It’s hard to believe, but for Racing Louisville FC, it’s go time once again.
Hot off a historic 2025, Bev Yanez and a retooled Racing squad set off into a new NWSL campaign, heading east for the season opener against the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC (7 p.m. Saturday).
For Louisville, last season stood in a class of its own — defined by the rewriting of history. Guided by a distinct identity, Racing punched its ticket to the playoffs for the first time in 2025, ending a run of four straight ninth-place finishes. Saturday’s visitors also set club records across the board on the way to the postseason, including in points (37) and wins (10).
A substantial portion of the team that accomplished those feats will be returning, with nine of Louisville’s 11 players who reached at least 1,400 league minutes in 2025 still in lavender.
Despite a heartbreaking quarterfinal exit to end it all in the nation’s capital, Racing, without a doubt, laid the essential foundation for what looks to be a promising future. The focus now shifts to transferring that positive momentum into the season ahead.
Louisville will look to take the first step of that journey Saturday against the Courage — the same team it kicked off the 2025 campaign against.
The overall history favors North Carolina, but recently, Racing has flipped the script on the Courage. Louisville has won two of the last three meetings, including a 3-1 triumph last time out in Cary.
North Carolina will look a bit different than it did in that matchup, as it underwent a notable amount of change in the offseason following its lowest-ever league finish: ninth. In fact, the Courage bid farewell to two key team leaders: Denise O’Sullivan and Kaleigh Kurtz. Since the beginning of 2024, the captain’s armband for NC has been worn exclusively by either O’Sullivan or Kurtz.
On the sidelines, the club also found a permanent answer in the appointment of Mak Lind, the former head coach of Swedish club BK Häcken. Last year saw an interim, Nathan Thackeray, take the controls for the final 12 matches after the dismissal of Sean Nahas in August.
Since the Courage moved to the Tar Heel State in 2017, the club has not missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons — a standard of consistency Racing is still chasing.
Follow Along
- The season opener will be streamed on the free NWSL+ app or via plus.nwslsoccer.com as well as Paramount+. Fans can also listen to the match on Sports Talk 790AM or 790louisville.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…
Reppin’ the Stars and Stripes: In the most recent international window, Louisville was well represented across many levels of the United States’ system. Emma Sears, Louisville’s most prolific goal scorer last season, aided the senior USWNT to a SheBelieves Cup triumph, playing a role in all three matches to bring her overall cap total up to 17. At the youth level, Sarah Weber and newcomer Macy Blackburn earned U-23 call-ups, while 17-year-old Audrey McKeen impressed for the U-18s at the Pinatar Cup — netting three goals in two games as they claimed a trophy in Spain. Weber also got on the scoresheet for the U-23s in a win over Mexico.
Young and hungry: Eyeing a repeat playoff appearance, Racing revamped its roster with 10 incoming players across the offseason. What’s most notable, though, is that six of those players will be NWSL rookies this year. Three are forwards — Maja Lardner, Taylor White, and the aforementioned McKeen — while Mirann Gacioch and Blackburn add defensive depth. Rounding out the group is recently signed Natalie Mitchell in midfield. All six are 23 or younger.
A special, special leader: At the center of Racing’s remarkable success last season was head coach Bev Yanez. Yanez, who is now heading into her third full season at the helm, earned NWSL Coach of the Year honors for spearheading Louisville to a place it’s never been: the playoffs. She became the first American and former NWSL player to capture the award.
Strides away from home: Of all the reasons why Racing broke into the playoff picture last season, its improved road record was arguably the most significant. After not winning more than two games away from home in its first four campaigns, Louisville secured a record five victories on road turf out of 13 games in 2025. Offense keyed those results, with Racing tallying 22 total road goals — a league-high last year.
A fresh face in net: Of all North Carolina’s offseason moves, the most prominent was the addition of Canadian international and 2022 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year Kailen Sheridan. The 30-year-old arrived in January after four seasons with San Diego Wave FC. She made 86 appearances for the SoCal outfit — the most in club history heading into 2025.
A giant absence: Due to the AFC Asian Cup, the Courage will be without Manaka Matsukubo, one of its most threatening attackers Saturday. Matsukubo, a 21-year-old Japanese international, was one of three NWSL players called in to aid in Japan’s pursuit of a third Asian Cup title. The tournament concludes with the final on March 21 in Sydney, Australia. Last year, Matsukubo registered 11 goals and four assists en route to securing the league’s Midfielder of the Year award, a place in the season’s Best XI squad and an MVP nomination.
