Still looking for that first win to fully liftoff in 2026, Racing Louisville FC travels south to Houston — a city with space in its DNA — for an 8:30 p.m. Friday night clash with the Dash at Shell Energy Stadium.

The contest will be the club’s final before the league pauses for an April international break.

Racing (0-2-1, 1 point) hasn’t quite gotten off to the most ideal start to life in 2026. Last Saturday in Spokane, Washington, Louisville suffered its second loss in three weeks to open the new National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season to Seattle Reign FC.

Two first-half goals from the hosts powered the Reign past Louisville, despite the visitors holding the overall statistical edge across many notable categories at the end of 90 minutes (shots on target, expected goals).

In many ways, the scorelines early on don’t necessarily paint the full picture of the performances, as head coach Bev Yanez believes her team is “in a good spot” overall.

Friday presents Louisville with an opportunity to turn some of those positives from the first three games into a victory. Recent history tells us that Racing could very well achieve just that.

Yanez’s team is unbeaten in its last four games against the Dash, including a win in its last visit to Texas. Emma Sears netted the winner in that come-from-behind 2-1 triumph last May, which memorably featured two lightning delays.

Houston (2-1-0, 6 points), under the guidance of second-year head coach Fabrice Gautrat, has started the season brightly. However, the team enters Friday’s game following its first defeat of the campaign to an in-form Angel City.

A Maggie Graham opener inside 10 minutes wasn’t enough, as two quick-fire goals in the second half allowed ACFC to down the Dash and remain perfect through three matches. Gautrat’s club, though, outscored its opponents 4-0 in its first two wins prior to that result. One of those includes a convincing victory over expansion outfit Boston Legacy FC, 3-0, in its home opener.

Follow Along

The match will be streamed on the free NWSL+ app or via plus.nwslsoccer.com. Fans can also listen to the match on Sports Talk 790AM or 790louisville.com.

For the starting lineup and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. You can also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.

Story Lines…

Welcome to the league: Among the bright spots, despite the defeat last week, was a goal right at the death for rookie Macy Blackburn — the first of her professional career. Blackburn, a 22-year-old out of Texas Tech University, is one of seven rookies on Louisville’s roster this season. The goal came off a cross from Sarah Weber. On the finish, Blackburn said, “I was just getting in the box the best that I could. … Just trying to get across my players, be big, literally get any part of my body on (the ball) that I can.”

All-around force: Due to personnel absences at the Reign, Racing shifted star Taylor Flint into an unfamiliar position: center back. As she does in the midfield so consistently, Flint produced a solid display in a new role alongside Ellie Jean in the middle of the defense, completing nearly 92% percent of her passes while leading the team in clearances (6). At this point, there isn’t much Flint can’t do.

The Stars and Stripes are calling: Ahead of the April international window, two Louisville players have been called up to represent the United States. Star winger Emma Sears was called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team, while forward Sarah Weber will join the U.S. U-23 team. Sears has netted six goals across 17 senior caps and will join the USWNT for three games against a talented Japan side this month. Weber has a goal and an assist this season, and will join the U-23s for a tournament in Spain.

Out the gate strong: Serving in an attacking midfielder role this year, Kayla Fischer has been one of Racing’s most productive players going forward early on. The Ohio State product has started in each of the last three games, collecting a goal and an assist in the process. On top of that, she is also the team leader in chances created (7). Last week, she led the team with three take-ons and tied for the most shots (3).

Just captain things: A giant reason Houston has picked up two wins from three to kick off the season is the play from veteran goalkeeper and captain Jane Campbell. To open the season, Campbell tallied nine saves away at San Diego Wave FC en route to a 1-0 win for the Dash. Her nine stops are tied for the single-game high by a goalkeeper this season. In total, Campbell has made 12 saves through 270 minutes played to go along with two clean sheets.

Visible improvement up front: Since the start of 2024, no team (excluding the two expansion sides) has netted fewer goals in league play than the Dash with 52. While it is a small sample, there are signs that the attack could be taking a step forward this year. In 2025, it took Houston five games to register five goals. This year, the team has already hit that number in two fewer matches. Its eight big chances created are also the third most in the league. Jamaican international Kiki Van Zanten is leading the way with a club-high two goals.

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Preview: What to watch for as Racing visits Houston