What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts Detroit in First Round
USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts Detroit in First Round

Published on October 31, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC in action
Louisville City FC in action
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

Louisville City FC has completed arguably its greatest season ever, setting a league points record, posting the best full-season defensive mark in club history, and finishing with just one league loss - all culminating in a Players' Shield title.

But now, the USL Championship Playoffs are here - and to be remembered as champions, LouCity needs to keep its foot on the accelerator for four more games.

It would be the club's third crown, which would be the most by a single club in league history. For the winningest club in the USL Championship, that distinction would be well earned.

First up on the road to a title: Detroit City FC. The No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, Detroit earned the final playoff place on the season's final day, clinching thanks to an Indy Eleven loss at Orange County SC.

The two sides, Louisville and Detroit, enter the playoffs on different trajectories. Louisville enters on a 16-game unbeaten run. Detroit has won just one of its last seven.

Louisville City boasted the league's best defense (19 goals allowed) and second-best attack (56 goals) - a league-best plus-37 goal differential.

Detroit boasted the league's seventh-stingiest defense (35 goals allowed) but also its seventh-least potent attack (33 goals), a minus-2 goal differential, third worst among playoff teams.

Still, in the USL Championship any team can go on a postseason run - just look at three of the last four champions. None of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks (2024), Phoenix Rising FC (2023), or Orange County SC (2021) finished in the top four of the Players' Shield race in the regular season.

In fact, you have to go back to 2022 to find the kind of results that Louisville hopes to replicate: the Players' Shield champion San Antonio FC went on to win the league title, defeating LouCity in the Championship Final. LouCity would be the fifth team in league history to do the double.

It starts with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Lynn Family Stadium, where LouCity will have home field advantage throughout the postseason. For tickets and more information, visit LouCity.com/playoffs.

Follow Along

- The match will air live on MyTV 58 and ESPN Louisville's 680/105.7.

- If streaming, download the free WDRB+ app to watch the local feed in Louisville or watch the national feed on the CBS Sports Golazo Network.

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

Story Lines...

Familiar foe: Saturday will be the fourth time that LouCity has faced Detroit City in a knockout tournament setting. That's tied with the Indy Eleven and the Tampa Bay Rowdies for the most frequent knockout opponent in LouCity history. The two sides met in the U.S. Open Cup in 2016 and 2022, and the USL Championship Playoffs in 2023, a 4-0 LouCity win in the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

One-way traffic: Louisville City FC has the advantage in the all-time series with Detroit City, which dates to 2016. Louisville owns a 7-2-0 record in USL Championship play, across the regular season and playoffs, including a perfect 5-0-0 tally at home. LouCity also advanced on penalty kicks in both of the clubs' U.S. Open Cup meetings, in 2016 and 2022.

Golden Glove: Louisville City goalkeeper Damian Las earned the USL Championship's Golden Glove award, given to the top goalkeeper, after surrendering just 0.70 goals per game during the 2025 league season. It is the second time a LouCity player won the award (Kyle Morton - 2022).

Impenetrable fortress: LouCity finished the regular season unbeaten at Lynn Family Stadium for the first time in club history at 12-0-3. LouCity has lost at home just once this season across all competitions, in the U.S. Open Cup. LouCity is 15-1-3 in Butchertown across the regular season, U.S. Open Cup and USL Jägermeister Cup this season.

First time out: LouCity has never failed to advance from its playoff opener. In 10 previous seasons, Louisville City has a 8-0-2 record, advancing in penalty shootouts in both 2022 and 2023. All but one of those games have been at home.

Upset minded: The last time Detroit City earned the eighth seed, the club pulled off the biggest upset in USL Championship Playoff history, defeating the 2023 Players' Shield champion Pittsburgh Riverhounds in 2023.

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics

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Images from this story

Louisville City FC in action
Louisville City FC in action
(Connor Cunningham)		   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 31, 2025


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