News

Racing Louisville FC is set for a home-and-home series of sorts against NJ/NY Gotham FC to conclude its inaugural regular season as the teams meet Thursday in Louisville and Sunday in Harrison, N.J.

The scheduling quirk is the result of an original Oct. 1 meeting between the two at Lynn Family being postponed. As a result, Gotham FC’s first visit to Louisville was pushed back to this week, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium.

Additionally, Thursday night’s game will represent the first and only time U.S. Soccer legend Carli Lloyd plays at Lynn Family Stadium. The Gotham FC striker announced her impending retirement earlier this year.

Racing and Gotham have met twice before, playing to a scoreless draw during the preseason Challenge Cup before a 1-1 tie Aug. 15 — both in New Jersey.

The ladies in lavender enter this latest matchup with some momentum. Before the NWSL’s international break, they defeated the Orlando Pride by a 3-1 score in front of a club-record 8,488 fans.

Gotham FC, meanwhile, continues to play in hopes of guaranteeing a berth in the NWSL playoffs.

Here’s more of what to watch for Thursday…

Interim Coach Mario Sanchez says…

“I have been talking about how fun they are to coach and how hardworking they are. For them to get to the reward for their performance, I am so happy for them,” Sanchez said of the Orlando win. “Everyone knows how much they have been through, the league has been through. Most importantly, the work that they put in. Not only was it a win, but the performance was spectacular. I thought how we bounced back after giving up the goal was fantastic. I am proud of them.”

“I think Katie Lund’s resiliency has been great,” Sanchez added, with Lund tabbed to start again in goal Thursday. “She has continued to learn and develop. Michelle Betos has been fantastic in helping her develop. I think they are different goalkeepers. We are super lucky to have both. I think one thing that Katie continues to bring is a different type of presence. I think as a club we are very fortunate to have two fantastic goalkeepers. “

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 Josh Tolle and color commentary by Kaylyn Kyle. 

Notes to know

New side’s success: With a 5-12-5 record, Racing has already set a new mark for points earned by an NWSL expansion side at 20. Next, the club could hit another record. With a win in either remaining game, Louisville could eke ahead of the Orlando Pride’s 0.95 points-per-game record from its expansion season.

A curse broken: After Racing lifted The Women’s Cup trophy back in August, it was until the Oct. 16 win over Orlando that the club won again, going seven games without a victory. Over that span, Louisville transitioned to interim coach Mario Sanchez, who did manage a point earned in his first game at the helm Sept. 4 versus OL Reign.

International duty: Five players on Racing’s roster return Thursday from recently representing their countries. They include defender Emily Fox (United States) and midfielder Freja Olofsson (Sweden U-23) along with forwards Vanessa Kara (Dominican Republic), Cheyna Matthews (Jamaica) and Ebony Salmon (England U-23).

Comeback kids: The Orlando win marked a first for Racing, which conceded a goal in just the third minute but rallied to win a game for the first time. The club always moved ahead first in prior league victories, with four games won by a combined score of 9-1.

Attendance climbs: With 8,488 on hand for the Orlando win, Racing boosted its season average for attendance to 6,594, which ranks second-best in the 10-team NWSL. Another 8,000-plus crowd is possible Thursday.

 Unstoppable Salmon: Racing’s leading scorer, Salmon was instrumental in the club’s victory over the Pride. During first half stoppage time, she fired in a long-range shot to equalize before the break — her sixth of the season. Then, in the second half, Salmon provided two assists to boost her season total to three.

McClure converts: Forward Katie McClure, who during The Women’s Cup drilled a game-winning penalty kick, scored her first professional goal during the run of play against Orlando, finishing a back heel pass from Salmon by slotting a shot in near the far post. As with the penalty, it went down as the game winner.

Captain Nagasato: With captain Michelle Betos on the bench and vice-captain Savannah McCaskill out on yellow card accumulation, Yuki Nagasato was given the armband against Orlando. The veteran forward scored the last of three Racing goals and tallied her second assist on the season. 

Lund’s first win: Making her second NWSL start, goalkeeper Katie Lund earned her first professional win against the Pride. En route to this victory, the goalkeeper tallied two saves and a claim on the night. Lund, who as with McClure was selected from the Washington Spirit in the 2020 expansion draft, made her pro debut in The Women’s Cup final.

Injury report

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

Milestone watch

Lauren Milliet is one appearance away from her 25th NWSL regular season appearance. 

Yuki Nagasato is one appearance away from her 70th NWSL regular season appearance. 

In a first-of-its-kind agreement for a National Women’s Soccer League club, Racing Louisville FC has partnered with Kentucky Fertility Institute to provide players a modern health benefit.

Kentucky Fertility Institute will begin offering complimentary fertility preservation services including egg freezing, embryo freezing and long-term storage. The partnership gives Racing’s players the flexibility to start a family with minimal interruption to careers on the pitch, either via surrogacy or personal use upon retirement.

“From Day 1, Racing Louisville has been about raising the bar in women’s soccer,” said club president Brad Estes. “From facilities to nutrition to general day-to-day support, we are committed to giving these athletes everything they need to succeed and enjoy life. We are very proud to announce this groundbreaking partnership with Kentucky Fertility Institute.”

“Women’s professional athletes have long been burdened with an excruciating choice of continuing their finite careers or taking time off — sometimes retiring — to start a family,” added Brynn Sebring, the club’s director of player experience. “With the Kentucky Fertility Institute’s help, Racing Louisville has effectively eliminated the financial burden of an alternate solution, allowing our athletes a choice few other players have.”

This deal was struck as issues of reproductive health and family planning take on increased visibility in women’s sports. The WNBA, for example, has built into its collective bargaining agreement reimbursement for veteran players toward adoption, surrogacy, egg freezing or fertility treatment.

While egg freezing requires an athlete to go at least two weeks without training, the process can be completed during the offseason. Racing’s agreement also covers cryo-storage fees for players who use preservation services but are later out of contract with the club.

“Professional athletes shouldn’t have to choose between their careers and their plans for a family,“ said Dr. Robert Hunter, who founded and directs Kentucky Fertility Institute, based in Louisville’s East End. “We know this is a priority for Racing’s players and appreciate the club’s support in making these services accessible.”

Hunter maintains a goal of making sure medical care and experience provided to Kentucky Fertility Institute patients is unparalleled in the region. His clinical approach is compassionate, open-minded, and patient-centered—as he believes every patient’s journey to parenthood is unique.

An agreement with Kentucky Fertility Institute continues a trend of heightened player experience for NWSL athletes in Louisville. Racing calls home the new Lynn Family Stadium — which will on Nov. 20 host the NWSL Championship — and bases daily at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, a $15 million facility housing locker room spaces, a weight room, cafeteria as well as the club’s office staff and youth academy.

Racing’s inaugural campaign concludes this week with consecutive games against NJ/NY Gotham FC. The ladies in lavender host Gotham FC — and its star U.S. international, Carli Lloyd — at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The regular season ends Sunday with Racing at Gotham FC for a 3 p.m. kickoff on CBS Sports Network.

The financial savings website WalletHub ranked Louisville as the United States’ 15th-best soccer city as part of a newly released study into the world’s most popular sport.

That positions the city — home to the USL Championship’s Louisville City FC and NWSL’s Racing Louisville FC — as the No. 2-ranked market without a Major League Soccer franchise, ahead of nearby peers Cincinnati (16th), Nashville (17th) and Indianapolis (25th).

Louisville, of course, is home to the new Lynn Family Stadium and has seen LouCity rise to quick prominence with back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. It’s also an emerging market for women’s professional soccer recently selected to host the Nov. 20 NWSL Championship game.

“I think anybody who comes here and sees what we’re doing as an organization or experiences a game at Lynn Family Stadium, whether be it with Racing Louisville City, can tell there’s something special here,” LouCity coach Danny Cruz said of the ranking.

“…It’s flattering, but at the same time I’d be lying to you if I said I was surprised. We’re doing the right things here in Louisville from ownership down to the players. That’s something I think everybody here should be proud of, because it’s built with regard to the community.”

WalletHub compared nearly 300 U.S. cities with at least one professional or college soccer team, reaching conclusions by gauging 52 key metrics, such as ticket prices and success on the pitch.

Because of LouCity’s success, Louisville ranked No. 1 by WalletHub as far as USL Championship markets. The boys in purple also play to the league’s largest crowds, averaging 10,034 at home games in 2021.

With Racing in just its first year as an expansion team, Louisville didn’t get the full weight of NWSL points from WalletHub. Cary, N.C., home to the NC Courage, as a result came in as the 10th-best soccer city overall and best without MLS. The Courage won three straight shields from 2017-2019 and consecutive playoff titles in 2018 and 2019.

Racing, however, continues to draw larger crowds as its inaugural season closes, including a club-record 8,488 for last Saturday’s win over the Orlando Pride.

“You look at the attendance we had the other night — we’re already beating some of the more established clubs,” said Racing goalkeeper Katie Lund, “and that says a lot about the people in Louisville supporting us. Even in a year of ups and downs, it’s great to see so many people coming out. The numbers just keep growing.”

Louisville is also home to four men’s and women’s college soccer programs that boosted the city’s score with the University of Louisville and Bellarmine University both at the Division I level.

WalletHub’s best soccer cities in America:

1. Los Angeles
2. Seattle
3. Salt Lake City
4. Portland
5. Orlando
6. Kansas City
7. Atlanta
8. Washington, D.C.
9. New York
10. Cary, N.C.
11. Miami
12. Houston
13. Columbus, Ohio
14. Chicago
15. Louisville

A record crowd showed up to Lynn Family Stadium for Saturday night’s Racing Louisville FC game. And the way the ladies in lavender performed, they’re likely to come back.

Racing recovered from an early goal conceded to knock off the visiting Orlando Pride by a 3-1 score behind one-goal, two-assist evening from forward Ebony Salmon.

The performance was much to the delight of 8,488 on hand despite Racing having already been eliminated from NWSL playoff eligibility. A victory over Orlando in turn also knocked the Pride out from the postseason.

The result marked Racing’s first win across all competitions since players raised The Women’s Cup having defeated FC Bayern Munich back on Aug. 21.

“So happy for this team and these players,” said interim head coach Mario Sanchez. “This is all about them and for what they’ve been through, I couldn’t be happier for them. They’ve stuck with it. They’ve grown. They continue to get better, and they deserve it.

“I keep telling everybody about the character of this team, and sometimes results don’t show that. Tonight, we absolutely saw what these ladies were all about and what this team was all about. I’m so so happy for them.”

U.S. Women’s National Team star Alex Morgan started the night on a down note for the host side when she played a weighted ball through to Jodie Taylor, who converted in just the third minute to give the Pride a lead.

But Racing settled in from there, ultimately out-shooting their opponent 13-10 while trying seven of those from inside the box. It was a try from distance as Salmon pulled on the final kick of the first half that equalized.

“In training we are constantly talking about getting through moments in games,” Sanchez said. “Something clicked in them, and I think they just realized to just go out and do our thing. After the first 10 to 15 minutes, we played some fantastic soccer. To get the reward for the goals and the win because we played some really good soccer today.

“You can see the quality come out, but again I’ve told everyone that this team is made up of a lot of character. They’ve been through a lot, and nobody is ever going to know what they’ve been through, but they showed that they are winners. It’s awesome for them to get the reward tonight in front of this amazing crowd.”

Racing went on the front foot out of the locker room, taking its first lead in the 52nd minute. A flicked-on pass through from Salmon landed to forward Katie McClure, who delivered her first professional goal.

Wearing Racing’s captain’s armband for the first time, forward Yuki Nagasato got in on the fun in the 78th minute on — yes — another goal contribution for Salmon, whose lengthy cross landed at the back post for another goal.

Nagasato finished her chance as Salmon upped her season stats to a team-high six goals and three assists.

Racing got its first league victory since Aug. 8 with its primary captain, Michelle Betos, sidelined in favor of goalkeeper Katie Lund and vice captain Savannah McCaskill out on yellow card accumulation.

In the bigger picture, Racing also ensured it will end its season with more points earned than the two prior NWSL expansion teams before it. The ladies in lavender improved to 5-12-5 while to sit on 20 points, more than the 2014 Houston Dash (18) in and 2016 Orlando Pride (19).

Players, amid continued negotiations between the league and Players Association for better working conditions in the league, continued to take only non-soccer questions in postgame interviews.

“This is just a time of change,” said defender Addisyn Merrick. “Our league deserves better, and that’s what we’re working towards — bettering everything, protecting our players more and taking things more seriously. Having the conversations that need to be had even if it’s uncomfortable: We are starting to have those. That’s just the beginning of it and pushing toward change is to continue having these talks and educate people on things that are and aren’t OK. Overall, transparency throughout the league would be really good for us.”

“The biggest thing that I’ve noticed so far that has been super positive is the transparency,” said forward Cheyna Matthews. “The conversations that are happening I haven’t experienced before. Even our president sits down and talk with us just really wanting to know how they can even make things better for us as players. It’s just been an outpouring of transparency and just receptiveness to what we’re saying and the things that we would like to see different. It seems like there’s a fluid piece of communication now and that was lacking before.”

Game Summary: Racing Louisville FC vs. Orlando Pride

Date: Oct. 16, 2021

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Weather: 61 degrees, partly cloudy

Player of the Match: Ebony Salmon

Attendance: 8,488

Scoring

Racing Louisville FC (1, 2, 3)

Orlando Pride (1, 0, 1)

Goals

Racing Louisville FC:

45+1’ Ebony Salmon (Yuki Nagasato)

52’ Katie McClure (Ebony Salmon)

77’ Yuki Nagasato (Ebony Salmon)

Orlando Pride:

9’ Jodie Taylor (Alex Morgan)

Lineups

Racing Louisville FC: 23-Katie Lund, 19-Taylor Otto, 18-Kaleigh Riehl, 14-Nealy Martin, 16-Julia Ashley (83’ 12-Sinclaire Miramontez), 17-Yuki Nagasato (89’ 13-Emina Ekic), 11-Emily Fox, 2-Lauren Milliet (83’ 20-Cheyna Matthews), 22-Katie McClure (70’ 8-Freja Olofsson), 5-Cece Kizer, 9-Ebony Salmon (89’ 33-Jorian Baucom)

Subs not used: 1-Michelle Betos, 27-Vanessa Kara, 3-Erin Simon, 15-Brooke Hendrix

Head Coach: Mario Sanchez

Orlando Pride: 1-Erin McLeod, 17-Courtney Petersen, 11-Ali Krieger, 4-Amy Turner, 7-Ali Riley (75’ 5-Emily Van Egmond), 8-Gunny Jonsdottir (59’ 22-Taylor Kornieck), 14-Marisa Viggiano (59’ 15-Erika Tymrak), 10-Marta Vieira da Silva, 9-Jodie Taylor (65’ 3-Toni Pressley), 2-Sydney Leroux, 13-Alex Morgan

Subs not used: 18-Kaylie Collins, 12-Carrie Lawrence, 23-Kylie Strom, 28-Meggie Dougherty Howard, 21-Phoebe McClernon

Head Coach: Becky Burleigh

Stats Summary: Racing / Pride

Shots: 13 / 10

Shots on Goal: 6 / 3

Possession: 42.3% / 57.7%

Corner Kicks: 5 / 0

Fouls: 9 / 4

Offside: 3 / 1

Discipline

Orlando Pride

16’ Jodie Taylor (yellow card)

Referee: Matthew Franz

Racing Louisville FC and the Orlando Pride will get their Lynn Family Stadium encore Saturday in the first meeting here since a dramatic preseason, Challenge Cup meeting.

Back on April 10, in what was Racing’s first-ever game, the sides finished in a 2-2 draw thanks to Louisville defender Brooke Hendrix’s goal late into stoppage time. Since then, Racing and the Pride had faced off twice in Orlando, playing to a 1-1 draw on July 9 and 3-1 Pride win on Sept. 11.

Though Racing has been mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the NWSL playoffs with three games to go, the club can still make some league history. Louisville is one win shy of setting a record for points earned by an NWSL expansion club. The Pride, who tallied 19 points in 2016, hold the current high water mark.

Leaving Saturday, Racing will have 12 days off during an international window before wrapping up its inaugural season with a game at home (Oct. 28) and away (Oct. 31) against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Here’s more of what to watch for ahead of Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

Interim Coach Mario Sanchez says…

“Listening to the players talk, they just want to continue to get better. It has been a challenging time for everybody. The focus is on getting better every day. My responsibility to them is to help them get better every single day and to a winning performance on the weekend.”

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+ with play by play from Josh Tolle and color commentary by Jen Cooper. 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 seven-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.

Playoff hopes dashed: With Racing’s loss last Saturday to the Washington Spirit, the club continued an NWSL trend. No expansion club has made a postseason appearance in its first season. Racing sits ninth of 10 teams on the table ahead of Kansas City, another expansion side.

Call ups: At least two Racing standouts will leave to represent their country following the Orlando game with defender Emily Fox receiving her first U.S. Women’s National Team call up since February and forward Ebony Salmon suiting up for England’s U-23 squad.

Fox on fire: Fox, who has played mostly at outside back for Racing, made a recent shift into the midfield to much success. She led her side against the Spirit in successful passes (29), duels won (5), tackles (3) and interceptions (3). 

Sav to sit: Savannah McCaskill, Racing’s minutes leader with 1,828 on the pitch, picked up her fifth yellow card of the season against the Spirit and will be forced to miss her first Racing game Saturday on accumulation. The vice captain started all 21 previous regular season contests.

Showing support: Racing players and staff will on Saturday don T-shirts reading “Protect Women,” a gesture toward NWSL players’ fight for better working conditions within the league. The shirts are available to the public at shop.www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc with all proceeds going to the local Center for Women and Families.

Otto starts: Midfielder Taylor Otto made her first NWSL regular season start against the Spirit, with the University of North Carolina product continuing her comeback from an early season knee injury. So far, Otto has logged 188 minutes across six appearances, not including the start she made in The Women’s cup final against Bayern.

Injury report

• Gemma Bonner – Out
• Addisyn Merrick – Out / SEI
• Nadia Nadim – Out / SEI
• Julia Ashley – Questionable

Milestone watch

Lauren Milliet is two starts away from her 25th NWSL regular season start.

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.

The National Women’s Soccer League announced Thursday that the 2021 NWSL Championship, originally scheduled to take place at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, has shifted to Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the league’s Racing Louisville FC.

The 2021 NWSL Championship presented by Budweiser will kick off at 12 p.m. ET, airing live on CBS and streaming via Paramount+. It also will stream internationally outside the U.S. on the NWSL’s Twitch channel.

At the request of the players — and in coordination with the Players Association, the Portland Thorns and Racing Louisville — the NWSL moved to a time zone that will allow a later local start more suitable for players and attending fans.

The NWSL and Players Association recognize the impact this has on the fans who have bought tickets and made travel arrangements. Accordingly, individuals who previously purchased tickets to attend in Portland will be contacted in the coming days regarding refunds.

Championship game tickets for Lynn Family Stadium will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. ET Friday by visiting www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/NWSL-Championship or calling (502) 568-2489 during regular business hours.

“We are thrilled to be hosting the 2021 NWSL Championship game at Lynn Family Stadium,” said Brad Estes, president of Racing Louisville FC. “Racing Louisville FC joined the league earlier this year and already we’ve felt the immense love and support from our incredible fans and community. Louisville is an outstanding market for women’s soccer, and we look forward to showcasing our beautiful stadium and city through this event.”

Lynn Family Stadium is home to NWSL’s Racing Louisville FC and the USL Championship’s Louisville City FC. Opened in 2020, the soccer-specific venue has a 15,304 capacity. Featuring a bourbon barrel-inspired façade and a Bermuda grass surface, Lynn Family Stadium hosted its first full-capacity game on June 12, 2021.

Merritt Paulson, Portland Thorns FC’s owner, commented: “It has been a pleasure to host two exciting championship games at Providence Park. While we are disappointed not to be sharing our city, our stadium and our hospitality this year, we fully support the NWSL’s decision to move the game to Louisville. We understand how important it is to listen to our players and our fans, and we agree that the change in venue provides a better opportunity to kick off at a more reasonable time for the Championship teams.”

As previously announced, the newly expanded 2021 NWSL playoffs will feature the top six teams at the end of the regular season, with the top two seeds earning a first-round bye to the semifinals.

The quarterfinals begin Sunday, Nov. 7, with games at 3 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network) and 5:30 p.m. ET (Paramount+). The semifinals will take place the following weekend on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. — both on CBS Sports Network.

The NWSL and Players Association on Wednesday released this joint statement regarding the league Championship moving to Racing Louisville FC’s Lynn Family Stadium:

The NWSL and the NWSL Players Association have made progress over the past week on issues concerning player safety, transparency, and moving the League forward in a new direction.

At the request of the players, the NWSL has moved the NWSL Championship from Portland to Louisville. We realize the impact this has on the fans who have bought tickets and made travel arrangements. We hope that our fans will understand that this move is made with the support of the NWSL, the Players Association, the Portland Thorns, and Racing Louisville. Portland understood the importance of listening to the players, and Louisville stepped up to host. Players embraced the opportunity to kickoff at noon local time in another fantastic venue. We sincerely hope that fans will consider making this move east with us, or that you watch this historic game on CBS. 

We are all dedicated to rebuilding a league that protects and promotes the best athletes in the world and that is focused on the players, their health, and their safety. 

The Players Association and the NWSL have also worked to come to an agreement on several of the demands set forth by the PA last week. Both parties have agreed to a good faith 5-day extension on the remaining items to finalize details and logistics and keep this progress moving forward.

The NWSL and the Players Association will release future statements as a resolution is reached.

Racing Louisville FC’s Emily Fox will make her return to the United States Women’s National Team as part of a 21-player roster named Wednesday by coach Vlatko Andonovski.

Fox will depart for training camp following Saturday’s Racing game against the Orlando Pride at Lynn Family Stadium and be eligible for a pair of games against Korea Republic on Oct. 21 in Kansas City (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2) and Oct. 26 in St. Paul, Minn. (7:30 p.m., FS1).

A versatile defender who has played both outside back and in the Racing midfield, Fox makes this her first call up since February, when she trained with the U.S. Women’s National Team ahead of the SheBelieves Cup. The University of North Carolina product — drafted No. 1 overall by Racing out of college — has so far numbered four caps in the red, white and blue.

“First and foremost, I am excited,” Fox said. “I think getting called in at any point is very exciting and always an opportunity. I know at this camp we are playing two games and it is a short trip. I am just hoping I can absorb everything, learn a lot and try to prove myself as much as I can.”

The USWNT roster features 17 players from the bronze medal-winning 2020 Tokyo Olympics Team, plus four additions in forwards Mallory Pugh and Sophia Smith, midfielder Andi Sullivan and Fox.

In conjunction with the upcoming friendlies, the USWNT will honor two-time World Cup winner Carli Lloyd, who has announced her impending retirement.

“Everything Carli has accomplished is amazing,” Fox said. “I am hoping this camp I can gain wisdom from this experience, see how they enjoy it and see if I can emulate that joy.”

USWNT roster by position (club; caps/goals)

Goalkeepers (2): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 6), Adrianna Franch (Kansas City NWSL; 9)

Defenders (7): Abby Dahlkemper (Houston Dash; 76/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 41/1), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville; 4/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 36/0), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit; 147/2), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 195/0), Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit; 60/0)

Midfielders (5): Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 104/23), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 64/16), Catarina Macario (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 10/3), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash; 30/4), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 19/2)

Forwards  (7): Tobin Heath (Arsenal, ENG; 179/36), Carli Lloyd (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 314/134), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride; 188/114), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars; 65/18), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign; 185/61), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 8/1), Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage; 42/13)

Racing Louisville FC’s hopes of being the first NWSL expansion team in club history to make the postseason ended Saturday night with a 3-0 loss to a streaking Washington Spirit side.

The hosts, aside from two forfeits related to off-the-field matters in September, are unbeaten now in six games and continued to look the part at Audi Field, capitalizing on Racing’s defensive miscues.

Ashley Hatch scored on a tremendous ball through from Trinity Rodman in the eight minute, secured her brace in the 80th minute and saw her side add to the lead with an early, 52nd-minute And Sullivan penalty kick.

With this result, the ladies in lavender were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. But there is still much at stake Sitting on 17 points, Racing is three shy of setting the record for most points by an NWSL expansion club currently held by Orlando Pride, which tallied 19 points in 2016.

Coincidentally, the Pride are next up for Racing in a 7:30 p.m. matchup Oct. 16 at Lynn Family Stadium.

“We gifted some goals away and from a result, obviously, just a difficult result with some of the mistakes we made,” said interim head coach Mario Sanchez. “But taking the positives, we actually created and played more chances we have a long time. I thought Cheyna (Matthews) came on did really really well. Emina (Ekic) came in and did really really well, I thought from a character side it was great to see the team continue to push.

“Again, I thought we created a lot of really good looks, so like I told the team afterwards it’s a process. We’re going to continue to learn and develop and get better and better every day, and that’s never gonna end. So we regroup, take a couple days off — long trip, a lot of emotions this last week — and then we get back at it on training on Tuesday.”

Going into the Washington game, Racing’s lineup featured four changes, including midfielder Taylor Otto in for her first NWSL start.

While the visitors didn’t break through for a goal, they did see two close chances on goal, both in the second half with Lauren Milliet’s free kick in the 66th minute and an Emina Ekic strike in the 88th. Both shots were stopped by acrobatic saves from Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe.

Also of note, a 39th-minute yellow card for forward Savannah McCaskill — her fifth of the season — will see her serve a one-game suspension for accumulation. McCaskill has thus far played in every Racing game.

After the match, Racing players were in solidarity with their counterparts across the league in only answering questions regarding the fight for change in the NWSL.

“At the end of the day, we won’t be silenced,” said midfielder Lauren Milliet, “and I think part of that is taking our voice back and making sure that we are heard and our demands are met. So, I think at the end of the day we’re going to continue this pursuit of systemic change and all of these cultural changes, and we won’t stop until those demands are met.”

On Friday, Racing’s players issued a statement in conjunction with the NWSL Players Association saying they stand with the club in its handling of former coach Christy Holly’s dismissal on Aug. 31.

“Definitely in the wake of it everyone wants transparency from the league and from clubs and everything like that,” said defender Sinclaire Miramontez. “That is something that has come up quite a bit, and so we felt that we wanted to maintain the privacy of those involved, and so I feel that putting out that statement allowed people to know that our club is trying to protect the players and putting the players first, and they have been putting the players first from day one.

“So I think it was important to put that statement out so people know that we stand behind our club and their decisions. Moving forward we have faith in our front office doing the right thing and putting player safety first.”

Following the Orlando matchup next weekend, Racing will close the book on its inaugural season Oct. 28 versus NJ/NY Gotham FC and then Oct. 31 at Gotham FC.

Game Summary: Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville FC

Venue: Audi Field

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Player of the Match: Emily Fox

Scoring

Washington Spirit (1, 2, 3)

Racing Louisville FC (0, 0, 0)

Goals

Washington Spirit:

8’, Ashley Hatch (Trinity Rodman)

52’ Andi Sullivan

80’ Ashley Hatch (Trinity Rodman)

Stats Summary: Washington Spirit / Racing Louisville FC

Shots: 20 / 11

Shots on Goal: 5 / 3

Fouls: 8 / 7

Offside: 1 / 2

Corner Kicks: 5 / 1

Saves: 3 / 2

Lineups

Washington Spirit: 1 – Aubrey Bledsoe, 27 – Tara McKeown (69’ 21 – Anna Heilferty), 5 – Kelley O’Hara (69’ 14 – Paige Nielsen), 3 – Sam Staab, 6 – Emily Sonnett, 10 – Ashley Sanchez (81’ 7 – Saori Takarada), 16 – Julia Roddar (62’ 9 – Tegan McGrady), 2 – Trinity Rodman, 19 – Dorian Bailey, 12 – Andi Sullivan (62’ 23 – Tori Huster), 33 – Ashley Hatch

Subs not used: 18 – Devon Kerr, 17 – Kumi Yokoyama, 26 – Taylor Aylmer, 30 – Camryn Biegalski

Racing Louisville FC: 1 – Michelle Betos, 16 – Julia Ashley, 18 – Kaleigh Riehl, 3 – Erin Simon (45’ 14 – Nealy Martin), 12 – Sinclaire Miramontez (83’ 33 – Jorian Baucom), 7 – Savannah McCaskill (60’ 17 – Yuki Nagasato), 9 – Ebony Salmon (59’ 20 – Cheyna Matthews), 11 – Emily Fox, 19 – Taylor Otto, 5 – CeCe Kizer, 2 – Lauren Milliet (72’ 13 – Emina Ekic)

Subs not used: 22 – Katie McClure, 8 – Freja Olofsson, 23 – Katie Lund, 15 – Brooke Hendrix

Discipline Summary

Racing Louisville FC: Savannah McCaskill (yellow)

Referee: Laura Rodriguez