players as they did over last offseason, and
additions to the squad during that time have
proven the difference in this regular season. Coach
O’Connor looked to import players with USL
experience, and guys like Brian Ownby, George
Davis IV, and “Speedy” Williams have certainly
contributed much to the teams continued success.
The addition of Ownby and Davis IV, in
particular, as well as the adventurous play of
outside defenders Kyle Smith and Oscar Jimenez,
have yielded some exciting and expansive soccer,
and the team has been more positive in their
play because of it. All of this has taken some
pressure off central midfielders and also gave the
physically imposing Luke Spencer opportunities
to outmuscle and outwork defenders to get on the
end of crosses, something he does exceedingly
well. LouCity hasn’t had a player quite as imposing
as the 6’2” almost 200 pound forward, who has
thrived after a move from his hometown club
of FC Cincinnati.
After having a couple of offensive talismans
in the first two years in League MVP and goal
scoring record holder Matt Fondy and MLS-level
proven Chandler Hoffman, the team has found
a reliable replacement with Spencer. There’s
also been more of a rotation in the strikers, Ilija
Ilic got more starts in one month than he has in
his first two years with the club, and Cameron
Lancaster has also factored into a handful of
goals himself, taking the load off the de facto
single striker system that had developed with
Fondy and Hoffman playing in attack.
The only real moments of doubt that have come
up throughout the season have been associated
with the goalkeeping. When Greg Ranjitsingh
reinjured his groin in the season opener, Tim
Dobrowolski took up the role of keeper for the
duration of Ranjitsingh’s absence, playing well
and maintained his spot for five games, even after
the former’s return to health. A disappointing
outing against Tampa Bay led to Greg reprising
the spot between the sticks.
Ranjitsingh has had a few gaffes, which has
led to a healthy competition for the spot, and
there’s been a back and forth for selection by
Coach O’Connor, where Ranjitsingh has edged
Dobrowolski in appearances, but the spot is far
from safe for the Canadian born Tobagonian.
On the whole, Louisville City experienced an
upturn in performance from 2015 to the 2016
season, and the club is again on pace to edge their
point total from last year, where they managed to
lose just four times in the 30-game season. What
caught up with the team last year, however, was
not their four league defeats, but the nine draws
they had, several of them in games against much
weaker opponents, something that the squad
has largely been able to avoid this season, even
having lost a greater number of matches, they
are now in a better position.
Not only has the team’s performance improved
year to year, but there has been a marked uptick
in attendance as well. Where the team saw an
average of just over 6,700 at home in 2015’s regular
season, and 7,200 in 2016, 2017 has averaged
almost 9,000 through the turnstiles at Slugger,
punctuated by the five-goal dismantling of FC
Cincinnati in front of the club’s first ever sellout
crowd of 13,812 on Aug. 12.
While all signs are pointed in the right direction,
the real moment of reckoning for Louisville City
has yet to come. They have a condensed schedule
over the last few weeks of the season, including
the recent road swing to Canada before playing
out their final two games of the season at home,
the penultimate contest against Charlotte, which
may end up deciding who enters the playoffs in
the top spot in the East, and a finale against a
listless Richmond Kickers outfit, which could
be an opportunity to rest some players before
the start of the nearly month-long postseason.
The playoffs will begin a week after the final
regular season matchday, and with the table as
congested as it is, you can expect to see teams’
seeds change and if last year’s final weekend is
any indication, some teams knock another out
the playoffs on the final day.
For LouCity, attaining the top spot is important.
They’ve gone to two straight conference
championships, both on the road (Rochester
in 2015 and New York Red Bulls II in 2016) and
neither in front of very many people. The crowd at
Louisville Slugger Field is great and to be able to
play there as long as possible is a very worthwhile
goal to see out the season with.
Having talked with Coach O’Connor after the
heartbreaking penalty shootout loss at Red Bull
Arena to end last season, I know that both he and
the team expect more out of themselves, and as
for qualifying the season as a success or failure,
River Cities and Kings’ Cups aside, anything
less than a USL finals appearance would be a
disappointment.