LouCity Registers Storybook ‘Fill the Fam’ Win Over Charleston

August 17, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release

Louisville City FC entered Saturday knowing it would play to a big Fill the Fam night crowd, and the boys in purple delivered an equally big performance.

LouCity made a statement atop the table by defeating the Charleston Battery, 3-1, in front of 13,526 at Lynn Family Stadium – the largest crowd to see a USL Championship game this season and fourth-largest in club history.

Aiden McFadden headed in an early goal before Jansen Wilson and new arrival Phillip Goodrum tacked onto the lead in the second half. A fourth roar from the crowd came minutes ahead of kickoff when Louisville’s own Jack Harlow was unveiled as a member of the club’s ownership group.

Coach Danny Cruz said he asked his players before the game “to do everything they can to make sure that when people leave this place, they say that’s a group that’s relentless, and I felt the group was tonight – no question about it.”

“All in all, there’s a lot to be proud of tonight,” Cruz added. “The atmosphere, again, I know I’m talking about it every week, was fantastic. The fans definitely pushed us forward.”

With Saturday’s win, LouCity upped its winning streak to five games while distancing four points ahead of the battery for first place in the league. The boys in purple – who improved to 17-4-2 – also hold a pair of games in hand on their closest rival as the 2024 season’s stretch run opens.

And it’s not just the quantity of City’s wins. The recent victories have been of the highest quality, with triumphs over the Western Conference’s 1-2 squads preceding the Charleston matchup.

“One game at a time,” McFadden said. “It’s a long season. Right now, sure, we’re on top. But that doesn’t mean anything unless we’re lifting some trophies. We know where we want to go, but again, it’s one game at a time.”

McFadden converted the game’s first shot on target in the 17th minute, getting a head down on Ray Serrano’s looping corner kick for his third goal in purple.

While LouCity ceded 65% of possession Saturday, the boys in purple made the most of counter attacks – including on their second goal. Taylor Davila fed a long through ball to Wilson, who got behind Charleston’s defense and doubled the lead in the 82nd minute.

Goodrum – having arrived via a transfer just this week from FC Tulsa – smashed in City’s final goal in the 86th minute, rendering Charleston’s lone response useless as the Battery’s Graham Smith lined in a shot two…