Moments after Louisville City FC’s shutout win last weekend over Miami FC, team captain Paolo DelPiccolo raved about the squad’s newcomers. The attitude, the energy, the work ethic – the fresh faces, he said, “bought in.”
Perhaps nobody better embodies that than Wilson Harris, the 22-year-old Californian who signed this offseason. Through three games, Harris has tallied 2 goals and an assist, including a late free kick from distance in the club’s midweek win at New York Red Bulls II. Going into Saturday’s matchup against Indy Eleven — the rivals kick off at 7:30 p.m. inside Lynn Family Stadium — Harris leads LouCity in pressures and counter-pressures, key metrics in the team’s pressing system.
“Him going back and forth (running), it just takes a toll on defenders,” DelPiccolo said. “He didn’t get on the scoresheet (vs. Miami), but he did a lot of work and created a lot for us.”
That was the exact goal in bringing Harris to LouCity – replenishing the attacking corps with an energetic, hard-working talent who helps in a variety of ways. The original plan, before star Cameron Lancaster’s late-preseason injury, was to run opponents ragged with the USL Championship’s most dangerous striker partnership. But while Lancaster rehabilitates his leg and before those plans come to fruition, Harris provides City with bona fide striker option.
Harris, who also delivered the game-winner in the season-opening win over Atlanta United 2, leads LouCity with 13 shots attempted. He’s one of 10 USL Championship players too with multiple goals scored early in the campaign.
“I love playing with him, and I think he’ll score a lot of goals,” said veteran midfielder Corben Bone. “His movement, his willingness to play both sides of the ball, his knack for goal – it’s all great. He continues to find the right spaces. I can’t say enough about him.”
Harris, the 2020 USL Championship Young Player of the Year, came to Louisville to play with, and learn from, the best. He scored 25 goals in 66 appearances with Sporting Kansas City II over the past four years and impressed in his matches against City.
The chance to represent a club that reached each of the past seven conference finals and won two USL Championship trophies, all while studying under Lancaster’s tutelage, was too good to pass up. The former Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City academy product signed after spending part of the preseason with Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC.
“It’s a championship team,” Harris said, “and you need depth like any team you see around the world. … I’ve just been trying to pick up things from (Lancaster) as a consistent goal scorer in this league.”
When Lancaster returns, City will boast two dynamic goal scorers leading the way, giving coach Danny Cruz the option to rotate strikers or play them together in a front two. That Harris is getting the chance to get his footing now should only help the squad in the coming months.
“All preseason, the two of them made it a competition,” Cruz said. “Cam’s done an excellent job with Wilson. Cam has taken that responsibility on board with his individual conversations he’s having. While Cam wants to be out on that field, he’ll do what he can to make sure Wilson’s out there scoring and working with the group.”
The season opener put that reality into focus for Harris, who’d played at Lynn Family Stadium five times with Sporting Kansas City II. The preseason work paid off in a big way, and City is hoping that continues.
“Wearing purple is different,” Harris said. “Having support from all the fans, it’s just an unreal feeling.”
Follow along…
• For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter and Louisville City FC on Facebook. Also find us at louisvillecityfc on Instagram.
• Visit our Match Center for everything you should know before you go to Lynn Family Stadium.
• Can’t make it? Saturday’s game will air on WDRB and stream via ESPN+ and the WDRB Now app. Listen to live radio coverage from Jeff Milby and Casey Whitfield on ESPN 680/105.7 or at ESPNLouisville.com.
