Things are heating up in the state of Kentucky. Forget the thermometer, though: Racing Louisville FC has captured four wins from its last five matches.
There’s no better time to be rollin’, either — not on the freeway like Calvin Harris says, but on the pitch — than right now. This Saturday night, Racing meets its biggest test to date when it visits the league-leading Kansas City Current. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at CPKC Stadium.
The encounter marks Louisville’s penultimate game before the NWSL pauses league play until August.
Bev Yanez’s side is riding high heading into this road challenge, having just edged Utah Royals FC, 3-2, last time out thanks to an 85th-minute winner from rookie forward Sarah Weber.
It was a game that saw Racing hit a season-high in shots on target (9) while bagging three goals for the third time already this season, matching the club record for the most such instances in a campaign.
The result shot the club up into sixth position in the table with a 5-4-2 record, equaling 17 points — the most points through the first 11 games of a campaign in the club’s young history.
“I think we’re super excited,” said defender Ellie Jean. “We’re kind of hitting a stride and we’re on a roll at this point. … We all believe in each other. We’re all coming together as a collective and that’s really helping us.”
Kansas City (9-2-0, 27 points), however, is just as in-form as Louisville. In fact, the two outfits have identical records over the last five games: 5-1-0. The Current, owner of the league’s most potent attack, have strung together four straight victories after an unusual 1-0 away defeat to Seattle Reign FC on May 2. Three of those wins have come on the road, including last week’s 2-1 result at Gotham FC.
To make the task of continuing this impressive stretch even tougher for Racing, KC hasn’t dropped a single point on home soil in 2025. It’s 4-0-0 with an NWSL-best +12 goal differential. Louisville, though, has made strides on the road this season, already setting new records for away wins (3) and points in a season (10).
Following the visit to Missouri, Racing is hit with another tough task in its final home match in the league before the NWSL heads into the summer break. The Orlando Pride, the league’s reigning champions, travel to Lynn Family Stadium for “Ali Night” on Friday, June 20. The club will honor Louisville’s own Muhammad Ali, in addition to recognizing the Juneteenth holiday. For tickets and more information, visit RacingLoufc.com/ali.
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 Sports Talk 790 AM or online at 790louisville.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…
A straight-up problem: Racing standout forward Emma Sears has been nothing but a problem for opposition defenses during her sophomore campaign. Sears drew even with Louisville’s single season goals scored record of six with a Goal of the Week strike to open the scoring against the Royals. That’s six goals in 11 games, positioning her just one goal behind the current NWSL Golden Boot leaders. Not only did she score last time out, but Sears also tallied a game-high five successful dribbles for just the second time in her career.
Consistent trend: Possession is just a number, and Racing has proved that to be true during this stretch of success. In the triumph over the Royals, Louisville lost the possession battle for the 10th time in its first 11 matches. Racing still managed to be the more threatening side going forward, tallying more shots on target and a higher expected goals total. Even though Louisville is the only side in the league with fewer than 2,500 passes completed, it has amassed 19 big chances — good for the second most across the NWSL. Seven of those have come in the last two victories.
Long time coming: Racing’s Ellie Jean has been in the NWSL since 2022, and last week saw the defender bag her first professional goal. Jean, who has started in four of Louisville’s five wins this year, opened her account by redirecting a Janine Sonis cross into the net for the club’s second goal of the opening half. The strike also marked the first time a Racing defender found the scoresheet in 2025. The sheer joy shown on the spot was special. “Really proud of myself, really happy,” said Jean after the game.
Weber’s moment: What a time it was for Sarah Weber to score her first career professional goal. The University of Nebraska product’s first tally in the NWSL — a looping header in the 85th minute — turned out to be the game winner for Louisville versus Utah. The finish gave Weber some relief, as she stated, “It was definitely good to see the first one go in, what a great moment.” The forward, who had been making her first start up front since April 19, also led Racing in shots inside the box (5) in the win.
Road, sweet road?: Road troubles? For Louisville in 2025, those are no more. The club’s growth away from Lynn Family Stadium has been one of its major storylines this campaign. Through the club’s first away matches this season, Racing owns a 3-1-1 record, good for 10 points — tied for the second most in the league so far. No team has recorded a larger big chance total than Louisville, which sits at 20, four more than any other club in 2025.
Series history: Across all competitions, Racing has the historical edge over Kansas City through 13 matches. It holds a 6-4-3 overall record, scoring 19 goals in those games — the most by Louisville against any opponent. While Racing dropped the last encounter in Kentucky between the teams, it is unbeaten in four out of the last five meetings. One of those was a 2-0 victory in Kansas City back in May 2023. The latest matchup in Missouri featured Savannah DeMelo scoring an equalizer in the 13th minute of second half stoppage time, leading to a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Early and often: The Current’s attack has shown it requires little time to find its footing in games this year. Seventeen of the club’s league-high 24 goals have come in the first 45 minutes of matches. As it turns out, four of its last five goals took place in the first period, counting both goals versus Gotham last week. KC’s 10 first half finishes at CPKC Stadium are two more than the next club in home fixtures. So, who are the ones converting the most frequently for the Current in the opening period? 2024 NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga and Brazilian star Debinha, who have combined for eight of the 17.
