Racing Louisville FC concluded its 2026 season Sunday night with a 2-0 loss to the Kansas City Current, who scored both goals from corner kicks at Lynn Family Stadium.
The Current’s two set-piece goals were scored by Kayla Sharples inside the opening 20 minutes, followed by Haley Hopkins, who sealed a fifth straight win for the visitors on the other side of halftime.
With the win, Kansas City (16-9-5, 53 points, 4th place) clinched the fourth seed and a quarterfinal match at CPKC Stadium — a venue it has yet to lose at this year (11-0-4). The playoff game will take place next Saturday, Nov. 7, as it plays host to the fifth-seeded Angel City FC.
Racing (7-20-3, 24 points, 15th place) will now turn its attention to a much shorter offseason, with the 2027 NWSL regular season kicking off sooner than ever before on Feb. 11.
“I think this year has been tough,” Racing head coach Bev Yanez said. “I think this year has been challenging in so many ways. I think that the group has continued to give what they can.
“… I think the second half was a bit more like us, a bit of how we would like to end the season. I thought we had some chances. Could we have more quality in the final third, make the goalkeeper make a save, hit the crossbar? We’re just off, and I think had we maybe put one of those away, what would the game have looked like?”
Kansas City earned the game’s opener in the 15th minute, as Sharples headed home her first goal of the campaign from a ball played in by Vanessa DiBernardo.
DiBernardo also assisted the Current’s second goal, with Hopkins leaping over the defense and tucking the ball inside the far post in the 59th minute. It was the first time KC had scored two corner kick goals in a match in over four years (June 2022).
Looking back defensively, Courtney Petersen said the formula in the back comes down to a few things, stating, “I think overall, it’s just staying patient, staying compact defensively, and then just winning our individual battles.”
Outside those two goals from corners, Louisville’s defense lived up to that formula, holding the high-powered Kansas City attack to its fifth-lowest expected goals of the season (1.15). While Temwa Chawinga led the Current in total shots (4), Racing made life difficult in attack for the two-time NWSL MVP throughout the match.
As Yanez mentioned, the final period saw Louisville take a step forward. It tallied the half’s only big chance and registered five of its six shots from inside the box. It’s a positive Racing can take with it into the offseason, even if a finish never came.
“It’s going to be the mental aspect for this group,” said captain Arin Wright. “Can we step away from the season that we had and the moments that we had, and be able to go and drop it all and come back with a clean slate and a new mentality, and not hold on to anything in the past and bring it into the next year? That’s going to be very vital and important, probably something we talk about the first day we get back.
“… We will discuss the learnings and the growing areas [from this season], but we are a new team starting next year.”
Game Summary: Racing Louisville FC vs. Kansas City Current
Date: November 1, 2026
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 5 p.m. ET
Weather: 63 degrees, cloudy
Attendance: 4,528
Scoring
Racing Louisville FC (0, 0, 0)
Kansas City Current (1, 1, 2)
Goals:
Kansas City Current
15′ Kayla Sharples (Vanessa DiBernardo)
59′ Haley Hopkins (Vanessa DiBernardo)
Lineups
Racing Louisville FC: 1 – Maddie Prohaska; 8 – Courtney Petersen, 3 – Arin Wright (c), 15 – Mirann Gacioch, 12 – Quincy McMahon (84′ 23 – Macy Philippus), 10 – Macey Hodge (63′ 88 – Audrey McKeen), 2 – Lauren Milliet, 20 – Katie O’Kane, 21 – Rachel Hill (77′ 11 – Taylor White), 42 – Sarah Weber (76′ 16 – Maja Lardner), 9 – Kayla Fischer (63′ 13 – Emma Sears)
Subs not used: 30 – Erynn Floyd; 5 – Ellie Jean, 19 – Avery Ciorbu, 28 – Jordan Fusco
Head coach: Bev Yanez
Kansas City Current: 23 – Lorena; 18 – Izzy Rodriguez, 27 – Kayla Sharples, 24 – Gabrielle Robinson, 2 – Laney Rouse, 16 – Vanessa DiBernardo (76′ 22 – Bayley Feist), 10 – Lo’eau LaBonta (c) (83′ 11 – Rocky Rodríguez), 6 – Temwa Chawinga, 8 – Croix Bethune (75′ 55 – Penelope Hocking), 17 – Michelle Cooper (82′ 3 – Amelia White), 13 – Haley Hopkins (67′ 99 – Debinha)
Subs not used: 1 – Marisa Jordan; 7 – Elizabeth Ball, 28 – Maéva Nyadjou, 53 – Itala Gemelli
Head coach: Chris Armas
Stats Summary: Racing Louisville FC / Kansas City Current
Shots: 10 / 15
Shots on Goal: 1 / 5
Expected goals: 0.50 / 1.15
Possession: 42.2% / 57.8%
Fouls: 9 / 3
Offside: 1 / 1
Corners: 3 / 7
Discipline Summary
Racing Louisville FC:
32′ Sarah Weber (yellow)
40′ Katie O’Kane (yellow)
Match referee: Jaclyn Metz
