LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) –- It’s easy to forget what went into Saturday’s Lynn Family Stadium grand opening. The parking lot tailgates told the story. The fans coming from every direction told it, across the Ohio River pedestrian bridge from Indiana, in from downtown, up East Washington Street and a left on Cabal straight into the Estopinal End, from River Road to Main Street.
One of them, just walking by himself in a concourse before the game, said, “Isn’t this awesome?” It was Louisville mayor Greg Fischer.
Lynn Family Stadium had seen its share of wins. An opening day when most of the sports world was closed because of COVID. The USL playoffs. The launch of Racing Louisville FC and the NWSL Challenge Cup. An entire USL season without a single positive COVID case for Louisville City FC.
But Saturday night was different. On Saturday, 12,115 fans were able to gather in the stadium for the first time without COVID restrictions.
“What a special night for this club, for this city, for the community,” LouCity interim head coach Danny Cruz said. “Extremely proud to be a part of it. The atmosphere was amazing. A really proud moment for the club. Really thankful for everybody from the front office to those guys in my locker room to my staff.”
LouCity took the field to pillars of flame in a pyrotechnic show that was new for the occasion, but the fireworks for the home team didn’t really begin until the second half. When Wes Charpie took a ball from Paulo DelPiccolo played off a rebound and slid it home in the 58th minute. It broke the ice after back-to-back losses, and gave the crowd something to roar about.
I measured Lynn Family Stadium at 103 decibels after a goal with 12,115 in attendance.For comparison, 107,601 capacity Michigan Stadium is known to peak around 110 decibels.
— Jonathan Lintner (@JonathanLintner) June 13, 2021
LouCity had gotten off 10 shots in the first half without a goal to show for it. But Cruz warned his players against being discouraged.
“At halftime I talked to the players and said, ‘Believe me, it’s coming,’” Cruz said. “I really felt that, and that when the first one went, they’d keep coming. Really proud that we kept the zero too. Really important that we keep going. We’re continuing to improve on both ends of the field.”
Charpie’s goal came after a controversial foul call and subsequent red card for Memphis’ Skylar Thomas.
After Charpie’s goal – the first in 7 USL seasons for the defender who also got his first LouCity start on Saturday LouCity punished Memphis as it played a man down. Cameron Lancaster was fouled in the box shortly after entering the game as a substitute. He drove home the penalty to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute. Brian Ownby headed home a long cross from Jonathan Gomez less than two minutes later for the final score.
“Our players, after warmups, could feel something special,” Cruz said. “You could feel the buildup (in the stadium). You could feel the momentum. You could feel it on the bench. They even talked about it in the locker room. This atmosphere is something special. And they feed off it. . . . And then after the game you see players with kids shooting goals with the Coopers cheering. That’s what this is about. Relationships. That gave me chills.”
LouCity will return to the home pitch Wednesday night when Birmingham Legion visits at 7:30 p.m.
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