Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Pride end their road schedule with a critical game against Racing Louisville FC.
Welcome to your match thread as the Orlando Pride (9-10-1, 28 points) continue their push for the playoffs with a trip to face Racing Louisville FC (5-6-9, 24 points). This is the second and final time these teams will face off in 2023.
Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.
History
This is the third season of existence for Racing Louisville. The two teams have played seven times so far, with the Pride going 2-2-3 (2-2-2 in NWSL games and 0-0-1 in the NWSL Challenge Cup).
The most recent meeting between the two teams was on May 6, 2023 at Exploria Stadium. Messiah Bright gave the Pride an early lead and the hosts held on for 69 minutes for the 1-0 win. It was the first home win of 2023 for the Pride and their second win of the season.
The first meeting between the two in 2022 was on Sept. 16 in Louisville. The Pride got off to a quick start, but Louisville struck first when Nadia Nadim was left open in front of goal for a tap-in. The hosts doubled their lead on a great strike by Savannah DeMelo from outside of the box, and the Pride fell 2-0.
The first meeting last year was in a unique setting, taking place at Daytona International Speedway on July 3. The game was a part of the 2022 Daytona SoccerFest and was the first time a soccer game was played at a racetrack. Emina Ekic gave Louisville a halftime lead and DeMelo doubled the lead shortly after the break. However, the Pride fought back with goals by Kylie Strom and Darian Jenkins, pulling out a 2-2 draw. The game launched a seven-game unbeaten run that pulled the Pride back into the playoff race.
The first year the two teams met was in 2021 during the NWSL Challenge Cup in Louisville. CeCe Kizer gave the hosts the lead early, but Taylor Kornieck equalized just before halftime. It looked like the Pride would win when Abi Kim scored late, but Brooke Hendrix equalized in second-half injury time and the teams drew 2-2.
The teams played three times in the 2021 regular season, with the first meeting coming on July 9 in Orlando. Ebony Salmon gave Louisville the lead but Sydney Leroux scored to force a 1-1 draw with a goal in second-half injury time. The second meeting was on Sept. 11 in Orlando. The Pride took a 2-0 lead into the break with goals by Leroux and Marta. Kizer got one back, but Alex Morgan’s conversion sealed three points for the Pride.
The final meeting of 2021 was in the penultimate game of the year for both teams. The Pride needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they got off to a good start when Jodie Taylor scored in the third minute. However, the game slipped away as Salmon and Katie McClure scored on either side of halftime and Yuki Nagasato made the final 3-1.
Overview
Losses on Aug. 25 to San Diego Wave FC and on Sept. 3 to OL Reign seemed to erase any chance that the Pride had could make the postseason. However, back-to-back, one-goal wins over the North Carolina Courage on Sept. 3 and Angel City FC Monday night have put the Pride in charge of their own destiny. If they win their final two games, they’ll qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2017.
The key offensive player for the Pride recently has been Adriana, who has scored in three of the last four games. Her goal against the Courage ended up being the winner after Manaka Matsukubo got one back for the opposition in a 2-1 result and her 22nd-minute goal in Los Angeles Monday night held up as the only conversion of the game.
The Pride defense is what’s really been impressive recently. The back line of Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Madril, and Haley McCutcheon have recorded five clean sheets in their last seven games and have only conceded multiple goals once in that stretch. It’s a big reason why the Pride are in the position they are, with a good chance to make the playoffs.
They’ll be looking for another clean sheet against a team that has struggled offensively this season in Louisville. Tonight’s opposition has only scored 22 goals this season, tied for second-fewest in the NWSL. However, they’ve been a strong defensive team, giving up just 20 goals this season, also second-fewest in the league.
The main player to look out for in the attack is U.S. international DeMelo, who has a team-high five goals and two assists. But this team has spread their goals around, with Kirsten Davis and Paige Monaghan scoring three goals and Abby Erceg, Thembi Kgatlana, and Wang Shuang scoring twice.
Louisville comes into this game struggling , losing back-to-back games to the Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars. However, that’s not on their defense, as the back line hasn’t given up multiple goals in a game since July 1. As a result, this will likely be a defensive battle between two teams trying desperately to claim a playoff spot.
“It’s a quick turnaround, with the highs of Monday night away at Angel City FC and then coming here to Louisville,” Pride Head Coach Seb Hines said about tonight’s game. “Obviously, we’ve traveled and had our first training session since the game. Recovery is also important so that we can go out and put on a performance on Friday night.”
The Pride continue to play without Carrie Lawrence (knee), Viviana Villacorta (knee), and Erika Tymrak (excused absence). Unfortunately, star attacker Adriana (knee) has also been added to the injury report, listed as questionable.
Racing Louisville has a lengthy list of players out injured tonight, including Jordyn Bloomer (back), Ary Borges (knee), Jordan Baggett (lower leg), and Parker Goins (head). The other players out are Wang Shuang (international duty), Uchenna Kanu (suspended), and Jess McDonald (maternity leave). Jaelin Howell (ankle) is listed as questionable.
Official Lineups
Orlando Pride (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Kylie Strom, Rafaelle, Emily Madril, Celia.
Defensive Midfielders: Haley McCutcheon, Jordyn Listro.
Midfielders: Kerry Abello, Marta, Adriana.
Forward: Messiah Bright.
Bench: Carly Nelson, Ally Watt, Mikayla Cluff, Amanda Allen, Mariana Larroquette, Julie Doyle, Megan Montefusco, Brianna Martinez, Summer Yates.
Racing Louisville FC (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Katie Lund.
Defenders: Carson Pickett, Abby Erceg, Julia Lester, Lauren Milliet.
Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo, Elli Pikkujamsa, Taylor Aylmer.
Forwards: Paige Monaghan, Nadia Nadim, Thembi Kgatlana
Bench: Jaelin Howell, Kayla Fischer, Emina Ekic, Maddie Pokorny, Hillary Beall, Kirsten Davis, Rebecca Holloway, Olivia Sekany.
Referees
REF: Kevin Broadley.
AR1: Mike Nickerson.
AR2: Jacob Little.
4TH: Kevin Fikar.
VAR: Shawn Tehini.
AVAR: Karen Coulson.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium — Louisville, KY.
TV: FOX 35 Plus.
Streaming: Paramount+ (U.S.), NWSLsoccer.com (international).
Twitter: For live updates and rapid reaction, follow @TheManeLand and the Orlando Pride’s official Twitter feed (@ORLPride).
Enjoy the match. Go Pride!