What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts North Carolina FC

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Louisville City FC

What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts North Carolina FC

November 1, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Toward the end of a record-breaking regular season, Louisville City FC coach Danny Cruz urged his squad not to settle.

That's because while LouCity has already lifted the Players' Shield - awarded for the USL Championship's best regular season record - the club starts chasing a bigger prize this weekend.

No. 1 overall seed City hosts eighth-seeded North Carolina FC in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Round of the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium with tickets available at LouCity.com/playoffs.

"We're looking forward to the opportunity, but we know it's the playoffs," Cruz said. "Every single game is difficult. That's the reality of it. We're going to do our best to make sure we put ourselves in position to train well all week and hopefully play well on Saturday."

Since the USL Championship returned to its two-conference format, Players' Shield winners have met different fates. In 2022, San Antonio FC went on to win the league final. But last year, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC bowed out in the playoffs' opening round.

LouCity is aiming to add to a trophy case that, in addition to the Players' Shield, includes back-to-back league titles in 2017 and 2018. The boys in purple also won Eastern Conference titles in 2019 and 2022.

A visit from North Carolina ensures no guarantees. While City controlled the clubs' home meeting back in June, when NCFC only pulled a goal back late in a 2-1 result, they played a wild return game in late August. Louisville trailed at three points of an eventual 6-4 away win.

With a playoff-opening win, LouCity would advance to host either fourth-seeded Indy Eleven or fifth-seeded Rhode Island FC on Saturday, November 9, in the conference semifinal round.

Follow along

- The game will air live locally on WBKI/The CW and ESPN Louisville's AM 680/FM 105.7.

- If streaming, download the free WDRB+ app to watch the local feed in Louisville. ESPN+ or Golazo Network also streams the home feed of all USL Championship games not selected for national TV.

- 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.

Player availability report

Jorge Gonzalez (out)

Dylan Mares (questionable)

Arturo Ordóñez (questionable)

Brian Ownby (out)

Ryan Troutman (out)

Story lines...

Playoffs format: The 2024 USL Championship Playoffs are a single-elimination, fixed-bracket competition that see the top-eight teams from the Eastern and Western conferences qualify. The postseason culminates with the USL Championship Final set for noon Saturday, November 23, on CBS.

Home fortress: LouCity won't leave Lynn Family Stadium for another game this season. With home field advantage secured throughout the playoffs, that means more matches in a venue where the boys in purple were 16-1 during the regular season with a +37 goal differential while averaging attendance of 9,707.

The streak: It's a trophy-or-bust sort of postseason for LouCity, but before silverware is on the line, City will look to extend its run of consecutive conference final appearances to 10. It's a mark unprecedented across professional sports, with the boys in purple making the league's final four each season of its existence so far.

One for the books: LouCity enters the playoffs after setting a record-setting regular season. City's 24 wins tied the most ever in a USL Championship season, while 16 home wins set a new league mark. Louisville's wins, points earned (76) and goals scored (86) all set new single-season highs for the club.

Comeback City: LouCity trailed 1-0 to Phoenix Rising FC in its regular season finale - and has become habit, the boys in purple rallied to win it. City's 23 points claimed from losing positions lead the USL Championship, with three of their last four results picked up in rallying fashion.

Volume scoring: LouCity ended the regular season on a 16-game scoring streak, longest in club history dating back to a July 6 defeat at Oakland Roots SC. Overall, the boys in purple hit the back of the net in 32 of their 34 games to field the USL Championship's top attack.

Career years: Wilson Harris (19 goals) and Ray Serrano (8) both scored against Phoenix, adding to their respective career highs for a single season. Harris registered a first half brace against Rising FC, marking his sixth multi-goal game of the year, while Serrano's breakout campaign comes after he didn't score in 2023.

Many threats: Phillip Goodrum headed down a stoppage-time corner against Phoenix for his fourth LouCity goal since an August transfer from FC Tulsa. That made this City team just the second in USL Championship history to have nine four-goal scorers following Portland Timbers 2 in 2019.

Assist leaders: Jake Morris and Adrien Perez both set up goals in the Phoenix win, upping their respective assist totals to 7, most for LouCity this season. Only three players: Rhode Island's Noah Fuson (10), San Antonio's Jorge Hernandez (9) and Sacramento Republic's Jack Gurr (8) tallied more assists this season.

Delivery man: Defender Kyle Adams assisted LouCity's other two goals against Phoenix, doubling his total on the season. Before this year, City's team captain hadn't assisted a goal in his six prior USL Championship seasons.

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