For Racing Louisville FC, it’s been an emotional week to say the least. Certainly, one that has shown just how quickly soccer can take a backseat.
However, at this point in the season, the schedule doesn’t allow for much time to reset. With only two full days rest, Racing aims to put an end to a two-game slide when it travels to the Beehive State at 10 p.m. Friday for an encounter with Utah Royals FC at America First Field.
Louisville is off to Utah from Seattle after completing a match that was played across two separate days. The game versus Seattle Reign FC was suspended Sunday night following a medical emergency involving midfielder Savannah DeMelo near the end of the first half, then resumed Tuesday for the final 45 minutes without fans in attendance.
For the second match running, Racing (7-8-5, 26 points) came away without any points despite being the more threatening outfit in the final third.
NWSL veteran Jess Fishlock slotted home the winner for the Reign in the 90th minute Tuesday, marking the fifth time in six matches that Louisville has conceded a goal in the 90th minute or later.
Racing has six matches remaining — evenly split home and away — as it chases a first-ever postseason berth. Even with a second straight defeat, Bev Yanez’s team continues to hold its position just above the playoff line in eighth place, though three clubs now trail by three points or fewer.
Louisville last saw Utah on June 6. Rookie Sarah Weber bagged a clutch winner inside the final five minutes of regulation to propel Racing to a 3-2 victory that night. Two out of the three all-time meetings between the clubs have seen at least five combined goals. The exception: the lone matchup in Utah last year — a 1-0 win to the Royals.
While Utah (3-11-6, 15 points) sits at the bottom of the table in 12th position, it has been one of the most in-form teams across the NWSL over the past month. It’s been guided by a strong defensive unit, which has earned three clean sheets in its last five matches, including the most recent game against the Houston Dash — a 2-0 victory for Utah.
The club managed just one win and a shutout from its first 15 games prior to this improvement. Utah’s inconsistency up front has defined the season, with a league-low 17 goals. For context, only six clubs in NWSL history have finished with fewer than 20 goals in a season since 2016/17.
Follow along…
- The game will be streamed on the free NWSL+ app or via plus.nwslsoccer.com as well as Paramount+. Fans can also listen to the match on Sports Talk 790AM or 790louisville.com.
- For the starting lineup and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. You can also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.
Story lines…
Doing it for Sav: Tuesday night players from both teams came together in support, wearing purple wristbands displaying “SD7″ in tribute to Savannah DeMelo, who remains hospitalized in Seattle after Sunday’s medical emergency. She is in stable condition, surrounded by family, loved ones and a dedicated medical staff. “We want to support her as best we can,” said defender Ellie Jean. “We know she would want us to go out and play how we usually do. We know what she’s going through, but we also know she would want us to continue to play and continue to compete and try to get a playoff spot and all that good stuff.”
The final product: The Seattle defeat followed a similar script to the loss against the Thorns — plenty of chances created, but no finishing touch. Racing has won the expected goals (xG) battle in four out of its last five games. The only time it didn’t during the stretch was when it picked up a win at San Diego Wave FC. Racing is one of just two clubs with more than 280 shots, yet it ranks last in the league in shots on target percentage (26.9%). Janine Sonis gave an honest take after the Reign loss: “What’s super positive is that we’re creating opportunities and that’s been the message. We are professionals, it’s our job to win games and score goals, and at the minute we’re not doing that consistently enough.”
An anchor between the sticks: Goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer has not looked back since taking over for an injured Katie Lund back in early May. The Seattle match was the fourth game running and ninth this season, in which Bloomer made at least five saves. In just 14 starts, the Wisconsin product is tied for second in the NWSL in saves (68) and third in save percentage (79.3%) among qualified goalkeepers.
Best of the best: As the regular season begins to wind down, award season quickly approaches. Louisville’s star midfielder, Taylor Flint, is putting together a season worthy of hardware. Flint leads the league in two key statistical categories for defensive-minded midfielders: interceptions (59) and duels won (210).
A major step forward: Though Racing did fall last time out away from Lynn Family Stadium, 2025 has seen a significant improvement in road results. Louisville has racked up four away wins, a club record, in addition to ranking tied for fourth in goals scored on the road this campaign (15). Five of those have come from Emma Sears. The club hadn’t surpassed 14 single-season goals in away games prior to 2025.
Once in lavender, now in gold: Paige Monaghan used to don lavender. Now, the 28-year-old serves as captain for the team in gold. The New Jersey native played for Louisville in 2023, where she tallied three goals in 22 appearances after being acquired via trade from Gotham FC. Monaghan was selected by Utah in the 2024 Expansion Draft and has six goal involvements in just over 2,100 minutes played since. Notably, the forward has been crucial to the Royals’ five-match unbeaten run, converting three goals in three consecutive matches.
