Much like the well-known country duo Florida Georgia Line, Racing Louisville FC has returned — though thankfully, the wait wasn’t nearly as long.
Back at it for the first time in nearly 40 days, Racing Louisville FC pays a visit to Providence Park for a 7 p.m. Sunday encounter with one of the NWSL’s top-five sides: Portland Thorns FC. It’ll be Racing’s first match back after the league’s summer break.
The last time Louisville (2-8-1, 7 points) saw the pitch was May 29 at Lynn Family Stadium when a single moment from Ally Brazier lifted Denver Summit FC to a 1-0 win over Racing. It was yet another gutting one-goal defeat — the club’s eighth of the campaign.
Louisville now returns from the league break with a chance to turn the page after a difficult opening 11 game stretch. It’ll begin that quest to shift momentum against a side it overwhelmed back on May 8 at Lynn Family Stadium.
The fixture saw Racing down the then league-leading Thorns by a 3-1 scoreline for its second win of the season. A Katie O’Kane brace, coupled with an exclamation late on from Emma Sears, fueled the hosts to their most convincing triumph over the three-time league champions in club history.
One of the eight original NWSL franchises, Portland (7-3-3, 24 points), has won just one out of its last four matches since that Racing defeat. Just before the hiatus, the Thorns salvaged a point at home against the in-form Utah Royals FC with a Sophia Wilson equalizer from the spot in second-half stoppage time.
It was one more subtle reminder of Portland’s ability, both this season and historically, to consistently find ways to get results over the line at Providence Park — Sunday’s venue.
Robert Vilahamn’s team is one of only two sides without a loss on home soil in 2026, alongside the Kansas City Current. Its 34 home wins since the start of the 2022 season are also second-most to Kansas City with 37.
The last time a club overcame the Thorns in the Oregon fortress was last August against Utah Royals FC. For context, Louisville’s last two trips to Portland have, in fact, ended in multi-goal draws: 2-2 and most recently 3-3.
Follow Along
- The contest will be available to stream for free on Victory+, the NWSL’s newest streaming partner. To create a free account, fans can visit victoryplus.com/register. 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…
International update: Racing forward Emma Sears appeared in each of the two U.S. Women’s National Team friendlies in June against Brazil. Sears started and played all 90 minutes in a chaotic card-riddled final encounter that finished 1-0 in favor of the USWNT. The appearances in South America were Sears’ 20th and 21st at the senior level. Through 10 games at the club level with Louisville, Sears has compiled two goals and three assists. At the youth level, 17-year-old Racing attacker Audrey McKeen represented the U.S. at the U-18 level across two games in Bulgaria. McKeen notably bagged two of the five goals in a 5-0 victory over the Ukraine U-19 WNT on June 9.
Second-year standout: Having made starts in 10 of her 11 total matches this year, midfielder Katie O’Kane has built on what was an encouraging 2025 rookie campaign. O’Kane, a 24-year-old product of the University of Utah, is Racing’s leading chance creator in 2026 with 16. That’s the same amount she amassed across all of last season. Goal contribution-wise, O’Kane has tallied two goals and two assists, with both finishes coming against Portland. Her influence is also felt in the press, as she is tied for the team lead in possessions won in the attacking third (7).
A true undeniable force: No Louisville player has seen more time on the pitch in 2026 than Taylor Flint. Her impact on Racing’s success cannot simply be quantified by a singular number. Throughout this campaign, Flint has once again been in the middle of it all. Not only is she one of six Louisville players with at least two goals, but the midfielder leads the team in successful passes (295), duels won (88) and interceptions (39). The duels won and interception totals also lead the entire NWSL. She has also, importantly, netted four goals against the Thorns across all competitions — tied for the most against a single opponent in her career.
Doing it from distance: Racing has found production from range in 2026. Sunday’s visitors lead the NWSL in goals scored from outside the box at five — equating to 33% of the club’s total goal tally. Five such goals are also the same amount as Louisville recorded from 26 games last year. Goals, goals and more goals: Portland is the current league leader in goals scored, as it is the first side to 20 goals. The 20 finishes are on 163 total shots (including blocked attempts), fewer than the next four most efficient attacks. Interestingly, four of the 20 have been via the header — the most by a team in the NWSL.
Yup, she’s back: Thorns forward Sophia Wilson returned to the pitch back in March after missing the entire 2025 campaign on maternity leave. The USWNT star hasn’t missed a beat. So far, Wilson has converted five goals in 13 games played, including in back-to-back matches before the break. She is one of seven players with five or more goals this year. At the international level, Wilson played a role in both of the United States’ goals in the June window against Brazil. The 25-year-old scored the opening goal of the first match, while also forcing an own goal to clinch the second friendly for the visitors.
