Louisville City is in the midst of a challenging stretch of matches that could end up being critical for their push for winning the regular season and hoisting the club’s first Players’ Shield. The first of these three matches was at New Mexico. A Jansen Wilson goal towards the end of the first half saw the boys in purple earn a huge three points against the current best in the West. Following that match, LouCity returned to the comforts of home to face off against Sacramento Republic and then a Fill The Fam match against the Charleston Battery. Sacramento, close behind NM in the West, obliterated Louisville last season. Between that and the magnitude of this encounter for the team’s Players’ Shield aspirations, there was a lot on the line. The most potent offense against the road warriors (whose undefeated road streak dates back to last season).
A Wilson Harris goal within the first ten minutes gave Louisville an early lead that they held for the first half. Taylor Davila added another at the start of the second half and the fans were happy at Lynn Family Stadium. However, once the drones went up at nearby Slugger Field, Sacramento struck back. Three unanswered goals. 52’, 55’, and 59’. After the Bat’s postgame festivities, LouCity found themselves chasing the game with less than a half to play. “It’s very easy to concede three goals in a row like that and crumble, but they didn’t,” Coach Danny Cruz commented after the match on his team’s grit. In the ensuing ten minutes, a trio of changes were made and Jansen Wilson found a goal of his own to tie the match up at 3-3. Morados was aggressively attacking; however, it was beginning to look like one point would be split between the two sides. The later the match went and the more desperate each side got; the referee lost what little control he had over the match in the first place. At 90’+4, there was a drop ball outside of SAC’s box near the end line. “When I said Niall take it first time, I knew it was going to cause problems,” Coach Cruz stated of the sequence. McCabe’s delivery made it to Sean Totsch and Wilson Harris, whose interplay allowed for Harris to score the thrilling winner. “It hasn’t even really set in,” Harris remarked after helping his team pull off the thrilling win. “We take every game one at a time, and this was a really big one. I’m just super happy. It’s such a huge win for the club.”
Has the league ever been disappointed putting Louisville in a primetime slot!? What a match to have extended visibility via an ESPN 2 broadcast. Aside from a horrific ten-minute stretch, LouCity looked up for the big moment. Their effort and top quality was on display against a strong Sac Republic. But that rough period from ~50’- 60’ will need to be put under a microscope and closely examined. Sacramento only accumulated an xG of 1.16, but the bulk of that was in that period. Let’s not overlook Coach Cruz’s response. He took off three younger players for Amadou Dia, Dylan Mares, and Niall McCabe. In terms of experience, it was a 180. Three guys who have played in big moments. Guys who can help lead the others through this sudden adversity. And let’s not forget the gamesmanship of Niall McCabe. He understands the metagame of soccer better than any American could ever dream of comprehending. Two starters may have gotten the game-tying and game-winning goals, but it was the subs who kept the ship afloat and gave their team a chance.
While fans have become accustomed to big wins at home, take any win that you can against quality opponents like Sacramento. They nearly pulled off the rare feat of walking out of Lynn Family Stadium with points. And with that win, LouCity has secured all six points in the two matches played in this important run of games. While the biggest of them all remains to be played, you can’t overlook the importance of winning these kinds of matches. One of those two could have been a preview for the 2024 USL Championship Final. Now, all attention turns to the Charleston Battery and the battle for the East. The Battery won in Charleston earlier this year, but now it's time for LouCity to secure the win at home and take firm control over the East and the league as a whole.
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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