Feature written by Caden Charpentier
In the beating heart of Racing Louisville’s midfield, a star has been leading the charge. Savannah DeMelo’s electric form has been a key spark propelling the club right into the mix of the NWSL postseason picture.
“She’s just special, isn’t she?” Racing coach Bev Yanez said after DeMelo registered a goal and an assist in her team’s 2-0 win over Houston this past Friday.
Now in her third season in Louisville, DeMelo has been the offensive metronome behind Racing’s success, thriving in a new system defined by its ability to keep opponents guessing. This year, amid Racing’s evolution into a playoff contender under Yanez’s new leadership, DeMelo is on track to have her best campaign to date.
Despite missing three games this year because of injury, DeMelo has already tied her rookie season’s combined total of assists and goals (six). She would match her career-high of seven, set last year, with one more goal involvement. All this comes with 14 games remaining on the regular season slate. The midfielder is one of only three players in the NWSL with at least six goal involvements in fewer than 10 matches played.
No Louisville player, in the club’s short existence, has ever surpassed the six-goal threshold in a league season. DeMelo could be the first. The California native is already the club’s all-time leading scorer, with 14 goals.
Positioned in the creative No. 10 role, ahead of Taylor Flint and her partner in the central midfield double pivot, DeMelo has flourished. She’s active on both ends, dynamic going forward and a downright nightmare to defend for any opponent across the league. She ranks 14th in shots on target and 16th in goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, and her 40 fouls drawn are 13 more than second-place Trinity Rodman. DeMelo has won 182 fouls in her career, tied for fifth in league history, per Opta Stats.
“You can tell that she absolutely loves the game,” Racing defender Lauren Milliet said of her close friend. “She enjoys the really hard things about soccer – that’s a skill that you can’t teach people. How much work she puts in, how hard she works on the pitch, on and off, defensively and offensively, gets her in such great areas. The qualities I love about her — she’s so hard-working, and that really shines in her game.”
The league and its media association recognized DeMelo for her stellar May with a spot on the NWSL’s May Best XI of the Month, presented by Amazon Prime. It was the fourth time the midfielder has earned the honor during her career. Only Abby Erceg and Carson Pickett have more inclusions among DeMelo’s Racing teammates.
DeMelo began June just as she finished May.
In Friday’s win over the Houston Dash, DeMelo became the first Racing player to score in three consecutive home contests. She scored the game-winner off a rebound in the 62nd minute and later assisted the insurance goal from Parker Goins.
“She’s a fantastic teammate, first and foremost, off the pitch,” Yanez said. “She enjoys what she does, she’s very passionate about what she does, and she works incredibly hard. I talk about it all the time, how special she is on the dribble but what she’s able to affect, too — how she moves, what she exposes when she does it. She has a fantastic understanding of the game, and I think she’s been fantastic for this group.”
