Riding a hot goal-scoring run of four goals in five games, midfielder Savannah DeMelo headlines Racing Louisville’s unchanged starting lineup at Chicago in tonight’s contest at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.
The match will be broadcast over the air on ION and streamed for free onionnwsl.com. News Talk 1080 AM or online attalkradio1080.iheart.com,and the iHeart Radio app will carry the radio broadcast.
Racing Louisville (1-2-6, 9 points) sits in 10th place through nine games. After the matchup with Chicago, the Louisvillians will have played eight of their first 10 matches against teams currently holding playoff positions, including six against the top five squads in the NWSL. Only one other NWSL team – Seattle Reign – has played more teams in playoff position than Louisville to this point in the season.
Coach Bev Yanez is sticking with the same starting XI from last weekend’s 3-3 draw at Kansas City, keeping an identical lineup for the third straight game. The grouping is 0-1-1, with the 2-1 loss to Washington on May 10 being the other time it played together.
This will be DeMelo’s 47th league start for Racing, where she is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 13 career goals. She is on course to surpass her previous best of five goals, which she scored last year. Despite that scoring record, which expands to 16 if you include NWSL Challenge Cup goals, DeMelo has never found the back of the net vs. Chicago, though her penalty in the May 12 league match against the Red Stars bounced in off goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher after hitting the post.
DeMelo will be joined in the midfield by a double pivot of Marisa DiGrande and Taylor Flint. It’s the fourth time the double pivot has started together, in line with DiGrande’s fourth start since joining the club this offseason via free agency. The Michigan native will be making her 64th career start. Flint has played every minute this season, emerging as an MVP candidate thanks to her high production across numerous defensive statistical categories.
Kayla Fischer starts out on the left wing for Louisville, her sixth start in lavender. The second-year player leads the NWSL in successful dribbles per 90 minutes (3.9), just ahead of standout rookie and starting right winger Emma Sears, who scored her second goal of the season in Kansas City. The duo will feed in to starting center forward Elexa Bahr.
The back line will make its seventh start together as a group, led by Abby Erceg, who will wear the captain’s arm band in place of the injured Jaelin Howell. Erceg and fellow center back Arin Wright will both be playing their former club. Wright played eight years in Chicago, setting the club record for most starts, with 143, and today’s match represents her first time back at SeatGeek Stadium since moving to Louisville via trade this January.
Right back Lauren Milliet will surpass 6,200 minutes played in a Racing kit in making her 73rd start and 78th appearance for the club. For left back, Carson Pickett, who has played every minute this year and is second in the league in chance creation, she moves on step closer to 150 career NWSL appearances with No. 149 tonight.
The club’s all-time leading scorer vs. Chicago — Parker Goins, with two goals — starts the game as a substitute. Also on the subs bench in forward Uchenna Kanu, who scored her first goal in a Racing shirt last year at Chicago and is tied for the team lead this year with four goals.
The subs bench also features Jordyn Bloomer and Olivia Sekany as the reserve goalkeepers; defender Ellie Jean; midfielder Linda Motlhalo; winger Maddie Pokorny; and forwards Milly Clegg and Reilyn Turner.
Midfielders Howell, Jordan Baggett, Ary Borges and Yuuka Kurosaki; defender Elli Pikkujämsä; and forward Kirsten Wright were previously listed as out in the league availability report.
Racing Louisville lineup at Kansas City Current
1 – Katie Lund
2 – Lauren Milliet
3 – Arin Wright
20 – Abby Erceg (c)
16 – Carson Pickett
14 – Marisa DiGrande
26 – Taylor Flint
13 – Emma Sears
7 – Savannah DeMelo
9 – Kayla Fischer
23 – Elexa Bahr
Substitutes:24 – Jordyn Bloomer (GK), 99 – Olivia Sekany; 5 – Ellie Jean, 10 – Linda Motlhalo, 17 – Maddie Pokorny, 18 – Milly Clegg, 21 – Parker Goins, 29 – Uchenna Kanu, 66 – Reilyn Turner
