April 20, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release
Louisville City FC celebrates win
(Racing Louisville FC)
Racing Louisville added lightning to Thunder Over Louisville, soaring past the Utah Royals in front of a record crowd at Lynn Family Stadium, setting a number of club records in a 5-1 win in the first professional soccer game during Thunder, a hallmark air show and fireworks event that kicks off the city’s annual Kentucky Derby festivities.
It was the first win for first-year coach Bev Yanez in the first NWSL match in league history pitting two former NWSL players against each other as coaches, with Utah led by former U.S. Women’s National Team regular Amy Rodriguez. What’s more, it was the first time Racing scored five goals in a match, and the 11,365 fans on hand far surpassed Racing’s previous club record attendance of 10,214.
“It feels amazing for this group,” Yanez said. “They work so hard every single day to be the best that they can be, and to be able to have this breakthrough, obviously it’s something we’ve really wanted and we’ve been yearning for. Having that here at home in front of a record-breaking crowd is the most special moment for all of us.”
Racing Louisville (1-0-4, 7 points) remains one of the NWSL’s unbeaten teams, along with Orlando and Kansas City – with the Current leading by three goals in the second half as of this recap writing. The three points moved Louisville into fifth in the league standings at this early juncture in the season.
Star midfielder Savannah DeMelo scored her first career regular-season brace, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer (11 goals) in the process, surpassing Nadia Nadim in the record books.
Rookies Emma Sears and Reilyn Turner scored their first professional goals, and both Marisa DiGrande and Carson Pickett registered their first assists in Racing Louisville colors.
And Uchenna Kanu maintained her place atop the NWSL golden boot race, netting her fourth goal of the season and Racing’s first of the day.
“We knew we’d have so many fans here, and we just really wanted this for the whole staff, for the community, and I think we just put on a show,” DeMelo said. “I’m so proud of the girls.”
Kanu broke open the scoring in the 26th minute with a back-post header from defender Lauren Milliet’s cross, putting the finishing touch on a move that started with Taylor Flint’s excellent effort to stave off a physical challenge from Utah star Ally Sentnor.
In the 10 minutes…