Racing Lacks Finishing Touch in Narrow Loss to Seattle Reign

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NWSL Racing Louisville FC

Racing Lacks Finishing Touch in Narrow Loss to Seattle Reign

May 17, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release


Racing Louisville FC with possession
Racing Louisville FC with possession
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: NWSL)

Racing Louisville FC produced chances aplenty but lacked finishing touch Saturday in a streak-snapping, 1-0 home loss to Seattle Reign FC.

The defeat - Racing Louisville's first in four games - happened despite the hosts controlling most every statistical category at their home Lynn Family Stadium. Well, just about all of them but goals.

Seattle struck on a 39th-minute sequence that saw Sam Meza thread a pass through Racing's defense to Maddie Dahlien, who knocked in the winning shot.

"I think we deserved more out of the game," said Racing's head coach, Bev Yanez. "From an identity perspective ... I think we lived the majority of the time in the opposition's half. I think we created a lot of opportunities. We just didn't put any in the back of the net."

Racing vs. Seattle was originally scheduled to be played Friday night, but a line of severe storms prompted a postponement to Saturday afternoon. Yanez said she saw her squad open a bit flat, but Racing eventually put the Reign under consistent pressure.

Louisville hit season-highs in both shots (20) and passes (404) while controlling 62% of the game's possession. Racing also tallied 12 corners won to Seattle's 1 and numbered 40 crosses to the visitors' 2.

For all of those opportunities, however, the home side put a lone shot on target as Katie O'Kane struck a driven shot straight to the Reign's keeper deep into first half stoppage time.

Said team captain Arin Wright: "It (stinks) to walk away from a game like that where you know you've had most of the possession, you've got all the momentum and you think, 'Wow, we should have won that game.' But that's soccer, right? We'll learn from it. We'll grow from it. And we'll work on those final chances."

Seattle needed just one big chance to net a winner Saturday after Racing turned the ball over in the midfield. The ball quickly moved to Meza, who played in Dahlien for the game's lone goal.

Louisville continued to threaten until the end, seeing substitute forward Uchenna Kanu earn a free kick near the edge of the box for the last kick of the game. Savannah DeMelo went straight for goal from the left flank as her shot hammered off the near post and out.

"It's just one of those games where we should have put it away earlier," DeMelo said. "Put away our chances so they aren't allowed to do the things they wanted to do, which is defend low, keep the ball out and kind of stop our momentum."

Racing dropped to 3-4-2 on the season with Saturday's loss, holding ninth place - one spot outside of a playoff position at the season's one-third mark. The club heads west next weekend for a 10 p.m. Saturday kickoff at Angel City FC.

Game Summary: Racing Louisville FC vs. Seattle Reign FC

Date: May 17, 2025

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

Weather: 72 degrees, sunny

Attendance: 3,039

Scoring

Racing Louisville FC (0, 0, 0)

Seattle Reign FC (1, 0, 1)

Goals

Seattle Reign FC

39' Maddie Dahlien (Sam Meza)

Lineups

Racing Louisville FC: 24 - Jordyn Bloomer; 11 - Courtney Petersen (72' 29 - Uchenna Kanu), 3 - Arin Wright (c), 5 - Ellie Jean, 2 - Lauren Milliet; 26 - Taylor Flint, 20 - Katie O'Kane (81' 14 - Marisa DiGrande), 7 - Savannah DeMelo; 16 - Janine Sonis (58' 6 - Ella Hase), 13 - Emma Sears, 9 - Kayla Fischer (58' 42 - Sarah Weber)

Subs not used: 71 - Maddy Anderson, 4 - Elli Pikkujämsa, 12 - Allie George, 15 - Ángela Barón, 32 - Avery Kalitta

Head Coach: Bev Yanez

Seattle Reign FC: 1 - Claudia Dickey, 3 - Lauren Barnes (c), 21 - Phoebe McClernon, 23 - Jordan Bugg, 25 - Shae Holmes (75' 14 - Emily Mason), 20 - Sam Meza, 8 - Angharad James-Turner (85' 16 - Ainsley McCammon), 24 - Madison Curry, 5 - Maddie Dahlien (75' 2 - Maddie Mercado), 9 - Jordyn Huitema (85' 7 - Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic), 6 - Lynn Biyendolo (90+4' 31 - Hanna Glas)

Subs not used: 18 - Sally Menti, 47 - Emeri Adames, 91 - Ji So-Yun, 99 - Maddie Prohaska

Head Coach: Laura Harvey

Stats Summary: Racing Louisville FC / Seattle Reign FC

Shots: 20 / 4

Shots on Goal: 1 / 3

Expected goals: 1.02 / 0.85

Possession: 62.3% / 37.7%

Fouls: 7 / 11

Offside: 1 / 3

Corners: 12 / 1

Discipline Summary

Seattle Reign FC:

90' Emily Mason (yellow)

90+5' Jordan Bugg (yellow)

Match referee: Irina Petrunok

Check out the Racing Louisville FC Statistics




Images from this story

Racing Louisville FC with possession
Racing Louisville FC with possession
(NWSL)		   



National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 17, 2025


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