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USL Louisville City FC

DelPiccolo's Brace Leads LouCity to Season-Opening Win

April 24, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo
Louisville City FC midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

It seemed like only a matter of time Saturday night for a Louisville City FC side that out-shout, out-possessed and generally out-played visiting Atlanta United 2. Then the largest crowd in Lynn Family Stadium's brief history got its chance to erupt.

Paolo DelPiccolo found the back of the net in the 69th and 87th minutes of a 2-0, opening night victory over Atlanta United 2 in front of 7,652 fans - 50% of stadium capacity thanks to newly approved capacity limits from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

A victory started the boys in purple right where they've left off in prior seasons, all six of which have culminated with appearances in the USL Championship's Eastern Conference Final to go with two championships.

En route to victory, LouCity had to survive some anxious moments as Atlanta United 2 fielded a young squad antsy to counter attack. By halftime, goalkeeper Chris Hubbard had made his only save of the night, stuffing a breakaway chance by Atlanta's Coleman Gannon, and three of four defenders on LouCity's back line had seen yellow cards.

A set piece truly jump started the host side's offense when Oscar Jimenez looped in a corner kick from the left side that found DelPiccolo's first goal. The midfielder and captain DelPiccolo competed his second half brace when tapping in a cross from veteran forward George Davis IV.

"Every game is different, and all the roles are different," said DelPiccolo, who over the last year has moved up in LouCity's attack. "Playing with your back to the goal, turning in different ways, finding different spots on the field -- and the more you do it the more comfortable you get with it.

"Every single game I play, I feel something, I go watch the film, I look at something, and then I try and keep finding better and better spots."

By the final whistle, LouCity had totaled 14 shots to Atlanta's 3 and comfortably completed passes at an 82% clip. The boys in purple possessed the ball 60% of the way, avoiding an opposing shot on target after the 29th minute.

So began a 32-game USL Championship season with a key victory. Atlanta United 2 hails from the newly established Central Division, a group of clubs LouCity will face twice home and twice away in 2021. The top four advance to the playoffs.

Given Kentucky Derby week is ahead, the boys in purple will take a hiatus before returning to host Birmingham Legion FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8, in the second of four straight at Lynn Family Stadium to start the new campaign.

Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Atlanta United 2

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 7:36 p.m.

Weather: 55 degrees, rain

Man of the Match: Paolo DelPiccolo

Attendance: 7,652

Scoring

Louisville City (0, 2, 2)

Atlanta United 2 (0, 0, 0)

Goals

Louisville City:

69' (36 - DelPiccolo assisted by 19 - Jimenez)

87' (36 - DelPoccolo assisted by 22 - George Davis IV)

Stats Summary: Louisville City / Atlanta United 2

Shots: 14 / 3

Shots on Goal: 5 / 1

Fouls: 14 / 17

Offside: 2 / 5

Corner Kicks: 5 / 1

Saves: 1 / 4

Lineups

Louisville City: 1 - Chris Hubbard, 8 - Akil Watts (55' 20 - Jimmy McLaughlin), 4 - Sean Totsch, 3 - Alexis Souahy, 19 - Oscar Jimenez, 42 - Jonathan Gomez, 36 - Paolo DelPiccolo, 13 - Corben Bone, 7 - Napo Matoso (70' 12 - Tyler Gibson), 11 - Niall McCabe (55' 29 - Antoine Hoppenot), 17 - Cameron Lancaster (84' 22 - George Davis IV)

Subs not used: 16 - Simon Lefebvre, 66 - Joshua Wynder, 15 - Pat McMahon

Atlanta United 2: 23 - Vincent Reyes, 2 - Aiden McFadden, 24 - Josh Bauer, 6 - Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, 13 - Caleb Wiley, 34 - Brendan Lambe, 8 - Chris Allan (81' 35 - Efrain Morales), 28 - Tyler Wolff (70' 9 - Phillip Goodrum), 10 - Darwin Matheus (78' 15 - Alex Garvba), 22 - Coleman Gannon, 36 - Jackson Conway

Subs not used: 7 - Amadou Macky Diop, 5 - Abdoulaye Diop

Discipline Summary

Louisville City: Souahy (yellow) 25'

Atlanta United 2: Kamden (yellow) 33'

Louisville City: Totsch (yellow) 37'

Louisville City: (yellow) Jimenez 39'

Referee: Lukasz Szpala

Assistant Referees: Walt Heatherly / Chris Schurfranz

Fourth Official: Nabil Bensalah

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics




Images from this story

Louisville City FC midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo
Louisville City FC midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo
(Connor Cunningham)		   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 24, 2021


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