Louisville City FC moved clear at the top of the race for the Players' Shield on Wednesday night with its eighth win of the regular season. | Photo courtesy Em-Dash Photography / Louisville City FC
In its decade-long history, we’ve never seen a regular season run like this from Louisville City.
The two-time USL Championship title-winners ran their undefeated start to the 2025 regular season to 12 games on Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory against Rhode Island FC, already the longest in club history.
In the bigger picture, Head Coach Danny Cruz’s side is now undefeated in 18 consecutive regular season games dating back to September 28, 2024. That’s now the longest regular season undefeated streak in club history, surpassing a run of 17 consecutive games without defeat in 2016.
Possessing the best defensive numbers in the league – seven goals conceded on 8.71 Expected Goals Against, both the fewest in the Championship – and a top-five attack with 19 goals, they’re clearly far from done.
So, what would it take for Louisville to equal the longest regular season undefeated streak in USL Championship history of 23 games by Dirty River Derby rival FC Cincinnati in 2018?
Let’s take a look.
Louisville City and Taylor Davila extended their current regular season undefeated streak to 18 games with a 2-1 win against Rhode Island FC on Wednesday night. | Photo courtesy Em-Dash Photography / Louisville City FC
Game 1 – vs. Birmingham Legion FC, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
LouCity Record: 3-2-1, +6 goal differential at home vs. Legion
Legion is only of only six teams to have won away multiple times against Louisville, the most recent of which came in the 2023 season when Alex Crognale scored a stoppage-time winner. LouCity is undefeated in their past three meetings, though, including a 1-1 draw earlier this season and a 5-0 result the last time Birmingham went to Lynn Family Stadium, and while Birmingham will be a threat under new Head Coach Mark Briggs, Louisville will be clear favorites.
Game 2 – at North Carolina FC, June 20, 7:30 p.m. ET
LouCity Record: 2-1-1, even goal differential away vs. NCFC
Louisville has posted a winning regular season record in its visits to First Horizon Stadium, losing only once in four games, but this North Carolina FC side has the makings of a serious challenger for Cruz’s side. Currently on an Eastern Conference-best four-game winning streak, the hosts will be aiming to pay Louisville back for knocking them out of the playoffs last year. If we get a repeat of the 6-4 epic Louisville came out on top of in the Tar Heel state last August, no-one will be complaining.
Game 3 – at Loudoun United FC, June 25, 6 p.m. ET
LouCity Record: 3-1-0, +1 goal differential away vs. Loudoun
Louisville City is undefeated in the regular season thus far, but Loudoun United is one of the two teams alongside Minnesota United of Major League Soccer to take victory against them this season. Loudoun’s 2-1 win in the USL Jagermeister Cup at the end of May marked the club’s first win against LouCity in all competitions since 2019. Sitting as one of the challengers at the top of the Eastern Conference, this will be a big test of the streak should Louisville still have an unblemished record.
Game 4 – at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, July 4, 9 p.m. ET
LouCity Record: 1-0-1, +1 goal differential away vs. Colorado Springs
We were already looking forward to the matchup of last year’s Championship title-winner Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and the Players’ Shield winner, but the potential stakes could be very high if Louisville has remained undefeated to this point. LouCity hasn’t lost in either of its prior visits to Weidner Field, but the Switchbacks are going to be in need of a result here after their slow start to the campaign.
Game 5 – vs. FC Tulsa, July 19, 8 p.m. ET
LouCity Record: 3-2-0, +4 goal differential home vs. Tulsa
You’ll remember that last time FC Tulsa visited Lynn Family Stadium, Phillip Goodrum introduced himself to the Scissortails’ supporters with an 89th-minute winner. Goodrum’s now with LouCity, and there are some other notable storylines going into this contest including two-time title winner Luke Spencer returning to Louisville as FC Tulsa’s Head Coach. There was already intrigue around this game; if it’s being played with Louisville having a chance to make it 23 games undefeated, it’ll be even more so.