Being a substitute can be a nerve-racking experience – waiting for your number to be called for the chance to change the outcome of a game and make the most of that opportunity.
Saturday’s Racing Louisville home match against Angel City was ripe for those opportunities as the clock passed the 70-minute mark and the visitors led by a goal. A draw would help the Louisvillians live to fight another day in the tightly contested NWSL playoff race; a loss would make the road to a club-first playoff appearance that much more treacherous.
Enter Maddie Pokorny. The 26-year-old midfielder subbed on in the 66th minute and went straight to work, playing as one fan noted like she “was shot out of a cannon” as Racing chased an equalizer in front of a record 10,214 fans at Lynn Family Stadium. And Pokorny’s persistence paid off, delivering a blistering assist on Kirsten Davis’s game-tying goal 13 minutes after she came on for her fifth appearance with Louisville.
“The players who came on really helped us,” Racing coach Kim Björkegren said, “especially Maddie.”
Pokorny’s first NWSL assist at a critically important juncture in Racing’s season provided a crescendo to the first chapter of her Louisville story. The journey began with a National Team Replacement Player contract, a temporary deal aimed at helping NWSL teams maintain full rosters during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. After four sharp appearances as a substitute and impressing in training, Pokorny earned a full contract through the end of the year.
Not bad for the Saint Louis University product who spent the past three seasons with Danish powerhouse HB Køge, where she scored 31 goals in 90 appearances and twice played in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
“It’s a credit to the team, honestly,” Pokorny said after Saturday’s match. “They encourage me every day to be my best. It’s easy to play when you’re encouraged. It’s a credit to the entire team and staff. … With this team, it’s so easy to work hard.”
Over her first five matches with the team – three UKG NWSL Challenge Cup games and two regular-season contests – Pokorny has shown a willingness to press, take on defenders and try new things. Her creativity pairs well with her pace and work ethic, and that valuable skill set was on full display in her assist against Angel City.
After captain Jaelin Howell’s curling pass opened up space along the left flank for Pokorny, she cut inside past an Angel City defender and rifled an in-swinging cross to the edge of the 6-yard box. Davis cut in front of her marker and redirected Pokorny’s cross with enough power that it bounced into the goal off Angel City goalkeeper Didi Haračić.
The packed Waterfront End behind Racing’s goal erupted. “The adrenaline of the crowd,” Pokorny said, “takes you further than ever,” crediting fans for pushing Louisville to keep fighting and tie the game.
“It’s tough to come into a game like that,” Pokorny said. “We’re down one. We’re getting fatigued. It was up to the players who came in to communicate, keep our energy up, keep passing the ball, play it simple and eventually find the back of the net.”
