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USL Exit Report – Louisville City FC

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 11/19/18, 12:00PM EST

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A second consecutive USL Cup in hand, what does this offseason and 2019 look like for LouCity?

After all of the tumult that arrived in Louisville City FC’s 2018 season, that the side still came away with the USL Cup for a second consecutive season – making history in the process – spoke volumes about the club’s culture. As the calendar turns to 2019 with John Hackworth firmly installed as Head Coach and the Butchertown stadium one season away from arrival, LouCity is going to enter the new year with a chance at a three-peat and be favored in a lot of quarters to pull it off. 

  2018 Record 2018 Finish 2018 Home 2018 Away 2017 Record 2017 Finish

19-6-9 2nd  East
2018 USL Cup
Champions
9-3-5 10-3-4 18-6-8 1st  East
2017 USL Cup
Champions

Mark-Anthony Kaye went last offseason. Who might be next?

Louisville’s success in 2018 could be attributed a great deal to the continuity the side had in its squad and the togetherness that brought, allowing the side to ride the waves in midseason before John Hackworth’s arrival as its second head coach. The departures the side saw – including that of Canadian international Mark-Anthony Kaye to Los Angeles FC – were mitigated by that continuity.

This offseason is likely to see more of the same, with reports that a handful of key players have already re-upped with the side including captain Paolo DelPiccolo, goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh and attacking pieces Luke Spencer, George Davis IV and Brian Ownby all signing new deals with the club. But that still leaves the possibility of a bigger shakeup to the squad, brought on potentially by timing and relationships.

It’s no secret that former Louisville Head Coach James O’Connor is looking to make upgrades to his squad with Orlando City SC after the side was historically bad defensively in 2018. For a player like Paco Craig in particular, at 26 years old it might be now-or-never time when it comes to a shot at Major League Soccer, especially considering after back-to-back nomination for USL Defender of the Year there is little left for the English center back to prove. Should moves of that kind come to fruition, it’s unlikely Louisville will have difficulty restocking its squad given the club’s strong reputation, but it could see another adjustment needed as the club moves into its new campaign.

Can Brian Ownby use his postseason as a springboard to a big 2019?

It’s unlikely there were many players who had a more frustrating 2018 regular season than Louisville’s Brian Ownby, who made only 22 appearances and went without a goal as injuries waylaid his chances to build on a postseason that had seen him score three goals on the way to the 2017 USL Cup.

The 28-year-old had just as productive a postseason this fall with three goals in four games, however. That should lead to hopes that a fully-fit Ownby could have a strong 2019 campaign if he can avoid the issues that saw him register his fewest minutes since a similar injury-hit season with the Richmond Kickers in 2015. Given the energy and creativity Ownby brought during Louisville’s postseason run, that would only add another strong weapon to a side that finished second in the regular season with 419 chances created.

One of the five players reported to have re-signed with the club for potentially the next two seasons, as noted above, Ownby was tracking at a key pass every 46.5 minutes in 2018, a number that should be expected to rise if he can stay fully healthy next year. If he can achieve that, and Louisville’s finishing stays as sharp as it did while racking up its first 70-goal regular season in its history, then a run at 15 combined goals and assists could be there for the taking.

What are the odds on a three-peat?

Achieving the first back-to-back USL Cup victories in the league’s modern era was certainly some feat, especially considering the tricky nature of the one-and-done playoff format that derailed previous teams looking to achieve it. Louisville hit its stride at the perfect time to reel off 10 consecutive victories through the end of the regular season and postseason and came through when it mattered most.

After getting 6-1 odds last preseason to repeat as champions, the bookmakers’ odds certainly could shorten even further ahead of the 2019 USL Championship campaign. The makeup of the squad as it enters preseason given the potential for departures is a concern, but the consistency Louisville has shown in finishing in the top two of the Eastern Conference in all four of its seasons has helped pave the way for postseason success.

The regular season could dictate what Louisville’s chances of a third consecutive USL Cup will be when the 2019 playoffs arrive too, with the side perfect on home turf and winless away from home in its previous postseasons. If Louisville is top dog again in the East come next October, it would take a lot to keep the side from another piece of history.

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