Alex Chidiac scored a brilliant first goal in her National Women’s Soccer League career, but Racing Louisville FC dropped a hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Portland Thorns in front of a season-high home crowd of 7,089 on Friday night at Lynn Family Stadium.
Sophia Smith opened the scoring early, putting Portland ahead in the seventh minute. Chidiac’s goal tied the game at the half-hour mark, but Hina Sugita’s 74th-minute goal sealed the win for Portland.
“Right now, the only thing we want is three points, so we are disappointed today,” Racing coach Kim Björkegren said. “They are fighting, and we played against a good team. They are doing their best. There are details we need to be better at and still there are way too many second-chance goals, so it’s about having a better reading of the game but also small details.”
Racing (2-6-5, 11 points) once again put in a solid performance, getting seven shots on target to Portland’s six and generating a flurry of chances in the first 20 minutes of the second half. Both Emily Fox and Jess McDonald came close to a breakthrough only to be denied by a sprawling Bella Bixby, Portland’s goalkeeper.
Chidiac’s goal came from a spectacular individual effort. The Australian midfielder collected Jaelin Howell’s long pass along the end line, beat her immediate defender and dribbled into the area, where she beat Bixby to the near post, toe-poking her shot in.
The 23-year-old was happy about the goal but disappointed about the final result. Racing hasn’t won since May 22 and has either lost or drawn each of its last eight matches.
“Each game we are taking a lot from. The team is really close,” Chidiac said. “A lot of people from the outside probably don’t realize that, and they think these results are breaking us. But sometimes that’s football. We’re going to get the results. We definitely feel that. It’s probably good for us that you’ve got two more games coming up really soon because we can rectify this loss.”
Portland (6-1-6, 24 points) moved into first place with the win. The Thorns generated plenty of chances, too, getting six shots on goal and winning the expected-goals battle, with 1.58 to Racing’s 0.98.
Smith scored her goal after picking up the ball near midfield, carrying it some 40 yards and slotting home a low, right-footed inside the far post.
For the game-winner, Racing goalkeeper Katie Lund parried Portland midfielder Raquel Rodriguez’s dipping shot from outside the box, but Sugita was there to tuck in the rebound.
Racing has a quick turnaround, with a 8 p.m. Tuesday matchup against OL Reign up next at Lynn Family Stadium.
Tap-ins
• Veteran defender Satara Murray made her Racing debut, starting at center back in her first week back in Louisville after helping Jamaica qualify for the 2023 World Cup at the Concacaf W Championship earlier this month. Murray played well, posting a team-best four clearances.
“Right now I’m kind of just going off the confidence that I got at camp with Jamaica,” Murray said. “Obviously Portland is a really good side. I knew it was going to be difficult coming in. I feel honored and happy to get an opportunity to start – hopefully more to come. It’s an unfortunate result, obviously, but I think we can continue to keep building, and I’m really happy with just getting some minutes under my belt here.”
• Star forward Nadia Nadim started for the first time this season, playing the full match up front. Standout Emily Fox returned to the lineup after spending the past month with the U.S. national team at the Concacaf W Championship.
Game Summary: Racing Louisville FC vs. Portland Thorns
Date: July 29, 2022
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 8:07 p.m. ET
Weather: 79 degrees, partly cloudy
Player of the Match: Alex Chidiac
Attendance: 7,089
Scoring
Racing Louisville (1, 0, 1)
Portland Thorns (1, 1, 2)
Goals
Racing Louisville:
30’ Alex Chidiac (Jaelin Howell)
Portland Thorns:
7’ Sophia Smith (Morgan Weaver)
78’ Hina Sugita
Lineups
Racing Louisville FC (4-3-3): 1 – Katie Lund; 11 – Emily Fox, 44 – Satara Murray (78’ 15 – Julia Lester), 4 – Gemma Bonner (c), 2 – Lauren Milliet; 6 – Jaelin Howell, 8 – Freja Olofsson (78’ 30 – Zaneta Wyne), 7 – Savannah DeMelo; 27 – Alex Chidiac (78’ 13 – Emina Ekic), 10 – Nadia Nadim, 14 – Jess McDonald
Subs not used: 18 – Hillary Beall, 24 – Jordyn Bloomer; 12 – Taylor Malham, 17 – Nealy Martin; 21 – Parker Goins, 22 – Kirsten Davis
Head Coach: Kim Björkegren
Portland Thorns (4-3-3): 1 – Bella Bixby; 39 – Meaghan Nally, 4 – Becky Sauerbrunn (c), 20 – Kelli Hubly, 14 – Natalia Kuikka (46’ 29 – Tegan McGrady); 46 – Taylor Porter (46’ 17 – Sam Coffey), 8 – Hina Sugita, 13 – Olivia Moultrie (69’ 11 – Rocky Rodriguez); 22 – Morgan Weaver (90’+2 37 – Michele Vasconcelos), 23 – Yazmeen Ryan, 9 – Sophia Smith (85’ 21 – Marissa Everett)
Subs not used: 35 – Abby Smith; 25 – Meghan Klingenberg, 41 – Hannah Betfort; 44 – Gabby Provenzano
Head Coach: Rhian Wilkinson
Stats Summary: Racing Louisville / Portland Thorns
Shots: 17 / 25
Shots on Goal: 7 / 6
Possession: 48.6% / 51.4%
Fouls: 12 / 11
Offside: 0 / 0
Corner Kicks: 7 / 4
Discipline Summary
Racing Louisville:
76’ Satara Murray (yellow)
89’ Nadia Nadim (yellow)
Portland Thorns:
21’ Becky Sauerbrunn (yellow)
80’ Morgan Weaver (yellow)
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
