June 8, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release
It was another Saturday night at Lynn Family Stadium, which is to say Louisville City FC scored multiple goals, won, and sent a crowd of about 10,000 home happy.
Early substitute Sam Gleadle headed in the opener before Sean Totsch converted a second half penalty in a 2-1 LouCity victory over North Carolina FC.
A stoppage-time goal from the visitors took some shine off the win. But first-place City improved to 10-1-2 nonetheless, with its 32 points three better than the Charleston Battery on the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference table.
“We need to be better about closing games out,” said coach Danny Cruz. “When we look at, obviously, as the season progresses and every point mattering, there’s a difference between 2-0 for the final five minutes and 2-1. You’re under it.
“I’m obviously proud of the guys for defending the box late. I haven’t seen the goal back – it was hard to see from the view I had – but we’ll take a look at it and make sure it’s something we look to improve upon.”
Saturday’s result pushed LouCity’s home record to 7-0 with a +23 goal differential this season. However, it arrived in different fashion for a club that entered averaging 4.5 goals per game at Lynn Family Stadium.
This was the first one-goal home margin of victory, and it lengthened City’s current unbeaten streak to eight games dating back to early April.
“We left a lot of chances out there – probably should have put the game away earlier – and we didn’t get the clean sheet, either,” said winger Aiden McFadden. “But it says a lot to still get the three points. I haven’t looked at the film, but I already think we struggled in a lot of areas. That being said, we picked up three points. It’s a win, but I think we can be a lot better.”
Gleadle, the game’s opening goal scorer, didn’t start Saturday but found himself called on as a substitute in just the 13th minute after teammate Adrien Perez absorbed a foul in the midfield.
That led up to a 32nd-minute sequence that saw Kyle Adams play a diagonal ball over the top, McFadden to settle it and cross, then Gleadle to head it in. It marked his first goal in purple.
City peppered North Carolina with eight more shots on target, but the eventual game winner came via a penalty kick. McFadden’s 69th-minute cross in was whistle for a hand ball, and Totsch calmly scored from the spot for his 11th straight conversion.
“Obviously it’s my first one at a big…