Racing Louisville FC, which has achieved mixed results in August, wraps up the busiest month of its inaugural season at 7:30 p.m. ET Sunday when playing away to the Houston Dash.
Racing is 1-1-2 in NWSL play and across all competitions and just a week separated from hoisting The Women’s Cup trophy after defeating FC Bayern Munich on penalty kicks.
As the ladies in lavender chase a playoff spot — this marks their fifth game in 15 days — they’ll do so against a Dash squad Racing defeated 1-0 back on June 20 when Ebony Salmon scored seconds into her club debut at Lynn Family Stadium.
The return meeting at BBVA Compass Stadium will see Houston welcome a number of Olympians to its rotation. Allysha Chapman, Nichelle Prince and Sophie Schmidt won gold with Canada, while Kristie Mewis and Jane Campbell took bronze for the United States.
But perhaps the most important return for the Dash is their 2019 leading goal scorer, England’s Rachel Daly, who has made only one NWSL appearance since leaving for international duty in early June.
Racing has likewise bolstered its squad, adding forward Nadia Nadim following that first meeting. Nadim — fresh off winning a French title with Paris Saint-Germain — has already scored two goals and added an assist in a 2-1 midweek loss at Kansas City.
Sunday’s matchup carries plenty of weight in the league standings as well with Houston two points ahead of Racing in eighth. A win for Louisville would move the expansion side to within two points of a playoff spot.
Here’s more of what to watch for…
Coach Christy Holly says…
“I think there are going to be a lot of firsts. We are a brand-new team. There is a lot of firsts. It is up to us as a coaching staff and as a team to recognize those moments and allow that to galvanize the team.”
“I think there is so much learning going on. These players have taken it on board. We have been fortunate to bring in experienced pieces to sprinkle in experience across the team. There is no better teacher than the game. You must be burned a little bit. You must be cut up a little bit to understand what this game can do to you. There is no day off. “
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.
Watch the match on Paramount+ with play by play from Michael Minnich and color commentary by Kaylyn Kyle. Internationally, fans can also stream the match on Twitch.
Notes to know
Finding a response: While Racing was defeated Wednesday, the club did end a season-long trend. In each of its prior losses, the team was shut out. This time, after going down 2-0 Louisville managed a second half goal before failing to equalize.
KC Kizer: Playing in her hometown for the first time, forward Cece Kizer found the back of the net in the 65th minute from a slipped through-ball by Nadia Nadim. This goal marked Kizer’s second during the regular season and her fourth across all competitions for the Overland Park, Kan., native.
On the scoresheet: Having missed The Women’s Cup with a sore hamstring, Nadim picked right back up with her production Wednesday to nab her first Racing assist. Nadim has now contributed to goals in three straight appearances having also scored goals Aug. 8 against Kansas City and Aug. 15 at NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Brick wall Betos: Goalkeeper Michelle Betos continues to trend toward a historic season. Through 15 games, she has logged 80 saves. With nine games left to play this season, she is on pace to surpass Aubrey Bledsoe and Kaelin Sheridan’s NWSL record 108 saves set in 2018.
Tale of two halves: That’s what coach Christy Holly called the Kansas City game, and the slow start showed on the stat sheet. Racing conceded six shots on target and didn’t get one itself in the first 45 minutes. Kansas City tried only five shots in the second half as the visitors got the only goal of the frame.
Making a splash: Forward Ebony Salmon will have fond memories of the last time Racing saw the Dash. The 20-year-old from England scored a game-winning goal seconds into her club debut with a nice turn in the box, landing her No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top 10. Salmon has gone on to number five goals and an assist as an NWSL rookie.
Unfamiliar Territory: Houston’s BBVA Stadium is the final venue in the league Racing will visit this season for the first time. Located downtown, it’s also home to Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo and sports a capacity of 22,039
Texas connections: Two players now with Racing — Kizer and defender Erin Simon — previously played for the Dash. Both were selected by their current club in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft and have gone on to become regular starters in Louisville. Additionally, goalkeeper Katie Lund grew up four hours north of Houston in Plano, Texas.
Injury report
- Julia Ashley – Questionable
- Gemma Bonner – Questionable
- Addisyn Merrick – Out
- Cheyna Matthews – Out
Milestone watch
Michelle Betos is one shutout away from her 15th NWSL regular season shutout and would be one of seven players to earn that stat.
Yuki Nagasato is one goal away from her 15th NWSL regular season goal.
Savannah McCaskill is one start from her 45th NWSL regular season start.
