What to Watch for with LouCity at New Mexico United

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Louisville City FC

What to Watch for with LouCity at New Mexico United

August 2, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC battles for the ball
Louisville City FC battles for the ball
(Louisville City FC)

Louisville City FC traveled last fall to play New Mexico United for a 2-0 loss, with coach Danny Cruz saying the defeat "had everything to do with desire, heart and quality on the ball."

That LouCity squad won 14 games all season while Cruz often cited a lacking mentality on the road, where playing surfaces are rarely as pristine as the one at Lynn Family Stadium.

This year's LouCity team - having already matched that 14-win total - returns to New Mexico this weekend with a chance to once again prove how far the boys in purple have come in a short time.

Stakes will be high when Eastern Conference-leading City (14-4-2, 44 points) kicks off against the first-place Western Conference side New Mexico (12-5-2, 38 points). The opening whistle is set for 9 p.m. Saturday at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, where United are averaging 10,000-plus in attendance per game, ranking first in the league just ahead of LouCity.

This is the lone road game for Louisville over a six-game stretch - but a mighty important one given the matchups ahead. LouCity follows this weekend's game by hosting the West's second-place side, Sacramento Republic FC, on August 10 before East No. 2 Charleston Battery visits on August 17.

Survive that storm, and the boys in purple would put themselves in position to win the club's first-ever Players' Shield for best overall regular season record across the league. That also means a home path through the USL Championship Playoffs.

City made it back-to-back wins last Saturday for the first time since early June, finding some rhythm after a rotation of victories followed by defeats. New Mexico meanwhile saw a five-game unbeaten streak end Wednesday night when falling to Las Vegas Lights FC. That was United's first home loss of the season.

Saturday marks the third-ever meeting between the clubs, who are an even 1-1-0 with City having taken the first matchup back in 2021.

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

Jorge Gonzalez (out)

Brian Ownby (out)

Story lines...

Quick turnarounds: LouCity will head into a high-profile matchup with New Mexico on short rest after playing its Tuesday international friendly against Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt. The game did see plenty of rotation from last Saturday's win over Monterey Bay FC with seven changes to the starting lineup and minutes from multiple academy players.

Getting healthy: Importantly, the Frankfurt friendly also allowed LouCity to get minutes into two key players missing since early June. Defender and team captain Kyle Adams started on the return from a foot injury, while forward Adrien Perez came on as a substitute having healed up from a setback of his own.

Chasing records: LouCity could challenge two USL Championship marks set by 2019's Phoenix Rising FC team that tallied 78 points (2.29 per game) and scored 89 goals (2.62 per game). Thanks to a 4-1 win over Monterey Bay, City's current averages stand at 2.2 points and 2.6 goals per game, respectively.

Early blitz: With a third-minute run at the back post Saturday, Jake Morris put his foot through a shot that crashed off the cross bar and in to mark LouCity's earliest goal of the season. Morris, who arrived this past offseason from the Columbus Crew organization, has now scored four goals to go with his four assists in a standout first season for City.

Golden Boot race: With his headed strike Saturday against Monterey Bay, Wilson Harris ran his total to 12 goals on the season, second-most in the league. Charleston's Nick Markanich is setting a blistering pace already with 19 goals whereas LouCity has fielded a more balanced attack, seeing 10 players score multiple goals this year.

Career year: Minutes after Monterey Bay pulled a goal back Saturday, Elijah Wynder provided an answer, redirecting a Taylor Davila free kick in the 28th minute. It was the LouCity Academy graduate Wynder's career-high fifth goal of the season amid a campaign that has seen him start 19 of 20 games.

Exclamation point: Forward Sam Gleadle knocked in an 81st-minute rebound against Monterey Bay, his former club, to make it four goals for LouCity. The boys in purple have scored for or more goals at home five times already this season, a big reason why their 52 goals are 10 more than any other club has tallied.

New ink: Three LouCity favorites recently agreed to new contracts with the club as defenders Sean Totsch and Amadou Dia signed on to extend their stays. Winger Aiden McFadden also completed a paid transfer from Atlanta United, where he arrived from on loan back in April before settling into a starting role in Louisville.

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Louisville City FC battles for the ball
Louisville City FC battles for the ball
   

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