What to Watch for as Racing Returns Home to Take on the Houston Dash
NWSL Racing Louisville FC

What to Watch for as Racing Returns Home to Take on the Houston Dash

Published on August 28, 2025 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release


Racing Louisville FC in action
Racing Louisville FC in action
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: NWSL)

Home sweet home.

After three weeks on the road, Racing Louisville FC makes a triumphant return to Lynn Family Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday as it meets the in-form Houston Dash to close out August.

After navigating its toughest stretch of the season - six consecutive matches against the NWSL's top four teams - Louisville is flying high. The club went unbeaten in the final three matches of that run, all away from home, with two draws followed by its first-ever win at San Diego Wave FC just last week, thanks to a record-breaking second-half goal by Emma Sears.

It was a critical result for Racing, after conceding stoppage-time equalizers in the two weeks prior. The club has now amassed 15 points on the road, further extending its single-season record, with four away games still left to play.

Just nine regular season contests remain for Louisville (7-6-4, 25 points), which is well-positioned for a playoff berth - a club first - as it sits in seventh place and four points clear of eighth-place Gotham FC.

Racing will face only teams below or within one point of it in the standings going forward with the majority of games at Lynn Family Stadium, starting off against the team that has played the fewest road games this season: the Dash.

Louisville battled back at Houston on May 2 in the first leg of the season series, edging the Dash 2-1 in a game that featured two separate lightning delays.

However, a lot has changed for Houston since the last time these two locked horns.

The Dash (5-8-4, 19 points) are on the outside looking in on the postseason picture heading into the weekend, but are beginning to find a rhythm under first-year head coach Fabrice Gautrat. After beginning June with three consecutive defeats, Houston is unbeaten in its last four, including wins over Gotham and the North Carolina Courage. The uptick in results places the Dash two points back of eighth - the NWSL's final playoff spot.

Only the KC Current and the Washington Spirit have attained more points in the last five games than the Dash. Houston has scored eight goals during this stretch, surpassing the previous five-game total by two. Kiki Van Zanten and veteran Sophie Schmidt have combined for half that tally.

Friday is Girl Scouts Night at Lynn Family Stadium, with discounted tickets available for scouts as the club partners with the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. For general tickets and more information on the night, visit RacingLouFC.com/scouts.

Follow along...

The game 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...

Welcome, Makenna: Racing Louisville made a splash in the trade market this week, acquiring second-year player Makenna Morris from the Washington Spirit. The former first-round pick from Clemson has scored six career goals in 28 games. She's available for selection for Friday's game.

Sears now stands alone: Star Louisville forward Emma Sears solidified her place in the record books last Sunday night. She became the club's new single-season record goal scorer with seven tallies, surpassing the previous mark of six set by Ebony Salmon and Nadia Nadim. The U.S. international is one of six players with at least seven finishes in 2025, accounting for nearly 32% of Racing's total offensive output.

Hitting her stride: Rookie Ella Hase is beginning to make her mark in the starting XI, starting on the left flank in each of the last four games. Hase pieced together arguably her best game as a professional to date in San Diego. She brilliantly assisted Sears for the goal, while also winning a team-high four tackles on the defensive end to earn her the club's Player of the Match award. Hase went on to credit the coaching staff post-game for the new opportunities up front: "I'm just really grateful, honestly, to the staff, for allowing me to express myself authentically in the wide spaces and just run at players."

Doing more with less: Racing has seen a whole lot of success with lower possession numbers. Last week at the Wave, Louisville controlled just about 28.7% of the ball, the lowest total of the campaign. Still, Racing scored the game's only goal and even created more big chances than the opponent. Five of Louisville's six defeats this year have been when it owns 40% or more possession.

The home edge: Historically, the home team has had the advantage in this series. Louisville's win at Houston earlier this year was its first-ever road win over the Dash, with three of Racing's four total wins against Houston coming at Lynn Family Stadium. Racing has outscored the Dash 5-1 in the last three games in Kentucky.

Slow out the blocks: 2025 trends suggest that it takes time for Houston's offense to find a groove. No club has scored fewer first-half goals in 2025 than Houston with five. Overall, 75% of Houston's attacking production comes in the second half of games. However, the Dash's 15 second-half goals are the second-most in the NWSL. Defensive discipline late will be crucial for Racing Friday night.

Rising American pair: Two of the Dash's top three chance manufacturers - Avery Patterson and Yazmeen Ryan - are among Emma Hayes' current USWNT player pool. The U.S. internationals have combined for seven goal contributions and just over 25% of the club's total chances created. Ryan and Patterson, both versatile wide threats, have earned at least six national team caps and scored an international goal in the last 12 months.

Check out the Racing Louisville FC Statistics

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Racing Louisville FC in action
Racing Louisville FC in action
(NWSL)		   



National Women's Soccer League Stories from August 28, 2025


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