsburgh: The Riverhounds may run through midfielder Kenardo Forbes, who was All-League First Team in 2019 and an MVP finalist. Forbes played for Lilley in Rochester before following his coach to a new club, where last season Forbes scored four goals while logging 3,014 minutes.

Follow along

For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Also find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram.

On the call for ESPN2: Mike Watts (play by play), Devon Kerr (color) and Tyler Terens (sideline)

And for radio: Clay Ables (play by play) and Jeff Greer (color)

By the numbers

8 — Consecutive home games to begin LouCity’s restart.

127 — Days between LouCity games, from March 7 to July 12.

4,600 — Approximately how many fans will be permitted to attend Sunday’s game.

LouCity links

• McCabe out to make Lynn Family Stadium opener ‘memorable’

• Watch: Hackworth, LouCity players preview Pittsburgh’s visit

• LouCity sets ticketing plan for Lynn Family Stadium’s debut

• Crawford: LouCity players reader to christen their new home

• Stadium’s first game a benchmark in Louisville sports history

Notes to know

Weekend of firsts: The USL Championship is the first team-based sports league returning to action in local markets amid the COVID-19 pandemic; LouCity will be the first team to host fans at its games in Kentucky; and, of course, both of these circumstances coincide with Lynn Family Stadium’s inaugural game.

Lynn Family Stadium by the numbers: The $65 million stadium sits on a 10-acre parcel in the Butchertown neighborhood east of downtown. Normal capacity is 15,304, and the venue could range up to 25,000 for concerts. Unique to Lynn is a 72-foot Modelo bar in the open end, believed to be the longest of its kind in Kentucky. The jumbotron ranks second in size behind only Churchill Downs’ Big Board.

About the pitch: The natural surface is made up of Tahoma 31 Bermuda overseeded with rye, and it can remain green year round thanks to a sub-air system that removes excessive moisture, but can also blow hot or cold air to keep grass at an ideal temperature. The lines measure 120 feet by 80, a major upgrade from the 105 by 75 pitch at LouCity’s former home, Louisville Slugger Field.

Competition structure: USL Championship clubs will complete a 16-game regular season with LouCity 1-0 after its March 7 victory at North Carolina FC. The majority of remaining games will come against “Group E” opponents Indy Eleven, Saint Louis FC and Sporting KC II. The USL previously approved unbalanced schedules allowing LouCity to host more than it travels.

The Estopinal End: LouCity has ensured its late founder’s legacy lives on within the club’s new home. Architect and philanthropist Wayne Estopinal, who brought pro soccer to town, is the namesake behind the closed end of Lynn Family Stadium, the standing supporter zone. Estopinal, whose firm also designed the University of Louisville’s similarly named Lynn Stadium, died in a November 2018 plane crash at age 63.

Past precedent: In the last three years, LouCity has gone 22W-9L-11D between July 11 and Oct. 4. A similar tear to finish the 2020 campaign could leave the rest of Group E fighting for second place and put the boys in purple in position to be the USL’s first three-time champion.

From the beginning: Lancaster and midfielder Magnus Rasmussen have come and gone from LouCity’s 2015 roster. Midfielder Niall McCabe, however, is the only player from the inaugural group of signings to have stayed throughout on the club’s journey to opening Lynn Family Stadium. The native of Ireland remains a staple on the pitch, with his 2,924 minutes in 2020 ranking third-most on the team.

Between the posts: LouCity’s battle for the starting goalkeeper role could be a season-long battle between Louisville native Chris Hubbard and Bent Lundt, a 2019 MLS SuperDraft selection on loan from FC Cincinnati. Hubbard (79.9%) and Lund (71.1%) were near equal in their save percentage last season as Lunt filled in with Hubbard injured. Lundt got the starting nod and clean sheet in LouCity’s season-opening win at North Carolina FC.

The postseason brings a different sort of energy to many teams. That, however, isn’t the case for Louisville City FC.

Coach John Hackworth discovered it shortly after his arrival, when the boys in purple were en route to winning their second straight USL title.

“I remember in 2018 walking into the locker room with Niall (McCabe) early one morning, and I said, ‘Are you ready for the playoffs?’” Hackwork remembers. “And he said, ‘That’s just what we do here. We are always ready for the playoffs.’

“Clearly since I’ve been here, that expectation is not just reaching the playoffs but winning the whole thing.”

LouCity will set out in earnest toward putting a third star above its crest at 7:30 p.m. Saturday when hosting Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the USL Championship Playoffs.

The club, in its sixth season, has reached at least the Eastern Conference Final each year. It won a first USL Cup in 2017 and made history the following year in becoming the first team to win back-to-back titles.

So for the veterans on this team, the feeling is familiar — seeing leaves change colors and their season continue. As for 17-year-old Jonathan Gomez, he’s taking notes.

“They’ve been in that situation a lot of times before, so just take whatever they’re telling me and try and apply it,” said Gomez, a rookie left back aligning himself to LouCity’s culture. “Even in training their leadership shows a lot. I just try and take whatever I can and apply it to the game.

“…Since they’ve been through it so many times, they know exactly how to deal with it and what to expect. I’m new so I’m learning everyday what that’s like.”

Midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo, the team captain, has been with LouCity through all but one of those playoff runs.

“I think this time of year is just naturally going to be more exciting,” DelPiccolo said. “Our whole culture and brand is treating every game like the playoffs and trying to keep the same level and consistency from day one as far as we can go.

“For us, it’s trying to do the same stuff over and over. You say that, but obviously the playoffs have a special feeling and special meaning.”

 “All of us are a little spoiled in that regard which makes this particular game against Pittsburgh in the first round that much more important and meaningful,” added Hackworth, whose side completed an abbreviated USL season 11-3-2, earning the points necessary to win its regionalized group and open the postseason at Lynn Family Stadium.

“Especially, since the fact that we won the Eastern Conference and secured home field advantage as long as we advance. It is an expectation and it is something that not one of us would think was any different.”

Understandably so, the USL Championship restarted play in July under a new competition structure designed to limit travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. One consequence, however, is a resulting matchup between two of the Eastern Conference’s top clubs in a first-round playoff game.

Group E winner Louisville City FC hosts Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday inside Lynn Family Stadium in a conference quarterfinal. Before kickoff, here’s what to know about the visitors, who finished second in Group F…

Record: 11-4-1, 34 points

Coach: Bob Lilley

Current form: LouCity hasn’t lost since the calendar turned to August, but the Riverhounds have only been defeated twice over that span. They enter the postseason with victories in six of their last seven games, with the lone defeat on Sept. 26 allowing Hartford Athletic to surge past, claim Group F’s No. 1 seed and send the ‘Hounds to Louisville for Saturday’s game.

In the playoffs: Having missed out on the postseason in three of four years from 2014-2017, Pittsburgh has now qualified in three straight seasons under Lilley, who previously won the 2015 USL title when coaching the Rochester Rhinos. The ‘Hounds are still looking to play for their first Eastern Conference Final and, thus, have yet to appear in the championship game.

History with LouCity: A big reason why Pittsburgh has fallen short? Last year, a Riverhounds side that won the Eastern Conference’s regular-season title was derailed in extra time by LouCity at its home Highmark Stadium. The ‘Hounds got some revenge July 12 in its most recent bout against the boys in purple, knocking off LouCity in Lynn Family Stadium’s debut.

Player to watch: Team captain Kenardo Forbes, who assisted Pittsburgh’s equalizer last time against LouCity, went on to miss the month of September with a quad injury but has returned in time for the playoffs. The Jamaican international midfielder was quick to make an impact, with his corner kick leading to a game-winning goal in Pittsburgh’s regular-season finale.

Another to know: The ‘Hounds have a star in their controlling midfield in Forbes and another rock between the posts in goalkeeper Danny Vitiello, who won the USL’s Golden Glove by posting a 0.5 goals-against average during the abbreviated 2020 campaign. Vitiello just made his first pro appearance on July 26 and qualified for the award by logging at least 500 minutes.

Water cooler talk: How to sum up the Riverhounds? While Lilley’s squads are known for their defense, this Pittsburgh team also pours in goals. Its +29 goal differential is best in the USL, with the figure boosted by four straight shutouts from Aug. 28-Sept. 29. It’s a balanced attack, as five players have scored at least five goals but none more than Ropapa Mensah’s six.

Quick fact: The Riverhounds haven’t played a postseason game in the Lilley era away from home, but they’ve been dangerous when traveling to Louisville, winning three straight away games versus LouCity.

So, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds spoiled Lynn Family Stadium’s debut. Now, can Louisville City FC exact some revenge as the Butchertown Neighborhood gem goes under the lights for the USL Championship Playoffs?

Coach John Hackworth touched on that and much more ahead of Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff to the postseason in his weekly conversation with the WDRB sports team.

“It was rocking the other night,” Hackworth said of the stadium, which has been limited to 30% capacity but has become a fortress nonetheless late this season for the boys in purple. “I expect it to be loud and proud on Saturday.”

And going back to that July 12 meeting with Pittsburgh, Hackworth added, “We’ve both grown a lot since that time, and we’re clearly in much better form than we were then.”

See Yackin’ with Hack in full above and look for a new edition each Tuesday on WDRB’s sportscast.

In other professional leagues with shortened 2020 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, talk of asterisks next to titles has permeated a number of conversations.

Coach John Hackworth, however, doesn’t view Louisville City FC’s run to the best USL Championship record in the Eastern Conference in that light.

“If we would have rolled everybody at the start of this year like we did at the end of it, I would say, ‘Yeah, maybe we can put an asterisk on this one,’” said Hackworth, whose team restarted the season 1-3 in July, then from there rattled off 11 games unbeaten.

“Since we literally were fourth and last in our group at the start of August, I think it’s exceptional that we’ve come back with all of this adversity, because it’s an easy excuse. We could have said, ‘Hey, 2020, it’s a crazy year and things are happening to us.’ But we didn’t do that. We didn’t do that at all, and that makes it extra special.”

LouCity carries the No. 1 seed out of the USL’s Group E into the playoffs, which for the boys in purple begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at Lynn Family Stadium. Here’s more from Hackworth, who met with the media early this week to preview the postseason…

An anticipated rematch

Pittsburgh, of course, spoiled Lynn Family Stadium’s debut back on July 12 when the Riverhounds registered a 3-1 victory over LouCity. The boys in purple have made some personnel changes since then, mainly on a back line, but they didn’t abandon their core philosophies.

Hackworth cited a “strange break” due to COVID-19, which shut from play from March until mid-summer, adding that LouCity “came out of the gates a little slower than we wanted to.”

“We were trying to play a style that we still play today,” Hackworth said. “We’re just more effective right now. We made some mistakes in that Pittsburgh game that really hurt us. While we didn’t change wholeheartedly, what we did is we learned from it. We adapted. We made some slight changes.”

Home field advantage

The USL Championship didn’t award a formal regular-season Eastern Conference title — going back to that asterisk conversation — but there’s still incentive to out-do more than clubs within a group. Beyond Saturday’s opening playoff round, better record will determine home field advantage.

LouCity has guaranteed itself games at Lynn Family Stadium through at least the Eastern Conference Final should it advance. Only two sides from the Western Conference — Reno 1868 and Phoenix Rising — would host the USL Final over the boys in purple.

“I love the fact that our fans are who they are,” Hackworth said. “Even though they’re not able to be with us in the full capacity right now, at 30% this place is still loud and still exciting and you can feel the energy.”

Talking tactics

Hackworth has been known to change things up on a familiar opponent, notably when he shifted Napo Matsoso into the attacking midfield to coincide with the start of LouCity’s unbeaten streak, then surprised with a new formation during the run, mixing a 3-5-2 in with the club’s regular 4-3-3.

Now, LouCity’s coaches are wondering how the Riverhounds may show up Saturday. Their coach, Bob Lilley, won a USL title in 2015, with his teams known for solid defense and lethal counter attacks.

“We know they’re going to come here and probably do something we haven’t seen before,” Hackworth said. “Both of us are a little different than when we played them back in July. It will be an interesting game for sure.

“It will be tight. It will be extremely hard. This is not one of those games that there’s going to be a clear indication of who’s winning early. It’s going to go down to the last whistle.”

About that matchup

LouCity, as noted, has gone 11 games unbeaten. The boys in purple also finished the regular season with six straight wins to clinch the No. 1 seed out of Group E.

Pittsburgh’s record is comparable. The ‘Hounds have won six of their last seven, mixing in a trio of 3-0 score lines and one 5-0 victory over that span. A lone loss to Hartford Athletic on Sept. 26 created an opening to push Pittsburgh back to a No. 2 seed.

Still, Hackworth said, “Pittsburgh is, in my humble opinion, the other team in the Eastern Conference that nobody wants to play.” The coach added: “We were going to have to beat them to win the Eastern Conference anyway, I felt like. We might as well do it in game one.”