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USL Louisville City FC

LouCity Holds off Eintracht Frankfurt Until the German Giants Rolled

July 31, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC battles Eintracht Frankfurt
Louisville City FC battles Eintracht Frankfurt
(Louisville City FC, Credit: EM Dash Photography)

Louisville City FC played German powerhouse Eintracht Frankfurt even for the opening minutes of Tuesday night's international friendly. But as severe weather forced much of a raucous Lynn Family Stadium crowd of 10,218 to retreat, the skies opened up - and so did City's floodgates.

The Europa League-bound Eagles exuded class, scoring three of their goals in a 4-0 win in the second half following a lightning delay. The exhibition served as both LouCity's first matchup with a top-tier European club and a tune up ahead of Frankfurt's regular season opening next month.

In a chance to compete outside of USL Championship play, LouCity saw captain Kyle Adams return from injury, starting in defense. Later, Adrien Perez subbed on for his first action since early June, also coming off an injury.

To cap the night, coach Danny Cruz brought on a number of standout LouCity Academy players, among them Grayson Travis and Brandon Dayes, who made their debuts against some of the world's top talents.

"The atmosphere here tonight was pretty impressive," Cruz said. "I thought it was an incredible opportunity for people to come out and see one of the teams from one of the top leagues in the world and see the level they can play at. I'm really proud of our group."

The boys in purple - playing on short rest from a weekend win in the league - opened on the front foot, with LouCity defender Arturo Ordoñez forcing a save from Frankfurt's Kevin Trapp in the seventh minute. Then in the 21st minute, Jansen Wilson nearly found Wilson Harris on a darting run to the far post.

Visiting the United States as part of its Americas Tour, Frankfurt grew into the match from there. Hugo Ekitike opened the scoring in the 42nd minute with a brilliant right-footed rocket. The 22-year-old latched onto Willian Pacho's lofted pass, controlled it with three deft touches, then unleashed a thunderous strike into the far corner.

"They did pretty well," World Cup winner Mario Götze said of LouCity's performance. "They pressed us very high - physical game. So, it wasn't easy for us. We had a lot of training sessions over the last week, but nevertheless, for us, it was a good game."

Following the weather delay, the Eagles came flying out of the dressing room, scoring two in the first five minutes of the second - the first from Ellyes Skhiri and the second via the head of Igor Mantanovic. Fares Chaibi, an Algerian international, played the role of distributor on both of those goals.

Even down on the scoreboard, Louisville didn't relent, challenging Frankfurt's backline with a determined high press. Wes Charpie struck the woodwork in the 60th minute just before Wilson nearly guided his shot attempt into the far right corner one minute later.

In the 80th minute, Mantanovic converted his second goal of the night for the German outfit, using a clever slip ball through by Omar Marmoush to round out the scoring.

"I was really looking forward to this game, to playing in this stadium," said Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Dino Toppmöller. "I thought that the first 25 minutes we were not so good in the game. The guys looked a little bit tired. But then after the break, we changed a little bit and then it was much better. We scored some nice goals. We are happy with the result. It was a good feeling."

"We did everything that we could," Cruz added. "I thought we started the game really well. The weather delay I think took us a bit out of it. But all and all, I think it was a wonderful night for the club, and for the community. Overall a really good night other than the scoreline."

The historic Frankfurt clash marked the first of two international friendlies for the boys in purple this season, who also host Mexico's Cancún F.C. on Tuesday, September 10. Visit LouCity.com/Cancun for tickets and more information.

Game Summary: Louisville City FC vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Date: July 30, 2024

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET

Weather: 83 degrees, rain

Attendance: 10,218

Scoring

Louisville City FC (0, 0, 0)

Eintracht Frankfurt (1, 3, 4)

Goals

Eintracht Frankfurt:

42' Hugo Ekitike (Willian Pacho)

48' Ellyes Skhiri (Fares Chaibi)

50' Igor Matanovic (Fares Chaibi)

80' Igor Matanovic

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Images from this story

Louisville City FC battles Eintracht Frankfurt
Louisville City FC battles Eintracht Frankfurt
(EM Dash Photography)		   

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