Friday night at Lynn Family Stadium was your classic tale of two halves.

Racing Louisville FC led by two at the half in front of a lively home-opening crowd, only for the visiting Washington Spirit to claw all the way back in the second half to force a 2-2 final result in a playoff quarterfinal rematch.

A Kayla Fischer opener, followed by some solo brilliance by Emma Sears, allowed the hosts to head into halftime up two goals. Sofia Cantore and Leicy Santos flipped the script in the final period for the Spirit, with the two netting goals 24 minutes apart to prevent Louisville’s first-ever home-opener triumph.

The result was also the fifth time across now seven matches that these two teams have drawn at Lynn Family Stadium — 2-2 is also a familiar scoreline for Racing when it comes to home openers, as two others finished the same way (2023, 2024).

“Thought it was a good first half, go into half up 2-0, ” said head coach Bev Yanez. “Spoke a little bit on our press and in possession shapes that we felt we could be a bit more composed in. Spoke about us needing to take it up a notch, energy-wise, to be up 2-0 to come out because they were, obviously, going to take it up a notch on their end as well.

“It’s unfortunate, you don’t ever want to be in a position where you’re up 2-0 and you’re tied 2-2 with your home-opening match. Again, the effort is never in question. I just think there was a lot of moments this match where … there were multiple times in the transition moments that we just turned it over too quickly.”

Louisville was no doubt tested early by a dynamic Washington frontline. Jordyn Bloomer stood on her head, however, on numerous occasions to keep the match level, including two saves within minutes of each other.

“Definitely wasn’t short of work tonight,” Bloomer said. “It’s never really what I hope. My ideal game is that I never have to touch, and I can keep a clean sheet with zero saves on the night. To be called upon as quickly as we were and to be able to keep us in early was big to help us get that early lead and keep momentum on our side.”

Propelled by Bloomer’s stops, Racing went on to punish Washington at the other end. Fischer found the net 28 minutes in, set up by Sears, before the USWNT star got one for herself 15 minutes later — darting nearly three-quarters of the field with an explosive solo run and capping it with a top-class finish. It all stemmed from an important defensive intervention by her former Ohio State teammate, Fischer.

Washington, a team equipped with a variety of talent from across the globe, turned the match around when the teams came out of the locker rooms.

It only took five minutes for the Italian Cantore to halve the deficit with a sublime goal from long range. The Spirit kept at it, and eventually found a way through again, with Santos equalizing by way of a one-touch finish in the 74th-minute.

It was a familiar feeling for Louisville, one it unfortunately experienced many times last season — a lead that looked safe, gone.

Racing is now 0-1-1 after two matches, with this result coming after a 2-1 defeat to open the season in North Carolina.

“I think we are disappointed,” captain Lauren Milliet said. “I think we do need to find a way to close those matches out. … When you go up 2-0, especially, I thought we had a decent performance in the first half, I think we have to find a way to close those games. Obviously, we’re okay with a point, but we want the three.”

It’s back on the road next week for Louisville, as it begins a two-game away swing in Washington state against Seattle Reign FC at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. In the two encounters last year, Seattle edged Racing by an identical scoreline in each win: 1-0. The trip then concludes the following Friday in Houston, when Louisville meets the Dash.

Game Summary: Racing Louisville FC vs. Washington Spirit

Date: March 20, 2025

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET

Weather: 74 degrees, clear

Attendance: 5,722

Scoring

Racing Louisville FC (2, 0, 2)

Washington Spirit (0, 2, 2)

Goals:

Racing Louisville FC:

28’ Kayla Fischer (Emma Sears)

43’ Emma Sears

Washington Spirit:

50’ Sofia Cantore (Rosemonde Kouassi)

74’ Leicy Santos (Rosemonde Kouassi)

Lineups

Racing Louisville FC: 24 – Jordyn Bloomer; 15 – Mirann Gacioch, 8 – Courtney Petersen, 5 – Ellie Jean, 2 – Lauren Milliet (c), 26 – Taylor Flint, 20 – Katie O’Kane, 9 – Kayla Fischer (89’ 88 – Audrey McKeen), 6 – Ella Hase (66’ 11 – Taylor White), 13 – Emma Sears, 42 – Sarah Weber (66’ 10 – Macey Hodge)

Subs not used: 1 – Maddie Prohaska; 19 – Avery Ciorbu, 21 – Rachel Hill, 22 – Natalie Mitchell, 23 – Macy Blackburn

Head Coach: Bev Yanez

Washington Spirit: 18 – Sandy MacIver; 13 – Lucia Di Guglielmo, 9 – Tara Rudd (c), 24 – Esme Morgan, 14 – Gabrielle Carle, 4 – Rebeca Bernal (77’ 20 – Deborah Abiodun), 17 – Hal Hershfelt, 19 – Rosemonde Kouassi (77’ 16 – Tamara Bolt), 10 – Leicy Santos (90’+2 12 – Andi Sullivan), 2 – Trinity Rodman (69’ 11 – Claudia Martínez), 27 – Sofia Cantore (69’ 21 – Gift Monday)

Subs not used: 31 – Kaylie Collins; 5 – Élisabeth Tsé, 26 – Paige Metayer, 35 – Madison Haugen

Head Coach: Adrián González

Stats Summary: Racing Louisville FC / Washington Spirit

Shots: 8 / 20

Shots on Goal: 3 / 10

Expected goals: 0.86 / 1.71

Possession: 27.9% / 72.1%

Fouls: 13 / 7

Offside: 1 / 1

Corners: 3 / 5

Discipline Summary

Racing Louisville FC:

76’ Emma Sears (yellow)

90’+6 Taylor Flint (yellow)

Match referee:

Calin Radosav

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Racing gives up first-half lead, settles for draw vs. Washington in home opener