Former boys’ high school soccer star from Lexington will join Louisville’s pro team
One of the most prolific attacking players in the history of Lexington’s high school soccer scene is making the roughly 80-mile trip west to Louisville.
Issac Cano — a prolific goal scorer and state champion at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington — has signed a USL Academy contract with Louisville City FC of the USL Championship.
The contract, which was signed less than three weeks before Louisville City begins its 2023 season, will allow the 18-year-old Cano to practice with and play for Louisville City’s senior men’s team, while retaining his amateur status.
Even among the rich boys’ soccer history at Dunbar — which owns six state boys’ soccer championships — Cano distinguished himself as a star player.
As a senior in 2021, Cano scored 34 goals and helped lead the Bulldogs to a state title. This included a goal and an assist in the state championship game win over Covington Catholic in October 2021.
Dunbar won that 2021 state title despite losing a player to a red card midway through the first half.
In the 2021 state semifinal, Cano scored all four goals in Dunbar’s 4-0 win over Elizabethtown. He had a hat trick within the opening 14 minutes of the game.
“He’s a nightmare for defenses,” Dunbar head coach James Wray told the Herald-Leader after that match about Cano, who was named the most valuable player of the 2021 state tournament.
“He can go left, he can go right, he’s got all kinds of talent.”
Dunbar also won the state title last year in a penalty shootout over St. Xavier.
Since completing his career at Dunbar, Cano has become a top player in Louisville City’s youth system.
Cano has played in several of Louisville City’s 2023 preseason games, and provided an assist during a preseason draw with MLS club Sporting Kansas City.
“Issac is a player who is fearless and ready to learn every day,” Louisville City head coach Danny Cruz said in a Tuesday morning news release. “We have seen significant growth from him both on and off the field over the last year, which is a testament to the work that he has put in.”
Louisville City — the defending Eastern Conference champions in the USL Championship — begins the 2023 season March 11 at Orange County SC (California).
Louisville City’s home opener will be March 25 at Lynn Family Stadium against El Paso Locomotive FC.
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 10:01 AM.
