What to Watch for as Racing Heads East for NC Courage Showdown
NWSL Racing Louisville FC

What to Watch for as Racing Heads East for NC Courage Showdown

Published on October 3, 2025 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release


Racing Louisville FC celebration
Racing Louisville FC celebration
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

Racing Louisville FC stands on the brink of a historic milestone - its first-ever NWSL playoff appearance - but still has work to do.

With four games remaining and a grip on the league's final playoff spot, Racing travels to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, for a 7:30 p.m. Saturday showdown against the ninth-place North Carolina Courage.

Louisville (8-9-5, 29 points) travels east to the Tar Heel State after picking up a pivotal 1-0 victory at Lynn Family Stadium over another playoff hopeful, Angel City FC, last weekend. The result not only brought Racing back above the playoff line in eighth place and set single-season club records with eight wins and 29 points.

A Sarah Weber second-half finish was all the hosts needed, as they held the club from Los Angeles to just two shots on target. Racing's first triumph on home soil since June 20 came following a four-match winless stretch, which included two-straight road defeats.

Another three points Saturday, along with favorable results in Portland and Washington, D.C., would push Racing further up the table into sixth. Louisville, however, will have to earn that, especially against a team it has beaten just once since 2021 across all competitions.

Racing is, in fact, unbeaten in its last two games against the Courage. The last time these teams met was the season's opening weekend on March 15: a 1-1 draw in which Emma Sears scored inside 15 minutes.

A lot has changed for North Carolina (7-8-7, 28 points) since that match. It's now led by acting head coach Nathan Thackeray, who took over after the Aug. 6 dismissal of Sean Nahas.

The Courage's 2025 campaign has been a roller coaster ride. After going winless throughout August and selling U.S. women's national team midfielder Jaedyn Shaw to Gotham FC, the club rattled off back-to-back wins over Angel City and the Orlando Pride to thrust itself squarely back into the postseason discussion. Then, last week, Seattle Reign FC came from behind to snap its win streak.

Since relocating to North Carolina in 2017 from Western New York, the club has missed the playoffs just once (2022). The Courage have never finished outside the top seven before this season, making their ninth-place standing a departure from the norm.

Follow along...

The match will air nationally on ION. Viewers can search for their local channel number by typing their ZIP code here. ION is also available on numerous streaming platforms, including Tubi and YouTube TV. Local radio coverage will air on Sports Talk 790 AM.

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.

Story lines...

Fearless is an understatement: The Nebraska product Sarah Weber made her mark once again last week. In a crucial game during the season's final stretch, the Louisville rookie stepped up in a starting role and confidently scored the game-clinching goal after some relentless effort from Emma Sears. The finish, which came in the 66th minute, was the rookie's second of 2025. In the match prior, Weber played a key role in a comeback effort versus Utah Royals FC, when she collected an assist off the bench to Sears.

100 in the bank: What a season it has been for Racing's Taylor Flint. From posting unprecedented statistics to earning a contract extension, Flint has been central to Louisville's success this season. Adding to it, the two-time NWSL Team of the Month member made her 100th career NWSL regular-season appearance in last week's win over Angel City. 44 of those have been with Racing. The 26-year-old led the team with 17 duels won in her milestone match.

Not in Bloomer's house, you don't: Fresh off her August Team of the Month selection, goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer continues to show up big between the sticks. Last time out, Bloomer picked up another two saves en route to her fourth clean sheet of the campaign. The 27-year-old's 71 saves rank third-most in the NWSL, despite making at least two fewer starts than anyone above the 60-save mark.

Road fears no more: Racing has never been better on the road than it has been in 2025. Louisville has amassed club records in both road wins (4) and goals (17). Two of the victories came on the West Coast against San Diego Wave FC and Angel City.

Set piece weakness: Of the 32 goals North Carolina has conceded this season, eight have been from a corner kick. That's the most allowed in the league via a corner service. Meanwhile, Louisville leads the league in goals from corners (6).

Budding Japanese star: Though the Courage lost a young American star this month in Shaw, they still have quite a young Japanese talent in Manaka Matsukubo. Matsukubo, a 21-year-old who signed with NC permanently in June 2024, is one of just five players with at least 10 goal involvements this season. The versatile attacker's hottest stretch came from May 17 to June 21, where she accumulated seven goals plus assists across five games.

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Racing Louisville FC celebration
Racing Louisville FC celebration
(Connor Cunningham)		   



National Women's Soccer League Stories from October 3, 2025


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