What to Watch for as LouCity Resumes Rivalry with Tampa Bay
USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for as LouCity Resumes Rivalry with Tampa Bay

Published on May 29, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


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

The premier rivalry in the USL Championship returns to Lynn Family Stadium this week, as Louisville City FC plays host to the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday.

The rivalry is not based on geography, shared cultural history, or even animosity between the fan bases, but rather on sheer competition. It was built on concurrent success, mutual respect and high stakes meetings over years.

The two clubs are the standard bearers in the Eastern Conference, and over the last decade, the Eastern Conference title has run through Louisville or Tampa Bay.

The two sides met in the playoffs four consecutive years, including in three straight Eastern Conference Finals from 2020 to 2022 - each a classic in its own right.

And every time the two teams met - in the regular season or the playoffs - the game has lived up to the hype. Each of the 18 meetings LouCity and the Rowdies have been decided by one goal or fewer - no blowouts, all close games.

And more often than not, there's a winner - there have been just two draws in the series and none since 2019. LouCity leads that series 9-7-2.

It is a rivalry not built on history, but by its own history - forged like a diamond, through pressure-packed games with championship rewards.

Now it's ready for its next chapter.

While LouCity was lifting the USL Championship Players' Shield in 2024 and 2025, Tampa Bay fell down the league pecking order. The club followed up a sixth-place finish in 2024 with a 10th-place standing in 2025, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

The Rowdies, though, have reloaded.

In his first full season at the helm, head coach Dominic Casciato recruited some best-in-class talent to Tampa Bay (7-0-3, 24 points), including USL Championship stars like Russell Cicerone and M.D. Myers. The Rowdies are unbeaten this season across all competitions and lead the USL Championship standings.

LouCity (5-4-1, 16 points), meanwhile, is close behind, in third place in the East.

The game is Super Kid Night, presented by Norton Children's - a celebration of those living life to the fullest despite some obstacles in their way.

The first 1,000 kids can pick up a foam finger - featuring LouCity mascot Sting - courtesy of Norton Children's. Norton Children's patient Grayson O'Barr will be the Norton Children's Kid Captain.

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

Follow Along

- The match will air live on CBS Sports Network and ESPN Louisville's 680 AM and 105.7 FM.

- 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.

Storylines...

Donovan is doing it: Chris Donovan has scored two goals in back-to-back games, against Union Omaha in the Prinx Tires USL Cup and last week's regular season loss to Miami FC. He is the first Louisville City FC player to score multiple goals in back-to-back games since Wilson Harris in April 2024.

Goals: LouCity and Tampa Bay are among the highest scoring teams in the league this season. LouCity ranks second in the league in scoring (19 goals) behind only El Paso Locomotive. Tampa Bay is tied for fifth in scoring with 17 goals. Louisville also ranks first in shots in the league (177) while Tampa Bay ranks third (146).

Set piece power: LouCity leads the league in corners won (88) and set piece goals (5). Louisville City has taken 131 corner kicks this season, across all competitions.

Defense: Tampa Bay boasts the best defensive record in the USL Championship this season, conceding just five goals. The club also leads the Championship with six shutouts.

Totsch takes on Tampa Bay: Louisville City FC defender Sean Totsch is the only player to appear in all 18 meetings between LouCity and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Totsch signed with Louisville ahead of the 2017 season, the same year Tampa Bay joined the USL Championship from the North American Soccer League.

Streak: Louisville City has lost three straight league games for the first time since July 2023. The club has never lost four league games in a row.

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics

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Images from this story

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



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 29, 2026


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