Louisville City FC's Oliver Semmle is Proving His Elite Status

All the years of hard work had finally paid off when Oliver Semmle signed his first professional soccer contract with USL Championship side Louisville City FC back in February. Today, the German goalkeeper – who previously went unsigned by the Colorado Rapids after being drafted by the club in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft – has cemented himself as one of the USL’s elite shotstoppers.

In his nine starts thus far during his debut campaign, Semmle has only conceded four goals and kept six clean sheets.

“Throughout my young career, I’ve always sought opportunities where I hoped to make a positive impact and to help make something great. My move to LouCity is no different,” said Semmle. “My time with the club has been nothing short of amazing and I look forward to further contributing to the team’s continued success.”

Semmle began his youth career as part of Germany's Karlsruher SC academy from 2012 until he moved to the United States in 2018 to pursue his college soccer career at Barton Community College in Kansas. In 2019, he transferred to New York’s Monroe College, where he only conceded two goals in his 12 appearances for the Mustangs and helped lead Monroe to its first ever NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. Semmle’s final collegiate stop came in 2020, when he transferred to Marshall University. During his junior season, he played all but 45 minutes of the Thundering Herd's national title campaign, leading the NCAA with eleven shutouts and holding a 0.380 goals against average.

In his three seasons at Marshall, Semmle was named Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Year, the Conference USA Golden Glove Award, First-Team All-Conference USA, 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Third Team, and 2021 Second Team All-Conference USA.

Despite all his success in college, Semmle’s goal was always to play professionally. “It’s not easy to go pro, but I’ve always believed in myself and my abilities, and I felt confident I could achieve that dream,” he said.

On December 21, 2022, Semmle was selected 41st overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids. However, he went unsigned by the club. On February 15, 2023, Semmle signed with LouCity. He made his team debut on March 18, 2023, starting in a 1-0 win against Monterey Bay.

The sky's the limit for Semmle, who has never doubted his ability to play professional soccer. As long as he stays committed to the dream, LouCity just may have the goalkeeper they need to help them hoist their third USL Cup since 2017.

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