The stage was set. Memphis 901 losing meant that Louisville City had the opportunity to secure a home playoff match with a win over their final regular season opponent, the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The boys in purple were coming off a draw to Hartford that did produce some reasons for optimism. The Rowdies got the better of LouCity last meeting, however; they had little to play for and Louisville got home field for this last match. One match would determine Morados’ path to a shot at a third star.
Lineup
Match Highlights
19’ – Own Goal
90+2’ – Cameron Lancaster
By The Numbers
Full-Time Thoughts
Momentum is a valuable thing. I felt that even if the team had drawn or lost, there was a scenario where the positives of the performance could have made up for the missed opportunity to secure home field. What we saw was not that scenario. In fact, it was the exact opposite. The 3-2 scoreline paints a more positive picture than it really was for the home side. An expected goal (xG) total of 0.50 sums up how ineffective the attack was. That was on 12 shots, too. That reinforces the concern I expressed with the shot quality/selection in the previous match’s write-up. Defense has generally been the team’s stronger trait; however, you wouldn’t have known that from watching this match. Three goals conceded with TBR generating just 1.6 xG. One found the net in just 30 seconds (likely a club record) and the other two came in rapid succession in similar sequences. The staff’s sub-selection has generally been very logical, but in this one, it was clearly just throwing the kitchen sink in desperation to claw back goals. There were a lot of forgettable elements in this match.
“Listen, they did exactly what we talked about all week — Jennings running in behind, dangerous in transition, and being aware of where he is at all times,” Coach Danny Cruz said. “We didn’t do that for two out of three goals. The first goal, obviously, also not how you want to start the game. But at the end of the day, as I said to the players, we must now move forward and be ready to go next week.” Multiple times this season, Coach Cruz has commented about the opposition doing exactly what they expected and planned for. Individual errors and struggles in executing have been the bane of this team’s existence in 2023. But with the playoffs starting, it’s a clean slate. No more points and table to worry about. It’s simply win and move on. Survive and advance. I won’t lie to you; there is not a ton of logical reason to suggest that this team will make a deep run. But even with the odds feeling slim, anything can happen. If there is hope, I will cling to it. The unlikely chances this team faces could make success all the more exciting. The 2014 UK basketball team’s trip to the national championship comes to mind. Optimism was low, but they made a memorable run against the odds. The path to the finals isn’t as optimal as it could have been, but anyone can win on any given day. This team has a history of performing when it matters. Let’s hope that this squad can channel the LouCity of old and make a run. Vamos Morados!
Parting Thoughts
Want to do a little more reading on LouCity? I suggest the following:
Be sure to check out the Vamos Morados Podcast featuring me, 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!
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