Match preview: Seattle Reign vs. Racing Louisville

Seattle Reign are back at home on Sunday, September 14, hosting Racing Louisville – a team that sits just one point behind them in a tight league table. The match kicks off at Lumen Field at 5 p.m. PT and will air on FOX 13+ locally and on NWSL+ and Paramount+ for all other fans.

The Reign are eager to bounce back after a disappointing road loss to the Washington Spirit last weekend, where the Reign struggled to get into their attacking half and create chances. They are also hoping to establish more dominance at home, where the Reign are 3-3-3.

Despite some difficult results in recent matches, the Reign still sit in a playoff position heading into the weekend — and can climb as high as fourth with a win. They are motivated to build some momentum to close out the regular season.

"We all know that the table's been very kind to us so far, and we want to keep pushing, but it's all about every single moment in the game, every single first and second ball, fighting for everything and getting those points. So, we're really, really fighting for those points," the Reign's leading goal-scorer, Emeri Adames, said ahead of the match.

Head-to-Head

• The Reign are 3-1-6 against Louisville in the NWSL regular season, with their only defeat coming in the semifinals of the 2023 Challenge Cup.
• That includes a 1-1-3 record at home against Racing.
• The Reign won in their last visit to Louisville, a 1-0 victory in windy conditions back in May.

2025 results

• The Reign and Louisville are one point apart, with the Reign at 27 points (7-6-6) and Louisville at 26 (7-7-5).
• The Reign have scored 25 goals and conceded 22.
• Racing has scored 25 and conceded 30.
• Last week, the Reign lost 2-0 to the Washington Spirit on the road. The Reign haven't won since August 1, but have lost just twice in their last nine games.
• Racing Louisville was riding a four-match unbeaten streak but gave up a second-half goal at home and lost 2-1 to the Portland Thorns last week.
• Racing has a strong road record – they are 4-2-3 away from home.

Offseason and midseason moves

• Louisville opted not to make any significant transfers this offseason, with much of the team's makeover coming last year. The team signed three rookies out of college: Katie O'Kane, Ella Hase, and Sarah Weber. All three players have had a strong impact this year.
• Last month, Racing acquired defender Makenna Morris through a trade with the Washington Spirit. She's signed through 2028 and should become a significant addition on the backline.

Louisville players to watch

Taylor Flint: Flint has put out an MVP-level performance this season in the holding midfield role. She's a strong disruptor, sitting at the top of the league in tackles, interceptions, and blocks. And at 6' 1", Flint is a constant threat on set pieces. She's scored four goals, with most coming on set plays. Flint has won a league high 96 aerial duels – 18 more than the player in second – and won 84.2% of all aerial challenges. As her player wheel highlights, Flint's also a progressive passer who will need to be pressured when she gets the ball.

Emma Sears: Emma Sears is a speedy winger who can shoot from distance, beat you on the dribble into the box, get on the end of her teammates' crosses, and whip in some dangerous crosses of her own. Sears has seven goals this season, setting a single-season record for Louisville.

Savannah DeMelo: The attacking midfielder is having a resurgance this year. She's a key part of Racing Louisville's attack and how they press. She's second in the league on fouls won, a sign of how comfortable she is inviting pressure. She's in the top six in shot-creating actions and has three goals and two assists this season. DeMelo is also a threat on set pieces. You don't want to give her an opportunity just outside the 18-yard box. She's lethal from there.

What to watch

Pressure: If there's one thing you should know about Racing Louisville's identity, it's that they are going to press and pressure you for 90 minutes. They sit at the top of the NWSL in possession won in their attacking third and are third in fouls committed – another sign of their desire to close down quickly on opponents.

"Louisville are very direct, very pacey on the width, not that bothered about playing through," Reign head coach Laura Harvey said. "[They] just want to get it from A to B as quickly as possible. and will pressure like their lives depends on it. So we've got to be prepared for that."

What does that mean for the Reign? First, the team will have to be smart about when they try to play through Louisville's press and when they try to go long and bypass it. In the Reign's pre-match press conference, Harvey said the team continues to focus on making better decisions in these moments.

"We're going to do more work on it today of just l deciding whether you're going to play through it, you're going to play over it, or you're going to play around it. That's something that we continue to work on every week. So, it's not new. You just know against this team that they're going to come and they're going to come fast. So how you can skip it, how you can get beyond it. You can do it in multiple ways, but being able to see what the what is on is a big part of it."

Adames echoed Harvey's comments.

"They're obviously a very aggressive team and we've talked about that, and I think we just have to play our game. Get the ball off your foot quick, but find other teammates, and I think we can find the ball in behind a lot and we can really get a good attack on them."

With just how disruptive Louisville can be, they can be punished in the same manner. Last time they faced Louisville, the Reign got their goal by finding Maddie Dahlien in a transitional moment. Can the Reign create more transitional moments like this and get Dahlien move involved – a player who hasn't scored since June?

Width and set pieces: Racing Louisville has pacey wingers on both sides of the field, with Sears being a key focus of their attack. They lead the league in crosses per match and attempted 40 (!!) crosses against the Reign as they fought to come from behind in windy conditions back in May.

Three stats: Seattle Reign vs. Racing Louisville

Looking at the data behind the Reign’s 1-0 road win.

Sounder at HeartSusie Rantz

The Reign are going to need to be strong and confident in the box, putting bodies on the line to cut off crosses and corner kicks. Louisville leads the league in goals off direct free kicks, corner kicks, and set pieces (7) – situations the Reign have struggled to defend at times this season. The Reign need to mark Flint tightly on set pieces, while also being aware of her decoy runs to open up space for other teammates on corner kicks – something Racing has done well in recent games.

Injury / Availability Report

Seattle Reign

Pending league report

Racing Louisville

Pending league report

How to watch

The Reign will host Racing Louisville at 5 p.m. PT Sunday, September 14. The match will air on NWSL+ and Paramount+, as well as on Fox 13+ in the Seattle area.