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USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for with LouCity at North Carolina FC

August 30, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC defender Amadou Dia
Louisville City FC defender Amadou Dia
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

Seeking redemption after a surprising setback, Louisville City FC stays on the road this weekend for a 7:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff against North Carolina FC.

First-place LouCity saw its five-game winning streak snapped last out when playing away to Hartford Athletic, which sits 11th on the Eastern Conference table.

Now, the boys in purple will be looking to do something they've made a habit of this season: rebounding strong. LouCity has yet to lose consecutive games in 2024, outscoring opponents 13-3 across all competitions after a defeat.

This time, however, a bounce back poses a much bigger challenge. The Hartford game saw both LouCity forward Adrien Perez (29th minute) and head coach Danny Cruz (66th minute) sent off, meaning the duo will be suspended this weekend.

Assistant coach Simon Bird will serve as acting head coach as LouCity (17-5-2, 53 points) looks to hold its spot atop the USL Championship.

City is 4-1-1 all-time against North Carolina, most recently using Sean Totsch's second half penalty to secure a 2-1 win over NCFC back in June at Lynn Family Stadium. Saturday marks the club's first trip to WakeMed Soccer Park since the opening match of the 2020 campaign - a 1-0 triumph for the boys in purple.

NCFC (7-8-9, 30 points) returns home from a two-game road trip in 10th place in the Eastern Conference - four points behind Loudoun United FC for the final postseason spot. Last weekend, coach John Bradford's side earned a point in a scoreless draw with the reigning league champion Phoenix Rising FC.

North Carolina owns a 5-1-6 record on home soil, making it one of three clubs across the USL Championship with fewer than two home defeats. No club has walked away with all three points in Cary since New Mexico United did it back on April 20.

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

Wes Charpie (out)

Adrien Perez (out)

Sam Gleadle (out)

Jorge Gonzalez (out)

Carlos Moguel Jr. (out)

Brian Ownby (out)

Story lines...

Players' Shield race: LouCity is right in the hunt for the only USL Championship trophy the club has yet to attain - the Players' Shield for top regular season record. City has a one-point edge on the Charleston Battery in the Eastern Conference standings and holds two games in hands. New Mexico United, the Western Conference leader, is five points back.

Record pace: LouCity continues to rival 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 tallied 78 points (2.29 per game) and scored 89 goals (2.62 per game). In comparison, City is averaging 2.21 points per game while netting 61 goals, or 2.50 goals per match.

Away days: LouCity is on pace to set the league record for home wins in a season. With the current mark 13 victories, City 11-1-0 so far at Lynn Family Stadium with a +26 goal differential. The boys in purple are less consistent away from home soil, owning a 6-4-2 record with a +4 differential following the defeat at Hartford. Three of City's next four league matches will be played on the road.

Seeing red: As a result of his sending off last weekend, Danny Cruz will miss his first game as LouCity manager since taking over on an interim basis one game into the 2021 season. Perez, meanwhile, was the first LouCity player shown a red card this season. The club's last dismissal came late in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final.

Streaks snapped: Louisville's rollercoaster loss to Hartford broke two notable streaks. It was the club's first road defeat after leading at halftime since the 2021 Eastern Conference Final, ending a 15-game unbeaten run. Moreover, it marked the first time in 12 games that LouCity failed to secure at least a point after scoring first.

Fresh face: Manny Perez is back in purple. The defender, who spent two seasons in Louisville (2022-2023), returned this week after a stint with Danish first division club AC Horsens. The outside back is a former North Carolina FC player who coincidentally made his USL Championship debut in 2019 against LouCity, where he has so far gone on to log 4,300-plus minutes in purple.

Dominant Davila: Offseason acquisition Taylor Davila tallied his fifth goal of the campaign last weekend, bringing his goal involvement total to 10 - one off his career high in the USL Championship. As one of only four LouCity players to feature in all 24 league games this season, he also ranks fourth in the league for chances created (52) and seventh for possessions won (142).

Amadou's assist: Amadou Dia, the club's leading assister since arriving in 2022, recorded his first of the campaign last Saturday in Connecticut. The 31-year-old full back threaded a one-touch pass through the center of Hartford's midfield, finding Davila in stride as the midfielder finished the sequence off with aplomb.

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Images from this story

Louisville City FC defender Amadou Dia
Louisville City FC defender Amadou Dia
(Connor Cunningham)		   

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