LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville City Football Club finalized a transfer for FC Tulsa forward Phillip Goodrum, USL Championship sources tell WDRB. The move was announced later Wednesday.
According to the league, the deal comes with an intra-USL Championship transfer record fee. Sources also told WDRB the Nashville native signed a multi-year contract with Louisville and a release clause in Goodrum's previous contract helped make this transfer possible. LouCity confirmed both details in a Wednesday announcement.
Goodrum, who currently has five goals and two assists in 2024, led Tulsa with 12 goals last year after joining the club midseason. Before that, the all-league first team honoree shined for Memphis 901 FC, where he found the back of the net 21 times to finish as the runner-up in the 2022 race for the league's top goal-scorer.
Courtesy: USL Championship
"I’m thrilled to be joining Louisville City for the rest of the season and years to come,” Goodrum said. “After being around the USL for a while, it is clear that Louisville is the premier club in the league, and when they came calling I felt the match would be perfect.
"The players and staff have already been very welcoming, and that’s something that I really appreciate amongst the chaos of a midseason transfer. I’m looking forward to pushing forward with this group and seeing if we can end this season with some silverware!”
This looks like an all-in move for a Louisville club living up to usual expectations of contending for a third USL Championship title. LouCity has a goal differential of plus-30 while leading the league with 57 goals. Goodrum should also help improve the team's attacking depth, as it lost Jorge Gonzalez for the season and waits for longtime standout Brian Ownby to return.
Head coach Danny Cruz's squad is riding a four-game winning streak while sitting on top of the table with 50 points. The club is coming off back-to-back wins over the top two teams in the Western Conference.
“We are happy to welcome Phil to Louisville City,” Cruz said. “When you look at his track record of scoring goals, but more importantly his consistent work ethic, we feel his mentality matches that of our group.
"This season we have lost a couple players higher up the field due to some difficult injuries, and we felt it was important to acquire another player that would fit in well with the culture and represent our community with pride.
“Phil is a player who leaves everything on the field no matter what the scoreline is, and I know that he will do everything he can to help us achieve our goals. We are looking forward to getting him here and acclimated with the group.”
Louisville hosts the team trailing it by one point in the Eastern Conference standings, the Charleston Battery, on Saturday. It will be the annual "Fill the Fam" game at Lynn Family Stadium and a record attendance is expected for one of the biggest regular season matches in the four-time Eastern Conference champions' history.
LouCity is rivaling a league-record pace for points and goals. In 10 seasons of existence, the club has never missed a conference final and hopes to host a playoff run at Lynn Family Stadium.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest information and quotes. Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
