Racing Louisville FC ends a difficult seven-game opening stretch to the 2026 season on Sunday with a visit to Gotham FC. Kickoff at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J. is set for 5 p.m.
Sunday will be Racing’s fifth away game of its opening seven, tied for the most of any club in the NWSL this season through this weekend’s action.
Thus far, Racing (1-4-1, 4 points) has found the road difficult with four losses in four games, all by just one goal.
Last time out on Wednesday, the Washington Spirit knocked off Louisville 1-0, with Trinity Rodman scoring the lone goal. Louisville totaled just six shots in the game, Racing’s lowest total in a game this season.
That rough road run is in contrast with last season’s away record, where Racing was strong. The club finished with a 5-4-4 record away, setting records for road wins (5) and points (19).
Of all the away venues in the NWSL, though, Sports Illustrated Stadium might be the best place for Racing to regain its road mojo.
Racing has never lost in Harrison in seven previous games there, going 1-0-6. Last October, in Racing’s most recent trip to the Garden State, Gotham needed an 85th-minute equalizer from Rose Lavelle to avoid defeat. The game finished 2-2.
As Louisville’s away success may suggest, the all-time series between Louisville and Gotham has been incredibly competitive, with Racing taking a slight all-time edge at 3-2-7.
In more recent times, Gotham FC (3-2-2, 11 points) has won two straight games this season, at home against Bay FC and away at the Chicago Stars. The club sits fourth in the NWSL standings in 2026, after taking the eighth seed last year en route to the title.
Follow Along
- The game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network, with local radio coverage airing 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…
Press vs. possession: Sunday’s game will be a clash of identities, at least statistically. Racing ranks last in the NWSL in average possession per game, at 40.5%. Gotham ranks third at 57.7%.
Offense vs. defense: So far this season, Gotham has shown one of the league’s tightest defenses. Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger leads the league with five clean sheets, while the defense at large has allowed just four goals, tied for the best defensive record in the league. Louisville, meanwhile, has scored 10 goals this season, the fifth-most in the NWSL.
Nice to see you again: Gotham FC’s roster includes two former Racing Louisville midfielders: Jaelin Howell and Savannah McCaskill. Howell, a former Racing captain, made 50 league appearances for Louisville from 2022 to 2024 after Louisville selected her second overall in the 2022 draft. McCaskill made 23 appearances for Louisville in its 2021 inaugural season, scoring two goals and tallying three assists.
Scoring streak: Wednesday’s shutout loss ended an 11-game scoring streak for Racing, dating back to last season. The last time Racing was shutout was a 1-0 loss at the Seattle Reign last September. Racing has not been shut out in back-to-back games since Oct. 5, 2024.
