Racing Louisville FC aims to start a new winning streak when it hosts the North Carolina Courage at 8 p.m. Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium.
Racing (2-2-2, eight points) had its club-record four-match unbeaten streak snapped on Monday against the Kansas City Current, dropping a tough 1-0 decision in the City of Fountains. But Louisville remains in a playoff position into the weekend, holding sixth place in the National Women’s Soccer League standings.
The confines of Lynn Family Stadium have been friendly to the home team, with Racing drawing the Houston Dash in the regular-season home opener on May 14 and beating league-leading San Diego four days later.
The North Carolina Courage (0-3-1, one point) struggled through the early stages of the regular season after an unbeaten run to the NWSL Challenge Cup trophy. The Courage scored 16 goals in eight matches, beating Kansas City in the Challenge Cup semifinals and Washington in the final.
Saturday’s game part of Racing Louisville’s Pride Night celebration. The club will feature Pride-themed programming throughout the evening.
The match also kicks off a two-game home stand for Racing, which hosts Los Angeles-based Angel City at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, at Lynn Family Stadium.
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
- Jordyn Bloomer (out, left leg)
Story lines...
The doctor is in: For the first time this year, star forward Nadia Nadim is available for selection. The 34-year-old missed the last eight months while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in a September match against the Orlando Pride. In eight appearances last season, Nadim scored three goals and tallied one assist and was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for August.
Murray available: With the June 1 transfer window open, new signing Satara Murray is also available for selection. The defender joined Racing from FA Women’s Championship club Bristol City FC, where she made 24 appearances across all competitions, including 22 in the league. Murray arrived in Louisville in mid-May and has been training with the club for the past three weeks.
DeMelo’s strong start: Rookie midfielder Savannah DeMelo has posted rookie of the year-caliber performances through six matches, leading the league in tackles, fouls won, fouls won in the attacking third of the field and possessions won in the middle-third. The 24-year-old also ranks fifth in chances created, sixth in recoveries and 16th in interceptions. She scored her first goal in a Racing uniform on a 27-yard free kick against first-place San Diego that stood as the game-winner.
Shut out: Monday’s loss at Kansas City marked the second time this year an opponent shut out Racing, with the Current edging out a 1-0 win. Racing’s 0-0 Challenge Cup draw at Chicago served as the first clean sheet. Through as many games across all competitions last year, Racing was shut out seven times in 12 games.
Unbeaten streak: Racing’s four-match unbeaten run was snapped on Monday. That run of form produced the most points over four matches in the club’s brief history. The only other time Racing has gone unbeaten over four matches started last October, with a win and two draws to finish the 2021 season followed by a draw to open the 2022 Challenge Cup.
McDonald faces her previous team: Racing Louisville’s Jess McDonald played for the North Carolina Courage from 2017-21. She recorded 22 goals and 20 assists in that span, winning two NWSL championships. Saturday’s game will be the first time the forward plays against her old club. She’s currently fourth in NWSL history in career goals (53) and leads the league in career assists (28).
Holloway debuts: Defender Rebecca Holloway made her Racing debut against Kansas City after arriving in early May. The Northern Ireland international most recently played for former FA Women’s Super League side Birmingham City WFC, where she totaled 65 total appearances. Holloway helped Northern Ireland reach the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 tournament in England.
