New addition Bethany Balcer is set to start in her Racing Louisville debut this evening, slotting right into coach Bev Yanez’s lineup after arriving Monday via trade with Seattle.
The 27-year-old center forward, who has the third-most goals of anyone in the NWSL since 2019, will lead the line as Racing tries to complete a season sweep of the Chicago Red Stars.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium.
Racing (3-6-7, 16 points) can move into eighth place – playoff position – with a win after the current team in that spot, Bay FC, fell 2-1 to Utah on Friday night.
To help Yanez’s squad get there, two others joined the slightly changed XI from the last time Louisville played in a regular season league match back on July 7: midfielder Ary Borges and forward Uchenna Kanu.
Kanu will make her first start since the June 19 game at Angel City, which Racing lost 3-2 after rallying from 2-0 down to tie the match. The Nigerian international returned to the club earlier this month after playing in the Olympics with her national team.
One of the team’s leading scorers, Kanu has four scores this season. She’ll start on the left flank, with leading scorer Savannah DeMelo (five goals) opposite her on the right. Marisa DiGrande will make her 94th NWSL appearance, starting the game in the central attacking midfield role.
New signing Janine Beckie, a winger, is available off the bench after training with the team for the first time on Friday. She’s joined by Elexa Bahr, Parker Goins, Kayla Fischer and Emma Sears as attacking substitution options.
Borges, 24, last started on April 28 at NJ/NY Gotham. The Brazilian suffered a knee injury a few days later in training and missed two months before making her return off the bench in that North Carolina game on July 7. She started or played in several games during the Olympic break, but tonight marks her first league start in almost four months.
Taylor Flint will take up the double pivot central midfield slot alongside Borges. Flint leads the league in aerial duels won, interceptions and tackles. Veteran midfielder Jordan Baggett is available off the bench, while DiGrande can also slide back into the double pivot should there be any changes.
The defensive line has changed slightly: Arin Wright slides out to the left back spot, with Ellie Jean slotting in at center back. Abby Erceg will wear the captain’s arm band at center back. Lauren Milliet continues to build on her club-leading appearances, with the 27-year-old set to make her 70th consecutive start.
New addition Ángela Barón, primarily a center back, will be available off the bench ahead of what would be her NWSL and Racing debut. Winger/fullback Maddie Pokorny is also a defensive substitution option.
Katie Lund will start her 65th NWSL regular season game for Louisville, with 64 of them coming consecutively. The goalkeeper would move closer to her previous season-high six clean sheets if she notched her fifth of the 2024 campaign tonight. Olivia Sekany will back Lund up.
Forward Milly Clegg is on international duty, representing New Zealand at the U-20 World Cup, while goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer (knee) is out. Defender Elli Pikkujämsä and forward Kirsten Wright are on the season-ending injury list.
Racing Louisville lineup vs. Chicago Red Stars
1 – Katie Lund
2 – Lauren Milliet
5 – Ellie Jean
20 – Abby Erceg (c)
3 – Arin Wright
8 – Ary Borges
26 – Taylor Flint
7 – Savannah DeMelo
14 – Marisa DiGrande
29 – Uchenna Kanu
88 – Bethany Balcer
Substitutes: 99 – Olivia Sekany (GK); 9 – Kayla Fischer, 13 – Emma Sears, 15 – Ángela Barón, 16 – Janine Beckie, 17 – Maddie Pokorny, 19 – Jordan Baggett, 21 – Parker Goins, 23 – Elexa Bahr
