What to Watch for as Racing Welcomes the NC Courage
NWSL Racing Louisville FC

What to Watch for as Racing Welcomes the NC Courage

Published on May 22, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release


Fans enjoy a Racing Louisville FC match
Fans enjoy a Racing Louisville FC match
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)

For Racing Louisville FC, there's no place like home.

Racing has thrived at Lynn Family Stadium this season. To date, no team has beaten Louisville at home in 2026 - a feat only two other NWSL teams can stake claim to.

Saturday, head coach Bev Yanez and Racing will return to the fortress in Butchertown for the opening game of a two-match home slate against the North Carolina Courage. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.

With the match being played on Memorial Day weekend - the "unofficial" start of summer - Saturday will serve as Summer Kickoff Day. The first 3,000 fans will receive a Hawaiian shirt, thanks to Stock Yards Bank & Trust. For tickets and more information regarding the game, visit RacingLouFC.com/summer/.

Louisville (2-6-1, 7 points) heads into this final pair of games before of an extended hiatus after an unkind opening nine-game stretch defined by significant time away from home soil.

Last week's fixture - a 2-1 defeat away to Utah Royals FC - was the club's sixth road match out of the nine total. Its three home games played so far are tied for the fewest in the NWSL, along with Denver Summit FC.

Fortunately, Louisville will finish this initial run of games at home on consecutive weekends. It has been some time since the fans departed Lynn Family Stadium disappointed.

Dating back to last season, Racing is riding a six-match unbeaten run on home soil. The last time the club lost in Louisville was 259 days ago versus Portland Thorns FC.

To maintain this form, Racing must overcome a side that it fell to on the league's opening weekend by a 2-1 scoreline: North Carolina.

Mak Lind's Courage (3-3-3, 12 points) find themselves just above the playoff line in eighth position early on in the campaign. Last week, the club picked up its most resounding result of the season: a 4-0 win over Chicago Stars FC in front of a sold-out First Horizon Stadium in Cary. All four tallies notably came in the second half.

Prior to last Saturday's win, North Carolina had lost two straight by one-goal margins.

The Courage, though, lead the league in shots per game, putting pressure on opposing defenses.

Follow Along

The game will air nationally on ION. 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...

Goin' Fisch(ing): In the defeat at Utah last Sunday, Racing's opening goal to equalize the match in the second half was emblematic of its hard-working pressing identity. With the Royals attempting to play out of the back, the persistence of Macey Hodge created the scoring chance that Kayla Fischer, who made no mistake with a brilliant finish in the 68th minute. It was her second goal of 2026, just one off her single-season career high from last year.

Nope, not today: The momentum Jordyn Bloomer built up after taking charge of Louisville's goalkeeping position last season has undoubtedly carried into this one. The Wisconsin product has consistently stood tall in net, recording essential saves to keep Racing in game after game. Per Opta, Bloomer has made 33 saves in nine starts, making her one of just four shot stoppers with at least 30 saves. In 2025, Bloomer finished with 80 stops, the third-highest tally in the NWSL.

Cashing em' in: No team has been more efficient in front of the net at home this year than Racing. With eight goals in three matches at Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville's 2.67 goals average per home game ranks at the top of the league. Overall, Racing has 14 goals in the opening nine games. That's five more than at this point in 2025.

Recent series edge: Louisville has met North Carolina 12 times in regular-season play. While the Courage hold the historical lead (9-2-1), Racing is unbeaten across the last two matchups at Lynn Family Stadium. That includes a come-from-behind win in September 2024, a game in which Emma Sears converted the equalizer.

Final period threat: North Carolina has enjoyed offensive production in the second half of games. Nearly 70% of the club's goals this year have come in the game's final period (9 of 13). Of the teams that have played fewer than 10 games, the Courage's nine second-half goals are the second most. In contrast, however, North Carolina's four goals in the opening 45 minutes are tied for the second fewest in the NWSL this season. In fact, Saturday's visitors haven't scored a first-half goal in their last four contests.

Talk about red hot: When you talk about the most in-form players right now in the NWSL, Courage attacker Ashley Sanchez is right at the top of the list. Sanchez is flying out of the gates this year under the new coaching regime in North Carolina, recording six goals and one assist in nine starts. The six-goal tally is already tied for her career-high from 2023 when she was a member of the Washington Spirit. Sanchez picked up a goal and an assist in the convincing win over Chicago last week. She also converted both goals in the Courage's victory over Racing back in March.

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Images from this story

Fans enjoy a Racing Louisville FC match
Fans enjoy a Racing Louisville FC match
(Connor Cunningham)		   



National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 22, 2026


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