Fresh off an encouraging home draw to open the 2025 NWSL season, Racing Louisville FC sets off on the road for the first time this season for a 10 p.m. Saturday matchup with Bay FC at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.
Saturday kicks off a two-game road trip for Racing, which turns around to play Chicago Stars FC on March 30. It marks the first of four instances this season when Louisville will play consecutive away matches.
In the words of head coach Bev Yanez, Racing “set a standard” in its rainy home opener versus the North Carolina Courage. Although Emma Sears’ 13th-minute opener was canceled out by a second-half strike from North Carolina’s Riley Jackson, leading to a 1-1 draw, Louisville came away from the game with new belief.
“We were all together through the entire 90 minutes, and that’s something special,” said midfielder Taylor Flint.
Racing, despite seeing less of the ball, finished with the edge in big chances created (3) and shots on target (7). Seven players combined to create nine total chances for Racing.
The club will aim to build off that Saturday in its third-ever meeting against Bay. Louisville fell to Bay twice in 2024, both times by a 1-0 score. Nigerian forward Asisat Oshoala scored the winning goal in both meetings.
Led by head coach Albertin Montoya, Bay is coming off an impressive inaugural campaign in the NWSL, when it became just the second expansion team to qualify for the postseason in league history.
Bay began 2025 with an identical result to Racing during the NWSL’s opening weekend with a 1-1 draw at Utah. Unlike Louisville, Bay came from behind, using a 43rd-minute strike by midfielder Kiki Pickett to earn a point on the road.
After the two-game road trip and an international break, Racing will return home to Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday, April 12, to face the Washington Spirit. The game coincides with the annual Thunder Over Louisville airshow and fireworks display. A club-record 11,365 attended last year’s Thunder at Lynn Family Stadium. For tickets and more information, visit racingloufc.com/thunder.
Follow along…
- The match will be broadcast live on ION. Viewers can search for their local channel number by typing their zip code here. ION is also available on numerous streaming platforms, including Tubi and YouTube TV. Fans can listen to the game on Talk Radio 1080 AM or online at talkradio1080.iheart.com.
- For the starting lineup and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. You can also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.
Story lines…
Midfield enforcer: Taylor Flint continued to prove she’s one of the NWSL’s most well-rounded midfielders in the opener, showing defensive prowess and the ability to distribute and effect play higher up the pitch. Flint led Louisville in several statistical categories in the opener: passes into the final third (14), total duels won (18), successful aerial duels (11) and interceptions (5). Flint also nearly got on the scoresheet, striking the woodwork from outside the box midway through the first half.
Rookie debuts: Two members of Louisville’s rookie class — Sarah Weber and Katie O’Kane — made their professional debuts during the home opener. Weber, out of the University of Nebraska, provided a spark off the bench for Louisville with two shots in her first 14 minutes. The former University of Utah standout O’Kane came on in the 85th minute for her first Louisville appearance after earning a contract in preseason.
Sears-iously back: It was almost like she never left — Louisville winger Emma Sears picked up right where she left off in 2024. Sears’ dynamic play down the right flank was key in Racing’s ability to stay on the front foot during the first half Saturday. The USWNT winger, who scored a Racing rookie-record five goals last year, netted the club’s first goal of the campaign early on in the first half. She tallied three shots — all on target — and a game-high seven touches in the opposition’s box.
Nearing a milestone: With five more stops, Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund would become just the seventh goalkeeper in NWSL history to record 300 saves. She’d also be the fifth goalkeeper to reach that mark for one club. Last Saturday’s five-save display was the third-straight game for the Texas native with at least five saves dating back to last season.
Captain’s impact: Kentuckian Arin Wright walked Louisville out onto the pitch for the first time as captain last Saturday. The 10-year NWSL veteran was awarded the position through a preseason team vote. In the first match donning the armband, Wright registered her first assist since 2021 when she was played for Chicago. The 32-year-old also played her part defensively, finishing second on the team in clearances (4) and interceptions (2).
International duo: Bay’s attack features two of the most dangerous attacking talents in international soccer — the Nigerian international Oshoala and Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji. The pair finished one and two respectively in goals scored last season for Bay, combining to net 12 goals — roughly 41% of the entire club’s total. While Kundananji didn’t score on opening weekend, she was the most threatening player for Bay with a game-high five shots at Utah.
