What to Watch for as LouCity Visits Monterey Bay FC

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USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for as LouCity Visits Monterey Bay FC

May 23, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


For the second time this season Louisville City FC heads west to California, this time to face Monterey Bay FC for a 10 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside.

LouCity has faced just two Western Conference opponents this year, after tying Sacramento Republic 1-1 away from home on April 5 and defeating Lexington SC - yes, Lexington is in the Western Conference - 2-0 at Lynn Family Stadium on May 1.

Louisville will visit The Golden State one more time in the regular season, on October 18 at Orange County SC. The club will also travel West to face defending USL Championship title winners Colorado Springs on July 4 and Las Vegas Lights on August 23.

Like the tides of the ocean located within a mile of Cardinale Stadium, Monterey Bay's season has featured an ebb and flow. The club won four of its first five matches and led the Western Conference through the season's opening six weeks - the high-water mark. Since then, Monterey Bay has won just one game in eight, across all competitions, and has slipped to fifth in the West.

The difference? Scoring. Monterey Bay tallied 11 goals in its rise to first place but the offense have dried up since - the "Crisp-and-Kelp," as the team is known, have scored just twice in league play over their last five games.

LouCity, meanwhile, remains the lone USL Championship team without a league loss, but is winless in its last three games, across all competitions. The boys in purple haven't collected three points in the standings since that rivalry victory over Lexington to begin the month.

This trip is the second of a three-game road swing for LouCity. The club earned a point at Hartford last week with a 1-1 tie and will travel to Virginia for a USL Jägermeister Cup showdown with Championship contender Loudoun United FC next weekend - it'll be the third time the two clubs will have met this season, across three competitions.

LouCity returns home on Saturday, June 7, hosting the Tampa Bay Rowdies in an Eastern Conference rivalry clash. The game is LouCity's Pride Night, a celebration of the local LGBTQ+ community. Various recognitions are planned for the night, team-branded gear will raise funds for local nonprofits, and fans can show their game ticket for free admission to the official after party at Play Louisville (1101 E. Washington Street).

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

Follow Along

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

- If streaming, download the free WDRB+ app to watch the local feed in Louisville or ESPN+ for national coverage.

- 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...

The 50 goal club: LouCity forward Phillip Goodrum scored his 50th career USL Championship regular season goal last week against Hartford Athletic. He became the 31st player in league history to reach the mark. The 27-year-old hit the half century mark in his 133rd career USL Championship game, giving him the 11th-highest strike rate in league history - he averages a goal every 187.7 minutes.

Two pairs of golden gloves: Saturday's game pits two of the USL Championship's top goalkeepers. Monterey Bay's Nico Campuzo has been the busiest goalkeeper in the league, making 39 saves on 49 shots faced, both league highs. Campuzo is also the league leader in save percentage, at 79.6%. LouCity's Damian Las, meanwhile, is hot on his heels at 79.2%, the second-best mark in the USL Championship, and his four shutouts are tied for second-most in the league.

Series history: This will be the fourth meeting between the two clubs. LouCity leads the series 2-1-0. Monterey Bay's only win came at Lynn Family Stadium, with current LouCity forward Sam Gleadle scoring the second goal in the Seasiders' win. Current Monterey Bay player Mobi Fehr scored the first. It was one of only two home losses LouCity suffered that season. This will be LouCity's second-ever visit to Cardinale Stadium, where the club claimed a 1-0 victory in March 2023.

Focus on Fonguck: Monterey Bay midfielder Wesley Fonguck is the fulcrum of the Seasiders' attack. The 24-year-old Englishman leads the team in passing completion at 89.3% and is second on the team with 447 total passes. By comparison, LouCity's midfield maestro Taylor Davila has completed 79.1% of his 392 passes, the top marks among Louisville's midfield. Fonguck joined the Monterey Bay from Ebbsfleet United F.C. of England's National League, now famous as the former league home of Wrexham A.F.C.

Coaching matchup: This is the first time LouCity's Danny Cruz and Monterey Bay's Jordan Stewart have faced off as coaches - Stewart is in his first full season as a head coach - but not the first time they've met on a soccer field. As players, the played against one another three times, twice in MLS and once in the USL. Cruz picked up a yellow card in two of the meetings. Additionally, Stewart was a teammate of Louisville's Amadou Dia in 2017 with Phoenix Rising FC.

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 23, 2025


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