Lynn Family Stadium's first game is a benchmark moment in Louisville sports history

It won't be the opening Louisville City FC officials had in mind when they broke ground in Butchertown, but the celebration is still on Sunday at Lynn Family Stadium.

No matter how many fans are in attendance, the soccer team's 2020 home opener at its brand new open-air arena, airing nationally on ESPN2, stands as a benchmark moment in Louisville sports history.

Louisville City FC president Brad Estes said he was "tremendously excited." Coach John Hackworth said "the spotlight is going to be pretty bright." But veteran midfielder Sean Totsch may have said it best: "A lot of teams have built stadiums, but this is truly a world-class facility."

"It’s really unbelievable," Totsch said Thursday. "We’re just so fortunate to have the quality of that facility. I couldn’t imagine at the beginning of this journey when the stadium was announced that this was what it was going to end up being."

Lynn Family Stadium, named after Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn, has 11,600 seats and can hold more than 15,000 people. That number will be closer to 4,700 or 4,800 on Sunday, Estes said, as the organization takes steps to encourage social distancing, but make no mistake – the new home of professional soccer in Louisville is ready for action in Sunday's game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

"Hack and his team have done a great job keeping fit and being ready to go when the moment was called on," Estes said. "We’re extremely excited to get the building open this weekend against the Riverhounds."

More coverage:Is it safe for nearly 5,000 people to gather in a pandemic? Louisville's about to find out Sunday at Lynn Family Stadium

Louisville City FC took the field for the first time in 2015 and has built a devoted fanbase in years since, supporters who have been rewarded with two USL Cup titles. Those fans filled Louisville Slugger Field, the downtown baseball stadium that houses the Triple A Louisville Bats, for the past five years.

Now, Louisville City FC has a home of its own – or at least a home it'll share with Racing Louisville FC, the city's new National Women's Soccer League franchise that begins play in 2021. The same ownership group, Soccer Holdings LLC, owns both teams, and the franchises share similar colors and other visual themes.

Meet Racing Louisville FC:New NWSL team has an identity ahead of 2021 debut

Construction of the stadium began in early 2019, following a ceremonial groundbreaking which occurred in June 2018 after nearly two years of efforts to secure funding and a viable location. The work was completed in March 2020.

Midfielder Niall McCabe has been with Louisville City FC since that first game back in 2015. He hasn't had much time to reflect ahead of the stadium opening, he said. After nearly more than four months off the field (Louisville City FC won its first game on March 7 before the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports across the country) he's focused on Sunday's clash with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

"It’s going to be a culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people," McCabe said. "For sure, it’ll be a special time and it’s important for us to make sure we win and make it memorable."

Related:Here's a timeline of the Louisville City FC soccer stadium project

Hackworth joined Louisville City FC in 2018 after former coach James O'Connor, now back with Soccer Holdings LLC as executive vice president of development, left to coach the MLS' Orlando City SC. Sunday, he said, is all about people like McCabe.

"For Niall, this is part of his path here at Louisville City – he has seen it all, he’s done it all – and he is very proud of this moment, opening Lynn Family Stadium," Hackworth said this week. "He’s also very focused on just winning the game and making sure that as a professional athlete, every part of what he does, especially in this moment where the spotlight is going to be pretty bright, is shown in all the right ways."

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has been a fan from that first game as well. He'll be among the many following Sunday's game.

"We’re certainly glad to see the league start play, and hope it happens in a peaceful way and hope we have another championship to bring home," Fischer said Thursday.

Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. Support strong local journalism and subscribe: www.courier-journal.com/lucasa.