WHO:
Nashville SC
WHAT:
A Round of 16 U.S. Open Cup match
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 20, 2018, 7:00 post meridiem
WHERE:
Lynn Stadium, 339 Byrne Ave, Louisville, KY 40209
WATCH:
There are still tickets available, but not many. If you can’t make it, you can watch the game on local digital station Bounce TV 3.2, stream it on ussoccer.com, or listen to the radio broadcast on 790 KRD.
MARCH:
Tailgate with us at Cardinal Alley courtesy of Lou City owner and UofL Athletic Director Vince Tyra! The Lou City Tailgate crew will be there serving up the food along with the guys from Saints Pizza Pub. Drink specials will be available from Cardinal Alley.
- Tailgate at Cardinal Alley 4:00 – 6:30 PM
- March to the Match 6:30 PM
We’ll also be holding a raffle benefiting Kentucky Refugee Ministries. The winner gets an autographed pair of Sean Tosch’s custom purple LouCity-themed boots by SoleCycle! Also, the Coopers will be selling Pride-themed merchandise and raising money for our Prideraiser campaign to benefit the Kentuckiana Pride Foundation.
WHO, AGAIN?
City notched their opening win of the USL season against Nashville in a pretty convincing 2-0 victory way back in March. Nashville got their equally convincing equalizer in the return match back in May, one of Morados’ poorer performances on the season. This is a rubber match of sorts.
Nashville’s on a bit of a hot streak. They haven’t lost in their last eleven games in all competitions. They’ve only given up four goals in their last seven. They recently signed Brandon Allen from Bethlehem Steel, and all that guy’s done is score four goals in twelve matches. Lebo Moloto and Ropapa Mensah equal that mark, with an extra game played.
They don’t exactly play pretty soccer, but NSC is lethal when they do get scoring chances. Defend-and-counter has worked pretty well for them. Chances are City will have most of the ball, but need to be careful of Nashville’s blazing counterattacks. Meanwhile, City will have to find ways to break down a stout NSC back line and find gaps between the centerbacks. Ilija Ilic doesn’t exactly fit that mold as a traditional Number 9 target man, so it will be important for Louisville to use its movement to find that space.
Nashville absolutely think they can win this game. “I think James and the Louisville group will certainly have seen some things in our side that they need to be concerned about,” said Nashville Head Coach Gary Smith. “I don’t think they’re given enough credit for some of the soccer they play as well. They certainly are a far better side, far better footballing side than a lot of people maybe give them credit for.”
What? City is one of the best teams in the USL, the same team Nashville plays in. They get plenty of credit for the way they play. Does Nashville’s locker room somehow not give LouCity enough credit, prompting a public statement by their manager? Who knows.
As for Morados, there is some cause for concern. Spencer is out, Lancaster is somehow questionable but should be out if he cares about his long-term well-being, and Richard Ballard has been downgraded from questionable to out. Francis is not on the injured list, and I expect will be available as a substitute, but hasn’t played a minute since mid-May. I’m pretty sure Paco Craig is dealing with an injury.
A win in this game would be great for the club, but I think it wouldn’t be so great for the team. With injuries piling up the way they are, these guys need breaks to recover, and they aren’t getting them. That said, I’m sure the foot will be on the floor Wednesday night to get a win against Nashville. If City plays their game, they win. Let’s go get it.
