In 2018 Cameron Lancaster had himself a season. You could say he had the season. 25 goals across 30 games, good for a team and a league record that still stands 6 years later. It was our best offensive season, and Cam accounted for roughly 37% of the team’s goals. And so, in the lead up to LouCity’s 10th birthday, and in the spirit of offseason boredom, I took a look at every single time Cameron Lancaster tucked a ball into the back of the net.
This list is subjective, which is a Latin word for ‘probably wrong’. I tried to take into account not just how good the actual goal was, but the gravity of the goal. These goals weren’t scored in a vacuum. We all know a goal against Cincinnati or Indy is gonna be sweeter than one against Toronto 2 or Richmond (sorry, Kickers!). Degree of difficulty will also be weighted, obviously, along with just how fuckin cool the goal looked. Soccer is the beautiful game after all, and what’s more beautiful than a 40 yard thunderbastard?
And so, without further adieu
#25 & #24 - PKs against Charlotte and Indy
These two get lumped together since they’re the only times Cam scored from the penalty spot in 2018. PKs can be the most dramatic strikes in all of soccer, but these were pretty mundane. #25 saw Cam beat Charlotte keeper Andrew Dykstra top right to put City up 1 early. This was his first of 2 goals against the Independence on August 22nd, a day he would take the lead in the golden boot race.
#24 gets a slight bump in the rankings because LIPAFC (bet you didn’t know it had its own wikipedia page, did you?). This was actually the first leg of back to back LIPA matches, the second being a 4-1 playoff trouncing which Cam also scored in. For his final regular season goal Cam beat Owain Fon Williams bottom left to flutter the pink netting and, to quote the broadcast commentary, put an exclamation point on his record season. The fact that Cam only padded his stats with 2 PKs all year, and scored the rest in open play is kinda crazy. This list would look much different if he was more reliant on freebies.
#23 - October 9th vs North Carolina
This was Cam’s second goal of the night against NC. You’re gonna be reading that phrase and ones just like it pretty often on this list. Cam racked up 7 multi goal games in 2018, which is another of his records that still stands. Damn, this guy’s pretty good.
But when looking at the actual goal, Ilija Ilić did most of the work here. Illy threads the ball in between 4 defenders in the box, and all Cam has to do is nudge it home with a toe. I can’t even tell if he actually touches it or not, but it counts in the record books, so it counts here too.
#22 - August 10th vs New York (63rd minute)
Here we see the first appearance of one of our earliest rivals, Red Bulls 2. You’ll see the Baby Bulls on this list more often than any other team, as Cam scored a whopping 5 times against them in just 2 matches. If you asked the average City fan to give you a list of our greatest nemesis, you’d almost universally see Cincy at the top, but a lot of that has to do with our respective supporters. We had better, more defining, more important matches against New York, but with no fanbase to speak of, it lacked that little something extra that makes soccer rivalries so damn great. You wanted to beat the Bulls, but you didn’t want to spit every time you said their names, and that’s a real shame. I would love to sneer at Red Bull cans at the gas station the same way I sneer at Skyline whenever I drive past it.
This particular goal was another one that Cam can’t take full credit for. Oscar sends a ball in from the left corner flag and finds PDP far post, where he heads it straight to an unmarked Cam, who then heads it up and past the keeper. Bing, bang, bong. It’s a fun goal, and one I would be proud to pull off in FIFA.
#21 - September 22nd vs Ottawa (45+4)
Two headers back to back! This one is against the Ottawa Fury. If you’re new to division 2 soccer, you may have never heard of the Fury. They would play one more season after 2018, but then failed to receive sanctioning from the USSF & CONCACAF and dissolved after the 2019 season. This was a tactic meant to force Ottawa to join the fledgling Canadian Premier League, and as you’ll see if you look into the history of both US Soccer and CONCACAF, the strong arming was very effective. The Fury sold their franchise rights to THE Miami FC, so we still kinda play them. Or at least their ghost in more festive colors.
This header is ranked a spot higher on the list because Cam receives the free kick directly from Oscar, sees the keeper in a leaping position ready to make the save, and then instead heads it down to beat him. This is pure instinct, something that separates good goal scorers from generational ones. The ability to analyze and react to changing positions in a millisecond, on the fly, is something you really can’t teach. Cam just has it. Throughout his career Cam’s body would fail him, but his instincts never would. He just knows what to do when he gets the ball.
#20 - September 22nd vs Ottawa (83rd minute)
Same game, new goal, more of that Lancaster instinct on display. This time we’re building up on the right with George Davis IV and Jose Carranza, who played 19 games for us in 2018 before vanishing from soccer until 2022. GD4 makes a run into the 18 yard box before laying it off to Carranza, who finds Cam right next to him already in mid shot. Cam knew what to do before he even had the ball. He slots it in low and to the right, and Ottawa keeper Maxime Crépeau manages to get a glove on it, but not enough of one to stop it. #21 on the year, and #20 on our list.
I really don’t mean to pick on Canada, but if I did it would be okay, because they have free healthcare. Toronto was abysmal in 2018, only managing 4 wins to go along with 6 draws and a truly astounding 24 losses. But they’re a 2 team, so you can really never tell if they’re trying or not. Opinions differ on MLS reserve sides leaving the USL, but I hated playing them and I’m glad they’re gone.
This goal saw Ilić find Cam wide the fuck open on a break, which you could normally chalk up to a terrifically timed run. Good timing definitely had something to do with it, but Toronto’s own ineptitude was the biggest factor. How do you leave a guy with 21 goals on the year that open? Cam one touches this to the right beyond the reach of the keeper. The best part was his little flag celly at the end. Good shit, Cam.
It was hard to place this one, since it’s a bit of a poacher’s goal. For the uninitiated, a goal poacher is “a forward in soccer who waits in the penalty area or six-yard box for a pass, cross, or loose ball” according to google. Grant Wahl has a great chapter in his book “Masters of Modern Soccer” about poaching, and how most people snobbily write it off as unskillful and “undeserved”. Soccer is the only sport where you’ll see that kind of discourse. It’s not uncommon for commentators to say that one team was more deserving than the other to be on top.
I don’t get it. The soccer gods don’t owe you shit. Sometimes you play better and you lose. It’s just the way the ball bounces. And here we see a deflection on a shot by George Davis fall right to Cam, who beats the keeper far post. Cam managed to stay onside throughout the buildup, spot the keeper and an incoming defender, and put it in basically the only spot they can’t cover. Did Atlanta deserve it? Doesn’t matter, we won 2-1.
#17 - April 28th vs Bethlehem (13th minute)
Cam just wills this one in for his first of 2 goals against Bethlehem on this day. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Ilić finds Cam with substantial space in the box, and he immediately takes a crack at it with his right foot. 4 defenders are in a bunch ahead of him, and the ball bounces off one of them and back to Cam’s feet. Almost invariably in this situation I would panic, scream, and flail my legs at the ball again in an “Ahh, get it away” type of motion. Cam, however, has the wherewithal to dribble to his left before any of the defenders figure out what’s happening, and freezes the goalkeeper with a quick shot from his left foot that finds the net near post. Even when you stop Cam you haven’t stopped him, you’ve merely delayed him.
#16 - August 31st vs Charleston (41st minute)
Charleston was a tough draw in 2018, finishing 4th in the east before falling to the Red Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. They beat us earlier in the year in South Carolina, but their real achilles heel was playing on the road, only managing 4 wins away from home. I’ve always considered Slugger a bit of a fortress, because it’s just a weird mish mash of dimensions and angles and playing surfaces, and it takes a while to adjust to it. Even we played better away from it, if just barely. Looking back, it was a pretty shitty venue for soccer, and one that I miss dearly.
Cam, as always, is the exception to this rule. He scored 14 of his 25 at home, in spite of Slugger's oh so apparent drawbacks. Here we see another header, this time from a Niall McCabe cross. What’s remarkable to me about this one is how effortless it looks. I’ve watched the clip over and over and I never see Cam even glance over to check where the keeper is. And yet, when he takes a leap over his defender, he flicks his head exactly where it needs to go, sailing the ball over the outstretched glove of Odisnel Cooper. It’s a simple, beautiful goal, and it’s the highest ranking header on my list.
#15 - August 31st vs Charleston (18th minute)
This is Cam’s first goal against Charleston in a game that ended 2-2. Ilić slots a great pass between defenders in the box, and Cam, without an iota of hesitation, slides it past the keeper and into the bottom right corner of the net. Honestly, this goal and the previous one are maybe a little interchangeable on the list, but I really love a good one touch goal, so this one goes higher. It’s subjective, remember?
#14 - June 30th vs New York (36th minute)
Did I mention I love one touch goals? This one is even better, because one of the other things I really love is when a keeper comes off his line and someone makes him pay for it. Kyle Smith sends this ball in from beyond midfield, and it finds open space at the top of the penalty area. From there it’s a foot race between 2 Red Bull defenders, keeper Scott Levene, and our man Cam. You can probably guess who gets there first. Without missing a beat Cam bangs it home far post. So many forces converging to stop #9, and they never stood a chance.
#13 - April 28th vs Bethlehem (22nd minute)
Cameron and Ilija Ilić were a lethal combination all year for LouCity, and nowhere was that more on display than this game against the Steel. We had this one all sewn up by halftime thanks to these 2. A pretty piece of one two play between them sets Cam up about 10 yards out from the goal. With a defender flying in he lets one go across the width of the goal, makes the keeper do a somersault, and sinks it into the far corner to secure his first brace of the year.
After 2018, in a heartbreaking move, Ilić signed with Indy 11. I think this may muddle his legacy with a lot of fans, but he was a machine in purple, and a key part of our championship teams. In 2018, he scored a goal or created an assist every 86 minutes. I hope, and assume, Indy gave him a pretty substantial pay raise. There may have been other mitigating factors in his departure, what with the midseason coaching change, but I really don’t know. With a return like that you’d think he wouldn’t have fallen out of favor. I just wish he would’ve tried to run it back one more year for that third star.
Here we have it, the first appearance of those stupid lions. Cincinnati left the USL to get away from us. Whatever other franchise or promotion narrative you’ve heard is wrong. They were just scared of us. I pure, straight hate Cincinnati. I hate all their sports teams, I hate their chili, I reflexively boo when I hear their name. I even hate Newport because they’ve got Cincy stink all over them. Did you know Charles Manson was from Cincinnati? What a fun fact.
This was Cam’s first goal of the year in our season opener at Nippert. George Davis receives a pass in the box that he can’t handle thanks to being tripped by a Cincy defender, and Cam comes away with the loose ball in space. One step later Cam threads the needle between 2 defenders and sends it home to his right. Evan Newton doesn’t even make a move to try for the save. I was at this game, and it was freezing. This finish was even colder. Big players show up for big games, and Cam always showed up for the Dirty River Derby.
#11 - August 10th vs New York (88th minute)
We’re nearly at the top 10, and Cam still has 3 more goals to go against New York. He really loved scoring against the Bulls. This game was an absolute shootout. 10 goals! The teams started scoring in the 7th minute and didn’t stop until the 91st. Cam accounted for 3 of those 10 goals, his lone hat trick on the year. And it was all played in front of a capacity crowd of 713 people. There’s a good chance they included the players and technical staff in that number. It’s the game of the year, and with that attendance it might as well have been a scrimmage. This is why I’m glad the MLS2 teams are gone.
This is the goal that capped off Cameron’s hat trick, and put us into a commanding 6-3 lead. He receives the ball just shy of the box, and has defender Kevin Politz one-on-one. He holds up for a second before breaking to his right. Politz makes a play at the ball, but misses and falls. Cam stumbles but ultimately dribbles through the tackle attempt, and puts the keeper on his ass with a shot from his right foot. Cam’s smile is beaming under the New York lights. Another 3 points for the good guys.
#10 - August 10th vs New York (43rd minute)
This goal, his second of the day, is just an absolute feat of effort. George Davis boots it into space a few yards in front of a free running Cam. With his first touch he heads it down into his path, while Red Bulls CB Hassan Ndam bears down on him. Cam holds him off with his left arm, making his way into the penalty area. With the keeper still to beat, Cam takes a left footed shot that sends him and Ndam sliding to the ground. The ball squirts past the outstretched foot of GK Evan Louro to dribble into the goal. Cam is back to his feet immediately, slapping the badge on his chest. This is LouCity football. This is what you have to contend with if you want to hang with Los Morados. And tonight, in front of a half empty grandstand, the Red Bulls just can’t keep up.
Cam walked into Atlanta and beat the United by himself for 90 minutes before they equalized with a 90+1 PK. What I propose, though, is that goals that come from beyond the 18 yard box count as 2. It works well in basketball, so why not soccer? This is the platform I’m running on, and when I’m elected President Of Soccer this embarrassing draw against ATL2 will retroactively become a win.
All of Cam’s goals from distance made it into the top 10. I had no choice. On this particular goal his first touch lets him down a bit, but he’s able to gather it a step to his right, and from there he just smashes it home from 20 yards near post, in the tightest of windows. For a lot of players this would be the best goal of their careers. For Cam it’s his 9th best of the year. The dude just makes it look easy.
Rewatching all these goals I’ve noticed that Cam rarely scored on the third base line, where I stood, drank, and capoed during our stint at Slugger. It’s pretty rough terrain down there. Along with the rest of The Coopers I would make the long walk hauling all of our gear down the warning track to set up in the supporter’s section, and I got a close up look at the field on game nights. It sucked. It was worse than you think. I felt bad that players had to subject their ligaments to that surface. But they took all the weird rolls and bounces like champs.
Cam receives the ball here at about the shortstop position with his right foot before absolutely drilling this ball into goal with his left. The keeper falls to his knees in an effort to stop it, but there’s nothing he could’ve done. Too much pace, too much force. This put us up 3-0 en route to a 4-1 win. And we didn’t even need a head coach to do it.
#7 - August 22nd vs Charlotte (29th minute)
This one is smooth. Cam receives a pass from Kyle Smith just beyond the box and does a perfect pirouette that beats the keeper to his left. He’s just having fun out there at this point. I’d like to note that I spelled pirouette correctly on my first attempt, which is pretty smooth in and of itself.
This was John Hackworth’s second game in charge, and first win, having taken up coaching and sporting director duties on August 13th. His first game was a nil-nil draw against Nashville. You can’t argue with Hack’s success, but the way he and the club parted ways is a bit of a dark cloud over his tenure in Louisville. I still don’t know why he left, but I’m appreciative of the work he put in while he was here.
Cam could do it all. He was a goal scoring cheat code. He excelled in every facet as a striker, and for my money, the best display of his skill was in freekick situations. The next 3 spots on our list are dedicated to freekicks, and they’re only gonna get better from here.
This Tampa squad wasn’t on the level of more recent Rowdies teams. They were pretty middling and missed the playoffs. But in this particular game Junior Flemmings had just tied it up 1-1 fiveminutes prior, as Cam stands over the dead ball. And with a precision we may not see in purple for a long, long time, he puts it in the top right corner of the goal. No keeper on earth could make that save, outside of some kind of Shaolin Soccer situation. Luckily Tampa didn’t have any monks on the roster in 2018.
Kickers fans didn’t have much fun in 2018. They finished second to last in the east, and only managed 6 wins. Their one impressive team stat is their goal differential was -50. If you’re not familiar with goal diff, that means they allowed 50 more goals than they scored. Truly astounding. On this balmy Virginia night, however, the crowd got a show. The final score of this game was 6-0 Louisville City.
Cam opened up the scoring for this one sided affair with a 33rd minute free kick. He goes top corner again, this time to the left. The keeper makes a fully extended dive to try and make the save, but there’s nothing he could’ve done. A for effort, D for results. We could’ve stopped there, but I guess we wanted to taste Kicker blood, because there were 5 goals after this.
This had to be the top ranked freekick. 26,000 people watched this one take a bounce into the bottom left corner to give us a 1-0 lead. What I like about this freekick is how damn quick Cam takes it. As soon as you hear the ref’s whistle he’s into his run up. The other thing I like is seeing sad Cincy fans in the Bailey with a front row seat to their own destruction. How sweet it is.
#3 - September 15th vs Pittsburgh
We have had some absolute battles against the Hounds over the years. This match was no exception. We carried a 2-0 lead into the 86th minute before giving up an own goal, followed by a 91st minute PK from Kenardo Forbes. A straight up collapse at Highmark.
But before all that depressing shit, Cam scored an absolutely brilliant goal in the 31st minute. Paco Craig sends a long ball across the pitch to Cam who’s just inside the box. Paco was a really underrated distributor out of the back. Although, he was all league first team during our back to back title seasons, so maybe he was accurately rated? Anyway, Cam receives this ball in the air with his back to goal while wearing a defender as a backpack. Before the ball can hit the turf, Cam snaps off a right footed screamer towards goal. If you’re keeping score, that’s a 180° no scope. Good god. The individual effort and skill involved here is otherworldly. How is this not #1?
#2 - October 9th vs North Carolina (47th minute)
This one might be #1 for some of y'all. Honestly, you could put the top 3 goals here in any order and it’d be valid. Bonus points for this one because it’s the most important one on the list, being the goal that broke Matt Fondy’s single season scoring record. Without this goal there is no list. But the #1 goal does just enough to eke it out.
Cam, sitting on 22 goals, picks up a Paco Craig pass from about 30 yards out, and man, he just lets it fly. The keeper isn’t really even off his line, he just can’t get to it. Immediately players throw their hands up in amazement at what they just witnessed. This is how you break a record: emphatically.
#1 - June 30th vs New York (8th minute)
If you’re like me, the phrase “shoot it from there” runs through your mind during a game dozens of times. Is it usually the best course of action? Absolutely not. But I wanna see folks just let it fly. I rarely fault a player for trying a shot when they’re open and at a good angle. This is what we came to see, isn’t it? I love defensive battles, I love smart shape adjustments, I love great movement off the ball, I love all the stuff that some people might find boring. But what I really love is goals. And I really love this one.
Cam picks up this loose ball from, no joke, 45 yards out. He’s just beyond the midfield circle. In basketball they’d call this one a “logo 3”. The arch this ball takes is breathtaking. It just floats into the net. The keeper doesn't even try to make a go at it, he just looks back to see the goal himself, like an outfielder watching a home run sail over his head. He’s helpless. This was James O'Connor’s last game on the sideline, and I’m going to assume part of his decision to leave was because after this goal he thought “well, now I’ve seen it all”. If this was the only goal a player ever scored in their career, it would by itself qualify them as a great striker. This is legacy stuff. And damn, what a legacy.
And there it is, all 25 of Cameron Lancaster’s record setting goals from 2018. I thought about adding an honorable mention for his goal against Indy 11 in the first round of the playoffs, but we’re already at 4,000 words, what more do you want from me? It was a freekick beauty, though.
This was a lot of fun to research and write, and I hope at least a little fun to read. Hopefully this time next year I’m ranking all 30 of Wilson Harris’ 2024 goals. Vamos Morados!