The October international break is nearly upon us.
Before the league pauses play, Racing Louisville FC will play host to a current top-four playoff contender for the second straight week, Utah Royals FC, Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.
The club’s penultimate home match will be Pink Night — a recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in partnership with Humana. Tickets and further information on the match can be found at RacingLouFC.com/pink.
Racing (7-17-2, 23 points) wrapped up a tough month of September last Friday with a 2-0 loss versus San Diego Wave FC. San Diego vaulted into second position with the road win. The defeat for Louisville ended its hopes of clinching back-to-back playoff appearances.
Even with the playoffs now out of reach, head coach Bev Yanez said the team’s goal for the rest of the season is clear: “We have to fight, we have to fight all the way through the end.”
Utah is one of two teams currently above the playoff line that Louisville will face in the final four games of the campaign.
To break its six-game losing streak, Racing will look to replicate its past success against the Royals on home soil.
Louisville is unbeaten in its two home matches all-time versus the Royals, outscoring Utah by an 8-3 aggregate score. In a 2024 victory over the Royals at Lynn Family Stadium, Racing tallied five goals — the most it has ever registered in a single match. The Royals, however, have the overall edge in the series (3-2-0), topping Louisville, 2-1, in the first meeting this season in May at America First Field.
Utah (14-9-3, 45 points) is on track to punch its ticket to the NWSL playoffs for the first time, as it sits just three points back of second-place San Diego Wave FC in fourth. Since its return to the NWSL in 2024, the Royals have yet to finish above 10th.
Former Racing player Cece Delzer (née Kizer) recorded the match-winning goal in Utah’s bounce-back win over the North Carolina Courage last Sunday. Though the Royals haven’t put together consecutive wins since July, instead flip-flopping between a win and a loss over their past 11 contests.
Follow Along
- The Saturday match will air nationally on ION. 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 …
Guess who’s back, back again: Star midfielder Savannah DeMelo will be available for selection Saturday versus Utah Royals FC. Ahead of her return, DeMelo signed a contract extension with Louisville through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028. DeMelo hasn’t appeared in an NWSL match since Sept. 14, 2025, when she left the game after experiencing a medical emergency. The University of Southern California product ranks among the club’s all-time leaders — second in goals (17), tied for second in assists (8) and fourth in league appearances (79).
Ring, ring: Racing forward Emma Sears earned her fifth U.S. Women’s National Team call-up of 2026 earlier this week. Sears will join the USWNT for its upcoming October training camp, which features two friendlies against Spain — the reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup champion. Sears, Racing’s goal contribution leader this year with 12, has registered six goals and three assists in 21 caps for the United States. The friendlies versus Spain will take place on Oct. 10 and Oct. 13.
Moving on up: Kayla Fischer played in her 81st game for Racing last Friday, which moved her into sole possession of second place on Louisville’s all-time appearance list. Fischer passed former Racing goalkeeper Katie Atkinson and now trails only Lauren Milliet, who has made 139 appearances for Racing since its inaugural season.
Drastically improved up front: In the same number of matches, the Royals scored 15 more goals this year compared to last season (43 to 28). Its goals-per-game total has jumped from 1.08 to 1.65 from 2025 to 2026. Utah has been shut out in only three games this season. In contrast, the Royals were held without a goal in nine matches last year.
Locking in Lacasse: Utah completed an important piece of off-field business in September, agreeing to a contract extension with forward and Canadian international Cloé Lacasse. Lacasse inked a new deal with the Royals on Sept. 16 through 2028 amid a career campaign since making the move from Arsenal in August 2024. She scored Utah’s opening goal in a 2-1 win over the North Carolina Courage last Sunday, bringing her goal contribution total this year to 18 (eight goals, 10 assists) — the most in one season in Royals history. Lacasse’s next assist will set a new NWSL single-season record.
