2023 Racing Louisville FC season explained

Club:	Racing Louisville FC
Season:	2023
Chrtitle:	General manager
Chairman:	Ryan Dell
Ownertitle:	Chairman
Owner:	John Neace
Mgrtitle:	Head coach
Manager:	Kim Björkegren
Stadium:	Lynn Family Stadium (capacity: 11,700)
League:	League
League Result:	9th
Cup1:	Challenge Cup
Cup1 Result:	Runners-up
Cup2:	Playoffs
Cup2 Result:	DNQ
League Topscorer:	Savannah DeMelo (5)
Season Topscorer:	Savannah DeMelo (8)
Highest Attendance:	(Aug. 19 vs. LA)
Lowest Attendance:	(May 12 vs. CHI)
Largest Win:	3–0 (May 12 vs. CHI)
Largest Loss:	0–2 (Apr 22 vs. POR)
Pattern Name1:	Home
Pattern La1:	_racinglou23h
Pattern B1:	_racinglou23h
Pattern Ra1:	_racinglou23h
Leftarm1:	2b1558
Body1:	2b1558
Rightarm1:	2b1558
Shorts1:	2b1558
Socks1:	2b1558
Alt1:	Purple shirt with black houndstooth pattern, purple shorts, and purple socks
Pattern Name2:	Away
Pattern B2:	_racinglou22a
Leftarm2:	fff
Body2:	fff
Rightarm2:	fff
Shorts2:	bde9c9
Socks2:	fff
Alt2:	White shirt with mint green pattern, mint green shorts, and white socks
American:	true
Updated:	July 7, 2023
Prevseason:	2022
Nextseason:	2024

The 2023 Racing Louisville FC season was the team's third as a professional women's soccer team. Racing played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.

Background

See also: 2022 Racing Louisville FC season.

Hirings

On November 23, 2022, Racing announced the hiring of former NWSL player Bev Yanez, previously of the NJ/NY Gotham FC coaching staff, as the club's top assistant coach.^{[1] [2]} She replaced Louisville City FC academy director Mario Sanchez, who had served as interim head coach after the firing of head coach Christy Holly in 2021 and remained as interim assistant coach under Holly's permanent replacement Kim Björkegren.^[3]

On March 29, 2023, Racing announced the hiring of Ryan Dell, former administrator and operations manager of the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT), as Racing's first dedicated general manager.^[4] Dell was the second USWNT operations manager to become an NWSL general manager, following San Diego Wave FC's Molly Downtain.^[5]

Racing's soccer operations had previously been run by James O'Connor, president of Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville holding company Soccer Holdings, LLC, who moved to a business operations role for the parent company. The changes were made in part as a response to the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal, which included allegations from players of sexually and emotionally abusive behavior by former head coach Christy Holly. Dell reported directly to Soccer Holdings chairperson John Neace.^[6]

Kit changes

In March 2023, Racing announced new primary kits with a houndstooth pattern that referenced Secretariat owner Penny Chenery's houndstooth jackets, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown victory.^[7]

Stadium and facilities

Racing continued to play in Lynn Family Stadium, their full-time home since the team's inaugural season in 2021.

Broadcasting

On April 12, Racing announced its first local broadcasting deal with local NBC affiliate WAVE, which would broadcast seven of the team's matches on its Circle TV network, promote the team, interview players, and provide game-day weather reports. The local broadcasts would carry separate feeds and feature commentary separate from the NWSL's national broadcast and streaming partners.^[8]

Team

Staff

Sporting operations staff

Technical staff

Performance staff

Players

First-team roster

			Name			Previous team	Notes
1				March 25, 2023	2021	TCU Horned Frogs
18				March 25, 2023	2022	Michigan Wolverines
24				March 25, 2023	2022	Wisconsin Badgers
99				March 25, 2023	2023	Washington Huskies
3				March 25, 2023	2022	West Ham United
4				March 25, 2023	2021	KIF Örebro DFF	INT
5				March 25, 2023	2023	NJ/NY Gotham FC
12				March 25, 2023	2023	Vanderbilt Commodores	NTR
15				March 25, 2023	2022	Apollon Ladies F.C.
16				March 25, 2023	2022	North Carolina Courage
20				March 25, 2023	2022	North Carolina Courage
25				March 25, 2023	2023	Birmingham City	INT
44				March 25, 2023	2022	Bristol City
2				March 25, 2023	2021	North Carolina Courage
6				March 25, 2023	2022	Florida State Seminoles
7				March 25, 2023	2022	USC Trojans
8				March 25, 2023	2023	Palmeiras	INT
9				March 25, 2023	2023	Ohio State Buckeyes
17				March 25, 2023	2023	HB Køge	NTR
19				March 25, 2023	2023	Washington Spirit
26				March 25, 2023	2023	Åland United	NTR
27				March 25, 2023	2022	Melbourne Victory FC	INT
77				March 25, 2023	2022	Wuhan Jianghan University F.C.	INT
				March 25, 2023	2023	Alabama Crimson Tide
10				March 25, 2023	2021	Paris Saint-Germain	INT
11				March 25, 2023	2022	Atlético Madrid	INT
13				March 25, 2023	2021	Louisville Cardinals
14				March 25, 2023	2022	North Carolina Courage
21				March 25, 2023	2022	Arkansas Razorbacks
22				March 25, 2023	2021	Texas Tech Red Raiders
29				March 25, 2023	2023	Tigres UANL	INT

Competitions

NWSL Challenge Cup

See main article: 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup.

Knockout rounds

See also: 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup final.

Regular season

See main article: 2023 National Women's Soccer League season.

Results by matchday

Statistics

Goalscorers, per competition

Player	Goals by competition
				Name				Total
1		7			5	3	—	8
2		21			1	2	—	3
	5			3	0	—	3
4		8			1	1	—	2
	22			2	0	—	2
	77			2	0	—	2
7		20			1	0	—	1
	9			0	1	—	1
	29			0	1	—	1
	11			1	0	—	1
	4			1	0	—	1
Total	17	8	—	25

Assists by player, per competition

Player	Assists by competition
				Name				Total
1		7			2	1	—	3
2		5			0	2	—	2
3		19			0	1	—	1
	8			0	1	—	1
	22			1	0	—	1
	9			1	0	—	1
	16			0	1	—	1
	11			0	1	—	1
	2			1	0	—	1
	77			1	0	—	1
Total	6	7	—	13

Disciplinary cards by player, per competition

Player				Total
				Name
1		7			5	1	0	0	—		5	1
2		8			3	0	1	0	—		4	0
	6			4	0	0	0	—		4	0
4		11			2	0	1	0	—		3	0
	16			3	0	0	0	—		3	0
6		20			1	0	1	0	—		2	0
	9			1	0	1	0	—		2	0
	25			1	0	1	0	—		2	0
	29			0	0	2	0	—		2	0
	2			2	0	0	0	—		2	0
	4			1	1	0	0	—		1	1
12		5			1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	77			1	0	0	0	—		1	0
Total	25	2	7	0	—		32	2

Awards

NWSL monthly awards

Best XI of the Month

Month			Player
May			Savannah DeMelo	^[9]
June			Abby Erceg	^[10]
		Savannah DeMelo (2)

NWSL weekly awards

Player of the Week

			Player	Won
1					^[11]
2					^[12]
3					^[13]
7					^[14]
8					^[15]
12					^[16]

Save of the Week

			Player	Won
4					^[17]
8					^[18]
10					^[19]

Transactions

Draft selections

Draft selections are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2023 NWSL Draft was held on January 12, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

2023 NWSL Draft selections, by round

				Player	College	Status
2	16				Ohio State University	Signed to a two-year contract on March 17, 2023.	^[20] ^[21]
17				University of Notre Dame	Not signed, rights waived.	^[22]
3	29				Ohio State University	Not signed, rights waived.
31				University of Alabama	Signed to a one-year contract with an option for an additional year.	^[23] ^[24]

Contracts

Contract expirations

Date			Player	Notes
November 15, 2022				Contract option mutually declined.
				Contract expired.

Contract re-signings

Date			Player	Notes
November 15, 2022				Contract option exercised.	^[25]
January 10, 2023				Signed a contract extension for a third year through 2025.	^[26]
January 20, 2023				Signed a three-year contract extension.	^[27]
February 6, 2023				Signed a three-year contract extension.	^[28]
March 13, 2023				Signed a three-year contract extension.	^[29]

Loans

Loans out

Date			Player	Destination club	Fee/notes
September 27, 2022				Western United FC	Loaned through 2022–23 A-League Women season ending in April.	^[30]
October 16, 2022				Western Sydney Wanderers FC		Loaned through 2022–23 A-League Women season ending in February.	^[31]
October 18, 2022							^[32]
October 20, 2022							^[33]
November 7, 2022					^[34]
February 2, 2023					Loaned through 2022–23 Liga MX Femenil Clausura in June.

Transfers

Transfers in

Date			Player	Former club	Fee/notes
December 9, 2022				KIF Örebro DFF	Signed to a two-year contract with a mutual option for a third year.	^[35]
December 23, 2022				Palmeiras	Signed to a three-year contract.	^[36]
January 12, 2023				NJ/NY Gotham FC	Acquired with $150,000 in allocation money and an international roster slot for the 2023 season, in exchange for the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.	^[37]
January 23, 2023				North Carolina Courage	Acquired in exchange for Emily Fox.	^[38]
				North Carolina Courage
February 2, 2023				Tigres UANL	Acquired for a $150,000 transfer fee paid with allocation money with an additional $30,000 fee if Kanu scores 12 or more goals during the 2023 NWSL season, and signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year.	^[39] ^[40]
April 25, 2023				Washington Spirit	Acquired in exchange for a second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft.
April 25, 2023				HB Køge	Signed as a short-term national team replacement player.	^[41]
July 20, 2023				Åland United	Signed as a short-term national team replacement player.	^[42]
July 20, 2023				Vanderbilt Commodores	Signed as a short-term national team replacement player.

Transfers out

Date			Player	Destination club	Fee/notes
January 23, 2023				North Carolina Courage	Traded in exchange for Abby Erceg and Carson Pickett.
March 25, 2023				Chicago Red Stars	Free-agent signing.	^[43]

Preseason trialists

		Player	Previous club
			University of Tennessee
			Racing Louisville FC (USL W League)
			University of Washington	^[44]
			Pepperdine Waves	^[45]

Notes and References

1. Racing hires Bev Yanez as new assistant coach . June 2, 2023 . November 23, 2022 . . en-US.
2. News: Kriger . Rachael . November 23, 2022 . Bev Yanez named assistant coach at Racing Louisville FC . The Equalizer . June 2, 2023 . en-US.
3. March 8, 2022 . Racing coach Björkegren rounding out coaching staff . June 2, 2023 . . en-US.
4. March 29, 2023 . Longtime USWNT staffer Dell named Racing's first general manager . June 2, 2023 . . en-US.
5. Web site: Linehan . Meg . Louisville hires USWNT team manager Ryan Dell as GM: Q&A . March 29, 2023 . June 2, 2023 . . en.
6. News: How Racing's new general manager hopes to help the team move on from abuse scandal . June 2, 2023 . Bailey . Loosemore . . en-US.
7. News: March 22, 2023 . Racing Louisville unveils new houndstooth kits that honor Secretariat's owner . June 2, 2023 . . en.
8. Racing, WAVE partner on club's first local broadcast deal . April 12, 2023 . June 2, 2023 . . en-US.
9. . June 5, 2023 . National Women's Soccer League Announces May Best XI of the Month, Presented by Mastercard . June 5, 2023.
10. National Women's Soccer League Announces June Best XI of the Month, Presented by Mastercard . . July 5, 2023 . July 5, 2023.
11. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1640390015824932867 . Week 1 in the books! Who is your Player of the Week? . March 27, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . en.
12. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1642886333168328706 . April 3, 2023 . Get your votes in for the @budlight Player of the Week! . en . June 5, 2023.
13. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1647971865074315264 . April 17, 2023 . Cast your vote for the @budlight Player of the Week . en . June 5, 2023.
14. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1658178185186385920 . May 15, 2023 . Some great performances this week! . en . June 5, 2023.
15. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1660703865866428419 . May 22, 2023 . We've seen some impressive performances this week! . en . June 5, 2023.
16. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1671149922077253634 . June 20, 2023 . ✨Dazzling performances✨ . en . June 20, 2023.
17. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1650917583082627076 . April 25, 2023 . Save of the week is back! Cast your vote ✅ . en . June 6, 2023.
18. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1661152989133045762 . May 23, 2023 . A new @DeloitteUS Impact Save of the Week poll! . en . June 6, 2023.
19. National Women's Soccer League . National Women's Soccer League . NWSL . 1666619036703117312 . June 7, 2023 . Unbelievable stops . en . June 7, 2023.
20. Racing selects four college standouts in 2023 NWSL Draft . January 12, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
21. Racing signs 2023 NWSL Draft pick Fischer to first pro deal . March 17, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
22. Racing makes preseason roster moves before Chicago scrimmage . February 18, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
23. Web site: NWSL Transfer Tracker: 2022-23 Offseason . October 17, 2022 . June 6, 2023 . The Equalizer.
24. Racing signs draft pick Riley Parker to contract . February 1, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
25. Racing announces initial offseason roster moves . November 15, 2022 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
26. Midfield anchor Howell extends contract with Racing . January 10, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
27. Katie Lund extends contract with Racing . January 20, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
28. Paige Monaghan signs three-year deal with Racing . February 6, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
29. Pickett signs new multi-year contract with Racing Louisville . March 13, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
30. Racing goalkeeper Beall loaned to Australian club . September 27, 2022 . June 30, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
31. Racing goalkeeper Bloomer goes on loan to Australian club . October 16, 2022 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
32. Racing forward McDonald to spend loan stint in Australia . October 18, 2022 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
33. Racing midfielder Chidiac returns home to Australia on loan . October 20, 2022 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
34. Ekic will 'see a different part of the world' on loan in Australia . November 7, 2022 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
35. Finnish defender Pikkujämsä inks with Racing . December 9, 2022 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
36. Racing signs young Brazilian star Ary Borges . December 23, 2022 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
37. News: Racing Louisville trades 4th pick for Paige Monaghan, 150K allocation money, and an international slot ahead of draft . January 12, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . The Equalizer . Bekki . Morgan.
38. Racing adds all-league talents Erceg, Pickett via trade . January 23, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
39. Racing signs star forward Uchenna Kanu, loans Riley Parker . February 2, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
40. News: Former Alabama Soccer team captain headed to Liga MX Femenil side . February 2, 2023 . Martha Glen . Sease . UA Gameday.
41. Beall, Parker rejoin Racing; Pokorny signs as national team replacement player . June 29, 2023 . June 30, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
42. Racing Signs Aylmer, Shamburger to National Team Replacement Player Contracts . July 20, 2023 . July 21, 2023 . OurSportsCentral . Racing Louisville FC.
43. Chicago Red Stars sign Cheyna Matthews and Sami Feller . March 25, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Chicago Red Stars.
44. Racing updates roster ahead of Portland preseason tournament . March 7, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.
45. Watson rejoins preseason roster for Portland games . March 12, 2023 . June 6, 2023 . Racing Louisville FC.