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NWSL Racing Louisville FC

What to Watch for When Racing Hosts North Carolina on Saturday Night

May 26, 2023 - 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)

Racing Louisville will put its first three-game winning streak in club history to the test on Saturday when it hosts the North Carolina Courage at 8 p.m. ET at Lynn Family Stadium.

The game will be nationally broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

It's early in the 2023 National Women's Soccer League regular season, but there are potential playoff implications to the matchup in Louisville. Sixth-place North Carolina is a point ahead of seventh-place Racing in the league standings - and six teams make the NWSL playoffs.

Coach Kim Björkegren's Racing Louisville squad is 4-0-2 at Lynn Family Stadium, with the six-match unbeaten stretch extending back to last season.

Racing (2-2-4, 10 points) returns home after a weekend trip to Kansas City, where Louisville topped the hosting Current, 2-0, at Children's Mercy Park. Savannah DeMelo and Kirsten Davis scored for the visitors, who also beat KC last Wednesday in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, a rare back-to-back matchup between the same two teams.

DeMelo has been red hot for Racing, playing a role in eight goals over her last five appearances. The California native ranks in the top 10 in the NWSL in goals, goal-creating actions, shot-creating actions, scoring chances created, fouls won and tackles won.

Goalkeeper Katie Lund has three clean sheets this season, tied for second among NWSL goalkeepers. The Texas native is also second in the league in save percentage (79.5%) and saves per 90 minutes (4.4).

Defensive midfielder Jaelin Howell leads the league in interceptions, while center backs Abby Erceg and Julia Lester are the top two in the NWSL in blocked shots. This will be the first time Erceg and left back Carson Pickett will take on their former team after a blockbuster trade to Louisville in January.

Racing has a tough test ahead - North Carolina (3-3-2, 11 points) is on a five-match unbeaten run, including an impressive pair of 1-0 wins over the Houston Dash and OL Reign.

Brazilian forward Kerolin leads the Courage with three goals, and former Racing defender Emily Fox anchors a back line that has three shutouts in five games.

Follow along...

- For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. Also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.

- The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network.

Story lines ...

DeMelo dominance: Star midfielder Savannah DeMelo can't stop contributing goals for Racing. She has had a hand in eight goals over her last five appearances, scoring five and assisting two - and her penalty shot against Chicago bounced in off goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, counting officially as an own goal. The California native ranks in the top 10 in the NWSL in a variety of categories, including goals, scoring chances created, fouls drawn and tackles won.

Lund(er) and Lightning: Speaking of star performances, goalkeeper Katie Lund once again came up huge for Racing, making a pair of world class saves to preserve a shutout 2-0 win at Kansas City last weekend. The goalkeeper is tied for second in the league with 4.4 saves per game and three shutouts, and she is one of Racing's three ironwomen who have played every minute this season across all competitions.

Jae's just good: Defensive midfielder Jaelin Howell is in form and making her presence felt this season for Racing as the team's captain and midfield anchor. The 23-year-old leads the NWSL in interceptions (18) and ranks fourth in tackles won (16) and ninth in duels won (47). Per 90 minutes, Howell is in the top 15 percent among midfielders in the world's best leagues in aerials won, blocked shots and clearances, per Opta.

Pickett's clicking: Acquired via trade this offseason from North Carolina, Carson Pickett has made an immediate impact in Louisville. The reigning NWSL Best XI left back is second in the league in scoring chances created, with 18. According to Opta, Pickett is in the 99th percentile of fullbacks in progressive passes and shot-creating actions.

Global Racing: Racing Louisville is the first club in NWSL history to feature players from six different continents on its roster. The Louisvillians already had an international flavor last year, with four continents represented. But the additions of Brazilian midfielder Ary Borges as well as Nigerian forward Uchenna Kanu and South African forward Thembi Kgatlana nudged Racing to six continents. Abby Erceg, who made 146 appearances for New Zealand's national team, reinforced Australian midfielder Alex Chidiac as a second representative from Oceania.

World Cup year: This is a big year for women's soccer, with the 2023 FIFA World Cup set for Australia and New Zealand from July 20-August 20. Racing should be well-represented at the planet's biggest competition. There are nine current internationals on Racing's roster, and seven of their countries have qualified for the World Cup. The NWSL will only play one regular-season game in the World Cup window, instead scheduling half of the NWSL UKG Challenge Cup matches for that period.

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Images from this story

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



National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 26, 2023


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