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USL Louisville City FC

Preview: What to Watch for with LouCity vs. SKC II

August 11, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC in action
Louisville City FC in action
(Louisville City FC)

Louisville City FC enters Wednesday's third meeting this season with Sporting KC II, set for 8 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium, seeking its finishing touch.

The boys in purple rank second in the USL Championship in shots taken with 103 and fifth in the league with 2,922 passes attempted. Clearly, opportunities are there.

But having netted five goals in six games, that's a 6% scoring conversion rate, 33rd-best of 35 teams in the league. So LouCity's still looking to take advantage of all it is creating.

Meanwhile, opponents have capitalized well on the 46 shots taken against LouCity, converting at a 15% clip. That includes during split decisions previously with Sporting KC II, when a young squad lost 1-0 in Louisville on July 25 before leaving town with a winning 2-1 decision four days later.

Sporting was without a point until a victory over LouCity, which served as a clear momentum boost. Since then, SKC II, formerly known as the Swope Park Rangers, has upset Indy Eleven and played Saint Louis FC to a draw, making them the hottest club in Group E.

They're all chasing Indy Eleven (5-2-1, 16 points), who played LouCity to a 1-1 draw last Saturday. Saint Louis FC (3-3-1, 10 points) is without a win in its last three games but remains second. Sporting KC II and LouCity both enter Wednesday 2-3-1 with 7 points. The top-two Group E finishers going to the playoffs in October at the end of a 16-game season.

Southern Indiana native Brooks Thompson will be key to determining whether the boys in purple break through Wednesday. The goalkeeper's 17 saves rank seventh in the USL, and he was recently up for USL Save of the Month for July.

Coach John Hackworth says...

"We're really close, and we're playing some excellent soccer, and we're doing it against some really good opponents. We probably didn't understand how good Sporing Kansas City was before our two matches. Pittsburgh's a top team, and clearly Indy's a top team.

"I'll just give you an example. I was talking to a colleague of mine who was scouting our game (earlier this week). Basically, what he said was, 'Wow, you guys played some beautiful soccer.' And this is a scout at a higher level just looking at the way we do things.

"We're right there. We have some - again, I keep talking about details. But our details, we need to get those better. I feel like we didn't give Indy many chances, but the one time we didn't get matched up in the box, they scored. We've got to eliminate that. We obviously need to finish more. We're creating really good chances. We have a lot of work to do."

Key players

LouCity: Losses in LouCity's attacking midfield led Napo Matsoso to a new role in the Indy Eleven game, when he shifted to the right wing. Matsoso's third-minute cross to Devon "Speedy" Williams marked his first assist of the season, and the native of Lesotho continued to push the attach from there, pacing LouCity with three of what Opta statistics termed "good" crosses. Matsoso figures to see more time up top having completed 77.7% of his passes in Indy's half.

Sporting KC II: The 18-year-old midfielder Jake Davis has taken center stage in his side's attack with momentum mounting. Davis didn't score in Sporting's most recent outing but nearly helped double the lead when he zipped down the right side and left a ball for teammate Fredinho Mompremier, who blasted his shot off the bar. Davis has started five of six games this season after registering two assists and drawing a penalty in 2019.

Follow along

For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook . Also find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram .

On the WBKI (The CW)/ESPN+ streaming call: Spencer Siegel (play by play) and Wolde Harris (color).

And for AM 790 WKRD on the radio: Clay Ables (play by play) and Jeff Greer (color).

LouCity links

Watch: LouCity coach Hackworth previews Wednesday's game

LouCity's McCabe sidelined with foot injury

Courier Journal: LouCity wants better conversion against SKC II

Notes to know

The scoring load: LouCity has registered five goals in six games split between two players. Forward Cameron Lancaster has scored three, while midfielder Devon "Speedy" Williams accounts for two. Williams headed in an early cross Saturday to give LouCity an early 1-0 lead over Indy Eleven before the clubs played to a draw. The Jamaican international also scored the first goal in Lynn Family Stadium history going back to a July 12 matchup with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

A few firsts: Saturday's Indy Eleven meant new ground in 2020 for the boys in purple. They previously hadn't played an opponent to a draw, nor had they carried a lead into halftime. Williams' third-minute score - tapped in after midfielder Napo Matsoso secured possession on a sliding challenge - was also the earliest LouCity has scored a goal in a game this season.

Johnson sees the field: Forward Jason Johnson, a Jamaican international who most recently suited up for the Western Conference's Phoenix Rising, checked in Saturday for his debut in purple. His 19 minutes off the bench marked his first action since an injury-riddled 2019 campaign. But two seasons ago, he tallied nine goals, including a soaring scissor kick that won USL Goal of the Month for June of 2018.

The right side of history: In 2019, coach John Hackworth's first full season leading LouCity, the boys in purple also limped into August, fighting for a playoff spot off consecutive losses to end July. Can they similarly turn things around in 2020? August 2019 began a 10-game unbeaten streak for the club, which earned points in 12 of its final 13 games. That sparked a run back to LouCity's third straight USL Championship Final appearance.

JoGo gets a start: Youth international Jonathan Gomez, who has represented both the United States and Mexico, logged 26 minutes across his first two LouCity appearances upon the USL's restart. The 16-year-old left back then found his way into a starting role on July 29, the last time Sporting KC II visited. Gomez was unable to clear a ball into the box leading to the visitors' initial goal but was otherwise solid in his first start on a professional contract, completing 90% of his passes from the left back spot.

Minus Magnus: LouCity and its leading scorer from last season, midfielder Magnus Rasmussen, agreed effective July 31 to terminate their contract. Rasmussen and his wife, Camilla, last month welcomed new daughter Olivia to their family in Denmark, where he will remain amid the COVID-19 pandemic. LouCity's technical staff plans to re-sign Rasmussen for 2021 after he poured in 13 regular-season goals and four more in the playoffs in 2019.

In the stands: LouCity's attendance of 4,850 (about 30% of maximum capacity) in its first five games back have marked the highest number of people to attend team sporting events in the country since the COVID-19 pandemic put sports on pause. Club officials are following local government guidance and the Venue Shield plan devised by stadium operator ASM Global that calls for wearing masks in the building, physical distancing and temperature checks, among other measures to keep fans safe.

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Louisville City FC in action
Louisville City FC in action
   

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