The Sunday afternoon match featured on ESPN 2 was not kind to Louisville City. An early 2nd half red card gave Detroit City the edge needed to hand Louisville their sixth loss of the season. LouCity had positioned themselves where a loss such as this would not put their regular season goals in jeopardy. However, it does eat into their lead over Charleston and serves as a reminder that anyone one can win on any given day. Returning to home, the boys in purple would be looking to get back into the win column against the West’s fourth place side, Memphis 901.
The tension felt by fans after the DET loss only grew in the early stages of this latest match. A counter sequence with the LouCity defense scrambling to get back to defend saw 901 take the lead. Only minutes later the visitors scored their second in a goal closely resembling the first conceded goal in the previous match. Being down 2-0 at home within the first 20 minutes was enough to noticeably alter the usually upbeat and engaged Louisville crowd (the poor weather didn’t help). Louisville isn’t the type of team to roll over. Their relentless drive has been a staple trait of this 2024 team. The ensuing win would be the first for the club after trailing by two since the legendary 8-3 regular season finale for Slugger Field in 2019.
At 25’, the ball was dislodged from Memphis at midfield. Taylor Davila immediately sent a long pass to Wilson Harris, who got around the keeper to cut into 901’s lead. Louisville looked like a rejuvenated squad after the first goal and that continue for the remainder of the match. Davila scored his first later in the half with a distance shot from the top of the box. Elijah Wynder helped LouCity take the lead with a shot through a crowd of players right before the end of the first half. While the second half saw more shots from the home side than the first, only one more goal was scored in the match. It was an angled shot to the top of the net by Davila at 55’. After losing their lead, a demoralized Memphis half-heartedly try to stay in the game that was once very much in their control. A testament to Louisville’s ability to take firm control over a match.
The midfield shined bright in this encounter. Davila’s two goals and one assist paired with Wynder’s goal along with their non-scoring efforts made all the difference. Adrien Perez managed to find several shots but all were slightly off target. He continues to search for his first goal since the late May beatdown against Detroit as well as his notable injury absence. And beyond Wilson Harris’ goal, his off the ball work continues to impress. His “first defender” mentality has helped LouCity to stifle opposition attacks before they can really begin and create offensive chances from seemingly nothing. The subs in the match deserve a shout out as well. It could have been an opportunity for Memphis to crawl back into the match, but all continued to dominating presence that the starters had built up throughout the match. It was an all around team performance.
After the 4-2 victory, Louisville City set a new club record for goals in a season, surpassing the total of 71 amassed by the 2018 team. Two more goals would see the 2024 Louisville team overtake the 2017 Reno for second most in a season all-time. "I think it shows the resiliency that we have in that locker room," said coach Danny Cruz. "Obviously, it's not the way you want to start the game, especially here at home... At the same time, it's not easy to respond the way that the group did, and ultimately, when you look at how we closed out the game, the players have a lot to be proud of.”
It’s been a long campaign, but the team is getting close to seeing the fruits of their labor. They inch closer to the Player’s Shield, a trophy the club has yet to earn. But that won’t be the finish line. The one and out format of the playoffs allows for little room for error. The likes of CHS or TBR will not be as easy an opponent to make a comeback against. LouCity’s potent offense makes any deficit seem within reach, but it’s better to avoid that position altogether. They are tied for 11th in goals conceded with 1.3. Not bad, but an area that could use some refinement. Only a few days until a midweek match against Miami where they can continue to polish the execution of their game plan and continue the journey to clinching the regular season title.
Parting Thoughts
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