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USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for with LouCity vs. Tampa Bay

August 12, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC forward Wilson Harris
Louisville City FC forward Wilson Harris
(Louisville City FC, Credit: EM Dash Photography)

The bright lights always seem to find Louisville City FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies when two of the USL Championship's top clubs get together, and Saturday's 7:30 p.m. matchup at Lynn Family Stadium is no exception.

The sides will meet front of what's likely to be Lynn Family Stadium's first-ever sellout crowd of 13,701, with myriad promotions surrounding the game. LouCity will debut its 2022 third kit, the club is calling for fans to black out the stands, and fireworks will follow the final whistle for this "Fill the Fam" showdown.

The centerpiece of it all - a rematch of the 2020 and 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, both won by Tampa Bay - packs all the appropriate hype. LouCity (15-3-4, 49 points) sits just ahead of Tampa Bay (14-3-6, 48 points) at the top of the table.

The Rowdies also won the teams' the first meeting this season, 1-0, back in early June as part of a 13-game unbeaten streak, including seven straight wins. City hasn't lost since then, going eight games without a defeat entering the weekend.

The boys in purple hold a game in hand over Tampa Bay. Saturday marks an opportunity not just for revenge going back to prior years but a chance to put some distance between its top rival with two months to go this season.

Adding to the occasion are a number of giveaways - T-shirts, posters and a fan clapper. Lynn Family Stadium's Fan Zone opens at 6 p.m. with $2 beers on tap for an hour before all stadium gates open at 6:30 p.m. Visit LouCity.com/FillTheFam for more information.

Follow along

The game will air live locally on WBKI and ESPN Louisville's 680/105.7, with streaming via ESPN+ and the WDRB Now app.

For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Also find the club at louisvillecityfc on Instagram.

Injury report

Cameron Lancaster (Out)

Josh Wynder (Out)

Story lines...

Off to the races: An outright USL Championship regular season crown is one jewel still missing from the trophy case in Louisville, but LouCity's in play for it this season. Western Conference leader San Antonio FC eked out a midweek victory to move to 53 points, while San Diego Loyal sits level with City's 49.

In the stands: Saturday's home crowd is anticipated to be the fifth in club history to eclipse 12,000 in attendance. The boys in purple are unbeaten on those prior occasions, which include the 2017 final (14,456), 2017 rivalry game with FC Cincinnati (13,812), 2019's final game at Louisville Slugger Field (12,188) and 2021's "Grand Opening Game" at Lynn Family Stadium (12,115).

Best vs. best: Will something give Saturday night? LouCity's 16 goals conceded ranks No. 1 across the USL Championship, and within that Kyle Morton sits second in the league with nine shutouts on the year despite missing more than a month earlier this summer in concussion protocol. Tampa Bay enters with 48 goals scored, also tops in the USL Championship.

Threats aplenty: Thanks to Saturday's 4-1 win over the Charleston Battery, this now marks LouCity's second-ever season featuring four players with five or more goals. Leaders include Wilson Harris (nine), Brian Ownby (eight), Enoch Mushagalusa (seven) and Sean Totsch (six). City first accomplished this in 2018, when the club most recently won the league title.

Dad strength: New father Amadou Dia earned USL Championship Team of the Week honors having assisted a pair of goals in the win over Charleston days after the birth of his daughter. Dia, a newcomer to the club this year, is tied of the team lead now with five assists.

Assist kings: Ownby, who boasts four assists this season, has moved into a tie atop the club's all-time list for that category, equaling Oscar Jimenez's 32. Niall McCabe ranks just behind that duo with 29 assists.

Career year: Ownby's eight goals in 2022 are a single-season high for the veteran forward. Ownby has been on a tear this summer playing both on the wing and center forward, sinking his eighth goal to equalize on the way to City's rout of Charleston. His total this year eclipse the seven he scored in 2013 for the Richmond Kickers.

Tucked in, locked in: Totsch hammered a stoppage-time goal against Charleston to continue a career season scoring for the center back as well. It marked his sixth goal. Totsch hadn't tallied more than one in a season before this year.

Wilson wows: Harris, who joined LouCity this season, is off to an ideal start in purple. The 2020 USL Championship Young Player of the Year dispossessed a defender and scored all on his own against Charleston to mark his first goal since leaving City's July 2 game with a rib injury.

Milestone moment: Tyler Gibson, in his second season with City, recorded his 100th appearance in a USL Championship match this past weekend. The midfielder passed with 85% accuracy, winning four duels and five possessions. Gibson played previously for FC Cincinnati and the Indy Eleven.

Check out the Louisville City FC Statistics




Images from this story

Louisville City FC forward Wilson Harris
Louisville City FC forward Wilson Harris
(EM Dash Photography)		   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 12, 2022


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