April 2, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Louisville City FC News Release
A week after being routed by El Paso Locomotive FC in its 2023 home opener, Louisville City FC traveled west looking to provide an answer. Instead, Saturday’s 5-0 loss at Sacramento Republic FC only prompted more questions.
Sacramento scored as early as the fifth minute at Heart Health Park, where the boys in purple never threatened on their way to a historic result.
The margin of defeat ranked as LouCity’s widest in a USL Championship game, exceeding the club’s 4-0 stumble against FC Montreal in its inaugural season. Never before had City conceded five goals in league play. And paired with last Saturday’s loss to El Paso, these also marked the first consecutive shutout LouCity games since July of 2019.
Still, City had reason to believe this week would be different. A lengthy injury list paired down to just two players. Plus Brian Ownby returned from a one-game red card suspension, and Josh Wynder made his first start of the season back from international duty with the U.S. U-20 national team.
“You don’t lose that way and take any positives from it,” said coach Danny Cruz. “I thought it was a really good week of training. They came out and did exactly what we talked about all week. I thought our pressure was not good enough. I thought our defending in the box was shocking, and I thought our quality on the ball wasn’t good enough.
“There was nothing going into it where we felt like we weren’t going to win the game. But ultimately, we started the year, first four games – three of them in California – and picked up a ton of injuries. The last two games have been obviously nowhere near the standard of myself, the club and the players. We have to turn it around.”
Sacramento poured in three of its goals before the halftime whistle, all on service from the right side. Luis Felipe converted first, making the most of a rebounding try; Jack Gurr doubled the lead in the 24th minute after goalkeeper Kyle Morton and defender Sean Totsch collided trying to collect a cross; and Russell Cicerone finished another chance in the 27th minute.
Cicerone made it a brace when he chipped in another goal in the 71st minute, and Keko Gontan – having hit woodwork multiple times in the run of play – converted a stoppage-time penalty kick to write this LouCity loss into the record books.
LouCity attempted 11 shots but placed just one on target. Sacramento, meanwhile, numbered 22 shots, with 16…