NC Courage Head to Kentucky for Rematch of Season Opener
NWSL North Carolina Courage

NC Courage Head to Kentucky for Rematch of Season Opener

Published on May 22, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release


LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The North Carolina Courage are headed to Kentucky to face Racing Louisville on Saturday, May 23, at 4 p.m. ET in a rematch of the Courage's 2-1 season-opening win. The match will be broadcast on ION.

The Courage enter the weekend in ninth place in the NWSL standings with a 3W-3L-3D record following a 4-0 rout of the Chicago Stars.

Four different players found the back of the net in the win. Ashley Sanchez scored her career-high sixth of the season to keep pace in the Golden Boot race, while Manaka Matsukubo bagged her fourth of the season. Evelyn Ijeh and Ally Schlegel both found the back of the net for the first time in a Courage jersey.

North Carolina will be looking to carry the momentum from that big win into their next two matches and pick up some crucial points in a congested middle of the table ahead of the midseason break. Just five points separate sixth-place Kansas City (15 points) and fourteenth-place Boston Legacy.

Racing Louisville currently sits 15th with a 2W-6L-1D record and fell, 2-1, to the high-flying Utah Royals last weekend. Despite their place in the standings, Louisville has proven to be a dangerous team this season, with Racing beating the then-first-place Portland Thorns, 3-1, on May 8.

Louisville has scored 14 goals this season, the joint-fifth most in the league this season. Sarah Weber leads the way with three, but five more players have each found the back of the net twice. Emma Sears and Kayla Fischer have been the creative engine of the attack, combining for five assists.

Jordyn Bloomer has played every minute in net for Louisville this season, allowing 17 goals on 19.3 expected goals against, making 33 saves on 50 shots on target faced.

Louisville is led by Beverly Yanez, who was named NWSL Coach of the Year for 2025 after guiding Racing to its first playoff appearance.

The Details

What they'll wear:

Courage - Field Players: Believe (pink) - GK: Light Purple

Racing - Field Players: Roots (forest green) - GK: Blue

2026 Records:

Courage - 3W-3L-3D (9th, 12 points)

Racing - 2W-6L-1D (15th, 7 points)

Courage vs. Racing (Regular Season): 11W-2L-1D

Last time out:

Courage - 4-0 win, vs Chicago Stars

Racing - 2-1 loss, at Utah Royals

Up next:

The Courage head to the West Coast to take on Angel City in the team's final match ahead of the league's midseason break on Sunday, May 31, at 7 p.m. ET.

Check out the North Carolina Courage Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 22, 2026


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