It’s the first double-game week of the season for your Loons, and it’s going to be a crazy one — nothing like the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on a Wednesday night, right? If you aren’t familiar with the USOC, the gist is that it’s a longstanding tournament that allows teams from all levels of professional soccer in the United States to compete on an even playing field. A chance for USL clubs to prove their mettle against MLS sides, or for MLS NEXT Pro teams to show off, or for NPSL guys to… you get the point.
If you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of it, you can check out this ancient explanation article (I’m kidding, it’s from 2023) or this handy U.S. Soccer piece. And if you really want to get technical and learn more about this year’s new cup qualifications, go right ahead. But for now, let’s lock in on the Loons’ upcoming match against Louisville City FC.
Who’s on the Pitch:
Minnesota United FC
The Loons have had an impressive season so far, losing only two of 11 games and showcasing a depth on the roster that bodes very well for a week like this, when the Black and Blue are playing across competitions with games only days apart. The starting XI for these guys has been pretty consistent, but this Wednesday night matchup should provide an opportunity for some squad rotation ahead of a crucial Saturday game against Miami. To what extent Coach Ramsay will make that rotation is up in the air, but I’d bet on seeing some usual subs like Sang Bin Jeong, Sam Shashoua, and DJ Taylor on the starting lineup this time around.
Louisville City FC
LouCity. The boys in purple. The USL Championship team from the great state of… Kentucky? Whatever you call them, this USL Championship side is not to be taken lightly. They’re the only club in America’s second-division soccer league to win back-to-back league titles (2017-18), and in terms of more recent accolades, they took home the Players’ Shield (the USL equivalent of the Supporters’ Shield) last season. They’re also coached by Danny Cruz, a former Minnesota United player from back in our NASL days. But the real kicker is that they’re undefeated across all competitions so far this year. That’s nine matches, seven won and two tied. How will this stack up against an MLS side?
Keys to the Match:
Respect Where Respect is Due
If past U.S. Open Cups have taught us anything, it’s that you don’t need to be a first-division team to be a real threat. The USL Championship is a good league, and Louisville is not to be underestimated. At second in the league with 17 points, only behind Loudoun United (with one fewer match played), Louisville boasts 18 goals and three clean sheets across all competitions. They’ve won every game at home, including their first Open Cup match against Loudoun. In short: They’re on a roll, and they’ll be very eager to keep that going against a major league threat like the Loons.
Make the Most of the Minutes
This tournament is a great opportunity for some of the guys who aren’t regular starters to get some meaningful time in on the pitch. Depending on how rotated the squad is, we could be looking at a lot of player combos we haven’t gotten the chance to see in action yet, which opens up possibilities to witness some new chemical reactions on the pitch. As mentioned above, the Loons have crazy depth this year. Sang Bin Jeong, Loïc Mesanvi, Devin Padelford, DJ Taylor, Morris Duggan, Hoyeon Jung… I could keep going, but I think you get it. Plus, short-term agreements present the possibility of pulling up some promising youngsters from a very successful MNUFC2 roster — potentially Wessel Speel, Logan Dorsey, or Curt Calov, among others. No matter what the Loons’ lineup looks like on Wednesday, it’ll be fun to watch.
What Do the Stats Say?
If you, like me, aren’t a USL die-hard, you probably don’t know much about the Louisville lineup. Thankfully, the internet is full of wonderful number nerds who love to analyze play with statistics, so I took the liberty of going down a few rabbit holes for the sake of education. My conclusions?
First, watch out for 22-year-old forward Ray Serrano. He’s Louisville’s leading scorer this season with three goals to his name, and he’s logging 0.98 shots on target per 90 minutes. On the backline, defender Sean Totsch has been with Louisville since 2017, collecting the most appearances with the club (253 as of the end of the 2024 season). He’s scored 25 goals in that time and is also a veritable threat on defense. Keeper Damian Las, currently on loan from Austin FC, has only given up four goals all season and is running an 81 percent save percentage.
Keeping in mind that Louisville has played fewer games than Minnesota this year and hasn’t yet faced an MLS side, these stats don’t definitively tilt the scale one way or the other, but they’re certainly worth noting. Wednesday night is full of unknowns, so be sure to tune into Paramount+ for some midweek action. There might not be any good original content on that platform, but I’ll let it slide because of the USOC coverage, just this once.
