What to Watch for as Racing Returns Home to Host Portland Thorns FC
NWSL Racing Louisville FC

What to Watch for as Racing Returns Home to Host Portland Thorns FC

Published on May 7, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release


Racing Louisville FC captain Arin Wright
Racing Louisville FC captain Arin Wright
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

To quote the great musical duo Simon & Garfunkel, Racing Louisville FC is "homeward bound" again after a string of matches on the East Coast.

Racing will return to Lynn Family Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. ET Friday meeting against the league-leading Portland Thorns FC, looking to rebound after consecutive one-goal road defeats.

The match is Louisville's third home match of 2026, as five of the first seven have been played on the road.

The early-stage road gauntlet notably ended last week, however. Three out of the next four games, leading into the summer break, will be played at Lynn Family Stadium.

Racing (1-5-1, 4 points) endured a difficult two-game trip to the East Coast last week, suffering two defeats by 1-0 scorelines within a four-day span. The most recent came last Sunday at Gotham FC, when Jaedyn Shaw netted the winner inside the 20-minute mark. It marked the club's fifth away loss by a single goal this year.

Despite the run of form, head coach Bev Yanez, at this early point in the season, knows "it's important, in general, to stay focused on the process."

In the two games Louisville did play at Lynn Family Stadium to date, it has picked up positive results. That includes, most significantly, the club's first win of 2026: a 3-2 triumph against the Orlando Pride on April 24.

Friday is arguably its biggest home test yet. Portland (6-1-1, 19 points) is flying heading into this clash under the guidance of first-year head coach Robert Vilahamn. The Thorns are currently sitting top of the table after stringing together three straight wins in an eight-day stretch.

The club's last two victories were both shutouts, with each match ending in a 2-0 scoreline. The goals in last Sunday's win came in each half, as Portland overcame the struggling Chicago Stars FC.

For context on just how hot the Thorns' start really is - six wins through eight games is more than two of the franchise's three championship-winning teams managed at the same point. Even the franchise's winningest regular season side - the 2017 team - didn't hit six victories until match 14.

Follow Along

The match will be streamed on the free NWSL+ app or via plus.nwslsoccer.com. Fans can also listen to the match on Sports Talk 790AM or 790louisville.com.

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...

Oh, captain, our captain: Louisville captain Arin Wright has been the true definition of reliability throughout her NWSL career. In last week's loss, Wright played 90 minutes to move her into the league's top eight all-time in regular-season minutes. The Kentucky native's next regular-season appearance will be her 200th. She'd be the ninth player in league history to reach that mark.

Minding the net: Similar to points last year, goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer has continuously come up with highlight-level saves to keep her team in games. She once again had a save nominated for the league's Save of the Week this week with an acrobatic stop in the 64th minute at Gotham. Through seven games, Bloomer is one of three goalkeepers with at least 28 saves, alongside Bay FC's Jordan Silkowitz and Denver Summit's Abby Smith.

Series history: The Thorns hold the historical series advantage over Louisville with a 6-2-2 overall record in 10 meetings. Racing, however, has won two out of the last three encounters played at Lynn Family Stadium. Portland has also won just once in the last five matchups.

Y'all can have it: Friday's matchup interestingly features the league's bottom two possession sides. Per Opta, Racing has held a league-low 39.5% of the ball this year, while Portland controls slightly more at 42.9%. Both teams are currently among the seven with 10 or more goals, proving how effective they've been going forward overall without significant possession numbers.

Old friend doing well: Portland's high-powered frontline features Reilyn Turner, a former Louisville first-round draft choice. Turner contributed four goals and two assists in 16 league games played for Racing after being drafted sixth overall in the 2024 draft. She left Louisville by way of a trade in August 2024 in a deal that featured Janine Sonis. This year, Turner is the Thorns' joint top goal scorer with four - one off her single-season career high set in 2025.

Record breaker: At the age of 20, star Portland midfielder Olivia Moultrie continues to take the league by storm. Last week, she became the youngest player in NWSL history to record 100 regular-season appearances - a few weeks after netting her 20th league goal to become the youngest to reach that mark as well. Moultrie is on pace for a career year, having already scored four goals to go along with three assists. That's just two shy of her career-high in goal contributions from last season.

Check out the Racing Louisville FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Images from this story

Racing Louisville FC captain Arin Wright
Racing Louisville FC captain Arin Wright
(Connor Cunningham)		   



National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 7, 2026


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