Racing Louisville FC winger Emma Sears opened the scoring early in the first half before the North Carolina Courage equalized with a second-half finish from Riley Jackson, resulting in a 1-1 draw on a rain-soaked Saturday night at Lynn Family Stadium.
It was Louisville’s third consecutive draw on NWSL opening weekend – two of which saw Racing take the lead first. However, this one felt different.
Despite competing against a ball-dominant North Carolina side, Louisville managed to tally three big chances – two more than the Courage. Racing head coach Bev Yanez left the game feeling encouraged by her squad’s performance.
“I thought there was some really good stuff tonight — very proud of the group,” Yanez said. “I thought we created a lot of chances throughout the majority of the match.
“… We’ve set a standard tonight, and that was my conclusion in our circle at the end. We couldn’t squeeze anything more out of them. They gave everything they possibly had on the pitch tonight. I did think there was a massive sense of togetherness out on the pitch and also the reliance on the principles we’ve been working on in preseason.”
Louisville, with a lineup featuring all returnees, played the majority of the first half on the front foot thanks in large part to Sears’ direct play down the right wing.
The second-year pro picked up right where she left off as a rookie, converting the club’s first goal of the campaign through a set piece. Courtney Petersen’s corner found the feet of Arin Wright, who put the ball right into the path of the U.S. international forward to give Racing the advantage 13 minutes in.
“We just created chaos, and it’s really hard to defend that,” said midfielder Taylor Flint of the goal.
Yanez’s team kept its foot on the gas after going one up, nearly doubling the score on numerous occasions, including three minutes later with a Janine Sonis strike. Ary Borges then forced Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy into a save before Taylor Flint struck the woodwork in the 30th minute.
Racing settled for a one-goal lead at the half while doubling North Carolina’s shots on target tally.
North Carolina responded on the other side of the break, making use of its edge in possession.
The 19-year-old Jackson leveled the scoreline moments before the 70th-minute mark when she tucked home a rebound past Racing goalkeeper Katie Lund for the first NWSL league goal of her career.
Both sides would go on to threaten in the final 20 minutes, but neither managed to grab the winner.
The second half also saw two Louisville rookies – Sarah Weber and Katie O’Kane — make their debuts. Weber particularly impressed, giving Racing a late boost in the front line with two shots in her first 14 NWSL minutes.
“We put in an absolute shift tonight,” Flint said. “This being our first game of the season, I think it was a good showing of you everything we’ve worked on. But overall, super proud of the group.”
Louisville will aim to build on positive momentum next weekend at PayPal Park, where it kicks off against Bay FC at 10 p.m. Saturday in the second game of a young 2025 season.
Game Summary: Racing Louisville FC vs. North Carolina Courage
Date: March 15, 2025
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium
Kickoff: 8 p.m.
Weather: 62 degrees, rainy
Attendance: 2,847
Scoring
Racing Louisville FC (1, 0, 1)
North Carolina Courage (0, 1, 1)
Goals:
Racing Louisville FC
13’ Emma Sears (Arin Wright)
North Carolina Courage
69’ Riley Jackson
Lineups
Racing Louisville FC: 1 – Katie Lund; 2 – Lauren Milliet, 5 – Ellie Jean, 3 – Arin Wright (c), 11 – Courtney Petersen; 26 – Taylor Flint, 8 – Ary Borges (56’ 14 – Marisa DiGrande); 7 – Savannah DeMelo, 13 – Emma Sears, 16 – Janine Sonis (85’ 20 – Katie O’Kane); 9 – Kayla Fischer (66’ 42 – Sarah Weber)
Subs not used: 24 – Jordyn Bloomer, 71 – Maddy Anderson; 6 – Ella Hase, 12 – Allie George, 17 – Maddie Pokorny
Head Coach: Bev Yanez
North Carolina Courage: 1 – Casey Murphy; 13 – Ryan Williams, 7 – Malia Berkely, 3 – Kaleigh Kurtz, 11 – Feli Rauch; 10 – Denise O’Sullivan (c), 16 – Riley Jackson (90’ 20 – Shinomi Koyama), 2 – Ashley Sanchez (81’ 22 – Cortnee Vine), 19 – Jaedyn Shaw (81’ 77 – Aline Gomes), 14 – Tyler Lussi (67’ 30 – Hannah Betfort), 34 – Manaka Matsukubo (90’ 8 – Brianna Pinto)
Subs not used: 44 – Marisa Jordan; 25 – Meredith Speck, 27 – Maycee Bell, 33 – Charlotte Mclean
Head Coach: Sean Nahas
Stats Summary: Racing Louisville FC / North Carolina Courage
Shots: 13 / 15
Shots on Goal: 7 / 6
Expected goals: 1.74 / 1.35
Possession: 32.4% / 67.6%
Fouls: 4 / 11
Offside: 1 / 1
Corners: 5 / 6
Discipline Summary
North Carolina Courage:
63’ Tyler Lussi (yellow)
Match referee: Adorae Monroy
