Sports stats



NWSL Racing Louisville FC

What to Watch for When Racing Plays at NJ/NY Gotham (5:30 p.m. Sunday, Red Bull Arena)

August 26, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release


Racing Louisville FC forward Thembi Kgatlana (center) celebrates a goal
Racing Louisville FC forward Thembi Kgatlana (center) celebrates a goal
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: USA TODAY Sports Images)

Racing Louisville hits the road this weekend to take on NJ/NY Gotham FC at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Red Bull Arena, the next stop on Louisville's quest for a club-first NWSL playoff appearance.

The match will be streamed on Paramount+.

Racing (4-4-8, 20 points) travels to north New Jersey looking to keep pace and climb in the NWSL playoff race. Eighth-place Louisville is four points out of the playoff picture, with the San Diego Wave still claiming the last spot in sixth.

Louisville is coming off a 1-1 draw against Angel City in front of a club-record 10,214 fans at Lynn Family Stadium. The late-game equalizer from substitute Kirsten Davis salvaged a crucial point as Racing pushes for its first postseason berth in the club's young history.

Sunday's game is the return game of this year's home-and-home series with Gotham. Racing registered a 2-0 victory at Lynn Family Stadium on June 18, with Savannah DeMelo and Thembi Kgatlana scoring in the nationally televised matchup. Goalkeeper Katie Lund made a season-high eight saves to keep a clean sheet.

Third-place Gotham (7-5-4) is seeking a bounce-back result after a 2-1 loss to San Diego last weekend as regular-season NWSL play returned. The hosts are 3-2-2 at Red Bull Arena this season, while Racing is on the hunt for its second road win of the year.

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 streamed live on Paramount+, and international viewers may watch for free on NWSLSoccer.com.

Story lines ...

Monaghan homecoming: New Jersey native Paige Monaghan makes her return to the tri-state area for the first time as a pro. Racing acquired the former Gotham forward via trade this offseason, and Monaghan has put together a career year in her first campaign in lavender and mint, totaling a career-high four goals and career-high two assists across all competitions. In four years with Gotham and the former Sky Blue, Monaghan put together 10 goals and three assists, including a goal last year in Gotham's win in Louisville.

DeMelo's familiar foe: Midfielder Savannah DeMelo enjoys matches against Gotham, with goals in the past two meetings against the New Jersey club. The U.S. Women's National Team midfielder has 12 goal involvements across all competitions this season and has been outstanding in league play, winning NWSL Player of the Month in May and twice making the league's team of the month.

Defensive leaders: Racing captain Jaelin Howell is having a stellar 2023 season. The defensive anchor in midfield leads the league in tackles (57) and tackles won (38) while ranking fourth in interceptions (30). Veteran center back Abby Erceg has played every minute of league play for Racing while setting the league pace in blocked shots (36).

All-timers: The battle for Racing's all-time leading scorer is on, with Savannah DeMelo and Nadia Nadim both on nine goals with the club. This past Saturday, Nadim started for the first time this season since coming back from an ACL tear. She scored a team-high six goals in 2022 after netting three in her first year with Louisville. DeMelo rang up four goals last year and already has a team-leading five this campaign.

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.

Check out the Racing Louisville FC Statistics




Images from this story

Racing Louisville FC forward Thembi Kgatlana (center) celebrates a goal
Racing Louisville FC forward Thembi Kgatlana (center) celebrates a goal
(USA TODAY Sports Images)		   



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


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