2021 Louisville City FC season
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.
| 2021 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | John Neace | ||
| Manager | Danny Cruz | ||
| Stadium | Lynn Family Stadium | ||
| USL | Division: 1st Conference: 2nd Overall: 4th | ||
| USL Playoffs | Eastern Conference Finals | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | Not Held | ||
| Top goalscorer | Cameron Lancaster (21) | ||
| Biggest win | LOU 3–0 MEM (6/12) LOU 4–1 SKC (8/7) | ||
| Biggest defeat | All by 1 goal | ||
|  | |||
Background
    
The previous season was significantly altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Louisville City played one match to start the USL Championship season on March 7, 2020, before the season was suspended on March 12, 2020. Louisville City resumed the season on July 12, 2020, under an abbreviated 16-game season instead of 32. Stadium capacity was capped at 4,900; or about 31% of stadium capacity, to enforce social distancing measures.
Louisville City FC finished the truncated 2020 season with a record of 11–2–3, which was good enough to finish in first in Group E, first in the eastern conference, and second overall in the league. City reached the Eastern Conference Final, or semifinals of the USL Championship Playoffs before losing to the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Cameron Lancaster led Louisville in scoring with 10 goals across all competitions, good enough for the fifth highest goal scoring tally in the league. Lancaster, along with league Goalkeeper of the Year Ben Lundt, defender Sean Totsch, and midfielder Speedy Williams, were named to the All-League First Team.
Current squad
    
As of June 3, 2021[1]
| No. | Position | Player | Nation | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Chris Hubbard |  United States | 
| 3 | DF | Alexis Souahy |  France | 
| 4 | DF | Sean Totsch |  United States | 
| 6 | DF | Wesley Charpie |  United States | 
| 7 | MF | Napo Matsoso |  Lesotho | 
| 8 | DF | Akil Watts |  United States | 
| 9 | FW | Jorge Gonzalez (on loan from Portland Timbers) |  Spain | 
| 10 | MF | Brian Ownby |  United States | 
| 11 | MF | Niall McCabe |  Republic of Ireland | 
| 12 | MF | Tyler Gibson |  United States | 
| 13 | MF | Corben Bone |  United States | 
| 14 | FW | Abdou Mbacke Thiam |  Senegal | 
| 15 | DF | Pat McMahon |  United States | 
| 16 | GK | Simon Lefebvre |  France | 
| 17 | FW | Cameron Lancaster |  England | 
| 19 | MF | Oscar Jimenez |  United States | 
| 20 | FW | Jimmy McLaughlin |  United States | 
| 21 | FW | Kyle Greig |  United States | 
| 22 | MF | George Davis IV |  United States | 
| 23 | MF | Elijah Wynder |  United States | 
| 24 | GK | Parker Siegfried |  United States | 
| 29 | MF | Antoine Hoppenot |  France | 
| 36 | MF | Paolo DelPiccolo |  United States | 
| 42 | DF | Jonathan Gómez |  United States | 
| 66 | DF | Joshua Wynder |  United States | 
Competitions
    
    Preseason friendlies
    
| March 3, 2021 | Louisville City | 7–0 | Centre Colonels | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| Lancaster  ,  ,  Thiam  ,    | Stadium: Louisville City Training Facility Attendance: 0 | 
| March 13, 2021 | FC Cincinnati | 0–3 | Louisville City | Milford, Ohio | 
| 1:30 PM EDT | Stadium: Mercy Health Training Center Attendance: 0 | 
| March 20, 2021 | Nashville SC | 4–0 | Louisville City | Brentwood, Tennessee | 
| 4:30 PM EST | Sapong  7' (Mukhtar) Mukhtar  17' (pen.), 19' (Godoy) Trialist  58' (Haakenson) | NSH Report LOU Report | Stadium: Jeffrey Kuhn Field at Currey Ingram Academy | |
| Note: Played in three 30-minute periods. | ||||
| March 25, 2021 | Austin FC | v | Louisville City | Austin, Texas | 
| TBD EST | Stadium: Lewis–Chen Family Field | |||
| Note: Result not published. | ||||
| March 28, 2021 | Houston Dynamo | 2–0 | Louisville City | Houston, Texas | 
| 2:00 PM EST | Picault  5' Urruti  27' | LOU Report | Stadium: Houston Sports Park | |
| Note: Extra 25 minutes played after initial 90. | ||||
| April 3, 2021 | Chattanooga FC | 2–3 | Louisville City | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 
| 2:00 PM EST | Hoffstatter  10'  73' Hernandez  74'  86' | Louisville Report Chattanooga Report |  42' DelPiccolo  66' McLaughlin  73' Lancaster  83' | Stadium: Finley Stadium Attendance: 1,767 | 
| April 7, 2021 | Louisville City | v | FC Cincinnati | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| TBA | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium | |||
| Note: Match cancelled by FC Cincinnati | ||||
| April 11, 2021 | Greenville Triumph | 2–4 | Louisville City FC | Greenville, South Carolina | 
| 1:00 PM EST | 
 | Stadium: Legacy Early College Field | 
| April 16, 2021 | Louisville City | 2–0 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 3:00 PM EST | USL Report | Perez  55 | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium | 
USL Championship
    
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 Hackworth's contract; Danny Cruz was named the interim head coach.[2] On October 11, 2021, Cruz was named the permanent head coach.[3]
Standings — Central Division
    
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville City FC | 32 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 61 | 37 | +24 | 61 | Advance to USL Championship Playoffs | 
| 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[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 8 | Sporting Kansas City II | 32 | 4 | 20 | 8 | 33 | 64 | −31 | 20[lower-alpha 1] | 
Notes:
- The USL awarded a 3–0 win to Atlanta United 2 after Sporting Kansas City II fielded Jake Davis who was an ineligible player. The original score was 1–0 for Sporting Kansas City II.[4]
Results summary
    
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | 
| 32 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 61 | 37 | +24 | 61 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 17 | +20 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 20 | +4 | 
Last updated: October 30, 2021.
Source: Match reports
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Match results
    
For the 2021 USL Championship season, Louisville City was placed in the Central Division. The club played four matches against each divisional opponent (two home, two away), and four other matches against teams outside the division. Louisville City faced San Diego Loyal SC, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, and New Mexico United for the first time in their history.[5] 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, accomplishments the team would sustain through the playoff run.
| April 24 1 | Louisville City FC | 2–0 | Atlanta United 2 | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Souahy  25' Totsch  37' Jimenez  39' DelPiccolo  69',  87' | Report | Kamdem  33' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 7,652 Referee: Lukasz Szpala Assistant referees: Walt Heatherly Chris Schurfranz Fourth official: Nabil Bensalah | 
| May 8 2 | Louisville City FC | 1–1 | Birmingham Legion FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | McMahon  3',  58' Hubbard  60' DelPiccolo  61' Souahy  75' Gómez  90' | Report | Brett  60' (pen.) | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 7,652 Referee: Joshua Encarnacion Assistant referees: Matthew Rodman Nicholas Balcer Fourth official: Nabil Bensalah | 
| May 22 3 | Louisville City FC | 2–1 | San Diego Loyal SC | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Lancaster  45+3' (pen.) McCabe  45+4' Matsoso  50' Grieg  88' | Report | Spencer  45+4' E. Martin  76' C. Martin  78' Donovan  89' Blake  90+1' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 7,652 Referee: Ismir Pekmic Assistant referees: Tyler Wyrostek Walt Heatherly Fourth official: Chris Schurfranz | 
| May 29 4 | Louisville City FC | 1–2 | Indy Eleven | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Lancaster  11' Bone  45' DelPiccolo  71' Hubbard  88' | Report | Hamilton  63' (pen.),  89' (pen.) Seagrist  77' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,731 Referee: Elijio Arreguin Assistant referees: Matthew Rodman Jeffrey Skinker Fourth official: Nabil Bensalah | 
| June 6 5 | Atlanta United 2 | 1–0 | Louisville City FC | Kennesaw, Georgia | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Mertz  17' McFadden  26' Mejia  32' Stanley  44' Allan  67' Benítez  78' Fortune  90+6' | USL Report Soccerway Rpt | Greig  56' McCabe  81' | Stadium: Fifth Third Bank Stadium Attendance: 835 Referee: Chris Ruska Assistant referees: Jeremy Smith Ben Rigel Fourth official: Madzid Coric | 
| June 12 6 | Louisville City FC | 3–0 | Memphis 901 FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Ownby  22',  70' Charpie  58' Lancaster  68' (pen.) McCabe  72' | Report | Segbers  16' Thomas  50'  57' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 12,115 Referee: Greg Dopka Assistant referees: Justen Lopez Mike Nickerson Fourth official: Chris Schurfranz | 
| June 16 7 | Louisville City FC | 2–0 | Birmingham Legion FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | McCabe  24' Lancaster  25' (pen.) Matsoso  48' | Report | Crognale  90' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 9,576 Referee: Lukasz Szpala Assistant referees: Matthew Seem Chris Schurfranz Fourth official: Michael Samour | 
| June 19 8 | FC Tulsa | 2–3 | Louisville City FC | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 
| 7:00 PM CT/8:00 PM ET | da Costa  23' Marlon  55' Rivas  60' | Report | Lancaster  2',  10' (pen.) Gómez  7' McCabe  88' | Stadium: Oneok Field Attendance: 3,976 Referee: Brandon Stevis Assistant referees: Francisco Bermudez Truman Berghall Fourth official: Connor Stockton | 
| June 26 9 | Louisville City FC | 3–3 | Indy Eleven | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | DelPiccolo  6' Gómez  14' Bone  32',  78' Hoppenot  70' | Report | Smith  9',  33' Hackshaw  20' Arteaga  41' Vassell  74' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,927 Referee: Gabriele Giusti Assistant referees: Chris Shurfranz Christopher Slane Fourth official: Michael Samour | 
| July 2 10 | Sporting Kansas City II | 2–4 | Louisville City FC | Kansas City, Kansas | 
| 7:00 PM CT/8:00 PM ET | Duke  21' R Smith  13' Mushagalusa  42' Jones  80' | Report | Greig  5',  67' Ownby  57' Souahy  59' Davis IV  81' | Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Referee: Kevin Fikar | 
| July 10 11 | FC Tulsa | 3–2 | Louisville City FC | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 
| 3:00 PM CT/4:00 PM ET (moved forward from 7:00 PM CT to avoid weather) | Marlon  6' Kibato  16' Corrales  22' da Costa  40' Suarez  65' Moloto  81' | Report | Hoppenot  5' Greig  45+1' Lancaster  61' Watts  90+1' | Stadium: Oneok Field Attendance: 3,006 Referee: Matthew Corrigan Assistant referees: Nicholas Balcer Shane Kennard Fourth official: Brandon Queri | 
| July 14 12 | Louisville City FC | 3–1 | OKC Energy FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Charpie  14',  62' McMahon  19' Lancaster  41' Gómez  46' Bone  55' DelPiccolo  78' | Report | Donovan  13' Ward  57' Bijev  61' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,032 Referee: Thomas Snyder Assistant referees: Tom Felice Mike Nickerson Fourth official: Chris Schurfranz | 
| July 17 13 | Louisville City FC | 2–0 | Atlanta United 2 | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Matsoso  54',  73' McLaughlin  63' Greig  82' González  89' | Report | Wiley  34' McFadden  90' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 11,105 Referee: Gerald Flores Assistant referees: Matthew Rodman Chris Schurfranz Fourth official: Seun Yinka-Kehinde | 
| July 23 14 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 1–1 | Louisville City FC | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 
| 7:00 PM MT/9:00 PM ET | Hodge  33' Makangila  65' Mayaka  70' Ngalina  87' Lewis  89' | USL Report Soccerway Rpt | Ownby  31' Hoppenot  70',  74' Greig  79' | Stadium: Weidner Field Attendance: 6,488 Referee: Jeremy Scheer Assistant referees: Eric Wood Matthew Seem Fourth official: Laura Rodriguez | 
| July 28 15 | Sporting Kansas City II | 1–2 | Louisville City FC | Kansas City, Kansas | 
| 7:00 PM CT/8:00 PM ET | Duke  53' Cisneros  89' Mushagalusa  90+4' | Report | Gibson  6' González  46' Greig  56' McMahon  72' | Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Referee: Kevin Broadley | 
| July 31 16 | Louisville City FC | 2–1 | OKC Energy FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Donovan  37' (o.g.) J Wynder  45' Lancaster  76' (pen.) Gómez  90+2' | Report | Bijev  87' (pen.) | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,602 Referee: Adam Kilpatrick | 
| August 7 17 | Louisville City FC | 4–1 | Sporting Kansas City II | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | González  45+3' Ownby  71' Lancaster  75' Matsoso  84' Hoppenot  87' McLaughlin  90+4' | USL Report Soccerway Rpt | Jones  9' Mushagalusa  68' Davis  89' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,470 Referee: Elton García Assistant referees: Walter Heatherly Christopher Slane Fourth official: Noah Matos | 
| August 14 18 | Louisville City FC | 2–1 | FC Tulsa | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Lancaster  10',  66' McMahon  66' Gómez  85' | Report | Sheldon  72' Moloto  81' Bourgeois  90+1' Bird  90+3' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,675 Referee: Malik Badawi Assistant referees: Ben Pilgrim John Krill Fourth official: Chris Schurfranz | 
| August 22 19 | OKC Energy FC | 0–0 | Louisville City FC | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 
| 6:00 PM CT/7:00 PM ET | Ellis-Hayden  45+3' | Report | J. Wynder  53' | Stadium: Taft Stadium Attendance: 1,993 Referee: Calin Radosav | 
| August 28 20 | Birmingham Legion FC | 2–1 | Louisville City FC | Birmingham, Alabama | 
| 6:30 PM CT/7:30 PM ET | Dean  16' Lopez  44' Brett  51' Williams  78' | Report | Watts  50' DelPiccolo  62' | Stadium: BBVA Field Referee: Brad Jensen | 
| September 3 21 | Louisville City FC | 0–1 | FC Tulsa | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| TBD CDT | DelPiccolo  68' Ownby  82' | Report | Suárez  20' Marlon  47' Lewis  71' Da Costa  79' Fenwick  90+3' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,206 Referee: John Matto | 
| September 7 22 | Hartford Athletic | 2–4 | Louisville City FC | Hartford, Connecticut | 
| 7:00 PM ET | Obregón Jr.  31' Dodson  44' Boudadi  52' | Report | Lancaster  7' Souahy  19' Ownby  26',  56' González  29' Totsch  47' Hoppenot  59',  85' | Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 4,159 Referee: Sergii Demianchuk | 
| September 12 23 | OKC Energy FC | 1–1 | Louisville City FC | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 
| 6:00 PM CT/7:00 PM ET | Ellis-Hayden  25' Batista  65' | Report | DelPiccolo  45+5',  62' Davis IV  63' | Stadium: Taft Stadium Attendance: 1,579 Referee: Matthew Thompson | 
| September 18 24 | Indy Eleven | 0–2 | Louisville City FC | Indianapolis, Indiana | 
| 7:00 PM ET | Hackshaw  57' Arteaga  60' Timmer  65' Farr  71' | Report | DelPiccolo  32' Hoppenot  41' Lancaster  69' McCabe  80' Souahy  83' | Stadium: Carroll Stadium Attendance: 6,499 Referee: Jeremy Scheer | 
| September 25 25 | Memphis 901 FC | 1–1 | Louisville City FC | Memphis, Tennessee | 
| 7:00 PM CT/8:00 PM ET | Murphy  3' Oduro  55' Fortune  84' Segbers  88' | Report | Lancaster  8' Ownby  23' DelPiccolo  55' Hoppenot  64' Greig  87' | Stadium: AutoZone Park Attendance: 3,616 Referee: Calin Radosav | 
| September 29 26 | Atlanta United 2 | 1–1 | Louisville City FC | Kennesaw, Georgia | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Goodrum  31' Bauer  40' | Report | Lancaster  51' Gómez  60' Davis  84' DelPiccolo  87' | Stadium: Fifth Third Bank Stadium Attendance: 680 Referee: John Griggs | 
| October 3 27 | Louisville City FC | 3–1 | New Mexico United | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 3:00 PM ET | DelPiccolo  8',  14' McLaughlin  75' McCabe  77' Ownby  84' | Report | Tetteh  24' Moreno  45+2',  54' Suggs  74' Azira  88' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,349 Referee: Mark Allatin Assistant referees: Ben Pilgrim Chris Schurfranz Fourth official: Seun Yinka-Kehinde | 
| October 9 28 | Louisville City FC | 4–3 | Sporting Kansas City II | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | DelPiccolo  8' Totsch  15' Lancaster  30' (pen.),  90+4' McLaughlin  82' Jimenez  88' | Report | Davis  24',  45+1',  84' Roberts  85' Ch. Duke  90+3' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,762 Referee: Nabil Bensalah Assistant referees: Brian Marshall Amilcar Sicaju Fourth official: Christopher Slane | 
| October 13 29 | Memphis 901 FC | 2–1 | Louisville City FC | Memphis, Tennessee | 
| 7:00 PM CT/8:00 PM ET | Oduro  25' Salazar  45' Kissiedou  57' Fortune  61' Segbers  78' | LOU Report USL Report | DelPiccolo  12' Charpie  30' J Wynder  35' | Stadium: AutoZone Park Attendance: 3,034 Referee: Jonathan Bilinski | 
| October 16 30 | Indy Eleven | 1–0 | Louisville City FC | Indianapolis, Indiana | 
| 7:00 PM ET | Arteaga  85' Buckmaster  90+2' | Report | DelPiccolo  43' Gómez  78' McCabe  82' | Stadium: Carroll Stadium Attendance: 6,499 Referee: Ricardo Fierro | 
| October 23 31 | Louisville City FC | 3–1 | Memphis 901 FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Lancaster  21',  45+3',  65' (pen.) Ownby  25' | Report | Dacres  36' Salazar  41' Kissiedou  70' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,900 Referee: Joshua Encarnacion | 
| October 30 32 | Birmingham Legion FC | 0–1 | Louisville City FC | Birmingham, Alabama | 
| 6:30 PM CT/7:30 PM ET | Asiedu  34' James  87' | Report | Jimenez  38' Gomez  55' Gonzalez  75' Hoppenot  82' | Stadium: BBVA Field Referee: Matthew Thompson | 
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 the playoffs as the top seed out of the Central Division, and second overall seed in the Eastern Conference.
| Conference Quarterfinals November 5–7 | Conference Semifinals November 13 | Conference Finals November 20 | USL Championship Final November 28 | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| C4 | FC Tulsa | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Birmingham Legion FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Birmingham Legion FC | w/o | |||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | ||||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies (a.e.t.) | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Louisville City FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Charlotte Independence | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| C3 | Memphis 901 FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Charlotte Independence | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Louisville City FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Louisville City FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Miami FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Orange County SC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| M1 | El Paso Locomotive FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| P4 | Oakland Roots SC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| P4 | Oakland Roots SC | 0 (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Orange County SC (p) | 0 (6) | |||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Orange County SC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| M3 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Orange County SC (p) | 1 (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| M2 | San Antonio FC | 1 (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| M2 | San Antonio FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| P3 | San Diego Loyal SC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| M2 | San Antonio FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| M4 | Rio Grande Valley FC Toros | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| P1 | Phoenix Rising FC | 3 (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| M4 | Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (p) | 3 (4) | |||||||||||||||||
| November 6 Conf. Quarterfinals | Louisville City FC | 1–0 | Miami FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 8:00 PM ET | Gonzalez  74' Lancaster  87' Greig  89' | Report | Craig  24' Da Silva  72' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 9,097 Referee: Elton Garcia | 
| November 13 Conf. Semifinals | Louisville City FC | 1–0 | Charlotte Independence | Louisville, Kentucky | 
| 7:30 PM ET | DelPiccolo  5' Ownby  21' McCabe  44' Lancaster  89' (pen.) | Report | Kelly  34' Parra  44' Riascos  76' Martínez  87' Pack  87' Fuchs  90+2' Johnson  90+6' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 9,155 Referee: Elijio Arreguin | 
| November 20 Conf. Finals | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Louisville City FC | St. Petersburg, Florida | 
| 7:30 PM ET | Tejada  43' Dos Santos  77',  102' Wyke  83' Mkosana  83', 90+6' Guillén  98' | Report | Ownby  5',  10' Lasso  23' (o.g.) Gómez  55' Jimenez  100' | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 7,120 Referee: Lukasz Szpala | 
U.S. Open Cup
    
On March 29, 2021, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced a truncated format for the 2021 U.S. Open Cup. 16 clubs would participate, each entering at the same time in a Round of 16: 8 from MLS to be determined by league table position after three weeks of play; 4 from the USL Championship, specifically each conference finalist from the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs, including Louisville City; Greenville Triumph SC of USL League One; Detroit City FC of the NISA, and Open Division sides FC Golden State Force and Newtown Pride FC. All non-MLS sides would be drawn against an MLS side for the Round of 16. The competition would begin in May and conclude by the end of June.[6]
On April 16, 2021, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced that the competition would not go forward in the spring as planned, and that it would evaluate holding the competition later in the year.[7]
On July 20, 2021, in conjunction with announcing a tentative schedule for the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation also declared that the 2021 edition of the competition was officially cancelled.[8]
Player statistics
    
    Top scorers
    
| Place | Pos. | No. | Name | USL | USL Playoffs | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | 17 |  Cameron Lancaster | 20 | 1 | 21 | 
| 2 | MF | 36 |  Paolo DelPiccolo | 9 | 0 | 9 | 
| 3 | FW | 21 |  Kyle Greig | 5 | 0 | 5 | 
| 3 | MF | 10 |  Brian Ownby | 4 | 1 | 5 | 
| 5 | MF | 29 |  Antoine Hoppenot | 4 | 0 | 4 | 
| 5 | FW | 9 |  Jorge Gonzalez | 3 | 1 | 4 | 
| 7 | MF | 13 |  Corben Bone | 3 | 0 | 3 | 
| 7 | MF | 20 |  Jimmy McLaughlin | 3 | 0 | 3 | 
| 9 | DF | 42 |  Jonathan Gomez | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 9 | DF | 6 |  Wes Charpie | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 9 | MF | 7 |  Napo Matsoso | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 12 | DF | 15 |  Pat McMahon | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| 12 | DF | 3 |  Alexis Souahy | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| 12 | MF | 19 |  Oscar Jimenez | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| - | - | - | Opponent Own Goals | 1 | 1 | 2 | 
| Total | 61 | 4 | 65 | |||
Assist leaders
    
| Place | Pos. | No. | Name | USL | USL Playoffs | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MF | 10 |  Brian Ownby | 10 | 0 | 10 | 
| 2 | DF | 42 |  Jonathan Gomez | 8 | 0 | 8 | 
| 3 | MF | 13 |  Corben Bone | 6 | 1 | 7 | 
| 4 | MF | 29 |  Antoine Hoppenot | 4 | 0 | 4 | 
| 4 | MF | 19 |  Oscar Jimenez | 3 | 1 | 4 | 
| 6 | FW | 21 |  Kyle Greig | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 6 | MF | 11 |  Niall McCabe | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 6 | DF | 3 |  Alexis Souahy | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 6 | DF | 15 |  Pat McMahon | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 10 | MF | 22 |  George Davis IV | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| 10 | MF | 36 |  Paolo DelPiccolo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| 10 | DF | 6 |  Wes Charpie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| 10 | DF | 8 |  Akil Watts | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| 10 | FW | 14 |  Abdou Mbacke Thiam | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| Total | 42 | 2 | 44 | |||
Clean sheets
    
| Place | Pos. | No. | Name | USL | USL Playoffs | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | 1 |  Chris Hubbard | 6 | 2 | 8 | 
| 2 | GK | 24 |  Parker Siegfried | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| Total | 7 | 2 | 9 | |||
Disciplinary
    
The 2021 season was Louisville City's first full-length campaign without having a player sent off. However, the club accumulated more yellow cards than any previous season.
| No. | Pos. | Name | USL | USL Playoffs | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  | |||
| 36 | MF |  Paolo DelPiccolo | 9 | 1 | 10 | 
| 42 | MF |  Jonathan Gómez | 8 | 1 | 9 | 
| 10 | MF |  Brian Ownby | 7 | 2 | 9 | 
| 11 | MF |  Niall McCabe | 7 | 1 | 8 | 
| 15 | DF |  Pat McMahon | 6 | 0 | 6 | 
| 29 | MF |  Antoine Hoppenot | 6 | 0 | 6 | 
| 21 | FW |  Kyle Greig | 4 | 1 | 5 | 
| 3 | DF |  Alexis Souahy | 4 | 0 | 4 | 
| 7 | MF |  Napo Matsoso | 3 | 0 | 3 | 
| 22 | MF |  George Davis IV | 3 | 0 | 3 | 
| 4 | DF |  Sean Totsch | 3 | 0 | 3 | 
| 66 | DF |  Joshua Wynder | 3 | 0 | 3 | 
| 19 | MF |  Oscar Jimenez | 2 | 1 | 3 | 
| 1 | GK |  Chris Hubbard | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 8 | DF |  Akil Watts | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 6 | DF |  Wes Charpie | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 9 | FW |  Jorge Gonzalez | 2 | 0 | 2 | 
| 17 | FW |  Cameron Lancaster | 1 | 1 | 2 | 
| 13 | MF |  Corben Bone | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| 12 | MF |  Tyler Gibson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| 20 | MF |  Jimmy McLaughlin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 
| Total | 77 | 8 | 85 | ||
References
    
- "Roster". loucity.com. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- "Cruz Assumes Interim Head Coaching Position with LouCity". Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- "LouCity Removes Interim Tag, Taps Cruz as Permanent Head Coach". Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- "USL Issues Fine, Forfeit to Sporting Kansas City II for Ineligible Player". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- "Louisville City FC schedule 2021". Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- "OPEN CUP COMMITTEE DECIDES NOT TO PLAY OPENING ROUND OF U.S. OPEN CUP DUE TO CHALLENGES SURROUNDING COVID PANDEMIC; TEAMS WILL ENTER TOURNAMENT AT ROUND OF 16". U.S. Soccer Federation. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- "OPEN CUP COMMITTEE DETERMINES 2021 LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP WILL NOT BE HELD THIS SPRING". U.S. Soccer Federation. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- "SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR NEXT EDITION OF LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP IN 2022". U.S. Soccer Federation. Retrieved July 20, 2021.















