What to Watch for with LouCity at Indy Eleven
October 4, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release
Louisville City FC has four regular season games left to claim its first USL Championship Players' Shield. But the boys in purple would surely find it sweeter to seal the deal Saturday.
That's because LouCity plays at Indy Eleven, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis.
The return game of a 5-3 Louisville victory back in April will both decide the rivalry series and, under either of two scenarios, add silverware to the trophy case. City either needs to win Saturday or draw should second-place Charleston Battery drop points in its 4 p.m. game against Detroit City FC.
The Players' Shield recognizes the USL Championship club with the best regular season record. It also awards the playoffs' No. 1 overall seed, meaning home field advantage throughout the postseason.
In its 10-year history, LouCity has checked most every box it can at the league level. Two left: Raise a Players' Shield, and host a USL Championship Final at its gem of a home field, Lynn Family Stadium.
Coach Danny Cruz, however, is working to keep his players' focus on the task at hand Saturday.
"The messaging will be that we're playing against a tough opponent," Cruz said. "We all know there's a history there. We've talked about it before. We played them the first time here at home.
"The emphasis is on our process. It's on making sure we're doing everything that we can to get three points at a tough place to go. It's a tough field to play on. It's a difficult team."
City (22-6-2, 68 points) turns around quickly from a 3-0 midweek victory over Miami FC to play Indy Eleven. The boys in purple have won 10 of their last 12 games while distancing nine points - a full three wins - from the closest pursuer on the table.
Indy Eleven (12-10-7, 43 points) coincidentally also defeated Miami last out over the weekend, 4-0, in a game where players on both sides saw red cards. The Eleven have five games to play and find themselves only three points off a top-four position, the cutline to host their playoff opener.
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. 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)
Brian Ownby (out)
Jake Morris (questionable)
Manny Perez (out)
Story lines...
Playoff picture: LouCity will open the single-elimination postseason at Lynn Family Stadium with a Saturday, November 2, Eastern Conference Quarterfinal game against the East's No. 7 or 8 seed. Should the boys in purple advance, they're also so far in line to host the Eastern Conference Semifinal round the weekend of November 8-10.
Rewriting the books: LouCity has already made this a record season on multiple fronts. With Wednesday's win over Miami, the boys in purple both set a new USL Championship mark for home wins in a season (14) and matched their record for wins in a season (22). City's 77 goals and counting are also the most scored in club history.
More in play: LouCity continues to challenge the best marks in USL Championship history - both set by Phoenix Rising FC's 2019 team - for points and goals in a single season. Phoenix recorded 78 points (2.29 per game) and totaled 89 goals (2.62 per game). City is averaging 2.27 points per game and 2.57 goals.
Scorching attack: Phillip Goodrum netted the second of LouCity's three goals against Miami to give the club its 13th multi-goal scorer of an explosive campaign. City has hit the back of the net in a league-high 28 of 30 games, including a season-long 12 matches in a row entering Wednesday.
Locking down: LouCity has also fielded a more formidable defense since adjustments followed a wacky, 6-4 win at North Carolina FC back on August 31. The boys in purple registered clean sheets in three of five games that followed, including a Miami performance that resulted in just 0.06 expected goals by the opposition and no shots attempted within 25 yards.
All-League repeat: It seems likely for LouCity newcomer Taylor Davila, who sits on a team-high six assists leaving the Miami game to go with his seven goals. The central midfielder also created an eye-popping seven chances against Miami, tying him with San Antonio FC's Jorge Hernandez for the league lead in that category at 67 apiece.
Rare air: Veteran center back Sean Totsch flicked in an 11th-minute corner kick against Miami to up his season total to six goals. In the bigger picture, it was the 26th goal of his career, most ever scored by a USL Championship defender. Totsch has excelled from the spot in recent years, going 12 for 12 on penalty kicks to spark his scoring.
Serrano scores: Forward Ray Serrano bent an 83rd-minute shot in to make the score 3-0 against Miami and mark his first goal since a June 30 win at Birmingham Legion FC. Despite that drought, this has represented a resurgent year for the 22-year-old. Already in his seventh pro season, Serrano has scored a career-high seven goals after not once hitting the back of the net in 2023.
McFadden's impact: Brought in on loan from Atlanta United back in the spring, Aiden McFadden completed a permanent transfer to LouCity over the summer and has proven a key to the club's success. McFadden ran his assist total to six when setting up Goodrum's goal against Memphis, giving the wingback goal contributions in his last four appearances.
Images from this story
Louisville City FC goes high to corral a ball in the air (EM Dash Photography) |
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