Louisville City coach lures 'serious talent'
For the last 300 days, James O'Connor and his Louisville City FC staff have poured over hundreds and hundreds of videos, scouting talent and building a professional soccer team from scratch.
At one point, when he'd yet to sign a goalkeeper, the first-year head coach insisted he could secure one the next day if needed. But he was waiting for the right guy.
Louisville City FC went on to find Scott Goodwin, a University of North Carolina product who Landon Donovan once said "had one of the best performances I've ever seen" in a U.S. Open Cup game.
It's risky to hold out so long for top players. But heading into Saturday's inaugural USL opener at 3 p.m. against Saint Louis FC, the talent O'Connor attracted "is far above anything I could have expected," Goodwin said.
"It took me 10 minutes to realize, 'Wow. We're working with some players here.' There are some guys with serious talent. I think a lot of credit goes to the coaching staff on that one."
O'Connor has already led his team to an undefeated preseason, beating three colleges, tying another and knocking off the North American Soccer League's Indy Eleven last Saturday in a final preseason test.
Few are doubting the Irishman's abilities heading into what team officials are hoping is a sellout Saturday at Louisville Slugger Field.
"I think, for me, it's just about being honest, being genuine and communicating in a way players understand," O'Connor said.
O'Connor, who played most of his career in Europe, including a lengthy run with Stoke City, worked as a player-coach with the Orlando City Soccer Club up until last year. Orlando City SC was selected for Major League Soccer expansion, and the franchise's USL operation moved to Louisville, home of minority Orlando owner Wayne Estopinal.
USL expanded to 24 teams this season, complete with Eastern and Western conferences, and most clubs have struck MLS affiliation contracts. Louisville City FC and Orlando City SC will share players, as well as their purple and gold colors and a starting point for the 35-year-old O'Connor's coaching career.
Now's the chance for O'Connor, who expects his teams to play an up-tempo style, to prove himself.
After all the buildup, the coach said, "At this stage, we just want to get started."
Goodwin's plenty confident in a coach he can relate to -- one who "still talks to us like a player" and isn't too far removed from the game.
"I think his just motivation and desire on a day-to-day basis is infectious," the goalkeeper said. "We all feed off that. You can just tell, coach was probably the hardest-working player on every team he's played on. He never stops. We always know he's going to give 110 percent for us. We're going to do the same to him."
