Former Lexington high school soccer star signs professional contract with Louisville City
A former Lexington high school soccer star is taking his game to the next level in Louisville.
Issac Cano — a former Paul Laurence Dunbar boys soccer standout — will sign a professional contract with Louisville City of the USL Championship, the second tier of American men’s professional soccer.
The 19-year-old forward’s pro deal with LouCity, first reported by the Herald-Leader, was officially announced Wednesday morning.
“After I got the news I called my mom and dad right away. My mom was super emotional, my dad as well. My whole entire family. It was super crazy,” Cano told the Herald-Leader this week.
“None of my family members could believe it, but I just made it a reality.”
Previously, Cano — who won a state championship with Dunbar’s boys soccer program in 2021 — was on a USL Academy contract with LouCity.
That deal, which was signed prior to LouCity’s 2023 season, allowed Cano to practice with and play for the club’s senior men’s team while retaining his amateur status.
Cano took advantage of those opportunities, including his pro debut last July in a friendly match against Atlante FC of Mexico, to earn a full professional contract.
“I thought he did a really good job. He’s been excellent in training,” LouCity head coach Danny Cruz said after Cano’s professional debut. “I didn’t start him for any reason other than he’s done a good job and we felt this would be a good opportunity for him in a good moment.”
“We’re proud to sign Issac to a pro contract,” Cruz added in Wednesday’s news release announcing the contract. “He is a young player that we have seen continue to grow in our first team environment. He is a fearless competitor who wants to learn and improve every day.”
Cano flashed his ability to become a top player plenty of times in Lexington when he attended Dunbar, in particular during his 2021 state title-winning season with the Bulldogs.
As a senior, Cano scored 34 goals and was named the most valuable player of the 2021 state tournament. This honor arrived after Cano scored all four goals for Dunbar in its dominant state semifinal win over Elizabethtown, before going on to record a goal and an assist in the state championship game win against Covington Catholic.
“Dunbar was one of the highlights of my career so far,” Cano said. “… Obviously, playing in the state final and stuff like that, obviously it was an intense game, but it was nowhere near the level of the professional side of the game. After my Dunbar season, going to LouCity was an entirely different game, so I had to learn quickly.”
Cano latest player to go from LouCity academy to first team
Following his Dunbar career, Cano quickly made his mark as a talented player in Louisville City’s youth system.
Cano played in several of Louisville City’s 2023 preseason games, and he provided an assist during a preseason draw with MLS club Sporting Kansas City.
When asked about the reasons for his successful growth with LouCity, Cano pointed to the help provided to him by former youth academy director Mario Sanchez, who recently left LouCity to become the head coach and technical director for fellow USL Championship team FC Tulsa.
“I’m a player who likes to go one on one, that one of my biggest attributes,” Cano explained. “Mario would always tell me, ‘Pick your moments when you want to go forward … Just figure out your moments when to go and when to keep the ball.’ That was definitely a big part of my development.”
Cano is set to become the sixth player to go from the LouCity academy to signing with the club, following Owen Damm, Carlos Moguel Jr., Sebastian Sanchez and brothers Elijah and Josh Wynder.
Damm, a former star player at Woodford County High School, is about to begin his third professional season with LouCity. He made one start and appeared in four matches during the 2023 season.
Last summer, Josh Wynder completed a transfer from LouCity to Benfica of Portugal in a record deal.
Of the six players who have gone from the academy to the senior men’s squad, all but Josh Wynder are under contract with LouCity for the 2024 season.
“The coaches, they’re up front with you. They let you know what you need to work on, which I think is huge,” Cano said of the LouCity academy setup.
“… For example, me and Mario, we had a talk and he asked, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I told him, ‘I want to be a pro. I want to play for Louisville City.’ And he said, ‘OK, we’ll get you there. We’ll put you in a position to succeed.’ And it was just up to me to figure it out and put in the work.”
Louisville City — which reached the Eastern Conference finals last year in the USL Championship after an up-and-down regular season — begins this season with a match at El Paso Locomotive on March 16.
Louisville City’s home opener will be March 23 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Lynn Family Stadium.
“What I’m looking forward to is just continuing to learn and grow,” Cano said. “I look up to all those guys, all the older guys on the team, constantly asking them questions. So, mainly I’m just looking to grow and continue learn as much as I can as a professional.”
This will mark the 10th anniversary season for LouCity.
This story was originally published January 10, 2024 at 9:30 AM.
