What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts Hartford in Regular Season Finale
USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts Hartford in Regular Season Finale

Published on October 24, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Two clubs that have already won titles in 2025 will square off in the regular-season finale Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium, as Hartford Athletic pays a visit to Louisville City FC (7:30 p.m.).

Louisville City (21-1-7, 70 points) won the 2025 USL Players' Shield, awarded to the regular season champion in the USL Championship, while Hartford (13-11-5, 44 points) brought home the USL Jägermeister Cup, the in-season tournament pitting teams from the second-division USL Championship and third-division USL League One - the first title in Hartford history.

It's a first-of-its-kind game: There's never been a meeting of the regular season champion and the cup champion from the same campaign before - this is just the second season for the USL Jägermeister Cup, and the first to involve teams from the Championship.

Will that mean bragging rights are on the line? Probably not, if you ask LouCity's players.

"I didn't even realize that until now," said LouCity leading scorer Phillip Goodrum when asked about the silverware matchup.

What's more assured is that Saturday is a final playoff tune-up for both sides.

LouCity knows the road to the club's third USL Championship title runs through Lynn Family Stadium, with the club securing the No. 1 overall seed by virtue of the Players' Shield - head to LouCity.com/playoffs for more information.

Hartford, meanwhile, is guaranteed its highest regular season finish and first playoff appearance since 2020. The club, though, is still aiming to clinch a home playoff game. Hartford sits third in the Eastern Conference standings, with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Loudoun United and North Carolina FC all within two points and with the potential to finish in the top four.

Saturday will also be a rematch of an emotional 1-1 tie from May, played in Connecticut. Despite finishing the game with 10 players after Adewale Obalola received a pair of yellow cards, Hartford bagged an 88th-minute equalizer through Kyle Edwards. The team then celebrated the home point like a win.

In fact, that result served as a catalyst for Hartford. The club entered the game dead last in the USL Championship. Since taking a late point off Louisville, a galvanized Hartford has finished the regular season 12-6-3, vaulting itself into the East's top four - that's in addition to winning the USL Jägermeister Cup.

With Halloween around the corner, fans are encouraged to dress in costume at Lynn Family Stadium. Children can trick-or-treat in the BlueOval SK Fan Zone as gates open at 6 p.m., with bags provided to the first 500 kids courtesy of GE Appliances.

For tickets and more information, visit LouCity.com/trickortreat.

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 ESPN+.

- 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...

Chasing a record: Louisville City must win in order to set the USL Championship single-season points record, currently held by Orlando City SC's 2012 team. LouCity currently earns 2.41 points per game, surpassing Orlando's mark of 2.38, set with 57 points over 24 games. A loss or draw, though, would drop LouCity's average below Orlando's.

One loss wonders: If LouCity avoids defeat Saturday, the team would become the first since 2015 to finish a USL Championship campaign with just one league loss, and the fourth team in the league's modern history (since 2011).

Mr. 200: Louisville City FC will honor captain Brian Ownby before the game for making his 200th career USL Championship regular season and playoff appearance for the club, which he made against Miami FC on Oct. 11. Overall, Ownby has appeared in 216 competitive games for LouCity, between the regular season, playoffs, U.S. Open Cup and USL Jägermeister Cup.

Mr. 300: If he plays, LouCity defender Sean Totsch will become the first player in USL Championship history to appear in 300 regular season games. Totsch became the USL Championship's all-time appearances leader in September.

Clean sheets: LouCity has shut out its opponent in four straight games, and seven of its last nine. That's the best defensive run for LouCity since the club opened the 2022 season with clean sheets in five of its first six games. LouCity has not recorded five straight clean sheets since 2016.

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 24, 2025


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