The clash between Louisville City and Charleston Battery has been billed as the biggest regular season match in LouCity history, if not the biggest in USL history. Both Louisville and Charleston are levels above the rest of the league and Louisville particularly has been putting up numbers that have them on pace to arguably be deemed one of the best of all time. LouCity is pursuing their first regular season title, and the Battery is their biggest threat to earning that piece of silverware they have yet to add to the collection. Charleston did get the better of Louisville earlier in the year but Morados is not the same team they were in April. The growing rivalry between the two clubs would have its latest installment in front of a season-high crowd at Lynn Family Stadium for the annual Fill The Fam match. LouCity has historically stepped up when the lights shined the brightest, and this match was no different.
Coach Danny Cruz asked his players before the game to “do everything they can to make sure that when people leave this place, they say that’s a group that’s relentless.” The message was heard loud and clear as his squad drained the Battery in less than less-than-dramatic fashion. “All in all, there’s a lot to be proud of tonight,” Coach Cruz added. What the boys in purple lacked in possession (35%), they made up for in sheer control of the match. The visitors took nearly 40% more accurate passes in their own half of the pitch than Louisville did in total. When Ben Pirmann’s side wasn’t being suffocated in their own half, they were struggling to make the most of their lofty time on the ball. Just three shots on target, zero big chances, and a total expected goal (xG) value of 1.02. LouCity, meanwhile, did a lot with their 35% possession. Five shots on target, four big chances created, and a total of 1.40 xG. It was the type of performance that validated all the team’s preparations for this huge matchup.
It was Aiden McFadden who opened up LOU’s scoring at 17’ with his first for the club. Jansen Wilson nearly made it two before the 40’ mark. However, he later redeemed the big missed chance at 82’. It was none other than Phil Goodrum bagging number three just minutes later in his debut (against one of his former coaches nonetheless). Charleston did ruin the clean sheet in garbage time, but by then the match was essentially over. It was not the nail-biter that their previous match was, but it surpassed it in sheer importance. “I’ve never played in something that’s as big as this,” Jansen said. “Fill the Fam — all the fans came out. We feel your energy and can’t thank you guys enough for coming out.”
With that win, Louisville now leads the Battery by four points with two games in hand. The next closest squad is New Mexico, 8 points back. The two-time USL champs have put themselves in a position where the regular season is theirs to lose and all of their playoff matches would take place in the comfort of Butchertown. “Redemption” was a storyline that I had noted heading into this season. While the job is far from done, the squad is well on their way to making up for an unfulfilling 2023 campaign. Minus the hiccup against Rhode Island, the team has given fans little reason to doubt their ability to finish the job and make a deep playoff push. Looking ahead, LouCity’s schedule is largely teams poised to miss the playoffs or flirting on the edge. Matches in which Vegas will likely have Louisville as the heavy favorites. Only a few more hardy tests remain, including a road trip to Detroit, a battle with Memphis, a LIPAFC in Indy, and a mid-October meeting at home against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The three-match stretch against New Mexico, Sacramento, and the Charleston Battery was going to have a lot of influence on how comfortable the ending of the season would be. After winning all three, the odds are looking good for the team to add to the trophy cabinet.
Also, do not forget to check out KSR's video on Louisville City being the greatest story in American soccer!
Parting Thoughts
Want more reading on LouCity? Check out the following:
Be sure to check out the Vamos Morados Podcast featuring myself, Benton, and Zach Allen-Kelly. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Audible, and Spotify. Everything you need to listen can be found on the Podcast page. Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!
The podcast is now also available in video format! Make sure to subscribe to The State of Louisville YouTube channel to catch the latest episodes along with a number of other quality shows!
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