What to Watch for as LouCity Starts Third Competition of Season
USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for as LouCity Starts Third Competition of Season

Published on April 24, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC interim head coach Simon Bird
Louisville City FC interim head coach Simon Bird
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

Louisville City FC is in the business of winning trophies, and so far this season the club is competing on all fronts.

The club is in first place in the USL Championship and has won three games in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup - including an upset of a Major League Soccer team for the second time in club history - advancing to the Round of 16.

On Saturday, LouCity will take on yet another competition with another trophy on the line, the USL Prinx Tires Cup. LouCity hosts Fort Wayne FC of USL League One at Lynn Family Stadium, with kickoff at 7 p.m.

This is the second year LouCity has taken part in the tournament, which pits teams from across the United Soccer League structure, including the second-division Championship and third-division League One.

In last season's league cup, LouCity took one loss in the group stage, which was enough to halt their progress. Louisville failed to advance to the knockout stage and finished second in Group Five.

"It's another competition that we haven't won yet and we want to win," LouCity interim head coach Simon Bird said. "So, that's first and foremost, and it starts on Saturday."

Fort Wayne (1-2-1, 4 points) has dropped results over the opening four games of the season, but is coming off a win last time out, 1-0 against the Chattanooga Red Wolves. With a new 9,200-capacity stadium - which will look strikingly similar to Louisville's Lynn Family Stadium - under construction, the club has been on the road all year. Fort Wayne is not participating in the U.S. Open Cup.

The club is in its sixth season of existence, but first as a professional club. From 2021 to 2025, Fort Wayne competed at the USL League Two level, which utilizes collegiate players on their summer break. The club was the best in League Two, winning three consecutive regular-season titles from 2023 to 2025.

The club is coached by Mike Avery, a former college coach who has made several stops in his career, including one in the Derby City: Avery was an assistant coach with the University of Louisville men's program under Ken Lolla in 2006.

Former United States Men's National Team star Demarcus Beasley is a member of the ownership group.

Follow Along

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

- If streaming, download the free WDRB+ app to watch the local feed 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.

Storylines...

Format: This year's USL Prinx Tires Cup includes 42 teams from the USL Championship and USL League One, split into seven groups. Each team will play four group games, meaning teams will not play every opponent in their group. The seven group winners and two wild card teams will advance to a single-elimination knockout stage. The format utilizes goals scored as a tiebreaker.

Group Four: The USL placed LouCity in Group Four, which includes four USL Championship teams - Louisville, Indy Eleven, Lexington SC and Detroit City FC - along with three from League One - Fort Wayne, Forward Madison SC and Union Omaha. LouCity will face Fort Wayne, Detroit, Omaha and Lexington in the group stage.

Shootout: If USL Prinx Tires Cup games end in a tie, there will be a penalty kick shootout at the end of 90 minutes. The winner of the shootout will earn two points in the standings, while the loser takes one.

Little brother: LouCity is 4-0-0 all-time against USL League One opposition. Since the league formed in 2019, LouCity has defeated the Chattanooga Red Wolves, Greenville Triumph and Lexington SC all in the U.S. Open Cup, as well as the Richmond Kickers in last season's USL Cup. LouCity outscored those League One opponents 9-2 in those games. All four were played at Lynn Family Stadium.

Team of the Week: The USL named LouCity captain Kyle Adams to its Team of the Week following last week's 1-0 win over Sporting JAX. The 29-year-old New Zealander won 3 of 3 tackles and 9 of 13 duels, recording six recoveries and completing 65 of 77 passes overall, in the win.

E-Town's elite: LouCity forward Jansen Wilson, a native of nearby Elizabethtown, Ky., has proven to be a consistent scoring threat. The third-year pro has three goals and two assists this season, including the game-winner last week. Overall, the 24-year-old has scored 18 goals and tallied eight assists in league play over his career.

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics

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Images from this story

Louisville City FC interim head coach Simon Bird
Louisville City FC interim head coach Simon Bird
(Connor Cunningham)		   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 24, 2026


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