LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the fourth time in eight years, Louisville City FC will head to the USL Championship Final after defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Final.

What You Need To Know

  • Louisville City FC will play in the USL Championship Final

  • The team is hunting for a 3rd USL Championship title

  • 19-year-old, Elijah Wynder scored the game winning goal in the Eastern Conference Final

  • Game kick off is at 8:30pm Sunday when they take on San Antonio FC

It was a moment 19-year-old Elijah Wynder will remember forever. The time when he scored the game winning goal to send Louisville City FC to its fourth USL Championship Final.

“Well, we had a corner, the ball comes in, actually hit my shoulder, bounced off my shoulder, then it bounced around, I turned around and there’s the ball right there so I just threw my foot at it, went through a couple people, hit the net and then we celebrated,” Elijah Wynder, midfielder for Louisville City FC said.

The boys in purple will travel to Texas, where they will take on San Antonio FC Sunday night. It will be a matchup between the number one seed from both the Eastern and Western Conference, a first of its kind for the league.

“I’ve said it over and over again, we’ve shown this year our ability to travel and do a good job and keep our intensity and have the right mentality and this is just another opportunity, another obstacle and one that the players are prepared for and hope to run over,” Danny Cruz, Head Coach for Louisville City FC said.

The team is going into the match with a new club record, winning over 20 games in the regular season. And like before, the club faces several players in its lineup with injuries.

Players listed on the availability report are as follows, Corben Bone (Out), Jorge Gonzalez (Out), Jan-Erik Leinhos (Out), Cameron Lancaster (Questionable), Niall McCabe (Out), Kyle Morton (Questionable), Brian Ownby (Questionable), Ian Soler (Out).

“Its certainly been difficult, but at the same time, the guys that have had their numbers called have come in and done an excellent job,” Cruz said. “We talk a lot about the depth of the group and that’s why we built the roster the way that we did.”

If Louisville wins Sunday, it would make it the first team in league history to win three titles.

“I’ve only ever been happy with two seasons so I’ve been here for 7, this is my 7th and so like I said four of those years, people might say were good seasons, made it to the eastern conference finals and lost in the championship,” Paolo DelPiccolo, midfielder for Louisville City FC said. “Those aren’t good seasons for us. A good season is winning the championship and lifting a trophy.”

The USL Championship Final will kick off at 8:30 p.m. Sunday night at Toyota Field in southeast Texas. The game will air live nationally on ESPN2, with local radio coverage on ESPN Louisville’s 680/105.7.

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