[USL] Match Report (W5) Loudoun United 3 - 3 Louisville City

Thor’s brace helped secure the tie, bringing him to four goals in five games and into second place in the Golden Boot race

Leesburg, VA — Loudoun United returned to Segra Field on a Friday evening looking to secure their first win of the USL Championship season, but ultimately settled for a hard-fought 3–3 draw against Louisville City FC in Matchweek 5.

The match opened with high intensity, and Loudoun struck first in the 8th minute through Thor Ulfarsson, who delivered a magnificent finish after being set up by Aman to give the hosts a 1–0 lead.

Louisville responded in the 20th minute when Dayes rose to meet a well-delivered corner from T. Davila, leveling the match at 1–1. The visitors quickly built momentum, taking the lead just six minutes later as Showumni’s shot deflected off defender Awuah and found the back of the net to make it 2–1.

Just before halftime, Loudoun produced a moment of brilliance with a quick one-touch sequence. The captain, Murphy delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Ulfarsson, who calmly finished for his second goal of the night, sending the teams into the break tied 2–2.

Loudoun carried that momentum into the second half and took control of possession. Their pressure paid off in the 61st minute from a set piece, as a well-placed corner from Dias found Murphy at the back post, who headed it across goal for Bolu Akinyode to finish and give Loudoun a 3–2 advantage.

In the 72nd minute, Perez delivered a dangerous ball into the box that E. Davila met perfectly to equalize once again at 3–3. Loudoun pushed for a late winner and created several promising chances, but were unable to capitalize, settling for a point despite one of their strongest attacking performances of the season.

After the match, Akinyode reflected on the team’s effort and growth.

“It was a good performance from us. We battled and played good football at times,” Akinyode said.

“We’ve been working on set pieces all week, I did my role, it’s a good feeling.”

“We showed we can compete. If we play fearlessly, we will keep getting better as the season goes on.”

Loudoun United will now travel to Connecticut on Saturday, April 18th at 7pm EST, to face Hartford Athletic at Trinity Health Stadium, while Louisville City returns home to take on Sporting JAX at Lynn Family Stadium (5pm EST).

Three Points

1. Still Searching for First Win: Loudoun United remains winless in league play, now sitting 12th out of 13 teams in Group A, with a 0-1-3 home record and 0-0-1 away record.

2. Ulfarsson in Golden Boot Race: The 22-year-old Icelandic forward, Thor Ulfarsson, netted a brace and is now tied for second place in the Golden Boot race alongside Rubin, Moreno, and Bennet.

3. Akinyode Milestone Goal: In his 172nd USL Championship appearance, Bolu Akinyode scored his first goal of the 2026 season for Loudoun United.

Starting XI

Loudoun United (5-4-1):

Beaudry; Niyongabire (Piras 66’), Adnan, Essengue, Awuah, Aman; Murphy, Akinyode, Santos (Panayotou 76’), Dias (Ordoñez 76’); Ulfarsson

Unused Subs: Herrera, Bandre

Louisville City (3-4-3):

Fauroux; Dayes, Adams, Totsch; Dia (Morris 46’), Niang (Duncan 65’), T. Davila, Gleadle (Perez 46’); E. Davila (Serrano 87’), Showumni, Wilson (Donovan 65’)

Unused Subs: Akale, Moguel, Faundez

Scoring Summary

Loudoun United:

Ulfarsson (8’, assisted by Aman)

Ulfarsson (45’, assisted by Murphy)

Akinyode (61’, assisted by Murphy)

Louisville City:

Dayes (20’, assisted by T. Davila)

Showumni (26’)

E. Davila (72’, assisted by Perez)

Misconduct Summary

Loudoun United:

None

Louisville City:

Niang (yellow) 44’

E. Davila (yellow) 48’

Richie Aman, currently on loan from D.C. United, assisted in the first goal. His second of the season.