July 28, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Racing Louisville FC News Release
Racing Louisville FC forward Emina Ekic
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: USA Today Sports Images)
Racing Louisville FC returns to action at 8 p.m. Friday when it hosts second-place Portland Thorns FC at Lynn Family Stadium.
Racing (2-5-5, 11 points) entered the league-mandated July break in 10th place in the NWSL, six points from the final playoff spot. The team is on a six-match winless streak, though it enters Friday’s game off a hard-earned draw at league-leading San Diego on July 15. Spectacular goalkeeping prevented both teams from finding the back of the net.
Portland (5-1-6, 22 points) dominated NJ/NY Gotham FC, 5-0, in its final match before the break, with different players scoring. Portland is one point behind San Diego in the standings, but the Thorns have played one fewer game.
In the two previous meetings between the teams – both last year – Portland held Racing scoreless, winning 3-0 and 2-0. The Thorns are the only NWSL team Racing hasn’t scored against in any competition.
Racing will have its full roster back for Friday’s match after four players – Emily Fox (U.S.), Rebecca Holloway (Northern Ireland), Satara Murray (Jamaica) and Nadia Nadim (Denmark) – spent much of July at international tournaments with their national teams. Nadim is tied for the team lead with three goals, while Fox has emerged as one of the best fullbacks in the world.
Portland will also have a number of its stars back from international duty, including U.S. captain Becky Sauerbrunn and star forward Sophia Smith, along with Canadian standouts Christine Sinclair and Janine Beckie.
Friday’s match marks the start of a busy month for Louisville. The club will play six games in 30 days, including three at home in the next week.
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 stream live on Paramount+ in the United States and on Twitch internationally.
Player availability report
– N/A
Story lines…
DeMelo’s dominance: Midfielder Savannah DeMelo has proven to be one of the top rookies – and players overall – in her first year in the league. The Southern California graduate leads the NWSL in chances created (29), tackles won (25) and fouls won (48), and she is the only player in the league to score from a direct free kick in regular-season play, having…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Women's Soccer News…