By: Russ Brown
Photos provided by: Louisville City FC
Welcome to Louisville FC Soccer Club’s “bounce back” season, as the organization has
proclaimed its 10th anniversary 2024 campaign. Although it managed to advance to
its ninth straight trip to the USL conference final, Louisville City FC (LouCity) lost
12 of its 34 regular season games and finished fifth in the Eastern Conference, both
club “worsts.”
To try to avoid a repeat, LouCity’s roster has undergone what has been referred to as
a “generational shift” from the one that carried the club to league championships in
2017 and 2018. Only three players remain from those days — Niall McCabe, Brian
Ownby and Sean Totsch — and Ownby is out for the season with a leg injury.
When LouCity opened the season on March 16 with a 1-0 victory over host El Paso
Locomotive FC, there were six new players in the starting lineup following a very busy
offseason, during which third-year manager Danny Cruz went after top players he
feels are still motivated and intent on winning a title.
They include two All-League First Team performers from 2023 in Arturo Ordonez
(Pittsburgh Riverhounds) and Taylor Davila (Rio Grande Valley FC). Adrien Perez
signed after enjoying the best season of his career with San Diego Loyal, which folded
after the 2023 season, and Sam Gleadle came in as a rare paid transfer after getting five goals and six assists for Monterey Bay FC. They joined a core of talented returning players headed by striker Wilson Harris, who scored nine goals last year. Also back are Dylan Mares, Ray Serrano, Jorge Gonzalez and defenders Kyle Adams and Wes Charpie.
“We feel really good about the group of players we brought in,” Cruz says. “It was important that we brought in the right people that we believe fit into the culture and have the right mentality. Yes, we brought in a couple of guys that are all-league, but more importantly than that, these are guys that are hungry. They are good players who have had success in the league individually, but haven’t won anything. These are guys that are not content with an all league selection. They came here to win a trophy. Also, through the interview process, they are people we wanted in our locker room. We’re confident in the group we have, and how they have come together.”
LouCity certainly needed an influx of new blood with the departure of all-time leading scorer Cameron Lancaster and longtime captain Paolo DelPiccolo, who retired to assume coaching duties with the club.
Then the team absorbed another serious blow when Ownby, its star forward, suffered a leg injury in the final preseason game and underwent surgery that will keep him sidelined all year. Ownby, 33, was coming off a 2023 campaign when he led the club in chances created (47) and assists (5) while also scoring for goals. He is LouCity’s all-time assists leader with 37 and was set to captain the team this season.
“We’re really disappointed for him,” Cruz said. “He came in the most fit I’ve seen him in my entire time here. He was going to lead the group this year and he took a lot of pride in that. He brought the locker room together and there’s still going to be a role for him on a daily basis as he continues to lead in a different way.”
The blend of returning players and newcomers has worked well in the early stages of the season. LouCity matched the best start in its history at 4-0 before falling at Charleston Battery 3-2. They’ll get a chance to avenge that defeat when Charleston visits Lynn Family Stadium on Aug. 17.
Ordonez, a former star at the University of Pittsburgh who was named USL Defender of the Year last season with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Pittsburgh conceded an Eastern Conference low of 29 goals, with Ordonez numbering 239 recoveries and 106 aerial duels won. He said that signing with LouCity was appealing because of its history of success and the opportunity it provided him to improve his game and compete for a championship.
“For me it was a challenge to come here and be part of that winning culture that has been set for the past 10 years,” Ordonez said. “I’m at a point in my career where I’m in my prime and I want to keep growing and reach my highest level, and I felt that coming here with the staff and the players returning was the perfect setup for me.”
LouCity is favored to win the Eastern Conference this season, but Ordonez says that is irrelevant because the standards are always high among the Boys in Purple.
“Our expectations and standards we set for ourselves are so high we don’t even look at those (predictions),” he said. “We already know our goals and our objectives and we don’t even have to talk about it. Coming into this season, you strive and you want to win everything you play for. We want to win it all and bring another star to the team.
“I feel the culture within this group, thanks to the returning players but also the new players, is great. We are all very, very hungry. The new guys are very humble and from day one they wanted to show their value by working hard and not taking anything for granted.”
Gleadle said he’s glad to be in Louisville, even though he had to leave Southern California’s sunny beaches for the “lot less attractive” and weather-challenged banks of the Ohio River.
“Honestly, you heard stuff about facilities here and how the club’s standards are very high,” he said. “It’s definitely met and exceeded those. This is basically an MLS club here at this level. So it’s an honor to be here. It’s a great place to work and compete every day. I think our vibe is that we want to add another piece, another chapter to the history. We’ve gelled really quickly already, so I look forward to continuing to grow as a group.”
LouCity’s next home game will be on May 11 at 7:30 p.m. against Orange County SC. After that, there will be 26 games remaining on the 34-game regular season schedule, 12 of them in Lynn Family Stadium. Season, group and premium tickets can be obtained on LouCity.com/tickets or by calling (502) LOU-CITY (568-2489).
REMAINING LOUISVILLE CITY FC HOME SCHEDULE
May 11: Orange County SC, 7:30 pm
May 29: Detroit City FC, 7:30 pm
June 8: North Carolina FC, 8pm
June 22: Rhode Island FC, 8pm
July 19: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 8pm
July 27: Monterey Bay FC, 8pm
Aug. 10: Sacramento Republic FC, 9pm
Aug. 17: Charleston Battery, 9pm
Sept. 6: Loudoun United FC, 7:30pm
Sept. 28: Memphis 901 FC, 7:30pm
Oct. 2: Miami FC, 7:30pm
Oct. 12: Tampa Bay Rowdies, 7:30pm
Oct. 26: Phoenix Rising FC, 7:30pm