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A first half barrage by the host North Carolina Courage overshadowed a moment of brilliance Wednesday from forward Savannah McCaskill in a 3-1 Racing Louisville FC defeat.

But that was hardly the focal point of an evening at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Park.

Racing kicked off as the NWSL returned to play following a weekend pause in the wake of The Athletic’s reporting on allegations of impropriety against Paul Riley, who was fired by the Courage.

“Enough is enough,” said Racing goalkeeper Michelle Betos. “It’s been a hard week for everyone, but this is an accumulation of years. As a league, we’ve decided we need to stand together.”

In the sixth minute — symbolic of the years it took Riley’s actions to come to light — both teams gathered at the center circle and stood in solidarity. Players also declined to discus soccer in their postgame conversations with media, preferring to keep the conversation on creating safer playing environments in the NWSL.

Speaking of her own club — which terminated former coach Christy Holly’s contract for cause on Aug. 31 — McCaskill said, “We were taken into account. (Leadership) wanted to protect us from the get go, and everything that they’ve done since then is to protect us to make sure we have a safe working environment. Anything we need, we’re given.

“…We’ve felt that from upper management since Day 1, really. They’ve provided us with a platform to thrive and given us anything that we could possibly need to perform from a facilities standpoint, nutrition — anything you could ever much think of, we pretty much have it at Racing. We have full support in the club.”

On the pitch, before the early break Racing claimed the game’s first chance when a Lauren Milliet cross found Cheyna Matthews in the box, though the shot flew wide. The Courage took control from there, netting shots in the 14th minute (Lynn Williams), 19th minute (Amy Rodriguez) and 30th minute (Debinha).

Amid that flurry, Racing did manage to pull one back in the 24th minute when Erin Simon recovered possession in North Carolina’s half and found McCaskill just outside the box. The forward sent a soaring shot from distance in to register her second goal of the season.

Life was otherwise difficult for Racing goalkeeper Katie Lund in her NWSL debut. The Women’s Cup hero — she both scored and stopped game-winning penalties in August to help the club win its first trophy — stepped up to number five saves in her first pro start.

In all the NC Courage out-shot Racing, 24-5, and out-passed the visitors, 599-275, in another dominant showing during this series. The Courage won previous meetings with Louisville in shutout fashion May 28 and June 23.

“I’m really proud of the team,” said interim head coach Mario Sanchez. “Obviously North Carolina’s a tremendous team — tremendous talents. I thought we made it interesting for them. I thought we caused them some troubles. I can’t say enough how happy I am for Katie Lund — her first professional start. I thought she has a really, really good game, so I’m tremendously happy for her.

“Overall in the second half, we made some tweaks. North Carolina had the ball, but I thought we defended much better.”

This latest loss to North Carolina knocked Racing to 4-11-5 in its expansion NWSL season. The team is 10 points from sixth place — playoff qualification — with five games to play.

Racing goes straight to Washington next for a 7:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff against the Spirit at Audi Field. Coverage will stream on Paramount+.

Game Summary: NC Courage vs. Racing Louisville FC

Date: Oct. 6, 2021

Venue: Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Park

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Weather: 76 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring

NC Courage (3, 0, 3)

Racing Louisville FC (1, 0, 1)

Goals

NC Courage:

14’ Lynn Williams

19’ Amy Rodriguez (Jessica McDonald)

30’ Debinha

Racing Louisville FC:

24’ Savannah McCaskill

Lineups

NC Courage: 1 — Casey Murphy, 6 — Abby Erceg, 3 — Kaleigh Kurtz, 11 — Merritt Mathias (68’ 13 — Ryan Williams), 4 — Carson Pickett, 34 — Angharad James, 8 — Denis O’Sullivan (76’ 21 — Cari Roccaro), 10 — Debinha (85’ 19 — Havana Solau), 14 — Jessica McDonald (85’ 2 — Taylor Smith), 12 — Amy Rodriguez (76’ 25 — Meredith Speck), 9 — Lynn Williams

Subs not used: 27 — Brittany Ratcliffe, 20 — Lindsay Agnew, 42 — Samantha Leshnak, 7 — Diane Caldwell

Racing Louisville FC: 23 — Katie Lund, 3 — Erin Simon, 15 — Brooke Hendrix (66’ 12 — Sinclaire Miramontez), 18 — Kaleigh Riehl, 16 — Julia Ashley (66’ 14 — Nealy Martin), 11 — Emily Fox, 8 — Freja Olofsson (59’ 19 — Taylor Otto), 7 — Savannah McCaskill, 9 — Ebony Salmon, 2 — Lauren Milliet (82’ 22 — Katie McClure), 20 — Cheyna Matthews (58’ 13 — Emina Ekic)

Subs not used: 1 — Michelle Betos, 17 — Yuki Nagasato, 27 — Vanessa Kara, 33 — Jorian Baucom

Discipline

No cards

Stats Summary: NC Courage / Racing Louisville FC

Shots: 24 / 5

Shots on Goal: 8 / 2

Possession: 69.4% / 30.6%

Corner Kicks: 8 / 3

Fouls: 6 / 4

Offside: 4 / 1

Referee: Alyssa Nichols

Racing Louisville FC’s recently postponed home game against NJ/NY Gotham FC has been rescheduled for Oct. 28, the National Women’s Soccer League announced.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. that Thursday night at Lynn Family Stadium, where all tickets from the originally scheduled date — last Friday — will be honored. Ticket holders who cannot make the new date can fill out this form to receive an account credit.

Five games are left in Racing’s inaugural season beginning with Wednesday’s matchup at the NC Courage. Given the scheduling shift, the ladies in lavender will close with back-to-back meetings against Gotham FC.

Remaining games include:

Wednesday, Oct. 6 at NC Courage (7:30 p.m., Twitch)

Saturday, Oct. 9 at Washington Spirit (7:30 p.m., Paramount+)

Saturday, Oct. 16 vs. Orlando Pride (7:30 p.m., Paramount+)

Thursday, Oct. 28 vs. Gotham FC (7:30 p.m., Paramount+)

Sunday, Oct. 31 at Gotham FC (3 p.m., CBS Sports Network)

Following last weekend’s round of postponed NWSL games, Racing Louisville FC is scheduled to return Wednesday, facing the North Carolina Courage.

The league called off contests in the wake The Athletic’s reporting on improprieties by Paul Riley, who has since been fired from his post as the Courage’s head coach. North Carolina has promoted assistant coach Sean Nahas to guide the club in the interim.

Racing’s inaugural season playoff hopes continue to be razor-thin with the club nine points off sixth place, the postseason cutline, with as many as five games remaining.

Louisville and North Carolina met three times in as many months to start the year, playing once in the Challenge Cup and twice in the regular season. A perennial NWSL power, the Courage won each of those matchups.

North Carolina is led in the attack by international talents including Lynn Williams, Sam Mewis and Jess McDonald of the United States along with Debinha of Brazil. 

Wednesday’s match, set for 7:30 p.m. Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, will stream live on Paramount+.

Interim Coach Mario Sanchez says…

“We just need to be more consistent. When you look at the first 20-25 minutes, it was good. Then, we make a mistake. We have to learn to rebound. Most importantly, the reaction. I think to show our supporters and everyone that we are going to go out and do everything we can to give us the best opportunity to win and that starts with work with and attitude.”

Follow along

For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. Also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.

Watch the match on Paramount+. Internationally, fans can also stream the match on Twitch. 

Notes to know

Winless Streak: Since defeating FC Bayern Munich and hoisting The Women’s Cup on Aug. 21, Racing has struggled to get results, going on a five-game winless streak in NWSL play. Louisville earned its lone point over that span in interim head coach Mario Sanchez’s first game, a 1-1 draw Sept. 4 with OL Reign.

Season-Low Shots: Last time out, in a 4-0 defeat to the Houston Dash on Sept. 26, Racing attempted three shots, its fewest this season. Additionally, the club failed to record a shot on target for the second time this year, with the other instance in a 3-0 loss to Portland Thorns FC on June 5.

Young at Heart: Throughout its debut season, Racing has consistently relied on a number of NWSL rookies, with that plenty apparent last time out. The lineup that opened the second half against the Dash featured eight players under age 25.

Freja Fights: Midfielder Freja Olofsson, a native of Sweden who served as a box-to-box midfielder back home, has taken on more of a holding role for Racing — and she’s excelling. Versus Houston, Olofsson led her squad in successful passes (37), possession gained (13) and tackles (5).

Bet on Betos: Through 19 games this season, Racing’s captain and starting goalkeeper, Michelle Betos, has tallied 93 saves. That puts her 15 saves shy of the NWSL’s regular season record of 108 held by Aubrey Bledsoe and Kailen Sheridan from 2018.

Season-Ending Injuries: Two Racing players have had their campaigns cut short with forward Nadia Nadim (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and defender Addisyn Merrick (fractured ankle) on the mend. Both are eyeing returns to the pitch in 2022.

North Carolina Connections: Five of Racing’s  current players have connections to North Carolina. Both Merrick and midfielder Lauren Milliet played for the Courage before they were selected by Racing during the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. Sinclaire Miramontez was also originally drafted by the Courage. Additionally, Julia Ashley, Emily Fox and Taylor Otto all played collegiately at nearby UNC.

Injury report

• Gemma Bonner – Out
• Addisyn Merrick – Out / SEI
• Nadia Nadim – Out / SEI
• Cece Kizer – Questionable

Milestone watch

Michelle Betos is one shutout away from her 15th NWSL regular season shutout and would be one of seven players to earn that stat. 

Yuki Nagasato is one goal away from her 15th NWSL regular season goal.

Racing Louisville FC’s home game scheduled for Friday night against NJ/NY Gotham FC has been postponed along with all other National Women’s Soccer League fixtures this weekend.

Racing tickets will be honored on the rescheduled date to be announced later. Ticket holders who cannot make the new date can fill out this form to receive an account credit toward attending another Racing game this season or in 2022.

The decision not to play arrived in the wake The Athletic’s reporting on improprieties by Paul Riley, who has since been fired from his post as North Carolina Courage head coach.

“We commend the bravery of those who have shared their stories to help eradicate this reprehensible behavior in the league,” said Racing’s president, Brad Estes. “We joined the NWSL, in part, to empower women in our community. We also see the necessity to raise standards within women’s professional soccer.

“It’s going to take real work and humility to effect the change these athletes deserve. Now more than ever, we are committed to this effort, and we fully support our players.”

Through Racing’s 10 regular season and two Challenge Cup home matches, all but one rival NWSL club has visited Lynn Family Stadium. That changes Friday when the ladies in lavender host NJ/NY Gotham FC — and U.S. international Carli Lloyd — for the first time.

Racing exits Sunday’s defeat to the Houston Dash, with the result creating an uphill climb for the club to become the first NWSL expansion franchise to qualify for the playoffs. It’s now nine points to catch the Washington Spirit in six place, the postseason cut line.

The former Sky Blue FC, Gotham FC is meanwhile aiming for its first trip to the playoffs since 2013. The club is eighth on the table but just one point from Washington with a game in hand.

Gotham FC is in the midst of sending off the legendary Lloyd, a New Jersey native who recently announced her retirement at the season’s end. The two-time FIFA Player of the Year has made more than 300 appearances for the U.S. Women’s national Team while tallying the fourth-most goals and fifth-most assists in its history.

Both prior meetings between Racing and Gotham ended in draws. Lloyd tried a game-high seven shots in the preseason Challenge Cup game that ended 0-0 back in May, while the sides traded goals in a 1-1 tie on Aug. 15.

As the series moves to Louisville, a record attendance is expected for Racing’s first-ever Friday night home game, likely to eclipse the 7,813 that saw the ladies in lavender top FC Bayern Munich last month to win The Women’s Cup.

Here’s more of what to watch for…

Interim Coach Mario Sanchez says…

“We just need to be more consistent. When you look at the first 20-25 minutes, it was good. Then, we make a mistake. We have to learn to rebound. Most importantly, the reaction. I think to show our supporters and everyone that we are going to go out and do everything we can to give us the best opportunity to win and that starts with work with and attitude.

“…Carli Lloyd is world class. It is simple. It is awesome to have players like that represent the league. We need players like that. We need more players to continue to rise up. The presence she has in the media is important to help our sport grow. Nothing but tremendous respect for her as a soccer player, as a human and as a leader. Our players love playing against top players. You want to see where you are at. It is another opportunity for us to show where we are at and some of our individual players, ‘Hey, there is a new cycle coming.’” 

Follow along

For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. Also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.

Watch the match on Twitch with play by play from Joe Malfa and color commentary by Kaylyn Kyle.

Notes to know

Winless streak: Since The Women’s Cup victory on Aug. 21, Racing has struggled to get results, going on a five-game winless streak in league play. Louisville earned its lone point over that span in interim head coach Mario Sanchez’s first game, a 1-1 draw Sept. 4 with OL Reign.

Season-low shots: In Sunday’s 4-0 defeat to the Dash, Racing attempted three shots, the fewest attempts this season. Additionally, the club failed to record a shot on target for the second time this year, with the other instance in a 3-0 loss to Portland Thorns FC on June 5.

Young at heart: Throughout its debut season, Racing has consistently relied on a number of NWSL rookies, with that plenty apparent last time out. The lineup that opened the second half featured eight players under age 25.

In the stands: Racing’s results have been inconsistent this season, but the support hasn’t wavered. The club ranks second in the NWSL behind Portland in average attendance with crowds of more than 6,000 commonplace since Lynn Family Stadium opened to 100% capacity in mid-June.

Freja fights: Midfielder Freja Olofsson, a native of Sweden who served as a box-to-box midfielder back home, has taken on more of a holding role for Racing — and she’s excelling. On Sunday, Olofsson led her squad in successful passes (37), possession gained (13) and tackles (5).

Bet on Betos: Through 19 games this season, Racing’s captain and starting goalkeeper, Michelle Betos, has tallied 93 saves. That puts her 15 saves shy of the NWSL’s regular season record of 108 held by Aubrey Bledsoe and Kailen Sheridan from 2018.

Season-ending injuries: Two Racing players have had their campaigns cut short with forward Nadia Nadim (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and defender Addisyn Merrick (fractured ankle) on the mend. Both are eyeing returns to the pitch in 2022.

Gotham Ties: Defenders Kaleigh Riehl and Erin Simon, selected by Racing in the 2020 expansion draft, played for Sky Blue FC previously, as did forward Savannah McCaskill, who started her pro career in New Jersey as an NWSL Rookie of the Year finalist in 2018. Nadim also called the club home from 2014-2015.

Injury report

• Addisyn Merrick – Out / SEI
• Nadia Nadim – Out / SEI

Milestone watch

Michelle Betos is one shutout away from her 15th NWSL regular season shutout and would be one of seven players to earn that stat. 

Yuki Nagasato is one goal away from her 15th NWSL regular season goal.