Late Bay FC Penalty Sinks Racing Louisville

June 29, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Racing Louisville FC News Release

Racing Louisville defender Carson Pickett
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: Jordan Prather/NWSL)

Asisat Oshoala’s 76th-minute penalty kick stood as the game-winner as visiting Bay FC topped Racing Louisville, 1-0, in a nationally televised affair Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium.

It was Racing’s third loss in four matches and dropped the Louisvillians out of playoff position and into ninth place in the NWSL standings. That it came after controlling 54% of the game’s possession and having the majority of the game’s chances in front of the club’s second-largest crowd of the season added to the frustration.

“Truthfully, I think we let this game slip,” said Racing coach Bev Yanez. “I think there was an opportunity for us to get three points out of this match. Credit to Bay with the opportunity that they had to take those three points. But I think for us, we really feel like when we were in a position to have those three points today. I felt like a majority of momentum was with us. And we feel we’ve let this game slip out of our hands.”

Racing Louisville (3-5-7, 16 points) is now two points out of the top eight with one more match before the league’s lengthy break from regular season play as the 2024 Summer Olympics kick off. Louisville plays at North Carolina next Sunday before the NWSL’s mandatory weeklong vacation followed by the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.

Yanez’s team started well Saturday, with a handful of chances before the halftime whistle.

Captain Jaelin Howell’s shot from 20 yards out fizzed over the crossbar seven minutes in, and defender Ellie Jean – making her debut start – couldn’t redirect a Carson Pickett cross back on frame from the back post.

Bay lost possession quickly on a goal kick restart in the 18th minute, but Savannah DeMelo’s left-footed drive from the edge of the area was wide of the far post. Kayla Fischer’s low right-footed shot in the 38th minute had the right power to it but it was right at Bay goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland.

Elexa Bahr’s opportunity in the 58th minute was Racing’s best chance, but after a nice cutback to shed a defender and get the ball on her favored right foot, Bahr’s curling effort from 16 yards out whistled past the post.

“You can’t knock the desire,” Yanez said. “The desire is always present. It’s never an effort issue of, ‘Hey, I need more effort in these scenarios. I need more of the desires there from…