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Aiming to bounce back from the club’s first loss, Racing Louisville FC returns home for a 6 p.m. Monday kickoff against the North Carolina Courage at Lynn Family Stadium.

The 2021 NWSL expansion side followed up a 2-2 draw April 10 with the Orlando Pride by playing the Washington Spirit to a 1-0 defeat on April 15. A matchup with North Carolina marks the first of two remaining group stage games within the Challenge Cup, a preseason tournament.

In that respect, Racing’s in need of a victory to keep pace with its peers, mainly NJ/NY Gotham FC, which has accumulated six points thanks to a 2-0 start to the Challenge Cup.

The Courage were most recently beaten by Gotham FC in a wild, 4-3 away game. North Carolina is a perennial NWSL power having won the league title in 2018 and 2019, the last two years consisting of a full regular season pre-pandemic.

Since Racing’s first home game, played in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,300 fans at Lynn Family Stadium, state restrictions on outdoor events have eased. Up to 50% capacity will be allowed Monday in a venue that can accommodate 15,304.

Coach Christy Holly says…

“I think these games are coming to us at a very good time where we wanted to experiment with various partnerships and tactics on the field. You look at North Carolina and they are probably the best club in NWSL history. They are probably going to give us some unique challenges. They will be very motivated coming on the back of their performance Tuesday night. I think they will be a real threat to us. That is something that we do not fear. We respect it but we don’t fear it. I think that if we put ourselves in these competitive games and showcase what we can and can’t do it will be very beneficial for us.”

“I think some of the things that I can take away from it. We want to make every game competitive. We want to be involved in every single game. We are not looking to scurry and hide. We want to show up and try to make an impact very quickly.” 

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.

Stream the match on Paramount+ and internationally on Twitch with play by play from Mike Watts and color commentary by Kalyn Kyle.

Notes to know

Opposition Preview: Since relocating from New York to North Carolina in 2017, the Courage franchise has become the most decorated club in the NWSL, winning three straight shields from 2017-2019 to go with its playoff titles.

But North Carolina has questions to answer having lost multiple standout performers over the past year, namely U.S. internationals Sam Mewis and Abby Dahlkemper who both joined Manchester City in England and Crystal Dunn, who signed this past offseason with the Portland Thorns.

Still, the Courage are loaded with attacking options, namely World Cup winner Jessica McDonald, U.S. Women’s National Team member Lynn Williams and Debinha, a Brazilian standout who recently surpassed 100 caps representing her country.

The Courage are 1-1 in Challenge Cup play having defeated Washington by a 2-1 score in their opener.

The Challenge Cup: This tournament — first held last season when the NWSL returned to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic — gives Racing four games to tune-up for the regular season starting mid-May. Orlando, the Washington Spirit, North Carolina Courage and NJ/NY Gotham FC make up the rest of the East Division, with the top points earner to play the winner of the West Division including the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, Kansas City, OL Reign and Portland Thorns FC for a trophy.

Sellout Crowd: Racing played to 5,300 fans in its inaugural game, with all seats sold out at a limited stadium capacity. Since then, state regulations have bumped the maximum Lynn Family Stadium crowd to 50% of the 15,304-capacity venue. Fans will continue to follow stadium operator ASM Global’s Venue Shield safety protocols, which make donning a mask/face covering mandatory at all times except when actively eating and drinking.

International Window: Monday’s match against the Courage will provide a new challenge for Racing after its previous two occurred during a FIFA international window. Orlando was missing forward Alex Morgan, while Washington was short defenders Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnett. It’s expected North Carolina will be at full strength Monday with its international star power in what’s considered the world’s top women’s soccer league.

North Carolina Connections: Five of Racing’s 22 rostered players have connections to North Carolina. Both defender Addisyn Merrick and midfielder Lauren Milliet played for the Courage before they were selected by Racing during the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. Additionally, Julia Ashley, Emily Fox and Taylor Otto all played collegiately about 20 miles up the road at the University of North Carolina.

League Debutantes: Racing’s players on an especially young roster continue to make NWSL debuts. Last time out against Washington, midfielder Taylor Otto came on in the 78th minute to mark her first minutes as a pro. In the 89th minute, forward Vanessa Kara joined her. Four other Racing Louisville players — goalkeepers Shelby Money and Katie Lund; defender Julia Ashley; and midfielder Noelle Higginson — are awaiting their NWSL debuts.

Managerial Matchup: Racing coach Christy Holly has faced off against Courage head coach Paul Riley four times. During those meetings, Holly posted a 1-3 record against Riley while leading Sky Blue FC, now known as NJ/NY Gotham FC. Two of the defeats came prior to the Courage relocating from Buffalo, New York, as the Western New York Flash to their current base in Cary, North Carolina.

Late Trends: Racing has both scored and conceded in the dying minutes of its first two games, allowing goals in the 44th and 88th minutes against Orlando before a 93rd-minute game winner was allowed at Washington. But also against Orlando, Brooke Hendrix scored a 93rd-minute goal of Racing’s own to equalize and help the club pick up its first point.

New Arrival: After giving birth to her second child in December, forward Cheyna Matthews has already started training in Louisville. Matthews, whose playing rights were acquired last fall as part of the Re-Entry Wire, has signed and is working her way back into playing shape. The Florida State grad has gone through this process once before, returning from her first child’s birth months later to represent Jamaica for the 2019 World Cup. 

Reinforcements Coming: Racing Louisville and Manchester City last week announced the transfer of English international defender Gemma Bonner to the NWSL following a decade playing in her home country, where she has won both league and FA cups. Bonner will arrive upon obtaining her visa, and when speaking about Bonner’s signing, Holly teased more potential player additions on their way.

Injury report

• Addisyn Merrick – Out
• Lauren Milliet – Questionable
• Freja Olofsson – Questionable
• Savannah McCaskill – Questionable

• Katie McClure – Questionable

Milestone watch

• Michelle Betos is one appearance from making her 50th in NWSL regular season play.
   
• Savannah McCaskill is two goals away from her 10th across all NWSL competitions.
   
• Yuki Nagasato is two goals away from her 15th goal across all NWSL competitions.
   
• Erin Simon is two appearances away from her 60th as a professional.

Racing Louisville FC has agreed to a transfer with renowned English club Manchester City clearing the way for defender Gemma Bonner to sign with Louisville, the clubs announced Friday.

Bonner inked a two-year contract with an option for a third year to play for the National Women’s Soccer League expansion side, which launched earlier this month in the NWSL’s Challenge Cup tournament. She will move to the United States upon obtaining a visa.

A 29-year-old from Leeds, England, Bonner adds more than a decade of professional club experience to Racing’s inaugural roster as well as international caps from the U-17 through senior team levels.

“We are exceptionally proud to welcome Gemma to our club and city,” said Racing’s head coach, Christy Holly. “Gemma brings with her a wealth of experience and a hunger to further her career at the highest level. Not only does she match the caliber of player that we seek to recruit here, but she also aligns with our club’s values.”

The center back Bonner has played the balance of her career in England. Highlights include winning the league cup in 2010 with hometown side Leeds United, an FA Cup Final appearance in 2012 with Chelsea and becoming the only player to captain her club to consecutive Women’s Super League titles with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014.

Since 2018, Bonner has played for Manchester City, which has finished second in the WSL in each of her seasons there and won the FA Cup in both 2019 and 2020. Along with living up to her reputation as a versatile defender comfortable in possession, Bonner tallied 10 goals and 3 assists in sky blue.

On the International level, Bonner was part of a U-19 team that won England the European Championship. She made her senior team debut in 2013, with her most recent call up for the 2019 SheBelieves Cup also won by England.

“I am really excited to be joining Racing Louisville,” Bonner said. “I’m hugely impressed by the vision that club has, the top-class professionalism and the personal attention to detail of the coaches. I am so excited about what I have seen of the city, the people, the investment in stadium and the whole setup, which has left me in no doubt that this is where I want to be playing. I just can’t wait to get there.”

Racing Louisville continues Challenge Cup play at 6 p.m. Monday when hosting the North Carolina Courage at Lynn Family Stadium, then finishes group stage play May 2 at NJ/NY Gotham FC. The NWSL’s 24-game regular season starts in mid-May.

Racing Louisville FC has joined Gov. Andy Beshear’s Team Kentucky Vaccination Challenge aimed at getting 2.5 million Kentuckians administered a COVID-19 vaccine, leading to a lift of most capacity restrictions around the state.

A vaccination site will be run Monday at Lynn Family Stadium by Lexington-based Wild Health in conjunction with Racing’s game against the North Carolina Courage. Wild Health has set up 25 similar vaccine sites across the state; however, this is its first sporting event pop-up to date.

Fans who sign up to receive a vaccine dose at the game receive free admission. Those who get vaccinated at Lynn Family Stadium but already have a ticket will be given a voucher to attend a future game free of charge.

Racing kicks off at 6 p.m. against North Carolina in just its second-ever home game. The vaccine appointments are available from 5-8 p.m. at kyvax.com.

“We received a call from Gov. Beshear’s office last week asking us to consider sporting events as new venues to vaccinate,” said Dr. Luke Murray, director of COVID for Wild Health. “He felt Racing Louisville FC would be a good place to start and a great partner, and he was right on both accounts.”

Nearly 1.7 million Kentuckians have thus far received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose, according to the governor’s office

“We are proud play a role in helping get 2.5 million Kentuckians vaccinated,” said Racing Louisville FC’s president, Brad Estes. “Reaching that goal is meaningful most importantly for our health and wellness, but also in opening up venues like Lynn Family Stadium. We can’t wait to welcome a full house for the first time, hopefully soon.”

In March, Wild Health was awarded a contract by the state and asked by Kentucky’s Commissioner of the Department for Public Health, Dr. Steve Stack, to “get shots in arms” at as many locations as possible. Racing Louisville put all the logistical steps in place to make that happen at Lynn Family Stadium within a week of first contact.

An expansion club in the NWSL, the world’s top women’s soccer league, Racing continues play next week as part of the Challenge Cup tournament preceding its inaugural regular season starting on or around May 15.

In its previous home game, the club equalized in stoppage time to register a thrilling, 2-2 draw April 10 with the Orlando Pride. Racing is in pursuit of its first victory Monday against the Courage, a historically strong NWSL side that features U.S. Women’s National teamers Lynn Williams and Jessica McDonald.

As Racing Louisville FC resumed training this week, it did so with a new member of the squad on hand.

Cheyna Matthews, who gave birth to her second child in December, returned to the pitch Tuesday as the 2021 NWSL expansion side continues its run through the Challenge Cup.

“I came in at a good time,” said Matthews, a forward, who joins after a draw with the Orlando Pride and loss to Washington Spirit. “The girls were rested after a long preseason. They had the first couple of days off that they had in a while, so I just snuck right in. I was able to get two good sessions coming back in and having everyone be fresh and seeing where I am.”

The Lynn, Mass, native’s NWSL playing rights came to Racing through the Re-Entry Wire last fall. Previously, Mathews had played the entirety of her professional career fo the Washington Spirit, for which she numbered 11 goals and 4 assists across 55 appearances.

Additionally, Matthews represented Jamaica in the 2019 World Cup, making a pair of starts just months after having her first child.

“We are delighted with Cheyna,” said head coach Christy Holly. “We know that she has put in a lot of work since having her second child. It is paying off very clearly in the early days of training. I think when we get a little more sharpness on her, she will be very impactful on the field.”

Matthews, who collegiately won a national title with Florida State, adds a proven attacking option to an exceptionally young Racing roster.

“A lot of people in the NWSL probably already know her,” Holly said. “She is quick. She is a tireless worker. She gives us that extra threat in behind. In the early days of training with us, I have been very impressed by her finishing and her clinical nature in front of goal.”

Off the field, Matthews’ energetic personality has allowed her to quickly work into a group that has been training since Feb. 2.

“The first thing I noticed was that we need a speaker in the locker room,” Matthews joked. “I said that I may have to take on the DJ role.”

While there’s no set timeline for Matthews to make her way into the lineup, Holly said she reported to training further ahead than anticipated.

“I told her that there is no pressure coming from our end,” the coach said. “We want to be very respectful of the layoff that she has had. But I have been pleasantly surprised, and I think she will be on the field and contributing sooner than I initially anticipated.”

“I keep reminding myself to be patient,” Matthews added. “It is nice to feel good, but then when fatigue starts coming in you want to watch for injuries being this new and this fresh.”

Racing returns to action at 6 p.m. Monday, hosting the North Carolina Courage at Lynn Family Stadium, before Challenge Cup group play concludes May 2 at NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Minutes after Racing Louisville FC gave up a 93rd-minute game winner Thursday night against the Washington Spirit, forward Savannah McCaskill was asked to describe her team’s overall mood.

“I think the vibe in the locker room’s really good,” said McCaskill, Racing’s vice captain.

Despite a defeat, the club had followed up a 2-2 draw with the Orlando Pride in their debut by nearly earning another point against Washington.

“We’re resilient. We’re hungry,” McCaskill added. “We want to show that we’re not going to be another expansion team that (says), ‘It’s our first year in the league. We’ll always be kind of thin.’

“We want to really come in and show that we’re here to compete. We’re here to win games. Of course that’s going to come with some hard moments as well, but everyone’s willing to put in the hard work and continue to grow from these experiences.”

Racing’s roster skews young with McCaskill, all of 24 years old, among its leaders alongside of captain and veteran goalkeeper Michelle Betos.

With its roster assembled mostly through expansion and college drafts, a number of Racing regulars are going through their first experiences starting NWSL games or, in the case of Taylor Otto and Vanessa Kara in Thursday night’s contest, making their pro debuts.

So there is obvious learning to do, especially given Orlando put Racing down a goal late before the club pulled out an equalizer. There wasn’t time to recover after conceding in Washington.

“We have to figure out how to put together a solid performance,” McCaskill said. “I think that we learned (Thursday) that our not-so-best effort in 90 minutes isn’t good enough in this league to come out with a win or a draw.

“…It is important going into our regular season games, especially in this league, we are going to have some tough games. We are going to have some close games. We have to find a way to stick together and somehow come out with points.”

Racing had its bright moments Saturday, particularly in the first half. Freja Olofsson touched a ball over the bar on a fifth-minute corner kick, and an on-target shot from Emina Ekic in the 21st minute required a nice save from the Spirit’s goalkeeper.

However, Washington controlled most of the second half, out-shooting Racing 13-4 on its way to a game-winning goal, when Tori Huster put a ball through to Trinity Rodman, who crossed to Ashley Sanchez for a one-touch finish.

“I think that it is a learning moment,” McCaskill said. “We have to be crisp in our passes. We have to be willing to work for 90 minutes. When the going gets hard and we are not clicking on offense, we have to dig in. We have to win those tough situations and win those hard-fought games.”

Racing had five days between Game 1 and 2. This time, there’s more than a week to rest, recover and continue the learning process before its final two games in the NWSL’s Challenge Cup tournament. Louisville hosts North Carolina Courage on April 26 before finishing group stage play against NJ/NY Gotham FC on May 2.

Continuing to build roots in the community, Louisville City FC, Racing Louisville FC and their respective youth academies are set to host Special Olympics Kentucky’s SOKY Regional Soccer Tournament on Sunday at their new training facility.

Members of the LouCity/Racing back office have been encouraged to volunteer at the event, which has already attracted a full field of teams competing over state-of-the-art turf fields at Champions Park.

“I want to emphasize how truly thankful we are for this relationship,” said Special Olympics Kentucky’s director of sports and competition, Hunter Brislin. “For our athletes, having the chance to get out there and compete on the same surfaces and playing fields that these professionals get to use daily is an incredible feat.

“Due to COVID-19, a lot of these athletes have not seen their friends or fellow athletes for a long time. This event is more important now than ever.”

Sunday’s regional tournament is the first of two taking place this spring. They serve as qualifiers for the state tournament in June.

Teams are placed in divisions based on ability level and will play a 7v7, double-elimination format. While each team will be awarded a medal based on how they finish within their divisions, the emphasis is on a SOKY motto for its athletes: Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.

“Being able to play home this event only further builds upon our already established relationship,” said Kristen Wallace, the pro clubs’ executive youth director. “The LouCity/Racing Louisville Academy was able to partner with SOKY in the fall of 2020 to start our TOPSoccer program to make the beautiful game available to another group of people.”

The clubs’ new training facility — also home to a burgeoning youth academy program — has been built as a community asset.

“I only see us doing bigger and better things for sure,” Brislin said. “We all want to be involved from a unified standpoint. It is all the beginning.”

Racing Louisville FC wound up on the wrong end of a stoppage time goal Thursday night in a 1-0 defeat to the Washington Spirit at Audi Field.

In behind the visiting defense, the Spirit’s Trinity Rodman crossed to teammate Ashley Sanchez for the 93rd-minute game-winner. While Racing goalkeeper Michelle Betos managed a hand on the shot, she couldn’t completely stop momentum of the game’s only attempt to hit the back of the net.

This result followed a 2-2 draw for Louisville last Saturday against the Orlando Pride in its debut, when Racing used a 93rd-minute goal of its own to equalize.

“I’m obviously exceptionally disappointed,” said head coach Christy Holly. “You can’t afford to give away goals at the end of the game in the NWSL. If you continue to give teams opportunities, at the end of the game they are going to punish you. It’s a tough learning lesson for the team. We’ll take it on board and try to move forward.”

These preseason games — along with upcoming matchups with the North Carolina Courage (April 26) and NJ/NY Gotham FC (May 2) — are being played as part of the Challenge Cup tournament. Division winners advance to a May 8 final preceding the 24-game regular season.

“I think there’s always room for improvement,” said midfielder Lauren MIlliet. “With Orlando, we took a couple of things, worked on some stuff in training although it was a short week and tried to implement them in this game. I think the same thing.

“We are a new team, and there’s all this chemistry that’s been building so I think each game is an opportunity for us to learn and grow. I think that’s what we’re trying to take from each game. Yes, the loss is disappointing, especially in stoppage time, but we can always learn from it.”

Before conceding late, Racing had opened on the front foot Thursday, playing Washington even in a first half where Louisville native Emina Ekic took the best chance. She solo dribbled past a pair of defenders and rocketed a shot off her left foot in the 21st minute the Spirit’s goalkeeper turned away.

Out of the locker room, Racing’s Cece Kizer played Yuki Nagasato in for a one-on-one chance with the opposing keeper as well. The 49th-minute try slipped just wide right.

Another near miss from Racing came in the 85th minute when Katie McClure was taken down in the box, though it didn’t yield a penalty. And into stoppage time, Savannah McCaskill got a toe on a point-blank try that was also fended off.

In the end, Washington keeper Aubrey Bledsoe numbered four saves in securing a clean sheet as the Spirit’s offense kicked in while gearing up to its goal. The hosts, meanwhile, out-shot Racing 14-4 in the second half with Rodman, the 2021 NWSL Draft’s No. 2 overall pick, moved to a central striking position.

“I thought our first five, 10 minutes we put them on the back foot,” McCaskill said. “In any game if you can score first and score early I think that kind of sets the tempo of the game and helps you get ahead of it. As that half wore on, we let them come back into the game a bit. We weren’t crisp. We have some things to work on.

“Obviously we would’ve loved to score early and we had a couple more chances throughout the half and even a couple in the second half. I think we need to do a better job of finding the back of the net, but at the end of the day this is a learning moment for us. This is only our second game as a team and there’s a lot to learn from this so we need to continue getting better going into the next game.”

Whereas Racing faced a five-day turnaround to its second game, the club has more than a week before returning to play within Lynn Family Stadium, where 5,300 fans turned out to watch the club’s debut game. For tickets, visit www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/Challenge-Cup.

Game Summary: Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville

Venue: Audi Field

Kickoff: 7:07

Weather: 58 degrees, partly cloudy

Attendance: Closed

Scoring

Washington Spirit (0, 1, 1)

Racing Louisville (0, 0, 0)

Goals

Washington Spirit: Ashley Sanchez (Trinity Rodman assist) 90’+

Stats Summary: Washington / Racing

Shots: 19 / 8

Shots on Goal: 7 / 4

Fouls: 12 / 13

Offside: 2 / 2

Corner Kicks: 1 / 3

Saves: 4 / 6

Lineups

Washington Spirit: 1 – Aubrey Bledsoe, 2 – Trinity Rodman (21 – Anna Heilferty 90’+), 4 – Natalie Jacobs, 7 – Saori Takarada, 9 – Tegan McGrady, 10 – Ashley Sanchez, 14 – Page Nielsen, 19 – Julia Roddar (30 – Camryn Biegalski 75’), 21 – Dorian Bailey, 23 – Tori Huster, 33 – Ashley Hatch (17 – Kumi Yokoyama 81’)

Subs not used: 3 – Sam Staab, 18 – Devon Kerr, 20 – Mariana Speckmaier, 24 – Chinyelu Asher

Racing Louisville: 1 – Michelle Betos, 11 – Emily Fox, 14 – Nealy Martin, 15 – Brooke Hendrix, 3 – Erin Simon, 2 – Lauren Milliet, 8 – Freja Olofsson (19 – Taylor Otto 77’), 7 – Savannah McCaskill, 13 – Emina Ekic (22 – Katie McClure 71’), 5 – Cece Kizer (27 – Vanessa Kara 89’), 17 – Yuki Nagasato

Subs not used: 21 – Shelby Money, 16 – Julia Ashley, 18 – Kaleigh Riehl, 24 – Nicole Higginson

Discipline Summary

Racing: Freja Olofsson (yellow) 52’

Washington: Julia Roddar (yellow) 60’

Washington: Tori Huster (yellow) 79’

Officials

Referee: Danielle Chesky

Assistant Referees: Ben Pilgrim, Nicholas Seymour

Fourth Official: Scarlet Keane