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Louisville City is hoping to keep the positive vibes rolling after dispatching Nashville SC last weekend. The Boys in Purple head north to Ottawa for a Sunday afternoon showdown with the Fury in a key Eastern Conference points race battle. 

Ottawa (7-3-7, 28 points) is currently seventh in the East, one spot below Louisville City. Louisville City gained three points from a win over Nashville, moving up to 6th in the East with 29 points (8-5-5). 

The Fury are a force to be reckoned with. Since losing to LouCity on April 20 (1-0), Ottawa has only lost once and has wins over Atlanta United 2, North Carolina, Bethlehem Steel, Charlotte Independence and Charleston Battery. 

“They have been on a really good run since we have played them,” Louisville City FC coach John Hackworth said. “We are expecting a really competitive game. It is on a much bigger field and I think they’ll play tactically a little different because it is at their home. We just have to be prepared for that, and then try to build on what we did in the previous game and really the previous weeks because we felt like we played some really good soccer against Indy, particularly in the second half.”

Louisville City is hoping to get a better start vs. Ottawa than it has in several recent matches. LouCity has given up an early goal in the last three matches. Hackworth said he hopes to correct that trend, but he also likes how his team responded to adversity.

“I think our reaction, in a game where we again went down a goal,  was very good,” Hackworth said. “I just felt like we responded well and really from the 55th minute on, I felt like we were going to win it, not just tie the game, but win it, and that’s what we did. We got the goal off the set piece and then we kept that momentum going. Our second goal was thing of beauty.”

Louisville City travels to Canada on Saturday, will train in Ottawa Saturday night before taking on the Fury Sunday afternoon. Ottawa is coming off a 3-2 Wednesday night win over the Wanderers in the Canadian Championship Tournament. 

Kickoff is at 2:06 p.m. The game will be televised on WBKI locally and streamed online through ESPN+. The local radio broadcast is on 840 WHAS with Kevin Kernen and Jeff Greer.

Louisville City’s Paco Craig was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for his performance vs. Nashville SC Saturday night.

Here is the full Team of the Week:

GK – Brandon Miller, Charlotte Independence: Miller recorded nine saves in the Independence’s road draw at North Carolina FC and then posted a shutout in the club’s win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

D – Paco Craig, Louisville City FC: Craig scored the equalizer and won 11 of 13 duels and 8 of 9 aerials defensively in Louisville’s comeback victory against Nashville SC at Slugger Field.

D – Nathan Smith, Portland Timbers 2: Smith won 11 of 13 duels and 7 of 8 aerials while recording eight recoveries and won the penalty kick that led to T2’s stoppage-time equalizer against Tulsa Roughnecks FC.

D – Owusu-Ansah Kontor, Orange County SC: Kontor recorded one assist and three key passes, made 13 recoveries and completed 38 of 44 passes overall in Orange County’s road victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.

M – Elijah Martin, Fresno FC: Martin recorded the assist on the Foxes’ game-winning goal, recorded two key passes and completed 26 of 31 passes overall while also winning 10 of 12 duels against Sacramento Republic FC.

M – Kenardo Forbes, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Forbes scored the game-winning goal, had four key passes and made six interceptions in the Hounds’ victory against Bethlehem Steel FC last Thursday night.

M – Sam Gleadle, Reno 1868 FC: Gleadle recorded two goals and one assist and had five key passes as Reno swept to a 4-0 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC last Wednesday night.

M – Billy Forbes, San Antonio FC: Forbes recorded one goal and one assist and completed 11 of 17 dribbles to lead SAFC to a 3-0 victory against Copa Tejas rival Austin Bold FC last Wednesday night.

M – Russell Cicerone, Saint Louis FC: Cicerone recorded the game-tying goal and an assist as STLFC rallied from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with Loudoun United FC on Saturday night.

F – Sebastian Guenzatti, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Guenzatti notched his 10th goal of the season and logged an assist as the Rowdies took a 3-1 victory on the road against the Swope Park Rangers.

F – Elliot Collier, Memphis 901 FC: Collier scored the first hat trick in 901 FC’s history as it took its first home league victory on Saturday night with a 4-1 win against Hartford Athletic.

Bench: Logan Ketterer (ELP), Zach Carroll (RNO), Rodrigo da Costa (TUL), Douglas Martinez (SLC), Alex Martinez (CLT), Oscar Jimenez (LOU), Yamikani Chester (NC)

Louisville City FC came from behind to beat Nashville SC 2-1 Saturday night at Slugger Field. Check some of the views from the match from photographer Robert Fanning. 

Paco Craig earned this week’s Dr. Mark Lynn and Associates, Visionworks Man of the Match honors after scoring an equalizer against rival Nashville SC in a 2-1 victory. Craig received 44 percent of the fan vote that also included Oscar Jimenez, Chris Hubbard, and Niall McCabe.

Craig’s goal came in the 65’ as Jimenez sent a free kick into the box and Craig headed the ball into the back of the net.

“I saw OJ’s [Oscar Jimenez] position and told him exactly what area I wanted it and he placed it right there,” said Craig on Jimenez’s service. “At that point, it was just whoever was more desperate for the ball and I happened to get enough of it to put it in goal.”

Craig’s goal was his first on the season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time as LouCity went on to win their first league match since June 8.

The team found a way to get a result, even when dealing with extreme heat.

“Man, when it’s that hot, you just take a look around – left and right – and see your teammates going through the same thing,” said Craig crediting his team. “We had the [hydration] break, but you’ve got to push each other sometimes and we did that tonight and we finished with three points.”

The return of former LouCity forward Cameron Lancaster, who made his first trip back to Louisville Slugger Field for the first time following a record-breaking 2018 campaign, made Craig’s goal and the team’s victory even more rewarding.

“It’s more than just a rivalry, especially between us,” Craig said on his former teammate. “It was great having him here and going up against him.”

Up next Louisville City FC will travel north of the border to face Ottawa Fury FC for the second time this season. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, at TD Place Stadium.

A spectacular goal by newcomer Antoine Hoppenot lifted LouCity to a 2-1 win over visiting Nashville SC and Cameron Lancaster Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field. 

The late goal by Hoppenot proved to be the dagger as Louisville City defeated Nashville SC. LouCity grabbed three points to move even with Nashville FC at 29 points.

“I’d say overall, the word that comes to mind is gutsy performance by us,” Louisville City coach John Hackworth said. “I think my players are trying to make me go bald – or grey fast – by giving up another goal early in the game. The response after halftime and coming out trying to get back into the game. Playing LouCity soccer was really nice. … We have to continually deal with this adversity that’s getting thrown our way, but really proud of our boys. That was an important three points for us.”

Things didn’t look good early on. Louisville City, once again, found itself in a hole, as Nashville’s Daniel Rios takes a shot that curled around the outstretched arms of LouCity Goal Keeper, Chris Hubbard, to give Nashville a 0-1 lead. 

Time and time again, LouCity had opportunities at the goal in the first half, but could not convert. Luck seemed to swing in the favor of the home team when a foul was called on Nashville in the penalty box in the 41′, but Magnus Rasmussen’s penalty kick sailed high. 

“Maggie (Magnus Rasmussen) is usually automatic on that,” Hackworth said. “We had Luke on there, and normally he would’ve been the guy to take the PK. A pet peeve of mine is when the guy who gets fouled takes it (the PK), I never love that, so as soon as he missed it I was like ‘I should’ve called Luke off,’ but Maggie went right to the ball, you know he’s very confident. He’s very good at those. Those things happen, though.”

Nashville went into the locker room leading 0-1.

In the second half, LouCity attempts on the goal continued, but none closer than a perfectly placed cross to veteran Luke Spencer, as he puts a header off the left post in the 58′.

Six minutes later, Oscar Jimenez set up Paco Craig for the equalizer in the 64’, as Craig put it in the back of the net for knot the score at 1.

“Yeah, I saw OJ’s (Oscar Jimenez) position and told him exactly what area I wanted it and he placed it right there,” Craig said. “At that point, it was just whoever was more desperate for the ball, and I happened to get enough of it to put it in goal.”

Soon after, Brian Ownby led a breakaway on the left side of the field with Antoine Hoppenot streaking down the right. Ownby planted his right foot and swung his left at the ball to set up Hoppenot for his first goal as a member of Louisville City. 

“…Unbelievable cross by Brian Ownby. Honestly, you know he just put it in and all I have to do is really hit it, clean,” Hoppenot said. The speedy forward was recently acquired from the Tampa Bay Rowdies for Lucky Mkosana. “… After I scored I think I blacked out for a little bit because that’s probably one of my top goals in terms of emotional goals. … Coming here and starting off like this it’s emotional for me… to hear the crowd go wild it is fantastic.” 

Hackworth praised Hoppenot, saying, “I couldn’t draw it up any better. Bringing Antoine Hoppenot here was for that exact play… Antoine’s got a lot of ground to make up, but you see how quick he is and buries it right there.” 

The Boys in Purple will head up to Canada to take on Ottawa Fury FC on Sunday, July 14, at 2 p.m. EST. 

SCORING SUMMARY:

11’ – Daniel Rios NSH (Cam Lancaster)

65’ – Paco Craig LOU (Oscar Jimenez)

74’ – Antoine Hoppenot LOU (Brian Ownby)

From one rivalry to the next, Louisville City returns to Slugger Field Saturday to host rival Nashville SC, a week after battling Indy Eleven to a 1-1 draw in Lucas Oil Stadium.

“These games you don’t have to really motivate for,” Louisville City coach John Hackworth said. “Everybody knows it, inherently. Everybody’s up for it. The challenge is that we still need to go in search of three points, regardless of who we play. It doesn’t matter, and we feel confident in ourselves that we’ll go out there and do that.”

Louisville City is still in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt, currently sitting in seventh place with 26 points, but the Boys in Purple are not satisfied with their recent performances.

“We felt like we played well later in the game, but we aren’t happy with a point,” Louisville City forward Brian Ownby said. “This is a championship club and we know we need to start getting results.”

Louisville trails fifth-place Nashville by four points, but could pull within a point with a win Saturday night. Nashville’s lineup boasts former LouCity goal-scorer Cameron Lancaster, who was signed to an MLS deal by Nashville SC in the off-season. Lancaster has five goals through 11 appearances this season.

“Nashville’s a different kind of tactical opponent, and we obviously need to give them full respect,” Hackworth said. “They’re a fantastic team that is, again, higher in the table than us, with players that we know real well, a.k.a. Cam. So we know they have players capable of hurting us. But if we can improve on the little things we did there, especially in that second half, we’re going to be alright.”

Louisville City currently leads the Eastern Conference in shots with 289, but are ninth in goals with 25. Nashville has 30 goals on the season from 247 shots. LouCity added striker Antoine Hoppenot last week, and the Parisian dynamo immediately had a pair of chances in his first match. 

“I have been thinking about that one all week already,” Hoppenot said. “I should have put it on frame and had a goal there, that would have been nice. But you look at film, and you try to take advantage of those chances the next time they come around.”

Kickoff is at 7:06 p.m. The game will be televised on WBKI locally and streamed online through ESPN+. The local radio broadcast is on 840 WHAS with Kevin Kernen and Jeff Greer.