After back-to-back strong performances resulting in draws, Racing Louisville FC is looking for its first win of the 2022 regular season as Alex Morgan and the San Diego Wave visit for a 7:30 p.m. Wednesday match at Lynn Family Stadium.
Racing (0-1-2) tied Seattle’s OL Reign, 2-2, on Mother’s Day before a 1-1 draw against Houston in Saturday’s home opener. The team left both games feeling confident about its work rate and fighting spirit, with leading scorer Jess McDonald netting goals in both.
“I think we’re getting better and better,” star fullback Emily said.
Now Racing turns its attention to a tough midweek match against the hottest team in the National Women’s Soccer League.
San Diego (3-0-0) is unbeaten through its first three games, with the expansion team sitting atop the standings with nine points. The Wave beat Houston, 1-0, in the season opener and followed that up with 4-0 and 2-1 wins over NJ/NY Gotham and Chicago Red Stars, respectively – two playoff teams from a season ago.
Star forward Alex Morgan leads the league in scoring, with five goals, including a four-goal performance against Gotham that matched the NWSL’s single-game record. The Wave also features U.S. Women’s National Team mainstay Abby Dahlkemper, a center back, and the top pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, defender Naomi Girma.
Wednesday’s match will stream live on Paramount+ with Twitch carrying coverage internationally.
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 broadcast live on Paramount+ in the United States and on Twitch internationally.
Player availability report
- Nadia Nadim (out, right leg)
- Hillary Beall (questionable, neck)
- Gemma Bonner (questionable, illness)
- Emily Fox (questionable, left leg)
- Rebecca Holloway (questionable, illness)
- Julia Lester (questionable, illness)
- Jaelin Howell (questionable, left foot)
- Freja Olofsson (questionable, illness)
Storylines...
Backline rotation: In the hours leading up to Saturday’s draw with Houston, coach Kim Björkegren said, four players were removed from Racing’s expected lineup due to a combination of COVID-19 protocols and illness. Addisyn Merrick and Erin Simon both started Saturday’s game. It was Simon’s first start of the season after making 18 last year, while Merrick re-entered the starting lineup for the first time since the 1-1 draw against Chicago on April 16 in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Jess the equalizer: Jess McDonald, who has numbered 159 NWSL regular-season appearances, used that veteran knowledge to motivate on Saturday. With defender Gemma Bonner a late scratch from the lineup, McDonald took the captain’s armband and went on to level the score in the 82nd minute with a header that beat Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell.
Comeback kids: Across both the preseason Challenge Cup tournament and regular season, Saturday marked the fifth time in nine games this year that Racing scored an equalizer after falling behind 1-0 and the sixth time the team has come back from a losing position. The next step: a win. Racing has emerged victorious once so far with a 3-0 result April 2 at KC Current.
DeMelo excelling: Rookie Savannah DeMelo is off to a standout season, playing out wide or in central midfield in starting each regular-season match. Against Houston, DeMelo led the team with 85 touches and 20 completed passes in the final third while winning possession nine times and drawing a team-best five fouls. Going back to a May 8 game at OL Reign, her crafty free kick led to an equalizing own goal to cement a point away.
Defensive reinforcements: On Monday, Racing announced the signing of defender Satara Murray. The Jamaican international — from Brooklyn, New York, and a University of North Carolina product — previously played with Bristol City in the FA W Championship. She will be available for game selection after the transfer window opens on June 1.