LouCity Thwarted by Familiar Foe Loudoun United in USL Cup Play

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USL Louisville City FC

LouCity Thwarted by Familiar Foe Loudoun United in USL Cup Play

May 31, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC with possession vs. Loudoun United
Louisville City FC with possession vs. Loudoun United
(Louisville City FC, Credit: David Mucker)

As the saying goes, it's tough to beat a team three times. Louisville City FC lived that out Saturday in a 2-1 defeat to Loudoun United FC.

After LouCity topped Loudoun in the USL Championship's regular season and U.S. Open Cup, United turned the tables in the USL Jägermeister Cup - a midseason, World Cup-style tournament halfway through the group stage.

Loudoun - at its home Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia - scored on either side of the halftime whistle Saturday. This marked the first time in 13 City games across all competitions this season the boys in purple have conceded multiple goals.

"I thought we were really, really poor in a phase of the game we're usually excellent in," said coach Danny Cruz, "and that's our ability to suffocate the opponent and to manage transition. We didn't do that at all today. I thought we were poor with the ball in those moments. It's ironic, because I think we created from an (expected goals) standpoint more than in any game this year, but we didn't finish our chances.

"Ultimately," Cruz continued, he was feeling "extreme frustration. We understand now we'll likely have to win out to make sure we put ourselves in a position to move on and advance."

On a blustery early evening in the Washington, D.C., area, LouCity came under quick pressure from Loudoun United, which benefitted from the wind en route to its opener. A ball played toward LouCity's goal sailed longer than the City defense anticipated, and it landed to Loudoun's Abdellatif Aboukoura for a 14th-minute finish.

The boys in purple settled into the game from there, going on to equalize with their first corner kick. Taylor Davila found an unmarked Adrien Perez at the back post, and Perez needed just one touch with his left foot to level the score in the 20th.

Goalkeeper Damian Las kept LouCity in contention, denying an Aboukoura try from the top of the box before coming off his line to thwart another chance before the half. Out of the locker room, however, Loudoun found its winner when Zach Ryan converted on a 59th-minute through ball.

"There's no excuse for our defeat," Perez said. "We just weren't winning our battles, our second balls, and limiting transition. It's not much to blame on the weather or the surface."

Of seeing Loudoun so often, Perez added, "It gets more competitive, and that's everything you can ask for."

Deep into stoppage time, LouCity came up with three chances to equalize. But Jansen Wilson hit the post on a toe poke, rookie Josh Jones saw his try tipped over the bar, and Loudoun's goalkeeper saved Sean Totsch's header at the death. As a result, United defeated City for the the second time overall - and first time since 2019.

Loudoun is amid a breakout season under coach Ryan Martin, who has his club third on the Eastern Conference's regular season table, one spot behind Louisville.

"There was a lot of fight, and we're never going to give up," Davila said. "We never feel like we're out of the game. But still, we feel like we could have had a better mentality and could have given more. All we can do is come back to work this next week in training and get after it. And next weekend, whoever we play, get after it and respond."

LouCity stands at 1-1-0 in the Jägermeister Cup's Group 5 with two games to position itself this summer before the knockout rounds. The club is still unbeaten in regular season USL Championship play and suffered just its second defeat across competitions Saturday, adding to an Open Cup ouster earlier in May to Major League Soccer's Minnesota United.

City returns to the regular season next, hosting the rival Tampa Bay Rowdies at 8 p.m. next Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium. The game will double as City's annual Pride Night with tickets and more information available at LouCity.com/Pride.

Game Summary: Loudoun United FC vs. Louisville City FC

Date: May 31, 2025

Venue: Segra Field

Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET

Weather: 62 degrees, clear

Scoring

Loudoun United FC (1, 1, 2)

Louisville City FC (1, 0, 1)

Goals

Loudoun United FC:

14' Abdellatif Aboukoura

59' Zach Ryan (Kwame Awuah)

Louisville City FC:

20' Adrien Perez (Taylor Davila)

Lineups

Loudoun United FC: 1 - Hugo Fauroux, 6 - Kwame Awuah, 16 - Cole Turner, 5 - Yanis Leerman, 3 - Keegan Tingey, 4 - Tommy McCabe, 8 - Moses Nyeman, 11 - Abdellatif Aboukoura (85' 22 - Robby Dambrot), 10 - Florian Valot, 17 - Pedro Santos (68' 20 - Ben Mines), 14 - Zach Ryan (68' 15 - Riley Bidois)

Subs not used: 13 - Alex Nagy, 19 - Surafel Dagnachew, 30 - Ryan Jack, 31 - Bibi Karamoko, 35 - Ethan Pendleton, 88 - Aaron Hurge

Head coach: Ryan Martin

Louisville City FC: 1 - Damian Las, 2 - Aiden McFadden, 32 - Kyle Adams, 5 - Arturo Ordóñez (83' 24 - Josh Jones), 4 - Sean Totsch, 15 - Manny Perez (46' 13 - Amadou Dia), 17 - Taylor Davila, 31 - Kevon Lambert (52' 11 - Niall McCabe), 7 - Ray Serrano (46' 27 - Evan Davila), 16 - Adrien Perez (71' 70 - Issac Cano), 25 - Jansen Wilson

Subs not used: 30 - Ryan Troutman, 8 - Carlos Moguel Jr.

Head coach: Danny Cruz

Stats Summary: Loudoun United FC / Louisville City FC

Shots: 15 / 19

Shots on Goal: 6 / 6

Expected goals: 1.63 / 2.34

Possession: 59.1% / 40.9%

Fouls: 13 / 15

Offside: 2 / 1

Corner Kicks: 6 / 3

Discipline Summary

Loudoun United FC:

28' Florian Valot (yellow)

77' Kwame Awuah (yellow)

79' Tommy McCabe (yellow)

83' Ben Mines (yellow)

Louisville City FC:

28' Aiden McFadden (yellow)

76' Sean Totsch (yellow)

83' Kyle Adams (yellow)

Referee: Thomas Snyder

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics




Images from this story

Louisville City FC with possession vs. Loudoun United
Louisville City FC with possession vs. Loudoun United
(David Mucker)		   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 31, 2025


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