LouCity's Kyle Adams Earns USL Championship Defender of the Year Honor
USL Louisville City FC

LouCity's Kyle Adams Earns USL Championship Defender of the Year Honor

Published on November 18, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC defender Kyle Adams
Louisville City FC defender Kyle Adams
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Chris Carter)

The USL Championship announced today that Louisville City FC's Kyle Adams had been voted the 2025 USL Championship Defender of the Year, with the New Zealand international anchoring the club's back line to a historic campaign and second consecutive Players' Shield.

Adams recently completed his ninth season in the USL Championship, surpassing 200 regular season appearances. He becomes the second Louisville City player to win the award after Bryan Burke in the club's inaugural season in 2015.

"It's an honor to win this, but it doesn't happen without the players around me," said Adams. "From the guys next to me, Damian Las behind us and the midfielders and strikers in front, we really put an emphasis on improving as a group defensively this year, and I think we all felt we achieved that. I'm proud to have been part of it."

Joining the club midway through the 2023 season, Adams produced a stellar all-around campaign on the back line. The 28-year-old ranked second among defenders with 112 aerial duels won at a 70 percent success rate and logged a career high 159 duels won at a 66 percent success rate, holding down the left side of the side's three-man back line with 28 appearances in the regular season.

Adams also logged 134 clearances - his second-highest total in a campaign - and 88 recoveries while leading the side as captain. With Adams as a starter, LouCity averaged a 0.6 goals-against average in the regular season, ending the campaign with only 19 goals conceded in 30 games while also leading the league with a 25.65 Expected Goals Against mark.

Through LouCity's defensive strength, the side suffered only one defeat in the regular season, setting a USL Championship single-season record with a 2.43 points-per-game mark while completing an undefeated home regular season slate for the first time in its history.

"Kyle led the back line this season with his voice and his quality," said LouCity Head Coach Danny Cruz. "We challenged him at the end of 2024 to push himself to be one of the best center backs in the league in 2025. He rose to that challenge. It is a big achievement that is only earned when you win a lot of games and have a collective group around you. He should be very proud of the regular season that he had and look to come back even stronger in 2026."

Adams earned the Defender of the Year award with 35 percent of the ballot, voted on by club management and a league-wide media panel that included representation from every USL market following the conclusion of the 2025 USL Championship regular season. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC's Sean Suber finished second with 33 percent of the ballot, while Louisville City FC's Josh Jones finished third with 32 percent.

USL Championship Defender of the Year Award Winners

2025 - Kyle Adams, Louisville City FC

2024 - Graham Smith, Charleston Battery

2023 - Arturo Ordoñez, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

2022 - Mitchell Taintor, San Antonio FC

2021 - Forrest Lasso, Tampa Bay Rowdies

2020 - Forrest Lasso, Tampa Bay Rowdies

2019 - Joe Greenspan, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

2018 - Forrest Lasso, FC Cincinnati

2017 - Sebastian Ibeagha, San Antonio FC

2016 - Aaron Long, New York Red Bulls II

2015 - Bryan Burke, Louisville City FC

2014 - Nemanja Vuković, Sacramento Republic FC

2013 - Colin Falvey, Charleston Battery

2012 - Troy Roberts, Rochester Rhinos

2011 - Rob Valentino, Orlando City SC

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Images from this story

Louisville City FC defender Kyle Adams
Louisville City FC defender Kyle Adams
(Chris Carter)		   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from November 18, 2025


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