Racing Louisville will make its Amazon Prime Video debut on Friday, hosting the Washington Spirit at 8 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium for this week’s featured match on Prime Video’s “NWSL Friday Nights.”
Prime Video is available online at amazon.com/primevideo or via the app, which is downloadable on Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku as well as most connected devices. You can listen to the radio broadcast on News Talk 1080 AM or online at talkradio1080.iheart.com, or via the iHeart Radio.
Friday’s match is an important one for Racing, which suffered its first loss of the season this past Sunday after starting the year on a six-match unbeaten run. It’s the only home game in May, breaking up a grueling five-week stretch with four road matches – with four of the opponents in the top five of the league standings.
Racing Louisville (1-1-5, 8 points) currently holds eighth place, the final spot above the league’s new eight-team playoff line. The Louisvillians are unbeaten at home, with a win and two draws this year, including a 5-1 thumping of the Utah Royals the last time Bev Yanez’s team played at Lynn Family Stadium back on April 20. Racing is 8-2-6 over its past 16 matches at home.
To build on that record, Racing will have to do something it hasn’t done since May 21, 2021 – beat the Spirit in Louisville. In last year’s meeting at Lynn Family Stadium, Ashley Hatch scored twice to put Washington ahead at halftime, but Racing roared back for a 2-2 draw with second-half goals from Abby Erceg and Ary Borges.
Racing is 1-2-4 all-time against Washington, with a 1-1-2 record at Lynn Family Stadium.
Washington (5-3-0, 15 points) is also in search of bounce-back performance after a 2-1 loss at Portland this past Saturday. The Spirit lost its season opener before winning four straight games to zoom to second place in the standings. Including Portland, the past three matches have been entertaining affairs, with the other two being a 3-2 loss to Orlando and a 4-2 win at Chicago.
The first meeting this season between Racing and Washington will be the Spirit’s third consecutive road game on a long journey that started with the May 1 game at Chicago.
The NWSL rookie of the year in 2021, Trinity Rodman, is off to another strong start this year, with a goal and four assists for the high-scoring Spirit, which ranks third in the league in scoring. First-year midfielder Croix Bethune, with three goals and four assists, was named the NWSL rookie of the month for March and April.
Follow along …
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.
The match streamed on Prime Video, available online at amazon.com/primevideo or via the app on Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku as well as most connected devices. You can listen to the radio broadcast on News Talk 1080 AM or online at talkradio1080.iheart.com, or via the iHeart Radio.
Storylines …
Lavender Haze: NWSL teams have not been ready for it against midfielder Taylor Flint, who was named to the NWSL Best XI for March and April after a dominant seven-match run to start her Racing career. The Nevada native was acquired via trade with San Diego in January and immediately lived up to Racing’s wildest dreams. She’ll never go out of style in Louisville, playing every minute while ranking first in the NWSL in blocked shots, interceptions and tackles won; second in duels won; fourth in aerial duels won; fifth in possession recoveries among non-goalkeepers; and sixth in blocked shots. She’s third on the team in progressive passes and shots on target.
Pickett passer: One of the NWSL’s best passers over the past few seasons, Carson Pickett is once again showing off her range, with 42 progressive passes for 1,021 yards through seven games this year, the most in the league. The 30-year-old leads the NWSL in chances created while ranking sixth in shot-creating actions. The left back earned her first regular-season assist in a Racing kit on Reilyn Turner’s goal against Utah on April 20. She has two assists in 33 appearances across all competitions since joining Racing in 2023.
DiGrandebut: After making her first four appearances as a substitute, midfielder Marisa DiGrande made her starting debut in Sunday’s match at Orlando, putting in another solid 90-minute performance. The Michigan native won nine possessions back for Racing, creating one chance and winning two duels in three attempts. Racing’s first free agent signing in club history, DiGrande signed this offseason after spending two years in Houston and two years in Orlando.
Are you Searsious? Rookie forward Emma Sears is racking up the impressive performances in her first year. In seven games, Sears ranks first in successful dribbles and progressive carries per 90 minutes and second in successful take-ons, carries into the penalty area and shot-creating actions per 90. She made her first professional start in Sunday’s match at Orlando after coming off the bench in the previous six games. She scored her first pro goal in the 5-1 win over Utah.
Rei of sunshine: Much like Sears, California native Reilyn Turner has been a revelation as a rookie. The UCLA grad has two goals and two assists in her seven appearances, ranking ninth in the NWSL in combined goals and assists. She’s fifth in shots on target per 90 minutes and 23rd in goal-creating actions. The sixth pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft has played 353 minutes in four starts and three stints off the bench as a substitute.
DeMelo sets record book pace: Racing Louisville’s history is obviously short, with just three full years of NWSL play. Nevertheless, Savannah DeMelo put her stamp on the club record books against Utah, surpassing Nadia Nadim as Racing Louisville’s all-time leading scorer with her 10th and 11th career goals. It was the California native’s first regular-season brace and second of her career, with the other coming against Kansas City in group stage play of last summer’s NWSL Challenge Cup. The goals ended DeMelo’s 10-month scoring drought in league play.
Kanu believe this? Racing Louisville forward Uchenna Kanu is off to a blazing-hot start, with four goals in seven matches to rank fourth in the NWSL golden boot race. The Nigerian international added to her scoring haul with a towering back-post header to open Racing’s account in the 5-1 win over Utah on April 20, slotting home her second headed goal of the season.
Bahr none: How about that for an NWSL debut? For the first time in eight years, a player registered an assist and a goal in their NWSL debut, with Racing’s Elexa Bahr matching Houston’s Rachel Daly in 2016 with the feat. Bahr scored a magnificent opening goal in the season-opening draw vs. Orlando on March 16, chipping the goalkeeper from the edge of the box. She added an assist a few minutes later on Uchenna Kanu’s well-taken goal in transition. Bahr, who grew up in Georgia and starred collegiately at South Carolina, joined Racing this winter after helping Colombia reach the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in the nation’s history.
Key NWSL experience added: Louisville has grown into an experienced squad over the past two years, and that process continued in the offseason with the additions of Taylor (Kornieck) Flint, Marisa (Viggiano) DiGrande, Ellie Jean and University of Kentucky legend Arin Wright. The four accomplished NWSL veterans bring league shields and championships, Best XI selections and multiple playoff appearances between them.
Global Racing: Racing Louisville became the first club in NWSL history to feature players from six different continental confederations on its roster in 2023, and that hasn’t changed despite roster turnover this offseason. Louisville’s 26-player roster consists of two players from Oceania Football Confederation; one from Asian Football Confederation; two from Confederation of African Football; one player from Union of European Football Associations; two from CONMEBOL (South America); and the remaining 18 from the U.S. (Note: Forward Elexa Bahr was born and raised in the U.S. but competes for the Colombian national team.)
