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Louisville City FC hosts the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Wednesday night at Lynn Stadium. LouCity will take on a familiar foe as Birmingham Legion FC comes to town for the second time this season. 

The Open Cup, an annual tournament pitting the top soccer teams in the nation against each other in a single-elimination event, includes teams from amateur leagues as well as every professional league in the country. 

Birmingham Legion won its second round Open Cup game 4-1 vs. West Chester United, a team from the NPSL. Louisville City won its second round game vs. Reading United, a team from USL League 2. 

Now the two USL Championship foes will square off in the third round for a chance to advance to play a potential game against an MLS foe in Round 4. USL Championship teams get first round byes, MLS teams get byes until the 4th Round. 

In the first matchup between these two teams this season, Birmingham Legion won 3-2 on March 31 after a rain postponed the game the night before. Then on May 11, LouCity beat Birmingham 3-0 in Birmingham. 

“The last game we played they really took it to us, so hopefully that sits with us, we take that to heart, and come out and make sure we impact the game in the right way,” Birmingham coach Tom Soehn said. 

For Louisville City, the chance to win the rubber match vs. Birmingham Legion is important, especially considering the frustrating way Sunday’s game vs. Bethlehem Steel. LouCity held a 2-0 lead before playing to a 2-2 draw. 

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Lynn Stadium at the University of Louisville. The game will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.

Louisville City forward Luke Spencer was named Dr. Mark Lynn and Associates Visionworks Man of the Match at the end of Saturday’s match between LouCity and Bethlehem Steel. 

Spencer garnered the fan vote thanks to his goal in the first half of Saturday’s match. Here are highlights from Spencers’ performance. 

Louisville City held a 2-0 lead just after half, but Bethlehem  Steel got a pair of second-half goals to force a draw Sunday afternoon at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa. 

Louisville City’s first goal came off a quick-thinking play by striker Luke Spencer. A ball in the box bounced off a Bethlehem defender and just a few feet from Spencer. He calmly side-stepped the defender and buried a shot into the side of the net in the 26′. 

In the 37′, both teams lost a man when Bethleghem’s Faris Pemi Moumbagna head-butted LouCity’s Napo Matsoso. The second time Faris made contact with Matsoso, the LouCity forward pushed back and the official decided to issue both a red card. 

Despite the extra space, neither team scored the rest of the first half though Louisville City had several chances while holding the ball for nearly 69 percent of the time. 

It didn’t take long for LouCity to reach the board again in the second half as veteran George Davis IV skillfully played a ball into the box and forward Lucky Mkosana headed it into the net just 37 seconds after halftime. 

Bethlehem Steel got a goal on a penalty kick after a foul in the box in the 51′ by Chavany Willis. The Bethlehem forward also got the equalizer on a shot just outside the box in the 57′. 

The game was marred by rough, physical play. Referee Kevin Broadley issued seven yellow cards, two of which resulted in a red card for Benjamin Ofeimu, who was ejected in the 90+2′. 

With six minutes of stoppage time, LouCity tried desperately to find the game winner in the final four minutes after Ofeimu was sent off. But the Boys in Purple couldn’t find a way to make it happen despite playing against just nine Bethlehem Steel players. 

The draw marks the start of a very busy week for Louisville City as the third round of the Open Cup commences Wednesday. LouCity will host Bethlehem Steel at Lynn Stadium on the campus of the University of Louisville Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

Then on Saturday, LouCity will host Charleston Battery at Slugger Field for the club’s annual Pride Night. 

Louisville City is on the road for a Sunday afternoon showdown with Bethlehem Steel FC in Philadelphia’s Talen Energy Stadium. 

TV: WBKI locally, ESPN+ Streaming

Radio: 840 WHAS locally, iHeartRadio streaming

Bethlehem presents an interesting challenge for LouCity, not just in their contrasting style, but also in their roster makeup. The Bethlehem Steel are the second team for the Philadelphia Union. 

“Sometimes it is tougher to scout a 2 team because you don’t quite know who will be in that starting 11 until just before the match so we have to scout for all the possibilities,” Louisville City coach John Hackworth said. 

Louisville City coaches were watching closely during last night’s Philadelphia Union vs. Portland Timbers matchup to see who was in the 18 and who got on the pitch. That could alter who Louisville City will face Sunday. 

LouCity has been in town since Friday and spent a good portion of training Friday and Saturday working on the game plan for Sunday’s match. 

“We had a couple of tactical objectives we were trying to mix into our plan for Sunday,” Hackworth said. 

Louisville City also worked on finishing around the net, trying to find a goal after last Saturday’s 0-0 draw vs. Saint Louis. 

“It’s not like we are doing anything different, we always work on finishing drills in training,” Hackworth said. “The idea that a serve is a pass and I want them to pick out their target. We don’t want just a random ball put into the box, but we want to pick out our target – find your runner and hit his head or his front foot, whatever it is. Whatever we are trying to execute, I want it to be that exactly.”

Sunday’s match starts a busy week for LouCity in which the Boys in Purple will play Sunday in Philadelphia, Wednesday in the Open cup vs. Birmingham Legion at Lynn Stadium in Louisville and Saturday vs. Charleston Battery at Slugger Field. 

Sunday’s Official Louisville City Watch Party is at Falls City Taproom. The radio broadcast will originate from the Watch Party and Falls City has the LouCity Golden Ale and the Friend-De-Lis Ale on tap for LouCity fans. 

Louisville City traveled to Philadelphia Friday to continue preparations for Sunday’s match vs. Bethlehem Steel FC in Philly’s Talen Energy Stadium. 

After a draw last Saturday at home vs. Saint Louis, LouCity is looking for three points on the road Sunday.

“For us it’s about holding ourselves to a high standard and going into each game expecting to win,” Louisville City coach John Hackworth said. “We know it won’t always happen, but we don’t change the level of expectations in this club. We expect to play quality soccer every match.”

Hackworth said his initial frustration from the Saint Louis draw has changed some in the days since Saturday’s match. 

“I have probably watched that Saint Louis game more than any other game so far this year,” Hackworth said. “I was certainly frustrated that we didn’t get the three points vs. Saint Louis, especially given how well we played, but the more I watched the game the more I understood about how that game was played and what a high-level of soccer both teams brought to that match. We feel like we created chances by playing beautiful soccer at times, but we didn’t finish when we needed to.”

Louisville City spent a significant portion of time in workouts this week on finishing inside the box. The club is focused on making the most of opportunities when they are created Sunday vs. Bethlehem. 

“We play an aggressive style of soccer,” Hackworth said. “We believe in that style and we believe if we play our game we’ll continue to have chances.”

Louisville City has regained the service of several players in recent weeks including veteran leaders Luke Spencer (forward) and George Davis IV (midfielder) and local stars Richard Ballard, a forward, and goalkeeper Chris Hubbard. 

The team’s traveling 18 now includes several players who have missed significant time this season due to injury, but have now recovered. 

Sunday’s Game Watch Party is at Falls City Taproom. Falls City will provide drink specials for Louisville City fans through the match and fans can purchase a beverage in Falls City’s new LouCity purple color-change cups. 

Louisville City FC and Heine Brothers’ Coffee have partnered to release a new mug to help Kentucky Refugee Ministries fund a recreational soccer program as part of the Highland Youth Recreation league. 

“Louisville City fans have loved our local Heine Brothers’ coffee for years. Now we can show our LouCity pride while drinking from a custom-designed re-usable LouCity mug,” Louisville City President Brad Estes said. 

And even better? Proceeds from each $7 mug purchase will directly benefit Louisville’s immigrant communities by helping children access soccer with soccer equipment, gear, registration fees and transportation to HYR soccer. The new mugs are available today at local Heine Brothers’ locations and will be for sale at the LouCity Team Store at 4th Street Live and at merchandise tables on LouCity Game Days.

“Louisville City is doing such great things to build Community.  We are truly excited to partner with them to support the HYR – KRM Youth Soccer Program. And, Nathan’s mug design is a lot of fun!” Heine Brothers’ Coffee President Mike Mays said.  

The mug itself is a beauty, designed by Nathan Weaver, and includes feet of all shapes and sizes with purple and gold soccer balls. The message: “Can I Kick It? Yes, You Can!” is a throwback to the classic call and response from A Tribe Called Quest. 

The mug reads, “A lot can be learned with a ball at your feet. That’s why we believe every kid deserves the chance to kick it around the pitch. So on behalf of Heine Bros’ and LouCity FC, proceeds from the sale of this cup will go to the Highlands Youth Recreation/Kentucky Refugee Ministries Youth Soccer Program.”

Louisville City’s Director of Youth Development Mario Sanchez and members of the team have joined HYR and KRM for weekly clinics.

“We believe soccer is for everyone,” Sanchez said. “Seeing the kids get a chance to connect and communicate through their love of our beautiful game is incredible.”

The mugs resemble the signature 16 oz. Heine Bros’ mugs and fans will get a discount on fill-ups at local Heine Bros’ locations. More good news? Mugs purchased at Heine Brothers’ locations will have a $5 off ticket coupon for upcoming LouCity matches.

Mugs purchased at the LouCity Team Store or at matches will have a coupon inside good for a free fill of coffee, tea, iced coffee or cold brew at any Heine Brothers’ location

About Heine Brothers’ Coffee

Heine Brothers’ is a 100% fair trade and organic coffee roaster. The company opened their first shop in October 1994 in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville, KY, and has 17 Louisville-area locations. Heine Brothers’ is committed to operating responsibly and sustainably – donating to numerous community groups, buying locally and co-founding the world’s first fair-trade coffee buying cooperative. The company is dedicated to continuing to deliver remarkable coffee experiences while staying focused on making an impact in Louisville and around the world. For more information, please visit heinebroscoffee.com or follow @HeineBrosCoffee on Twitter. On Instagram: @heinebroscoffee. On Facebook:@heinebrotherscoffee.

About Louisville FC

Since its launch in 2014, Louisville City FC has been committed to serving the community of Louisville and state of Kentucky as the lone professional soccer team. LouCity’s remarkable 2017 campaign included winning the USL Cup in the club’s first appearance in the final. Despite a midseason coaching change, Louisville City won its second USL Cup in 2018, becoming the first back-to-back USL Cup winner in the USL modern era. Get the latest news on Louisville City FC at LouisvilleCityFC.com and via the club’s  channels on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.­­­

LINKS

For more on the KYR-KRM partnership, click here:  https://www.hyrsports.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2460838

Fans wishing to make a direct donation to HYR -KRM Futbol Friends, can visit: https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/c151aa01-d24f-4315-9d9c-59fd38f91913

HYR Sports: https://www.hyrsports.com/

Highlands Community Ministries: http://hcmlouisville.org/

Kentucky Refugee Ministries: https://kyrm.org/

Louisville City starters Shaun Francis and Speedy Williams got word over the weekend that they’ve been picked for the Jamaican National Team’s 40-man preliminary roster for the Gold Cup. 

Francis, who has worn the captain’s arm-band for LouCity in several matches this season, and Williams, one of LouCity’s most-active players, will miss several weeks of the USL Championship season, but coach John Hackworth said he’s happy for the pair.

“Earning a spot on your national team is an incredible honor,” coach John Hackworth said. “We know what quality players Speedy and Frano are, and we understand why Jamaica wants them to play for the National Team.”

LouCity will need to make due without the two through a significant portion of the June schedule.

“I am proud of Speedy and Shaun, and happy for them that they’ll get to wear their countries colors again,” Hackworth said. “It won’t be easy to replace two players of their caliber, but we know we have quality players on our roster and we have dealt with changes in the roster due to injury so far this season already.”

Both Francis and Williams have played for The Reggae Boyz in international competition before, many times, in fact.

Francis made his debut with with Jamaican National Team on Oct. 11, 2010 and has 18 caps and three goals during his international experience. The native of Mandeville, Jamaica, has played more than 1,300 minutes for Jamaica. 

Williams, a native of Kingston, was just 18 years old when he made his debut for Jamaica on August 12, 2010. Since then he has played in six matches for his native country including three matches in the CONCACAF Nations League in late 2018 and March of this year.

Francis and Williams will likely be with Louisville City at Bethlehem Steel this Sunday and then at home vs. Charleston Battery on June 1 before embarking on their training for Gold Cup. 

In the  first King’s Cup match of 2019 featuring Louisville City and St. Louis FC , midfielder Oscar Jimenez’s service and skillset  earned the fans’ vote for Visionworks Man of the Match. The Washington-native played a key role on City’s offensive side of the pitch, lifting a total of 10 corner kicks through the full 90.

“It was difficult to get it in the goal. You’ve got to give credit to St. Louis because you look at their past results, they are a very resilient team,” said Jimenez. “They’re really hard to score against. They have really clean sheets.”

Facing a stingy, stout St. Louis back line which conceded just 6 goals entering the match and featured the likes of former LouCity players Sean Reynolds and Guy Abend, Jimenez and crew spent the majority of the match’s first 30 minutes creating a number of scoring opportunities. None of those chances concluded in goal scoring.

“A few times, we caught [Sam Fink] off balance. Those were also the times we created really good opportunities, and that’s when you have to put them in the goal,” said Jimenez. “It’s not very often a team that is that organized lets chances like that happen.”

Both sides entered the break knotted at 0-0. With a similar approach to the first half, the home side dominated time of possession and opportunities came in flurries yet the Boys in Purple were still unable to slip one past St. Louis ‘keeper Jake Fenlason. 

“With this team here, you are always coming out expecting to win every game. 0-0, 85th minute, everyone is tired, you’re still up, doesn’t matter. We’re going for the win,” added the Western Washington University graduate. “We’re not trying to sit back and get this tie. We’re not about that. We’re about winning.”

The last play of Saturday’s match featured the final corner from a busy Jimenez yet ended with a Fenlason punchout and a clean sheet for both clubs. Though the chance for Louisville City to make a major leap in the league’s table came to a 0-0 draw, Jimenez says he is still honored to have played such a key role in front of a club-record crowd for the month of May.

“I want to thank the fans for voting me Man of the Match. I am trying to work as hard as I can for my teammates,” said Jimenez. “If that gives me Man of the Match or I do well that’s fantastic.”

Louisville City drew vs. Saint Louis FC Saturday night in front of the largest May crowd in LouCity history (9,688). The draw netted a point, but Louisville City’s coaches and players weren’t satisfied with the single point, they wanted three. 

“I’m just disappointed,” coach John Hackworth said. “I literally want to apologize to the fans at the same time telling them they’re great, but we’re sorry we didn’t get you the three points. They deserve to celebrate like no other tonight, and that would’ve been fantastic for them.”

LouCity gave incredible effort, but they couldn’t find the net. They certainly had chances, more than a dozen of them in fact.

In the 5′ Paco Craig had a header blocked. In the 7′ Speedy Williams’ 35-yard shot just missed to the left. In the 9′ Oscar Jimenez blasted a shot into the bottom left corner, but it was saved by Jake Fenlason.

In the 11′ a shot by Magnus Rasmussen was caught in the center of the box, and then Luke Spencer’s left-footed shot in the 22′ was blocked. Just before half, Williams had an attempt on target, but it was saved by Fenlason. 

“I mean, the chances did come, and they came in bunches sometimes. It was difficult to get it in the goal,” LouCity’s Oscar Jimenez said. “You gotta give credit to Saint Louis because you look at their past results, they are a very resilient team. They’re really hard to score against, they have really clean sheets. It’s tough when you get a bunch of chances like that you have to connect, but you watch the game, you can see how they swarm the goal and made it very difficult to score. You gotta give credit to them, but you gotta be better than that.”

Louisville City started the second half much like the first with chances aplenty. Rasmussen had a shot blocked in the 48′, Niall McCabe had a shot on frame caught in the 50′ and Williams had a header on the left side of the box caught in the 51′. 

And still more. McCabe’s right-footed blast just missed to the right in the 54′ and a header by Spencer in the 56′ just missed to the right. Williams had a shot sail in the 60′ and Rasmussen’s shot to the center of the goal was caught by Fenlason in the 61′. Spencer had another shot blocked in the 63′. Rasmussen had a shot that just missed the frame in the 69′. 

There was a span of time late in the game when Louisville City didn’t create many chances, but the final 10 minutes were a flurry of activity. George Davis IV’s blast from outside the box was caught by Fenlason in the 85′. Then Spencer had a shot blocked in the box in the 95′ and Abdou Thiam’s shot was blocked just outside the box eight seconds later.

“With this team here, you are always coming out expecting to win every game,” Jimenez said. “0-0, 85th minute, everyone is tired, you’re still up, doesn’t matter, we’re going for the win. We’re not trying to sit back and get this tie, we’re not about that, we’re about winning. When we don’t win, we get a tie, it’s better, because you get one point, but at the same time there’s frustration in the locker room. You know, we’re about three points.”

The final result was a draw, sending both teams home with one point. Saint Louis is now 5-4-1 (W-D-L) on the season with 19 points. Louisville City is 5-2-4 with 17 points. 

Louisville City will travel to Bethlehem Steel for a match Sunday, May 26 at 2 p.m. 

Louisville City FC’s loaded roster for the 2019 season is beginning to take shape now that several players have returned to full health. And just in time, too, as LouCity has embarked on a two-game week, beating Reading United 3-0 Wednesday night in the Open Cup and hosting Saint Louis FC in USL Championship play tonight at Slugger Field.

TV >> WBKI locally, ESPN+ streaming

Radio >> 840 WHAS locally, iHeartRadio app

This week the Boys in Purple saw four players, forward Richard Ballard, goalkeeper Chris Hubbard and midfielders Geoff Dee and Elijah Wynder make their season debuts Wednesday night in a 3-0 win over Reading United in the Open Cup. Those four were part of an 18 that gave some regular starters a break and extra time to recover after last week’s 3-0 win vs Birmingham Legion FC. 

After some struggles with injuries earlier this season, Louisville City has started to climb the Eastern Conference table again, but LouCity currently trails third-place Saint Louis FC by two points. Coach John Hackworth knows his squad has its work cut out for it. 

“Saint Louis is going to be a tough test for us, and the turn-around in between Open Cup and then back to the USL Championship schedule isn’t easy,” Hackworth said. “But we planned for this and we executed the plan Wednesday night. Hopefully we can do the same on Saturday.”

Saint Louis has only lost once this season, a 3-2 loss at Birmingham Legion on April 13. Since then, they have drawn vs. the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, beat the Swope Park Rangers 3-1, had a game postponed against the Ottawa Fury and drew 0-0 vs. Charleston Battery. 

Louisville City is 3-4-1 against Saint Louis all-time, including some games in USL play and others in Open Cup action. 

Saturday’s match is LouCity’s Military Appreciation Night. The club set aside 500 free tickets for active military and military veterans as a small Thank You for their service. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:06 p.m. and the match will be televised locally on WBKI and nationally on ESPN+ streaming. The radio broadcast is on 840 WHAS and the iHeart Radio App.