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Matchday Report: Hoppenot’s Late Finish Lifts LouCity Past Legion FC

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 10/30/21, 9:51PM EDT

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Visitors claim Central Division title after 1-0 victory at BBVA Field on fine volleyed finish

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Antoine Hoppenot’s goal with eight minutes remaining sent Louisville City FC to a 1-0 victory against Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday night at BBVA Field that lifted the visitors to the Central Division title ahead of the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs, presented by TwinSpires.

The hosts threatened within the opening minute as a crossfield pass found Junior Flemmings on the left, and the Jamaican international moved into the penalty area and cut onto his left foot for a shot that flashed just wide of the far post. LouCity’s first good look arrived in the 14th minute when Brian Ownby received possession on the right and squared a pass to Cameron Lancaster 20 yards from goal that the English striker hit first time toward the left corner, only to be denied by a diving save from Birmingham’s Matt VanOekel.

Lancaster was denied again by Legion FC’s shot-stopper six minutes later as he received a pass from the left by Jorge Gonzalez and shot low to the right corner from a similar position, while in the 28th minute Ownby had a header to the right corner off a free kick by Niall McCabe from the right also turned wide of the post by VanOekel as the visitors continued to build pressure.

Chances proved harder to come by for both sides early in the second half, and it wasn’t until the 78th minute that LouCity seriously tested VanOekel again as Lancaster curled a free kick from 30 yards toward the top-right corner of the net where the Legion FC goalkeeper once again saved. Legion FC’s JJ Williams then almost put his side ahead two minutes later as he gathered possession in the left side of the penalty area but sent his shot from a narrow angle wide of the right post.

With eight minutes to go, however, Hoppenot made the difference as he ghosted in at the back post unmarked to run onto a chipped cross from the left by Ownby and sent his volleyed finish into the roof of the net. The goal stood as the winner as while Legion FC had chances late on through Flemmings and Anderson Asiedu, they were unable to find a response giving Louisville the division crown.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Brian Ownby, Louisville City FC – Ownby provided a perfectly measured cross to set up the winner by Antoine Hoppenot and had four key passes and two shots on the night in a division-title winning victory for the visitors.

Scoring Summary
LOU
– Antoine Hoppenot (Brian Ownby) 82’

Full Box Score

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