Sports stats



NWSL Racing Louisville FC

Racing Louisville Hosts Reigning Champs on National TV

June 14, 2024 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release


Racing Louisville FC celebrates a goal
Racing Louisville FC celebrates a goal
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: USA TODAY Sports Images)

Riding a three-match unbeaten streak, Racing Louisville will make its ESPN debut at 12 p.m. Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium against the reigning NWSL champions, NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Saturday's matchup is this year's Ali Day game, celebrating the impact and life of Louisville native and international icon Muhammad Ali at the conclusion of the annual Ali Festival put on by the Ali Center. The celebration coincides with Racing and Lynn Family Stadium hosting the fifth annual Louisville Juneteenth Festival after the game.

The match will be nationally broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and streamed on ESPN+. You can follow the radio broadcast of the game on News Talk 1080 AM, online at talkradio1080.iheart.com or the iHeart Radio app.

Saturday could be a significant day for the Louisvillians, who have won three straight games only once before in their short history and never in regular season play. Racing topped Chicago, 1-0, at the end of May and followed it up with a 2-0 win over Houston last Friday.

The victory moved Racing Louisville (3-2-6, 15 points) into seventh position in the NWSL table, one point behind the sixth-place Chicago Red Stars and two points clear of the playoff cutline. Savannah DeMelo's quality took center stage once again in the club's second consecutive win as she netted the go-ahead goal before dishing out her first assist of the season to Parker Goins for a late insurance score.

"I think it continues to push momentum for us," said Racing head coach Bev Yanez. "It continues to show what we've been saying from the beginning, what we believe that we can do and what we believe we can continue to do."

Racing aims to carry that form into the weekend against Gotham, which has beaten Louisville once in nine contests across all competitions, with six of those matches ending deadlocked. At Lynn Family Stadium, the Louisvillians are 1-1-1 all-time vs. the East Coast outfit, picking up a 2-0 victory last June thanks to goals from DeMelo and former forward Thembi Kgatlana. DeMelo has scored in the previous two occasions that Gotham has come to Louisville.

At home, Racing is one of four clubs in the NWSL to score in double figures while allowing five or fewer goals. Yanez's team is 2-1-2 this year in games at Lynn Family Stadium, where attendance is up 22% over the 2023 season.

Gotham (6-2-3, 21 points) has strung together a six-match unbeaten run after piling up just one win from its first five regular season matches, including a 1-1 draw against Racing in New Jersey on April 28. Coach Juan Carlos Amorós's team is in fifth place, seven points off the top of the table.

The key to the recent success has been on the defensive end, where Gotham has conceded a league-low eight goals in 11 games. Newcomer Ann-Katrin Berger is a massive reason why: The German goalkeeper, who came over from Chelsea on April 19, currently leads the league in save percentage and goals allowed per 90 minutes.

Though Gotham has allowed multiple goals in just one match this season, its 12 goals scored are the fewest of any club in the top eight of the NWSL table.

Follow along ...

For the starting lineup and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. You can also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.

The match will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and streamed on ESPN+ and through the ESPN app. You can listen to the match on News Talk 1080 AM, online at talkradio1080.iheart.com or via the iHeart app.

Storylines ...

DeMelo on a heater: Whether it's netting the second latest goal in NWSL history or setting a new club record, Savannah DeMelo has helped propel Racing Louisville right into the thick of the playoff picture. She became the first Racing player to score in three consecutive home matches in the win over Houston. Her three goals from the last four games have moved her in a tie for fifth in the league in goals despite missing three matches. The club's all-time leading scorer has 14 goals in lavender and is one away from a new season-best in the third year of her professional career. DeMelo, who earned NWSL Best XI honors for May, is the NWSL's leader in free-kick goals among current players, with three, which is tied for third all-time.

Lockdown Lund: Katie Lund tallied her fourth clean sheet of the campaign vs. Houston, tying for the NWSL lead in shutouts. She amassed at least three saves for the fifth game this season and is now just three saves away from the 250 mark for her NWSL career, a feat only nine other goalkeepers in league history have reached. Lund ranks in the top three among shot-stoppers with at least eight different games among the lowest goals allowed per 90 minutes.

Kanu bringing the spark: Racing Louisville's attack kicked into high gear in the second half against Houston thanks in large part to the play of Nigerian forward Uchenna Kanu. The 26-year-old came off the bench at halftime and finished with the team lead in shots on target and expected goals. Kanu also ranked second on the team in successful dribbles (2) and chances created (1) on the night. So far this season, the forward has four goals in nine appearances to rank sixth in the NWSL golden boot race.

Searsiously special: A week after earning NWSL Goal of the Week honors for her shot-cross in Kansas City, rookie forward Emma Sears again claimed the recognition for an outstanding strike at Chicago. The 23-year-old blasted a right-footed shot into far post corner for her third goal. Sears has been sensational through her first 11 professional games, ranking fourth in the NWSL in progressive carries per 90 minutes, fifth in successful dribbles and fourth in carries into the penalty area. The Ohio native ranks top 10 in shots on target and top 13 in both goal-creating actions and shot-creating actions.

Carson showing out: One of the NWSL's best passers over the past few seasons, Carson Pickett leads the league in key passes and chances created and ranks second in passes into the penalty area. Pickett's first regular season assist in a Racing jersey came on Reilyn Turner's goal against Utah on April 20. Pickett has two assists in 37 appearances across all competitions since joining Racing in 2023. Last weekend, the Florida native hit 150 total NWSL appearances, making her 14th straight start for Louisville dating back to last season.

Swiftly ingraining herself: Taylor Flint has been a game-changer for Racing. The midfielder was named to the NWSL Best XI for March and April after a dominant seven-match run to start her Racing career. Through 11 games, Flint ranks first in the NWSL in interceptions and blocks; second in aerial duels won and tackles won; and third in possession recoveries among non-goalkeepers. The 25-year-old has created 11 scoring chances and played every minute for Racing.

Rei of sunshine: Much like her fellow rookie Sears, California native Reilyn Turner has made an immediate impact as a first-year player. The UCLA grad has two goals and two assists in her 11 appearances and set a Racing club record with six shots on target in the 0-0 draw vs. Houston on March 23. Her 61.1% shots on target rate ranks ninth in the NWSL while sitting in fifth in shots on target per 90 minutes.

Bahr none: For the first time in eight years, a player registered an assist and a goal in their NWSL debut, with Racing's Elexa Bahr matching Houston's Rachel Daly in 2016 with the feat. Bahr scored a magnificent opening goal in the season-opening draw vs. Orlando on March 16, chipping the goalkeeper from the edge of the box. She added an assist a few minutes later on Uchenna Kanu's well-taken goal in transition.

Global Racing: Racing Louisville became the first club in NWSL history to feature players from six different continental confederations on its roster in 2023, and that hasn't changed this year. Louisville's 26-player roster consists of two players from Oceania Football Confederation; one from Asian Football Confederation; two from Confederation of African Football; one player from Union of European Football Associations; two from CONMEBOL (South America); and the remaining 18 from the U.S. (Note: U.S.-born forward Elexa Bahr competes for the Colombian national team.)

Check out the Racing Louisville FC Statistics




Images from this story

Racing Louisville FC celebrates a goal
Racing Louisville FC celebrates a goal
(USA TODAY Sports Images)		   

• Discuss this story on the National Women's Soccer League message board...

National Women's Soccer League Stories from June 14, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central