Wilson Harris' move from Louisville City FC to Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Petah Tikva was preceded by the club acquiring fellow center forward Phillip Goodrum last August. | Photo courtesy Em-Dash Photography / Louisville City FC
If you were of such a mind, you could trace Wilson Harris’ move from Louisville City FC to Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Petah Tikva FC last Friday to August 14, 2024.
That was the day LouCity acquired forward Phillip Goodrum for a USL Championship-record fee from FC Tulsa, both bolstering its attack for the final stretch of the campaign but also ensuring there would be a top-quality No. 9 on LouCity’s roster should Harris depart this offseason.
In a league that sees clubs regularly rise and fall, this is one of the differentiators that has helped keep Louisville City ahead of the pack one decade into the club’s existence.
As players move on, LouCity always has a plan in place to maintain the standard.
MOVING PIECES: The past three seasons have seen LouCity be a team on the move. From the side that contested the Eastern Conference Final of the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs, only four currently remain on the roster in Niall McCabe, Brian Ownby, Sean Totsch and Wesley Charpie.
NEW FACES: The following offseason saw the arrival of Harris, as well as 2024 Young Player of the Year finalist Ray Serrano, while Academy graduates Carlos Moguel Jr. and Joshua Wynder emerged as key figures over the course of the season. That roster turnover continued in the past two offseasons, notably with the arrivals of 2024 All-League First Team selections Arturo Ordóñez and Taylor Davila.
PUSHING FORWARD: Goodrum’s arrival, which saw him sign a multi-year contract with the two-time title winners, was the next move that has allowed Louisville the flexibility to send players to new destinations. Since Jonathan Gomez’s move to Real Sociedad early in 2022, LouCity has notched six outgoing moves of players to Europe or MLS, the most of any club in the Championship.
Phillip Goodrum recorded four goals in 472 minutes for Louisville City FC after his August arrival at the club while serving as understudy to Wilson Harris prior to his departure this offseason. | Photo courtesy Em-Dash Photography / Louisville City FC
There’s another obvious reason why Louisville has been able to supplement its talent consistently either via transfers or free agency. With the stadium, facility and opportunity for further advancement, it’s a destination most players currently in the Championship would love to compete in.
“There’s a winning culture and a winning history within this organization,” said Ordóñez upon his signing last offseason. “The facility and everything that surrounds this club is unbelievable. It gets me really excited to get started in preseason.”
The underlying plan to make sure LouCity is thinking one or two moves ahead when it comes to its roster building, though, might be the most important of all.
Which is why, even while letting one of the Championship’s most prolific scorers in Harris depart, his replacement is already in place for the new season.
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