The 2023 Louisville City FC season was the club's ninth season of competition. Louisville City competed in the USL Championship, the second tier of professional soccer in the United States.
The previous season was the first season since 2019 not to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was full 34 match regular that did away with divisions. Instead opting for a single table for each conference.[clarify] It was also the first season since 2019 in which the U.S. Open Cup was held.
The team won the Eastern Conference in the penultimate match of the season against Detroit City FC, and finished the year with a club record 72 points and earning a bye into the Conference Semi-finals.[1] They advanced to the USL Championship match by defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Conference Finals, avenging Conference Finals losses to Tampa Bay in the previous two seasons.[2] They lost the USL Championship match to San Antonio FC.[3] In the U.S. Open Cup the team reached the Round of 16 for the first time since 2018, losing at home to MLS side Nashville SC.[4]
Kyle Morton and Elijah Wynder became the first Louisville City players to earn the league's Golden Glove[5] and Comeback Player of the Year[6] awards respectively, while Kyle Morton and Sean Totsch were both selected for all league teams.[7]
Summary
March and April
Louisville City opened the USL season with back to back matches in California. Defeating Orange County[8] and Monterey Bay[9] 1–3 and 0–1 on March 11 and 18 respectively. With Niall McCabe scoring the opening goal of the season. On March 25 they played their home opener against El Paso. A match they would lose 0–3 in front of record crowd for an opening match. This was also only the third multi-goal loss at Lynn Family Stadium.[10] They returned to California for their next match; this time against Sacramento. They would lose this match 5-0 which was the worst league loss in club history.[11] After giving up 8 goals over 2 matches reigning USL golden glove winner Kyle Morton was effectively replaced as first choice goal keeper by rookieOliver Semmle.[12] Semmle would go on to post four consecutive clean sheets before giving up his first league goal in the 52nd minute against Memphis.[13]
This would be the start of a streak of five matches unbeaten. Beginning with a pair of 1–0 victories over Detroit[14] and San Antonio in a rematch of the previous seasons' USL Final.[15] Followed up by draws against Charleston[16] and Memphis.[13] During this opening stretch of the campaign goals were well distributed amongst team. Six different players scored across the first 8 league games. With only Harris scoring a second goal[15] giving Louisville City a total of 7 goals over that time frame. This gave Louisville an average of 0.875 goals per game. The lowest such rate to begin a season in club history. The Memphis match was also the last match where Joshua Wynder would appear before making a record breaking USL transfer to Benfica.[17]
May and June
Following a break for the Kentucky Derby Louisville returned home to defeat Miami FC 3–1.[18] Only the second multi-goal performance of the season and first since the opening match.[19] For the following two matches returned to scoring only a single goal per match. With the first match being a 1–2 home loss in front of a record mid-week crowd to FC Tulsa with Phillip Goodrum scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute.[20] Ending a 5 match streak of allowing no more than one goal per match. The second match was a 0–1 away victory in a rivalry match Indy Eleven. Louisville's first victory in LIPAFC since the 2021 season.[21]
In the following match Semmle earned another clean sheet in a scoreless draw against Hartford. Not only did Louisville fail to score they also didn't have a shot on target.[22] Louisville would then return home to face Memphis. Louisville would find the scoresheet again as Harris scored his team leading fourth league goal. However, Memphis went on the win the game 1–3. The first time since the pandemic shortened season of 2020 that Louisville would lose back-to-back home games.[23] For the next match Louisville travelled on June 17 to western conference side Phoenix. In this match Louisville scored two goals. The first match since May 13 where Louisville scored multiple goals. Louisville was leading the match 1–2 until the 74th minute when Manuel Arteaga converted a penalty to draw Phoenix level. Phoenix was then awarded another penalty in 80th minute. This penalty, taken by Danny Trejo, was saved by Semmle preserving a 2–2 draw and marking the beginning of a four match unbeaten streak.[24] In the next match Louisville played another western conference side. This time at home against Las Vegas in the first ever meeting between the two clubs. Semmle would earn his league leading seventh clean sheet with a Enoch Mushagalusa goal leading to a 1–0 for the home side. Mushagalusa's first goal since the opening match of the season and the beginning of three match clean sheet streak for Semmle.[25]
July and August
Louisville City Corner Kick at Lynn Family Stadium against Pittsburgh Riverhounds
On July 1 Louisville travelled to Pittsburgh to play the conference leading Riverhounds. A match played to a goalless draw in the rain. Louisville would fail to have a shot on target but did have an Elijah Wynder shot cleared off the line by Dani Rovira.[26] Next, Louisville returned home to play Loudoun United in Sean Totsch's 200th appearance for the club. This began a stretch of six home league matches out of eight. A match they won 1–0 as Cameron Lancaster scored his first goal since the opening match of the season.[27] This marked the halfway point of the season. Over the first half of the season Louisville scored an average of 1 goal per game. The lowest such average to open the season in club history and second lowest in the conference. Eight different players scored with Harris being the club leader with four. On the defensive side of the field Louisville and Semmle lead the league with nine clean sheets; setting a club record for number of clean sheets in the opening half of a 34 match season. The club conceded 18 goals. The second lowest goals allowed in the conference; trailing Pittsburgh.
To begin the second half of the season Louisville played Pittsburgh for the second time in three matches. Louisville would again fail to score while a 68th goal by Albert Dikwa led to a 0–1 defeat.[28] The following match Louisville played Detroit away. Detroit came into the match on a six-game winless streak and went ahead in the 5th minute on a Ben Morris goal. After halftime Totsch would score an own goal as Louisville failed to find the scoresheet for the second match in a row. Marking the first lose to Detroit in team history.[29] Louisville then returned home to face Birmingham in a match that would mark McCabe's 200th appearance for the club.[30] Louisville took the lead in the 34th minute on a Dylan Mares goal. However, Birmingham would score twice in the second half including a stoppage time goal by Alex Crognale. Leading to Louisville's third consecutive loss. The first three match losing streak since the club's inaugural season.[31] Louisville ended the month of July against the Indy Eleven in the return leg of the LIPAFC rivalry. In front of the largest home crowd of the season to date Wynder and Lancaster both found the back of the net with Oscar Jimenez assisting on both goals. Winning the season series against Indy for the first time 2020. This marked only the third victory over the last 10 matches as Louisville only earned 12 points out of the 30 in June and July.[32]
Louisville opened August on the road against FC Tulsa and turned in what Head CoachDanny Cruz called a true 'Louisville City performance'. Louisville would register three goals while recording a clean sheet for the largest victory of the season to date. This marked the first back-to-back wins of the season since early April as well as the first back-to-back multi goal performances of the season overall. With a goal in the 58th minute Lancaster's became the first Louisville player to score in consecutive games while Semmle set a USL Championship rookie record with his eleventh clean sheet.[33] Louisville followed that performance with two consecutive draws at home. First 1–1 draw in the rain against Charleston[34] followed by a 2–2 draw against Rio Grande.[35] In both matches Louisville would take the lead only to allow game tying goals in the 80th minute. Lancaster scored the lone goal against Charleston creating a streak of three consecutive scoring matches. Against Rio Grande Elijah Wynder scored the Louisville's second goal marking the first time he registered multiple goals in a single season. The draws extended Louisville's unbeaten streak to four. A streak that ended the following on the road against Birmingham. Louisville allowed a goal by Enzo Martínez in the fifth minute followed by a Neco Brettpenalty while failing to score goal. The first time Louisville lost multiple games to Birmingham during the same season.[36] Louisville closed out the month of August at home in their first ever match against western conference side Oakland. A Johnny Rodriguez goal right before half time put Oakland ahead while Brian Ownby would score an equalizer in the 71st minute. Eight minutes into stoppage time Oscar Jimenez put Louisville ahead with his first goal of the season leading to a 2–1 victory. While Louisville won the game this marked the fourth consecutive game without a clean sheet. The longest streak of the season to date.[37]
September and October
Louisville next travelled to Colorado Springs to play the Switchbacks which began a stretch of five matches out of six away from home. Louisville and Colorado exchanged goals in the first half as Gonzalez scored a header off of a corner in the 22nd minute while Romario Williams responded with a goal in the 41st. In the second half Louisville would regain the lead off of another header following a corner in the 49th minute. This time scored by Wynder. Louisville added to their lead in the 88th minute as midseason signing Maarten Pouwels scored his first goal for the club. This goal proved to be vital as Colorado earned a penalty in the 90th minute which was converted by Williams for his second goal of the game. This gave Louisville a 2–3 victory and their first ever victory over Colorado.[38] Louisville then went to Florida to play Tampa Bay in a rematch of the previous three season's Eastern Conference's final as well as Paolo DelPiccolo's 250th appearance in the USL Championship.[39] In this match Tampa Bay went ahead just before halftime while Louisville drew level in the 46th minute as Cal Jennings and Harris exchanged goals. Tampa Bay would regain the lead in the 61st minute when Jennings completed a brace giving Tampa a 2–1 victory.[40] Louisville returned home on September 16 to play San Diego. Louisville's only home match in September. In this match Louisville would immediately take the lead as Harris scored off a rebound of Gonzalez's attempt in the fifth minute. This was only goal of the game as Semmle earned a clean sheet. His first in six matches.[41] Louisville then returned to the road to play Miami FC in what would be the highest scoring match they played this season. The match was a back-and-forth event with Louisville taking one goal leads on three separate occasions only for Miami to score equalizers. Totsch earned a brace after scoring the Louisville's opening goal as well their closing goal when he converted a penalty in the 74th minute. With a goal by Harris sandwiched in between. Totsch would then give up a penalty by tripping Joaquín Rivas in box in the 86th minute. Rivas converted the penalty for his second goal of the game to give Miami a 4–3 victory.[42] Louisville next travelled Leesburg, VA to play Loudoun United in the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia. In this match Louisville gave up the opening goal to Zach Ryan in the 20th minute and went into the half trailing 1–0. After the break they drew level as substituteDylan Mares scored a goal 6 minutes after entering the pitch. Then in stoppage time Mares earned the assist on the game-winning goal by Harris to give Louisville a 1–2 win. With this win Louisville cliched a spot in the USL Playoffs for ninth consecutive season. It was also the 150 league win in club history. Only the third club in league history to reach that mark.[43] Louisville ended September with a match against New Mexico United. Their last game of the season away from home and first ever match in New Mexico. Louisville's performance in the match was described by Head Coach Danny Cruz as a disgrace as Louisville was shut out for the first time in seven games. Ending Harris' four match goal scoring streak. New Mexico scored twice despite have two men sent off. Including a goal by Nicky Hernandez while playing with a one-man disadvantage.[44]
Louisville City closed out the USL season with two home matches. The first being against Hartford Athletic on October 7 and the second against Tampa Bay on October 14. In the match against bottom of the table Hartford both teams would go into the half time scoreless. After the break Rasmus Thellufsen would find the back of the net in the 58th minute. For his first goal both for Louisville City and for an American club. Despite having eight shots on target this was the Louisville's only goal of the game. Meanwhile, Hartford scored an equalizer in the 75th minute leading to the match ending in a 1–1 draw. The first point that Hartford had earned away from home since July 22.[45] The in season finale against Tampa Bay, Louisville immediately fell behind as JJ Williams scored 28 seconds into the match. 18 minutes later Louisville drew level on a Tampa Bay own goal. Only to fall behind again as Cal Jennings scored twice in quick succession. His second brace in as many games against Louisville this season. Lancaster would score his eighth and Louisville final goal of the season in stoppage time. Louisville's only shot on target of the match. However it wasn't enough as Louisville lost 2–3.[46]
Louisville finished the regular season with 50 points and a record of 14–12–8. The first time that they reached double digit losses in team history. Furthermore, their average points per game of 1.47 and goal differential of -3 were record lows for the club while they were shutout a record 9 times. The team finished 5th in their conference and 10th in the league overall. Both the worst such finishes in team history. For the second consecutive Harris was the top goal scorer with 9. The first time in club history that the Louisville failed to have a double-digit goal scorer. On the defensive side of the pitch Semmle set a USL Championship Rookie record with 12 clean sheets. Tied with Charleston'sTrey Muse for the most clean sheets in the USL Championship this year as well as the second most clean sheets in team history. Despite these difficulties the team still set a new high in attendance averaging 10,549 fans a game. Besting the previous season's record of 10,465.[47]
For the first time in club history Louisville began the playoffs away from home. Travelling to play a Memphis side who were missing their top two goal scorers in the Conference Quarterfinals. In a repeat of events from their final match of the regular season Louisville immediately fell behind. As Bruno Lapa scored 32 seconds into the match. 18 minutes later Louisville would score an equalizer when Lancaster found the back of the net off of a Moguel corner kick. The scoreline did not change for the rest of the game as the match went into extra time. Following two scoreless extra periods the match went to a Penalty shoot-out. In the shoot-out both Goalkeepers failed to save a penalty as both teams took all five kicks. On Memphis' fifth with Louisville leading by one and needing a conversion to extend the shoot-out Aiden McFadden miss the target as his shot went wide. Giving Louisville a 4–5 shoot-out victory.[48] In the Conference Semi-finals Louisville returned home to play 8th seeded Detroit. Who defeated regular season champions, Pittsburgh, the round before.[49]
This match was a one-sided event led by veterans Ownby and Lancaster. In the 14th minutes Ownby was fouled in the box by Michael Bryant allowing Louisville to take the lead as Lancaster converted the ensuing penalty. Ownby himself was the next to find the scoresheet when scored in the 43rd minute despite calls for a handball. In the second half Lancaster and Ownby linked up again when Lancaster chested in an Ownby cross. 92 seconds later Lancaster contributed to another goal as he dispossessed Matt Lewis near midfield and passed it to Gonzalez for Louisville's fourth an final goal. The first time across all competitions this season that Louisville scored four goals. On the other side of the ball Detroit managed one shot on target on six attempts as
Semmle earned his first cleansheet in the playoffs as Louisville won 4–0.[50] This sent Louisville to the Eastern Conference finals for the ninth consecutive season. Every year since the formation of the club. For the final they travelled to play USL Championship founding member Charleston in their first ever Eastern Conference finals match.[51] In the match, Louisville conceded the opening in the fifth minute. After Ownby fouled Nick Markanich outside the penalty area giving a Charleston a free kick. Which Arturo Rodríguez was able to put into the back of the net. Charleston would pull farther ahead when Markanich was fouled again. This time in the penalty area by Manny Perez giving Charleston a penalty kick which was successfully converted by Augustine Williams in the 58th minute. Already down two goals Louisville then went down a man when Moguel was shown two yellows in a span of three minutes. Louisville eventually found the score sheet when mid-season signing, Kyle Adams, scored his first goal for club in the 90th minute. However, this wasn't enough as Louisville lost 2–1. Ending their season.[52]
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 11,589 Referee: Malik Badawi Assistant referees: Art Arustamyan Assistant referees: Nicholas Balcer Fourth official: Kevin Fikar
Stadium: AutoZone Park Attendance: 3,644 Referee: Matt Thompson Assistant referees: Nick Goyette Assistant referees: Michael Mysiewicz Fourth official: Albert Kyei-Mensah
Stadium: Carroll Stadium Attendance: 9,532 Referee: Elvis Osmanovic Assistant referees: Art Arustamyan Assistant referees: Eric Del Rosario Fourth official: Jackson Krauser
Stadium: Trinity Health Stadium Attendance: 5,098 Referee: Luis Diego Arroyo Assistant referees: Mike Nickerson Assistant referees: Patrick Casey Fourth official: Christian Centeno
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,706 Referee: Eric Tattersall Assistant referees: Chris Schurfranz Assistant referees: Jacob Little Fourth official: Kevin Fikar
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,653 Referee: Melvin Rivas Assistant referees: Eric Burton Assistant referees: Christian Little Fourth official: Benjamin Meyer
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 8,882 Referee: Greg Dopka Assistant referees: Jeremy Smith Assistant referees: Chris Schurfranz Fourth official: Jackson Krauser
Stadium: Keyworth Stadium Attendance: 6,382 Referee: Alexis Da Silva Assistant referees: Mike Nickerson Assistant referees: Matthew Seem Fourth official: Jacob Little
Stadium: Segra Field Attendance: 1,271 Referee: Kyle Johnston Assistant referees: Amilcar Sicaju Assistant referees: Max Smith Fourth official: Nick Karnovsky
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 9,927 Referee: Benjamin Meyer Assistant referees: Eric Burton Assistant referees: Christian Little Fourth official: Kevin Fikar
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 12,230 Referee: Nabil Bensalah Assistant referees: Eric Del Rosario Assistant referees: Stephen Milhoan Fourth official: Jackson Krauser
The top eight teams in each USL Championship conference advanced to the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs. Louisville City entered the playoffs as the fifth seed out of the Eastern Conference.
Stadium: AutoZone Park Attendance: 3,587 Referee: Elton García Assistant referees: Nicholas Balcer Assistant referees: Zach McWhorter Fourth official: Kevin Broadley
As a member of the USL Championship, Louisville City entered the tournament in the Second Round, with their Cup opener played on April 5, 2023. They opened the competition against Lexington SC. The first competitive match against a fellow club from the state of Kentucky.[56] Following their second round win they advanced to play MLS side FC Cincinnati. The first River Cities Cup derby since the 2019.[57] A match they lost 1–0.[58]
^Louisville City FC [@loucityfc] (September 9, 2023). "Another historic milestone for @pdp03" (Tweet). Louisville, KY. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023 – via Twitter.
^Newman, Benton (November 13, 2023). "Louisville City's 2023 Season Review". www.vamosmorados.com. Louisville, KY: Vamos Morados. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
