After a week off during the international break, Racing Louisville FC returns to action at 7:30 p.m. Saturday when it hosts the Chicago Red Stars at Lynn Family Stadium.
Racing entered the FIFA window for national team games on a high note, earning the club’s first NWSL Challenge Cup victory in its two-year existence by defeating the Kansas City Current in emphatic fashion, with three goals against the Central Division leaders.
The Chicago Red Stars (7 points., +3 goal differential) now come to town tied with Kansas City atop the Central table. In the last meeting, the two clubs battled to a 0-0 stalemate in rainy Bridgeview, Ill., outside Chicago. Racing defender Julia Lester and forward Ebony Salmon stood out on both sides of the ball, with Lester spearheading the shutoff defensive effort and Salmon causing problems for Chicago’s defense.
Racing currently sits third (5 points, +2 goal differential) in the Central standings. A win would put the team in position to qualify for the Challenge Cup semifinal ahead of the group stage finale next Sunday, while a loss would mathematically eliminate Racing from advancing in the league-wide tournament.
Saturday will mark the fourth meeting between Racing and the Red Stars. Racing has managed at least a point in each of the past three games, with one win and two draws against Chicago.
The Red Stars feature multiple standouts, including current league-leading goal scorer Mallory Pugh, star midfielder Morgan Gautrat and U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. However, Chicago will be without USWNT center back Tierna Davidson (season-ending knee injury) and star fullback Casey Krueger (pregnancy).
Follow along…
• For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. Also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.
• The game will stream live on Paramount+ in the United States and on Twitch internationally.
Player availability report
• Nadia Nadim (out, right leg)
Story lines…
The first 45: In addition to back-to-back shutouts, Racing has yet to concede a goal in the first half through a club-record four games this year. Over the course of the 2021 Challenge Cup and regular season, the longest Racing went without conceding a goal in the first half was three games.
Gem of a goal: Since joining Racing in June 2021, defender Gemma Bonner has been a calming force across the team’s back line. She also opened her NWSL scoring account last time out against the Current when heading home a corner from Emina Ekic, marking the first time Racing has ever scored off a corner.
Lester is more: After subbing on early against the Houston Dash on March 25, days after signing with Racing, defender Julia Lester has solidified a role in Racing’s defense. Lester, who recently transferred from Cypriot club Apollon Ladies — coach Kim Björkegren’s former captain there — followed her NWSL debut with back-to-back starts, helping the team to back-to-back shutouts.
Milliet makes the play: Racing’s all-time appearances leader hit another milestone against Kansas City, scoring her first NWSL goal. A deflection fell to her feet, and she calmly finished past Current goalkeeper Adrianna Franch. Milliet, who is in her fourth year in the NWSL, has appeared in all 32 of Racing’s NWSL matches to date.
Sav starts: Prior to the international break, midfielder Savannah DeMelo earned her first NWSL start. In the match, she led Racing with four tackles, winning three. DeMelo, a California native selected fourth overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft out of USC, now counts three professional appearances.
Howell yes: In the U.S. Women’s National Team’s friendly last Saturday against Uzbekistan, Racing midfielder Jaelin Howell nabbed her first international goal. The halftime sub volleyed a ball over goalkeeper Laylo Tilovova in the 64th minute, helping the U.S. to a 9-1 victory and earning a spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 plays of the day.
Red, white and Fox: Defender Emily Fox continues to cement her role on the USWNT. Over the international break, she earned her 12th and 13th international caps, starting both matches against Uzbekistan. Since the October 2021 break, Fox is the only player to feature for the USWNT in every match, starting eight of nine games.
Midfield moves: Before the NWSL transfer window recently closed, Racing signed midfielder Alex Chidiac from Melbourne Victory. Chidiac recently won the A-League Women’s Aussie Grand Final with the Victory and was named the players’ player of the year by her teammates. Just 23, Chidiac also broke into the Australia national team squad over the international break ahead of reporting to Louisville.
The Women’s Cup returns : The international event, which last year brought FB Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain to Lynn Family Stadium, will return for an encore in 2022. This year’s edition consists of six teams over a full week of competition. European visitors will be named later, with other competing clubs including Racing and OL Reign from the NWSL, plus Liga MX Femenil’s Club América (Mexico) and the WE League’s Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza (Japan).
