If there’s a constant theme for Louisville City FC this season, it’s that anybody on the roster from player one through 20 is dangerous in front of goal.
This was once again on display in Saturday’s 5-0 rout of FC Cincinnati, as LouCity exacted revenge with five different players on the scoresheet. Niall McCabe, Luke Spencer, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Richard Ballard and Sean Reynolds all found the back of the net in front of a club-record 13,812 fans at Slugger Field.
In the past, LouCity relied a singular forward — Matt Fondy in 2015 and Chandler Hoffman in 2016 — to score the bulk of the goals. But this season, more threats are involved, making it tougher to game-plan against coach James O’Connor’s squad.
LouCity ranks sixth in the United Soccer League with 36 goals scored, all the more impressive considering the side scored eight goals in the first two months of the season. At the same time, no player on the roster has scored more than six goals.
Spencer registered a team-leading sixth goal Saturday evening, and 12 other players have scored goals for Louisville City this season, including the center back Reynolds, who headed in his first goal late in the going to cap a the victory.
But Spencer and teammates also aren’t just goal scorers.
Saturday may have been Louisville City’s most dominant offensive game of the season. The team created 23 goal-scoring chances, leading to 30 total shots, 15 shots on goal and the five goals scored, with five assists.
Spencer’s performance perhaps helped LouCity realize that the team’s top playmaker, Brian Ownby, wasn’t even on the field. The Cincinnati native Spencer created six goal-scoring chances and finished with two assists, one Kaye’s goal early in the second half and the other on the substitute Ballard’s impressive strike past two defenders and FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt.
Kaye, making his second start in four games, displayed the form and talent that earned him a spot on the Canadian National Team squad for the 2017 Gold Cup. The midfielder was a constant danger to the FC Cincinnati backline and, before substituted out, he picked up a well-deserved goal.
Moving forward, I expect USL opponents to continue struggling to defend LouCity because of surprising depth on a small roster, at least numbers-wise.
When even defenders like Sean Totsch and Paco Craig can deliver in perfect crosses that lead to goals, it’s going to be tough to stop Louisville City from creating chances on goal. Add in Oscar Jimenez and Kyle Smith working down the wings, along with Guy Abend and Speedy Williams down the middle, and it’s a formidable unit even before you get to the three or four attackers Louisville City has at its disposal.
And to think, Saturday’s result came without three of Louisville City’s top playmakers: George Davis IV, Paolo DelPiccolo and Ownby.
If Louisville City can produce results even half as good as Saturday, O’Connor’s team looks poised for another deep USL Cup Playoffs run — and from there, anything can happen.
Opinions expressed in this piece were not subject to club approval. For more insights on LouCity, follow Karell on Twitter: @DanKarellPreps.
