Racing Louisville FC looks to continue an excellent run of form when traveling west to take on the Kansas City Current at 3 p.m. ET Monday at Children’s Mercy Park.
For the first time in its short, year-plus history, Racing earned back-to-back victories when topping San Diego Wave FC on May 18 before defeating NJ/NY Gotham FC last Sunday. Those two wins pushed Racing’s unbeaten streak to four games, tied for its longest across all competitions.
From veteran forward Jess McDonald assisting Lauren Milliet’s game-winning goal against Gotham to rookie midfielder Savannah DeMelo’s highlight-reel free-kick goal against the Wave, Racing has had a variety of players contribute to its current run of form. Goalkeeper Katie Lund has posted two consecutive shutouts.
The Current, meanwhile, are still looking for their first win of the regular season following an impressive run to the preseason NWSL Challenge Cup semifinals. On Wednesday, Kansas City lost to OL Reign, 1-0, conceding the game-winner in the 80th minute.
Health challenges have stacked up for Kansas City, with six players unavailable for Wednesday’s game because of either injury or COVID-19 protocols, including U.S. Women’s National Team stars Sam Mewis (right leg) and Lynn Williams (season-ending knee injury).
This match marks the third meeting between the two clubs this year, with Racing beating the Current in Kansas City during the Challenge Cup and the teams drawing in Louisville. In the last meeting nearly two months ago at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Racing scored three goals to earn its best result so far this year.
Monday’s contest is also the only professional soccer match in the United States scheduled on Memorial Day. The game will be streamed on Paramount+ and Twitch for fans outside the United States.
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 broadcast live on Paramount+ in the United States and on Twitch internationally.
Player availability report
- Emina Ekic (out, left foot)
- Nadia Nadim (out, right leg)
Story lines...
Historic streak: Racing is currently on its first NWSL winning streak in team history, with back-to-back wins against San Diego and Gotham last week. The two wins extended Racing’s unbeaten run to four matches, nudging the team into third place in the NWSL standings.
Kansas City, here we come: Monday’s match is the third meeting this year between Racing and the Current, with the two previous matchups coming in the preseason Challenge Cup. Racing drew Kansas City, 1-1, in the tournament’s opening game and followed that up with a resounding 3-0 win in Missouri on April 2. In the five meetings between the teams, Racing has beaten KC twice and drawn two other times.
Fox on the loose: Racing star Emily Fox has had a stellar start to league play, completing 85.9% of her passes and scoring her first professional goal in Racing’s season opener against the Chicago Red Stars. Fox, a regular starter for the U.S. Women’s National Team, also has 11 clearances, four shots on target, four interceptions and a 61.5% success rate on tackles.
Milliet’s moment: Lauren Milliet is in the best form of her pro career, with the goal against Gotham and an assist against San Diego last Wednesday. That continued her strong run through the Challenge Cup, when she scored against Kansas City and logged the third-most minutes of any outfield player, playing central midfield, wide forward and fullback over six appearances and five starts.
Teamwork makes the dream work: Racing’s game-winning goal at NJ/NY Gotham FC involved seven players, starting with goalkeeper Katie Lund and culminating with Jess McDonald’s assist to Lauren Milliet for her second goal this year across all competitions.
Clean sheet Katie: Lund has recorded back-to-back shutouts for the first time in Racing’s year-plus history, helping her team win two consecutive games for the first time. She is currently tied for second in the league in clean sheets.
Assists leader pads lead: Jess McDonald added to her NWSL career assists record with a clinical helper to Milliet last Sunday. McDonald is now at 28 assists in her 12 years in the NWSL, two clear of second place.
