Riding a four-game unbeaten streak, Louisville City FC will aim to extend that positive momentum Saturday night when they visit Birmingham Legion FC. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET at Protective Stadium.

LouCity sits fifth in the Eastern Conference standings at 10-7-7 after a frustrating 2-2 home draw against Rio Grande Valley FC last weekend. But the boys in purple are still very much alive in the playoff race with 10 regular season games remaining. 

This stretch without a loss coincided with coach Danny Cruz implementing a three-back system following the addition of defender Kyle Adams. The tactical switch has energized the attack, with five different players scoring during the streak.

Birmingham hands an opportunity for City to climb back into the East’s top four, which secures hosting rights for the opening playoff round. The Legion knocked off LouCity 2-1 back on July 22 but have gone winless over their last four outings.

Veteran striker Cameron Lancaster has turned back the clock during the unbeaten run, netting in three straight matches. Elijah Wynder has also emerged as an offensive threat for the boys in purple in recent weeks. 

The key will be improving the late-game defending that allowed RGV to twice equalize from set pieces last match. Playing a full 90 minutes has been LouCity’s Achilles heel this campaign.

But if Cruz’s tactical tweaks continue to click and City can build on its strong starts, a fifth straight result is within reach. That would mark LouCity’s longest single-season unbeaten run.

With the regular season winding down, Louisville City seems to be finding its best form at just the right time to make a push up the table. Back-to-back road games now offer a chance to validate their progress.

An improved Louisville City FC will aim to extend its unbeaten run to five games and I think they will. I will go 2-1 road victory for the boys in purple. Make sure to get tickets to the Racing Louisville match and come early to watch LouCity on the jumbotron before Racing take the field.

Make sure to stick to Bluegrass Soccer Cast (@BGSoccerCast on all social media platforms) for full coverage of LouCity and everything soccer in our beautiful Commonwealth. 

Photo: Chris Humphrey