With two regular starters suspended, Racing Louisville FC head coach Bev Yanez will turn to youth for Friday’s 8 p.m. Prime Video clash against the Portland Thorns.
Rookies Katie O’Kane and Sarah Weber will step in for the suspended Taylor Flint and Kayla Fischer, both sidelined due to yellow card accumulation.
Friday will be Racing’s first game since 2022 that will not feature neither Flint nor Fischer.
While the rookie duo are less experienced than the players they replace, they’ve earned their stripes this season. O’Kane and Weber have each appeared in 18 games this campaign, with nine starts apiece. Weber has scored once — it was the winning goal against the Utah Royals on June 6 — while O’Kane has registered one assist this year, also June 6 against Utah.
Arin Wright also returns to the starting lineup after missing last week’s 1-1 tie with the Houston Dash due to injury. She had been listed as ‘questionable’ this week on the availability report.
Aside from that trio of swaps, Yanez has left Louisville’s lineup unchanged.
Wright’s return shifts Courtney Petersen, who had an assist last week, back to her more natural left fullback. Makenna Morris, who started there in her Racing Louisville debut last week, drops to the bench.
Ellie Jean and Janine Sonis start on the right of the backline.
Jordyn Bloomer, fresh off an NWSL Best XI selection for August, starts in goal once again for Racing.
Ella Hase and Emma Sears will join Weber in the attack, occupying the left and right flank.
Savannah DeMelo and Ary Borges start in the midfield next to O’Kane, each bringing World Cup experience, for the United States and Brazil respectively, to bolster the rookie’s youth.
Morris headlines a bench that also includes experienced options in Marisa DiGrande and Bethany Balcer.
Team Sheet vs. the Portland Thorns
24 – Jordyn Bloomer
11 – Courtney Petersen
3 – Arin Wright (c)
5 – Ellie Jean
16 – Janine Sonis
8 – Ary Borges
20 – Katie O’Kane
7 – Savannah DeMelo
6 – Ella Hase
13 – Emma Sears
42 – Sarah Weber
Substitutes: 33 – Cristina Roque, 77 – Madison White; 4 – Makenna Morris, 14 – Marisa DiGrande, 15 – Ángela Barón, 31 – Katie Scott, 32 – Avery Kalitta, 88 – Bethany Balcer
