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On the first goal: 
“I honestly didn’t even have a look. I had a few chances I probably should’ve scored on in the first half and so I just thought I needed to take a pop and test the ‘keeper early. Thankfully it came off.” 

On breaking the record: 
“It means a lot. I’ve had a tough journey to get to here. When I saw [former LouCity forward Matt] Fondy do it, I was in the stands with an ACL injury wishing I could be on the pitch doing exactly what he was doing. To do it three or four years on, it means a lot.” 

On if this means a little more given the circumstance: 
“Of course, it is an individual sort of title so it does mean a lot more to me on an individual level but, at the same time, what matters most is the three points and another good step going into the playoffs.” 

On getting the three points: 
“It means a lot. There’s only one game left but you want to finish it as strong as possible going into the playoffs and hit the playoffs head on, doing as best as we can.” 

On what will stick out the most looking back on tonight: 
“I think that first goal, probably!”

Louisville City FC captured a crucial home win against North Carolina FC thanks to a Cameron Lancaster double, which broke the single-season USL record for goals scored.

What Happened?
A Pink Match was on hand Tuesday evening when Louisville City hosted North Carolina FC in City’s second-to-last home match of the regular season.

After not starting in last Friday’s 1-4 win over Atlanta United 2, forward Cameron Lancaster returned to the Louisville City lineup alongside goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh who returns after a rib injury left him sidelined the previous 2 matches.

From the kickoff through the first 35 minutes, it was Louisville City who dominated possession time and shots taken, though the visitors would open the scoring sheet.

A run along the goal line by North Carolina’s Steve Miller created an opening for Daniel Rios, who slipped one past Ranjitsingh for the night’s first goal. Rios’s strike was his 18th of the season, just four behind Lancaster at the moment.

The “Boys in Purple” would be held scoreless entering the half.

No more than two minutes into the second 45, Lancaster struck a beautiful ball from distance after receiving a pass from Paco Craig, blasting it past NCFC ‘keeper Alex Tambakis to knot the match at 1-1.

The rip from near midfield was Lancaster’s 23rd of the year, breaking the USL’s record for the number of goals scored in a single season.

Little action would follow the historic goal until Lancaster, yet again, found the back of the net thanks to a through ball from Ilija Ilic in the 84th minute.

Louisville City would go on to win the match 2-1, maintaining sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference.

The Key Points:

• Goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh returned to the pitch after a rib injury forced him out of the 4-0 home win over Ottawa Fury FC on September 22nd.
• Cameron Lancaster’s 47th-minute strike was good for his 23rd of the season, breaking the USL single-season record for goals scored.
• Lancaster’s second of the night and 24th on the season sealed all three points for City in the 84th minute

Injury Report:
OUT – Magnus Rasmussen (knee)

Louisville City FC 2 : 1 North Carolina FC
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Louisville Slugger Field | Louisville, KY
80 degrees / sunny
Attendance: 6,693

Scoring Summary:
NC – Daniel Rios (Steve Miller) 38′
LOU – Cameron Lancaster (Paco Craig) 47′
LOU – Cameron Lancaster (Ilija Ilic) 84′

Disciplinary Summary:
LOU – Paco Craig, yellow 25’
NC – Daniel Rios, yellow 28’
NC – Kyle Bekker, yellow 61’
LOU – Oscar Jimenez, yellow 72’

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Greg Ranjitsingh (GK); Alexis Souahy, Paco Craig (c), Oscar Jimenez, Kyle Smith; Jose Carranza (Devon “Speedy” Williams 45’), Brian Ownby (Sean Totsch 87’), George Davis IV (Jonathan Lewis 73’), Niall McCabe; Cameron Lancaster, Ilija Ilic

Bench: Shaun Francis, Richard Ballard, Tim Dobrowolski, Luke Spencer

Scoring one and assisting on another in LouCity’s resolute 3-1 win over Toronto FC II on Saturday night, forward Ilija Ilic has been selected for the USL Team of the Week from Week 30!

The ‘Serbian Sniper’ put City in front before even a quarter of an hour had gone by, pouncing on a mistake from the Reds before beating TFC II ‘keeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell from close range. Then, with City in the driver’s seat, Ilic played an inch-perfect pass for fellow forward Cameron Lancaster to latch onto before he eventually finished off the match with his USL-leading 22nd goal of the year. 

ATL UTD 2 forward Romario Williams has been voted the USL Player of the Week for Week 30 of the 2018 season. Williams scored both goals as Atlanta rallied from a halftime deficit on Sunday evening to take a 2-1 victory against the Charleston Battery to cap a positive week for the first-year side that saw it pick up four points from two games.

Williams received 47 percent of the poll conducted by a national panel of independent media representing every USL market. The Charlotte Independence’s Eamon Zayed and Sacramento Republic FC’s Jure Matjasic finished tied for second on 24 percent.

USL Team of the Week
GK – Matt Bersano, Reno 1868 FC: Bersano recorded eight saves across back-to-back shutouts as 1868 FC clinched its place in the postseason as it took four points from visits to the Portland Timbers 2 and Phoenix Rising FC.

D – Jos Hooiveld, Orange County SC: Hooiveld won 14 of 16 duels overall and completed 55 of 68 passes to help Orange County claim a 2-1 victory against Seattle Sounders FC 2 to remain top of the Western Conference.

D – Forrest Lasso, FC Cincinnati: Lasso won 13 of 16 duels and recorded 12 clearances as FC Cincinnati extended its undefeated streak to 22 games in a scoreless draw against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

D – Joe Greenspan, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Greenspan recorded 14 clearances, five interceptions and won 8 of 12 duals as the Hounds limited FC Cincinnati to four shots overall in a scoreless draw on Saturday night.

D – Hassan Ndam, New York Red Bulls II: Ndam anchored the Red Bulls II defense as he won 13 of 14 duels overall and recorded 11 clearances as New York claimed a 2-1 victory against North Carolina FC despite being down to 10 men throughout the second half.

M – Lance Laing, San Antonio FC: Laing recorded a goal and assist to help rally SAFC to a 3-1 victory against Las Vegas Lights FC that kept the club’s postseason hopes alive going to the final week of the regular season.

M – Sebastian Saucedo, Real Monarchs SLC: Saucedo scored both goals and recorded five key passes as the Monarchs took a 2-1 victory against OKC Energy FC to reinvigorate their chances of a top-four finish.

M – Jure Matjasic, Sacramento Republic FC: Matjasic notched a goal and two assists as Republic FC took victories against both the Swope Park Rangers and LA Galaxy II to clinch a top-three finish in the West.

F – Eamon Zayed, Charlotte Independence: Zayed recorded two goals and one assist as the Independence earned four points on the road with a draw at Penn FC and a 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

F – Ilija Ilic, Louisville City FC: Ilic had a goal and assist and recorded three key passes as Louisville took a 3-1 victory against Toronto FC to claim the edge on finishing in second place in the Eastern Conference.

F – Romario Williams, ATL UTD 2: Williams scored twice in the second half to lead Atlanta to a comeback 2-1 victory against the Charleston Battery on Sunday evening at Coolray Field. 

Bench: Brandon Miller (CLT), Michael Reed (NSH), Nicolas Perea (RGV) Jemal Johnson (FRS), Richie Menjivar (PEN), Keven Aleman (SAC), Ever Guzman (SA)

100 USL games for one club: it’s a rare feat. One so rare that four years into Louisville City FC’s history, there is only one man who will be able to etch his name into that particular part of City’s early chapters.

Midfielder Niall McCabe has been here since the beginning. He’s seen teammates come and go, experienced two coaching changes in one season (shout out to the Triumvirate), and won the ultimate prize in the form of a USL Cup at the culmination of a brilliant year last season. And on Tuesday night against North Carolina FC, he will again take another step forward by becoming LouCity’s first-ever Centurion.

“It doesn’t feel like four seasons—no way. It all kind of blends in. We’ve done so well in these four years—conference finalists to eventually winning everything—the breaks are shorter and that’s good so it just makes it all feel a bit blended,” he said.

“Just reaching 100 games, though, I never thought that would happen. When I first signed, if someone had told me I’d be the first player to reach that, I’d have called them a liar. I’m really happy with it, it’s something I’m proud of.”

Joining the club after a successful trial under former head coach James O’Connor ahead of the 2015 season, McCabe has long been a contributor to what Louisville City has accomplished. Club’s don’t often experience such quick and continued success, though, and for that McCabe counts himself lucky.

“It’s obviously a huge honor. Winning the USL Cup last year was incredible because we put in so much hard work. The other previous two years, though, when we got to the conference finals we only came up a little bit short,” said McCabe.

“I think for such a new team to be able to be that successful—not just one season of success—but having continued success over four years, it takes a special group of people to be able to do that. Thankfully, we’ve had those people on board and not just on the team, but the staff as well.”

However, despite continued success on and off the field, reaching the century mark of games played was not a possibility in McCabe’s mind when he first came on board in 2015.  Now, nearly four years later, the 28-year-old relishes the chance to reach that marker for this city and its fans, especially.  

“It means a hell of a lot. I never take anything for granted and I feel very lucky to be able to do what I do. It’s not just a job, it’s something that I would be doing anyway whether it was professionally or not,” said McCabe. 

“All the guys that have stepped out there, we know the fans have our back 100% and because I’ve been here since the beginning, I may have that extra little bit of affection which I’m grateful for. I love our fans and I think they’re the best. The support they give us is incredible and I can’t speak highly enough of them. Hopefully, we can give them a few more smiles from now until the end of the season.”

Both McCabe and the team are not finished, though, with plans to defend their USL Cup well in motion.

“It’s very important to play at home and have all of those fans come out. It gives you that advantage where we can stick to our routine, train at our complex, sleep in our own beds and do the same stuff. Having that routine helps a lot,” said McCabe.”

“Then to play on our field in front of our fans, it definitely gives us the upper hand for sure. Our fans are loud and they really get behind us so it’s tough for opposing teams to come to Slugger Field. Hopefully we can have our 12th man again.”

That 12th man will be present on Tuesday, and may be louder than ever for one man in particular: LouCity’s lone centurion, Niall McCabe.

Louisville City FC hosts North Carolina FC for midweek match rescheduled from Saturday, March 24, but with far more implications at this stage in the year then there were then.

LouCity, who has won four straight games, is in pole position to claim the two seed should they earn positive results over the final two contests after Riverhounds SC drew scoreless with FC Cincinnati on Saturday night.

The visitors, meanwhile, are just outside the playoff race and need all three points to keep hopes of extending their season alive. 

When & Where
The match is set to take place on Tuesday, October 9 at Slugger Field with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

The match will be aired on WBNA TV-21 as well as streamed on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the match on 790 WKRD. Fans can also follow #LOUvNC on Twitter & Instagram.

TV: WBNA TV-21
RADIO: 790 WKRD
STREAM: ESPN+

DOWNLOAD: LouCity app for iOS | LouCity app for Android

Where They Stand
Louisville City FC:
17-6-9, 60 points – 2nd in EC

North Carolina FC:
12-12-8, 44 points – 10th in EC

Last Time Out
John Hackworth opted for three changes as Luke Spencer, Ilija Ilic, and Jonathan Lewis all entered the starting XI for City’s lone visit to Toronto.

Attacking from the outset, it didn’t take long for City to get off the mark as Ilija Ilic found the back of the net just 11 minutes in. With the ball bouncing around in the air, a Toronto FC II defender headed down into the penalty area where Ilic was waiting in the wings, and the Serbian forward had little trouble beating TFC II ‘keeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell to gift his side the advantage.

After dictating the pace of the match and keeping Toronto at bay throughout the rest of the half, City would double their advantage just before the break thanks to defender Alexis Souahy. Again finding dangerous opportunities from set-pieces, defender Oscar Jimenez delivered an in-swinging free kick that was met by the head of the Frenchman and buried in the back of the net. The goal was Souahy’s third of the season.

At the halftime interval, City held a comfortable 0-2 lead.

After 81 minutes and the introduction of Golden Boot leader Cameron Lancaster, City added a third as the Englishman again could not be kept off the scoresheet. Fed off a perfectly weighted pass from Ilija Ilic, Lancaster took just the one touch before slotting past Patterson-Sewell with ease for his 22nd goal of the season to increase his lead in the USL.

Right at the death, though, Toronto would ruin City’s clean sheet as substitute Jordan Perruzza pounced on a loose ball in the box and clipped an effort with his left foot that barely beat Dobrowolski for the hosts’ lone goal of the night.

Rewind against North Carolina FC
A slow start saw NCFC test Ranjitsingh a few times in the opening minutes, with midfielder Steven Miller getting the first solid look on goal just five minutes in. Eventually firing off a short one-two with a teammate, Miller watched as his right-footed effort clipped the outside of the post and away from goal. However, six minutes later, NCFC found their first goal of the evening. Breaking into the middle, forward Daniel Rios nodded home a pass by Kyle Bekker from close range to go in front.

With 39 minutes gone, Jimenez delivered a perfect ball in from a corner that landed squarely on the head of defender Paco Craig and bounced into the back of the net. The goal was Craig’s second of the season in all competitions and the first in the USL regular season. An onslaught of chances came for City at the end of the first half but they could not capitalize on late pressure and went level into the halftime break.

Just before the hour mark, an attacking move from City looked like it had broken down before the ball somehow fell loosely to Ilic in the box. Turning around a few defenders, Ilic pulled himself away from goal and produced a clever finish at the back post to give his side the lead.

As NCFC continued to pile bodies forward, reinforcements for City in the form of Shaun Francis, Cameron Lancaster, and Pat McMahon were brought on. The home side kept knocking on goal as time ticked on, and in the 87th minute, the game’s final goal came in the form of an NCFC equalizer. Substitute midfielder Tiyi Shipalane found Rios again and again the forward produced, beating Ranjitsingh for the second time on the evening.

Despite an incredible effort in coming back from down a goal, City could not secure all three points and instead kept an important point on the road in returning home.

Coach John Hackworth’s pre-NC assessment
On his rating of the team’s form:
“I would give us an 8/10 right now. We still have to be better at the end of games. We’ve given up goals where we should’ve been able to manage the game better and gave up goals at the end. I think we need to be stronger in the second half of games. We’ve been really strong in the first half of games but we’ve been managing along in the second half and we can’t let our level drop.

“I’d like to see us be more complete from the first whistle to the last. I know I’m asking a lot but as we go into the final stretch heading into the playoffs, we’re going to be tested and we need to be closer to a 9/10. We’re going to be challenged by the best teams in the east when we get there and we have to be a 10 if we’re going to go the way through.”

On any growing pains:
“Our schedule and the different venues in the league right now, even this current schedule we’re on of Friday, Tuesday, and then Saturday, that’s been most difficult for all of us to manage. I’ve watched from afar in the USL but until you coach and play in it, and one game you’re on one surface and the next you’re on something completely different … if you look at the game in Toronto—not that that’s a bad field—but there were so many lines on it. That plays a factor in how we perform.”

On Tuesday night in Louisville:
“We hope it’s a beautiful night out in Louisville. North Carolina has no other choice but to come out and try to win the game and we love to play, so all of us could be in for an entertaining evening I’d say.”

KY Lottery Kees to the Game
Just two games left in the regular season and LouCity needs to take as many points as possible to keep the momentum rolling. Here are the KY Lottery Kees to the Game for #LOUvNC on Tuesday:

1. Full focus from minute one to 90
2. Hold the line against Daniel Rios
3. Don’t let your energy drop

Team News
QUESTIONABLE – Magnus Rasmussen (Knee Sprain)

Louisville City FC can today confirm international call-ups for defender Shaun Francis and midfielder Devon “Speedy” Williams ahead of Saturday’s regular-season finale against Indy Eleven on October 13.

The pair will link up with the Jamaican National Team for a CONCACAF Nations League qualifier against Bonaire on Sunday.

“Obviously, we’re going to miss both Frano and Speedy while they are away,” said coach John Hackworth. “But, we recognize the importance of them being able to help their country and log minutes. We will have to make a few adjustments ahead of the weekend but we’re hoping they can go put in a solid performance for Jamaica and come back injury-free and ready to go for the playoffs.”

This will be the second time both Francis and Williams will be called upon to don the Black, Yellow, and Green for the Jamaica Football Federation in 2018. Williams received his first action of the year when the JFF traveled to Turkey to face South Korea for an international friendly on January 30, just ahead of LouCity’s preseason in Bradenton, Florida.

Meanwhile, Francis is back in action for the JFF after going the distance for the Reggae Boyz in a 1-1 draw on Sunday, March 25 in an international friendly against Antigua and Barbuda.

The pair will re-join Louisville City FC immediately following the weekend and will be available for selection as Los Moradosapproach their first test in the USL Playoffs on Saturday, October 20. 

For the latest news and updates on the LouCity squad, visit LouisvilleCityFC.com.

– LouisvilleCityFC.com / Follow Louisville City FC on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram–

After collecting three points in a 3-1 win on the road visiting Toronto FC II, Louisville City FC returns home for their final two matches of the regular season with a postseason berth clinched. Louisville sits in second place in the Eastern Conference with a two-point lead over third place Pittsburgh. 

Last Time Against North Carolina 
LouCity captured a point on the road in June as the match resulted in a 2-2 draw. After going down 1-0 in the 11thminute, Paco Craig scored an equalizer before the half to send the teams into the break all tied up. Ilija Ilic put Louisville up a goal in the 59thminute, but the comeback was cut short by a Daniel Rios goal in the 87thminute. 

Scouting North Carolina FC
North Carolina FC sits in 10thplace in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the eight-seed still fighting for a spot in the playoffs. North Carolina has gone 3-2-0 in their last five matches, most recently falling 2-1 to fellow playoff contenders New York Red Bulls II on Saturday night. Daniel Rios has 17 goals on the season, tied for third in the USL while goalkeeper Alex Tambakis is third in the USL in saves at 89 on the season. 

Playoff Points, Continued
With the win against Toronto Friday night, Louisville City has put itself in a position to tie or break their club record for most points in a season. Sitting at 60 points, 62 is the current record set in 2017.  Should Louisville hold on to second place in the conference, this will be their fourth consecutive playoff appearance as a two-seed or higher. 

On if the team improved again tonight in the win:
“Anytime you go on the road and you get three goals and look like you’re going to get a shutout going into the final minutes of the game, that’s always good. We’ll take it. We talked about it a little bit but we think the second half can be improved upon in terms of our performance. All around, we need to dictate the tempo of the game a little better with the ball but we did what we needed to do and got three points. Toronto is not an easy opponent so we’re all good.”

On conceding the late goal:
“It is frustrating. All of us are frustrated by it. It puts a little bit of a sour taste on a good win but maybe that’s something we need to look at a little more carefully. I think it was an issue previously that we were giving up previously late in games and it’s still there. Clearly, that’s something that we need to work on.”

On inserting Ilija Ilic, Luke Spencer, and Jonathan Lewis into the lineup:
“I was really happy with those guys and specifically with Ilija. I thought he was really good all night long and it was good to see him not only play well but play the full 90 minutes and to contribute the way he did was fantastic.”

On the centerback pairing of Paco Craig and Alexis Souahy and Souahy’s goal:
“I think [Alexis] and Paco have formed a good relationship and so we’re dangerous on those set pieces and we have different targets. You’re right, I thought Paco should’ve maybe had a goal but Alexis gets one and that’s fantastic. That was an important goal at that point in the game.”

On Cameron Lancaster’s impact:
“You just nailed it—you put Cam on the field and in those moments he’s lethal. It was a great little combination play that sprung him and he had a lot to do with the finish but he executed it perfectly.”

On George Davis IV reaching 200 appearances in the USL modern era:
“George, I actually didn’t know about. That’s a huge accomplishment. I haven’t even told him congratulations yet to be fair but I certainly will.”

On finishing the regular season in Louisville:
“I think we just need to continue to build and now we get to do it without any distractions of being on the road and the travel and all that. It’ll be nice to be home. Tuesday will be a special game celebrating this team and helping cancer research and specifically breast cancer. I think we’ve gotten through a tough little stretch here and now we’re looking forward to coming home and playing in front of our fans. But, we still have a lot of work to do with North Carolina and Indy. Both of those teams are playoff contenders and are in the hunt and both of them need results, so we’re facing two difficult opponents at home but we’re absolutely looking forward to it.”

On if the team is peaking at the right time:
“I don’t think we’ve peaked yet, which is a good thing. We need to peak in the playoffs. We need to be playing our best soccer and, clearly, each time you play an opponent they present different challenges for you. It’s not always apples to apples, but I feel good about our approach, our preparation, our mentality, and our ideas and concepts. I think we’re getting better and we want to still keep doing that and hopefully we can throughout the rest of the way.”