Preview: What to Watch for with Racing at Angel City FC
September 24, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Racing Louisville FC News Release
Racing Louisville FC’s first-ever road trip to Los Angeles will double as the team’s final road game of the 2022 campaign, an 8 p.m. ET Sunday kickoff against Angel City FC at Banc of California Stadium.
The matchup comes with high stakes for Angel City, which is in the thick of the fight for a spot in the six-team NWSL playoffs with two matches left in the regular season. ACFC needs a win and results elsewhere to move into the top six.
On its last road swing of the season, Racing (3-9-8, 17 points) fell 3-0 at Portland Thorns on Wednesday after winning its last home game against Orlando. Louisville has gotten points from six of its 10 road matches this season, with a win at NJ/NY Gotham FC in May and five draws.
Angel City (8-7-5, 29 points) has lost two of its past three matches, but the home team is coming off a 2-1 win over the Washington Spirit on Wednesday. ACFC is 5-3-2 at home this year, including wins in its past two contests at the Banc.
The maiden meeting between the two produced fireworks in a 3-2 thriller in Louisville. Racing took an early 1-0 lead with one of its goals of the season, a flick-on by Gemma Bonner off Savannah DeMelo’s free kick. But Angel City scored twice, once just before halftime and once just after halftime, to pull ahead. Nadia Nadim equalized with a penalty in the 65th minute, but Angel City claimed all three points by converting a penalty of its own in added time.
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
– Zaneta Wyne (out, excused absence)
– Wang Shuang (out, excused absence)
– Nadia Nadim (out, left leg)
Story lines …
DeMelo’s homecoming: Long Beach native and USC grad Savannah DeMelo is back in her hometown, playing her first professional game in the Los Angeles area since joining Racing this year. The rookie midfielder, who just extended her contract with Racing through 2025, is having a standout first year in the league, with four goals and an assist while also leading the NWSL in fouls won and chances created.
Lunderful keeping: Goalkeeper Katie Lund is zeroing in on the league record for saves in a single season, eclipsing 100 stops for the campaign in the loss at Portland. The Texas native made nine saves against the Thorns, extending her saves lead this season. Lund has seven clean sheets across all competitions this year, including five in the regular season.
Final third fireworks: Racing ranks second in the NWSL this season in fouls won in the final third, and the positioning of those fouls has played a large part in how Louisville generates scoring chances. Midfielder Savannah DeMelo is the only player in the league with two direct-free kick goals, and she also has an assist – against Angel City – on another free kick from just outside the area. Second-year attacker Emina Ekic scored on a 25-yard free kick in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
On the table: A win could move Racing within a point of ninth-place Orlando and ahead of 10th-place Washington if those teams drop results in their matches. If the league standings held, Racing would have the second pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.
Giving Back: Emina Ekic and Racing Louisville FC are in the running to win the Nationwide Impact Award for volunteer service with Blessings in a Backpack, a national charity originating in Louisville that focuses on feeding children on the weekend. Nationwide and the NWSL have partnered to advance local service projects. The season-long initiative began in July and a winner will be announced in October during the NWSL Championship week. The winner of the Nationwide Impact Award receives a $25,000 donation to further the organization’s efforts.
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