Louisville City FC interim head coach Simon Bird has restored his first-choice lineup for Friday’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal in the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs, making six changes from last week’s regular-season finale, loucity.com reported.
The Playoff Stage at Lynn Family Stadium
No. 4 LouCity hosts the No. 5 Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Friday with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium. Last week, with little on the line, Bird deployed a heavily rotated squad in a 0-0 draw against Detroit City FC, making six changes from the previous match. For the postseason opener, he has pivoted right back to his core group.
That rotation brings center forward Chris Donovan straight back into the fold after he did not dress last weekend. Donovan leads LouCity with 19 total goal contributions this season, tallying 10 goals and nine assists across all competitions, including seven goals and eight assists in league play.
Attacking Shape and Midfield Stability
Ray Serrano and Evan Davila will flank Donovan in the attack. Serrano sits just behind Donovan with 15 goal contributions this season across all competitions, marking a career high for goals and goal contributions for the 24-year-old in his ninth professional season. Evan Davila retains his starting spot from the regular-season finale but shifts from a makeshift center forward role back to the wing.
In the midfield, Evan’s older brother, Taylor Davila, starts alongside Babacar Niang. The elder Davila has notched 11 assists this season in all competitions, tying him for second-most in the USL Championship with nine in league play. Niang, on loan from Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United FC, anchors a squad that boasts a 13-2-5 record in games he has appeared in when healthy.
The defensive unit features Amadou Dia and Manny Perez at wingback alongside a center back trio of captain Kyle Adams, Kevon Lambert, and Aiden McFadden. This back five has started together in four of LouCity’s last six matches, a stretch yielding a 3-0-1 record and two clean sheets. Goalkeeper Ryan Schewe rounds out the defense, tied for the team lead with five clean sheets in all competitions since arriving on loan from Sporting Kansas City in early September.
Bench Options and Roster Adjustments
Jansen Wilson returns to the bench, available for the first time since scoring against the Charleston Battery on Oct. 10 while working through an injury. The 25-year-old leads LouCity with 13 goals this season across all competitions. He is joined among the substitutes by five players who started against Detroit: Jake Morris, Sean Totsch, Brandon Dayes, and Zach Duncan, alongside attacking options Tola Showunmi and Cooper Conley, and backup goalkeeper Ryan Troutman. Cameron Duke, who started last week, was omitted from the gameday squad to complete Bird’s six changes.
| Position | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Ryan Schewe (29) | Tied for team lead with 5 clean sheets |
| Defenders | Amadou Dia (13), Kyle Adams (32), Kevon Lambert (31), Aiden McFadden (2), Manny Perez (15) | Back five started 4 of last 6 games (3-0-1) |
| Midfielders | Taylor Davila (8), Babacar Niang (19) | Taylor Davila has 11 assists this season |
| Forwards | Ray Serrano (7), Evan Davila (27), Chris Donovan (9) | Donovan leads team with 19 goal contributions |
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