By Andrew Bell
Louisville City FC defeated Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC by a 3-1 score Saturday in dominant fashion in LouCity’s home opener of the 2024 season at Lynn Family Stadium.
City forward Wilson Harris opened the scoring for his team five minutes into first half stoppage time when a through ball from midfielder Ray Serrano took a bounce right into Harris’ path. The 24-year-old opened his hips and clinically slotted the ball past the Pittsburgh goalkeeper to take the lead with the last touch of the opening half. Harris has now scored twice in two games and looks to be ramping up for his most productive season yet.
The Riverhounds equalized in the 59th minute when a turnover from LouCity in its own half led to a cross and point-blank finish for Pittsburgh forward Edward Kizza.
In the 64th minute, Serrano received the ball in Pittsburgh’s box, rounded the corner on a defender and was subsequently tripped and awarded the penalty. City center back Sean Totsch tucked the penalty in to take the lead once again.
Serrano scored an insurance goal six minutes into second half stoppage time after substitute Evan Davila, younger brother of LouCity starting midfielder Taylor Davila, played a pinpoint cross into Serrano’s feet. Serrano received the pass, sent the Riverhounds goalkeeper the wrong way and smashed the ball into the net, securing the three points and a stellar performance from Serrano.
“When you look at the atmosphere, it was incredible,” LouCity head coach Danny Cruz said about playing at home for the first time this season. “To be able to get three points in front of our fans — making this place a fortress — I want to make sure that teams want to come here initially, but once they do, they don’t want to come back. But when you’ve got guys who are hungry, who are bought in, that want to fight for the badge and for each other, it puts you in a position to do something special.”
Pittsburgh and LouCity have been two of the most consistent teams in the USL Championship, with each team finishing top of the Eastern Conference twice in the last five years — Pittsburgh in 2019 and 2023, and Louisville in 2020 and 2022. The Riverhounds, however, entered the match on Saturday with a record of 4-2-1 overall. Versus LouCity, they looked out of their depth.
On Saturday, LouCity outshot and out-crossed Pittsburgh 17-5 and 13-11, respectively. The Riverhounds will have a chance of revenge, and City a chance at evening the all-time record between the teams, when the clubs meet again on June 19 in Pittsburgh.
A pair of playmakers
Against Pittsburgh, two players stood out in particular — Serrano and Taylor Davila. The pair, a combined age of 44, played played beyond their years.
The 21-year-old Serrano is entering his third season with LouCity and has now taken on a crucial role in the starting 11. On Saturday, he posted four shots (three on target), three crosses, two chances created and a goal. Serrano would have had an assist had his ball through to Harris not taken a deflection, and he also won the penalty that Totsch later converted.
Besides his numbers from the game, Serrano’s intangibles against Pittsburgh were invaluable to LouCity. Standing at 5-foot-9, his ability to shrug off larger defenders while staying on balance allowed him to weave through Pittsburgh’s midfield and defense while protecting the ball. His work rate and fitness looked infallible, as Serrano put in a full-game shift while appearing to be all over the field. Even in the 96th minute, he sprinted from midfield to the opposition’s box where he scored a phenomenal goal to top-off his performance.
Davila, an offseason acquisition from now-defunt USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley, looks to be building off of his breakout season last year, in which the midfielder created the second-most chances in the USL Championship (66) and earned All-League First Team honors.
Davila plays a slightly deeper role in LouCity’s midfield than Serrano. The 23-year-old is more of an orchestrator, stringing together chance after chance by quickly and precisely collecting and distributing possession. On Saturday, Davila created three chances, three crosses, and 14 passes into Pittsburgh’s final third.
Last season with RGV, Davila recorded 203 recoveries and 49 tackles, and his heat map on Saturday certainly suggests he’s still being used in a box-to-box midfielder role by LouCity. Davila’s 75-minute shift included six duels, winning possession on 11 occasions, and winning the ball in Pittsburgh’s final third a team-high four times.
Experience at the back
With the new guard dominating midfield operations, a more experienced crew is holding down the back. Defenders Totsch, Kyle Adams and Arturo Ordóñez commanded the field on Saturday against Pittsburgh.
Totsch, who’s been in the league for nine years and with City for seven, has been a stalwart at the back since joining the club in 2017. Usually seen at center back, Totsch has slid into more of a right back role this season. And while Totsch can be seen getting forward during games, nabbing the assist for City’s lone goal with a perfect cross last weekend, lightning-quick winger Jansen Wilson, another preseason signing, usually supplements the offensive production from the right side.
This system from Cruz looks to be working, as Totsch’s defensive production hasn’t dropped at all, tallying 13 duels, eight aerial duels, and winning possession 10 times. Totsch also made a crucial goal-line clearance in the 39th minute after a nervy moment at the back.
Adams, who’s played in the USL Championship for six years, is in his first full season with LouCity after moving to Louisville on a midseason transfer in 2023. The left-footer has been paired at center back with another preseason signing, Ordóñez, who won defender of the year last year with Pittsburgh.
On Saturday, the trio combined for three tackles, two interceptions and eight clearances. Their discipline and awareness also contributed to drawing Pittsburgh offside four times throughout the match.
LouCity will welcome another Eastern Conference team, Birmingham Legion FC, to Lynn Family Stadium next weekend where City will hope to expand its winning streak to three to start the season.
