The 2021 Louisville City FC season was the club's seventh season of competition. City competed in the USL Championship, the second tier of soccer in the United States.
Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Owner | John Neace |
| Manager | John Hackworth (until April 27, 2021); Danny Cruz (interim, then permanent from October 11, 2021) |
| Stadium | Lynn Family Stadium |
| USL Regular Season | Central Division: 1st; Eastern Conference: 2nd; Overall: 4th |
| USL Playoffs | Eastern Conference Finals |
| U.S. Open Cup | Not held (cancelled) |
| Top goalscorer | Cameron Lancaster (21 goals across all competitions) |
| Biggest win | LOU 3–0 MEM (June 12); LOU 4–1 SKC (August 7) |
Background
The previous 2020 season was significantly altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Louisville City played one match on March 7, 2020, before the season was suspended on March 12. The team resumed on July 12, 2020, under an abbreviated 16-game schedule. Stadium capacity was capped at approximately 31% to enforce social distancing. Louisville City finished the truncated 2020 season with a record of 11–2–3, finishing first in Group E, first in the Eastern Conference, and second overall in the league. The club reached the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Managerial Change
Louisville City entered the season coached by John Hackworth, who had been at the helm since August 2018. On April 27, 2021, it was announced that Hackworth and Louisville City had mutually terminated his contract. Danny Cruz was named interim head coach. On October 11, 2021, Cruz was named the permanent head coach.
USL Championship Regular Season
Louisville City was placed in the Central Division for the 2021 season. The club played four matches against each divisional opponent (two home, two away) and four matches against teams outside the division. For the first time in their history, Louisville City completed a full-length regular season without a player being sent off and without a multi-goal loss.
Central Division Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville City FC | 32 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 61 | 37 | +24 | 61 |
| 2 | Birmingham Legion FC | 32 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 51 | 31 | +20 | 60 |
| 3 | Memphis 901 FC | 32 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 47 | 42 | +5 | 50 |
| 4 | FC Tulsa | 32 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 49 | 48 | +1 | 47 |
| 5 | OKC Energy FC | 32 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 30 | 38 | −8 | 37 |
| 6 | Indy Eleven | 32 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 32 | 47 | −15 | 35 |
| 7 | Atlanta United 2 | 32 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 47 | 56 | −9 | 34 |
| 8 | Sporting Kansas City II | 32 | 4 | 20 | 8 | 33 | 64 | −31 | 20 |
Results Summary
| Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|
| Pld: 32, W: 18, D: 7, L: 7, GF: 61, GA: 37, GD: +24, Pts: 61 | W: 12, D: 2, L: 2, GF: 37, GA: 17, GD: +20 | W: 6, D: 5, L: 5, GF: 24, GA: 20, GD: +4 |
USL Cup Playoffs
The top four teams in each of the four USL Championship divisions advanced to the 2021 USL Championship Playoffs. Louisville City entered as the top seed from the Central Division and second overall seed in the Eastern Conference.
- Conference Quarterfinals (November 6): Louisville City FC 1–0 Miami FC — at Lynn Family Stadium (Attendance: 9,097)
- Conference Semifinals (November 13): Louisville City FC 1–0 Charlotte Independence — at Lynn Family Stadium (Attendance: 9,155)
- Conference Finals (November 20): Tampa Bay Rowdies 3–2 (a.e.t.) Louisville City FC — at Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Florida (Attendance: 7,120)
Louisville City's season ended with the extra-time loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Eastern Conference Final.
U.S. Open Cup
The 2021 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was initially planned in a truncated format with 16 clubs, but on April 16, 2021, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced the competition would not go forward as planned. On July 20, 2021, the 2021 edition was officially cancelled.
Player Statistics
Top Scorers
| Rank | Player | USL | Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameron Lancaster | 20 | 1 | 21 |
| 2 | Paolo DelPiccolo | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Kyle Greig | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Brian Ownby | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Antoine Hoppenot | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Jorge Gonzalez | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Assist Leaders
| Rank | Player | USL | Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Ownby | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | Jonathan Gomez | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Corben Bone | 6 | 1 | 7 |
Clean Sheets
| Rank | Player | USL | Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Hubbard | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 2 | Parker Siegfried | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Notable Achievements
- First place finish in the USL Championship Central Division.
- Completed the full-length regular season without a player being sent off.
- Completed the full-length regular season without suffering a multi-goal loss (a streak sustained through the playoff run).
- Cameron Lancaster led the team with 21 goals across all competitions.
