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USL Louisville City FC

LouCity Brings 'Bags of Quality' into Open Cup's Round of 32

May 9, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe
Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe kept it simple last week after his team's latest USL Championship victory when calling this "the deepest squad I've been a part of in all my time here." McCabe, by the way, has represented LouCity - winner of two USL titles and three Eastern Conference crowns - since the club launched in 2015.

The boys in purple are hoping such a comprehensive roster will help reach two goals that have eluded them. In the long term, it's a shield for topping the USL table at the regular season's end. More pressing is the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which LouCity continues Tuesday at Detroit City FC.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Keyworth Stadium with live coverage on ESPN+ and ESPN Louisville's 680/105.7.

"I believe in every single player in that locker room," coach Danny Cruz said after last week's 4-0 victory at Atlanta United 2. "Tonight is a perfect example of seeing guys come on the field, change the game, influence the game and ultimately help lead us to getting three points. This is a deep team. They make my job difficult every single day, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

With Cruz able to make rotations without his side dropping off, LouCity has started 12 games unbeaten across league and Open Cup games - a club record to start a year. The campaigned opened March 12, with Tuesday's game making it a game every 4.5 days thus far for the boys in purple.

"When your name is called, you've got to be ready to step up and help the team - just be a great teammate," McCabe said. "That's what it's been from preseason. Everyone's come in, trying really hard - bags of quality.

"Whoever steps up, we have full confidence in to not only slide into the team but to make impacts. You saw (last week), this is my first start and I'm able to grab a goal and we have Napo (Matsoso) come off the bench, get a goal. Jorge (Gonzalez) come off the bench and get a goal.

"There's not many teams that can do that. It's just a credit to all the boys out there every day working hard, the coaching staff, everyone involved."

Detroit City FC sits third on the USL Championship's Eastern Conference, which LouCity currently tops. Five Championship clubs in all remain alive in the Open Cup, U.S. Soccer's annual knockout national championship tournament.

Following Tuesday's game, the boys in purple will remain on the road for another tight turnaround to Friday night's west coast away fixture at LA Galaxy II. To manage such situations, Cruz has turned to all 19 healthy field players to make a start so far.

LouCity has compiled such a record without last year's leading scorer, forward Cameron Lancaster, continuing to rehab a preseason hamstring injury. Defender Oscar Jimenez returned to the pitch last week as a substitute on the return from a knee injury. McCabe was also absent from LouCity's opening games due to a non-COVID related illness.

"When you look at Cam Lancaster being out, one of the best goal scorers this league has ever seen," Cruz said, "Oscar Jimenez, a guy who's consistently started a ton of games over the last few years - when you look at Niall getting (sick): These are injuries that obviously were difficult for us.

"But at the same time, I think it shows the depth that we have of this group."

And McCabe, not shy about calling this LouCity's deepest squad yet, will need more time before determining it's the best.

"Ask me after the season," he said. "The teams that have been here before that have done some incredible things. Winning the thing twice, Eastern Conference, all that stuff. There are goals we haven't achieved, and that's what this team is really, really desperate to do."

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Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe
Louisville City FC midfielder Niall McCabe
(Connor Cunningham)		   



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