One of the last remaining roster questions has now been answered. 23-year-old Simon Lefebvre has been brought in to backfill the vacancy left by Ben Lundt’s departure. The 6’9” Frenchmen set to compete for playing time alongside Chris Hubbard, a Louisville native entering his fourth season at the club. Lefebvre (pronounced Luh-fev-uh) was picked 21st overall in last year’s MLS SuperDraft. He trained with D.C. United last preseason before signing with their USL affiliate, Loudoun United, where he made six appearances. Travel restrictions returning from his native France as the USL Championship resumed play last summer limited Lefebvre’s opportunities in his debut professional year. Before his time in the USL, Lefebvre came up as an academy player for Girondins de Bordeaux, a member of Ligue 1, France’s top tier of soccer. From 2010 to 2016, he rose in rank to total 18 appearances for the reserve team. He then moved on to Temple University, where he saved 122 shots and registered a 1.21 goals-against average in 35 collegiate appearances. He then became the Owls’ best-ever MLS SuperDraft pick. “When my agent told me about Louisville, I called Ben,” Lefebvre said. “He told me only good things — that it’s an easy choice to sign there. I’m excited to join the team.”
“It is imperative that we maintain our culture of accountability. One way to do this is by creating competition at every position, and our expectation is that Simon will vie with Chris for the No. 1 shirt.” Goalkeeper coach Scott Budnick stated. “We like Simon’s skillset. He has good size, fast reactions, and is brave off his line. He also distributes well and will complement our style of play, which is crucial. Simon’s mentality and character should meld quickly with our culture and returning players.”
“Simon is a player that comes highly regarded from all the coaches that he has worked with in recent years." said John Hackworth, LouCity's head coach, and sporting director. "When we watched his games from last season with Loudoun and his college career, it was easy to tell that he has excellent tools to be a top-level goalkeeper. Simon knows the expectations of this club and has heard the standards to which we hold our players accountable. From all indications, he is ready to take on that challenge.”
While there was a lot of speculation that Greg Ranjitsingh may return, fans should be pleased with this new acquisition. The young, physically imposing could very well be the next fan-favorite keeper. Between his enourmous size and his years of development as a player ahead of him, he could become something special. While Lefebvre is an interesting signing, I am pleased that it will be a competition for the starting role. Chris deserves his shot, and the competition will drive the highest level of play on the pitch. See below for some footage of our new signing in action.