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USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for as LouCity Opens at El Paso Locomotive

March 15, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC in action
Louisville City FC in action
(Louisville City FC, Credit: EM Dash Photography)

Throughout the offseason, the phrase "generational shift" has permeated through USL Championship commentary of Louisville City FC's 2024 squad.

That's because while the club enters its 10th anniversary season carrying the usual high expectations, LouCity will try to reach them with a group far different than the one that lifted league trophies in 2017 and 2018.

Three players - Niall McCabe, Brian Ownby and Sean Totsch - remain on the roster from those days. As others have moved on, they've been replaced recently following coach Danny Cruz's strategy to find top players still hungry to win a title.

LouCity hopes to see the returns starting with Saturday's regular season opener at El Paso Locomotive FC. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at Southwest University Park in Texas.

Among the new faces on City's roster are a pair of All-League First Team performers from a season ago in Arturo Ordóñez and Taylor Davila. Adrien Perez signed off his best career season, and Sam Gleade joined on a rare paid transfer in.

Each have hit a number of individual milestones in their pro careers. But they're here to add silverware to their resumes.

There are certainly shoes to fill. City's offseason processes saw the departure of its all-time leading scorer, Cameron Lancaster, one of its top assisters in Oscar Jimenez and longtime captain Paolo DelPiccolo, who retired to take up coaching within the club.

Saturday marks Match Day 1 of 34 during LouCity's regular season. As with last year, clubs will fight for positions within their conference's top eight to qualify for the USL Championship Playoffs. The season runs through the league final between November 21-25.

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

Amadou Dia (questionable)

Jorge Gonzalez (out)

Carlos Moguel Jr. (out)

Brian Ownby (out)

Story lines...

Bouncing back: By LouCity's standards, 2023 was a down year. City lost 12 games and finished fifth on the table, both low marks in the club's history. But then the boys in purple did what they do in the playoffs, advancing to the Eastern Conference Final for a ninth-straight season. Cruz's new-look squad will take aim at one accolade LouCity has yet to secure: a shield for the league's best overall regular season record.

An encore: LouCity and El Paso will meet for the second time in 2024 on Saturday. The clubs also clashed during the preseason while City ventured west to Tucson, Arizona, for a weeklong stay in warmer climes. Ray Serrano and Niall McCabe scored second half goals in a 2-0 victory for the boys in purple.

Missing out: Cruz will have to plan around at least two key absences Saturday. Earlier this week, the club announce Brian Ownby will miss the year due to a knee injury suffered in last weekend's preseason finale. Carlos Moguel Jr. will also serve a one-game suspension for his red card shown for two cautionable offenses in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final.

The new skipper: Who will wear the armband Saturday? It's a question mark given Ownby was set to captain Cruz's side until his injury. Whoever settles into the role will follow the likes of Matt Fondy (2015), Aodhan Quinn (2016) and DelPiccolo (2017-2023). DelPiccolo retired this past offseason, transitioning to coach within the club's academy and first team.

Know the foe: El Paso is on Year 2 under coach Brian Clarhaut, who conducted the Locomotive to a seventh-place Western Conference finish in 2023. The club fell by a 1-0 score last Saturday in its season opener to Hartford Athletic, but the result arguably went against the run of play. El Paso then lost a lead in a 1-1 midweek draw to Monterey Bay FC. Eric Calvillo is one to watch in the midfield having generated a team-high 37 chances last year.

Race to 50: Wilson Harris, whose USL Championship days date back to 2018 with the Sporting KC organization, enters 2024 on 49 regular season league goals. Should he hit the half-century mark before August 1, he'd become the league's fastest player to 50 goals. Harris backed up a stellar first season in purple, when he scored 15 goals in 2022, by tallying another 9 in 2023 despite injuries limiting him to 19 starts.

Transfer market: LouCity both paid and received fees from other clubs while moving players during the offseason. First, Danish first division side AC Horsens paid City for the services of right back Manny Perez after two seasons in purple. Louisville responded by acquiring Sam Gleadle from Monterey Bay FC. Gleadle, a versatile defender, is expected to slot into Perez's former position after numbering 5 goals and 6 assists in 2023.

Double the Davilas: LouCity announced this week it signed midfielder Evan Davila, the younger brother of another recent addition to the club, Taylor Davila. The former University of California standout Evan earned his first professional contract out of a preseason trial. He'll be available for selection at El Paso and comes off his best collegiate season, numbering 5 goals and 5 assists last fall in an All-Pac-12 First Team campaign.

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics




Images from this story

Louisville City FC in action
Louisville City FC in action
(EM Dash Photography)		   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from March 15, 2024


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