Table of Contents
San Diego Wave FC will travel to Lynn Family Stadium Friday afternoon to face Racing Louisville FC in a matchup with major playoff implications.
The Wave enter the match with 45 points and currently sit third in the NWSL standings, putting them in position to host a playoff match if they can remain in the top four.
Louisville, meanwhile, sits 15th with 23 points, but San Diego will have to avoid overlooking a team that already showed how dangerous it can be in the teams' most recent meeting.
The Wave faced Louisville less than a month ago at Snapdragon Stadium, where Racing raced out to a 2-0 lead before San Diego completely flipped the match in the second half. Trinity Byars scored twice to level the game before Kenza Dali came off the bench to score the winner in the 80th minute, completing a thrilling 3-2 comeback.
Friday's matchup also brings an interesting subplot as Jordan Fusco, who made nine appearances for San Diego this season, is now on loan with Racing through the end of 2026.
Get the best coverage of San Diego FC and San Diego Wave straight into your inbox.
Match Information
Teams: San Diego Wave FC vs Racing Louisville FC
Referees: Joshua Encarnacion (Ref), Seun Yinka-Kehinde (AR1), Chris Schurfranz (AR2), Salvador Flores (4th), Anya Voigt (VAR), Jay Norris (AVAR)
Date: September 25th, 2026
Time: 3:30 pm, Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky
TV: NWSL+ & KUSI
Forecast: 73º/52º. 72º at kickoff. Sunny. 6 mph winds. 10% chance of rain. 45% humidity.
Wave Wins:4
Wave Goals: 12
Draws: 3
Louisville Wins: 2
Louisville Goals: 6
Last Meeting: Wave 3-2 Louisville
Racing Louisville FC
The Numbers
2026 Goal Leaders: Kayla Fischer (7) | Emma Sears (7)
2026 Assist Leaders: Lauiren Milliet (6)
Last Match: Louisville 0-2 Bay FC
Racing Louisville Overview
Racing Louisville FC enters Friday's matchup with the San Diego Wave coming off a 2-0 loss to Bay FC, extending its losing streak to five games.
Louisville managed to hold Bay scoreless through the opening 45 minutes, but two goals within a six-minute span early in the second half changed the game. Alex Pfeiffer opened the scoring in the 50th minute before Karlie Lema doubled Bay's lead six minutes later. Louisville finished the match with just six shots and 0.58 expected goals compared to Bay's 22 shots and 2.80 xG.
The result also continued a concerning trend for Racing.
Louisville has now conceded within the first five minutes of the second half in three of its last four matches. Head coach Bev Yanez pointed to the team's difficulty securing the ball in transition as an issue in the first half, something the Wave will likely look to pressure again on Friday.
Player to Watch
One of the biggest players for San Diego to watch will be Emma Sears.
The 25-year-old forward has been one of Louisville's most productive attacking players in 2026, entering the matchup with seven goals and five assists. She was also named to the NWSL August Best XI after recording two braces during the month and helping Louisville put together a four-game winning streak.
6 goal contributions in her last 3 matches 💯
— Racing Louisville FC (@RacingLouFC) August 19, 2026
Emma Sears is on fireee 🔥#LOUvSEA | @FireballWhisky pic.twitter.com/TbpJPx8DbN
Sears returned to Louisville's starting lineup for the Bay FC match after coming off the bench against Gotham the week before. She started and played the full match in Louisville's 2-0 loss, meaning the Wave should expect to see her involved again on Friday. Sears has also already seen plenty of the Wave this season, playing 89 minutes in Louisville's 3-2 loss at Snapdragon Stadium on Aug. 28.
How Can the Wave Exploit Louisville
San Diego should have opportunities to pressure Louisville early and attack in transition. Racing has struggled to maintain control of matches when opponents can force them into uncomfortable defensive situations, and its recent results have featured some significant second-half lapses.
Against Bay, Louisville was outshot 22-6 and held only 40.5% possession, while its first-half struggles were partly attributed to its inability to secure the ball in transition.
The Wave also have recent evidence that sustained pressure can wear Louisville down. San Diego fell behind 2-0 in the teams' Aug. 28 meeting, but finished with 32 shots, 10 shots on goal and 71.9% possession while scoring three times in the second half to complete the comeback.
With Louisville again dealing with several absences, including Taylor Flint, the Wave can look to move the ball quickly, attack spaces before Racing can get organized and test a defense that has struggled to protect leads.
Jordan Fusco adds another interesting storyline to the matchup. The midfielder recently left San Diego on loan for Louisville through the end of the 2026 season, giving the Wave a familiar face on the opposite side of the field. Fusco was previously listed among Louisville's substitutes but did not appear in the recent Bay FC match.
San Diego Wave FC
The Numbers
2026 Goal Leaders: Trinity Byars (10)
2026 Assist Leaders: Lia Godfrey (4) | Gia Corley (4) | Dudinha (4)
Last Match: Wave 2-0 Current
San Diego Wave FC Overview
San Diego Wave FC are heading into Friday’s matchup with Racing Louisville FC riding a strong stretch of results. The Wave have won their last two matches, including a 2-1 victory over the North Carolina Courage and a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Current. The latest result was another example of San Diego finding a way to control a match defensively, even when the attack took time to break through.
Against Kansas City, the Wave held a scoreless first half before finally finding the breakthrough in the 50th minute through a Current own goal. Kennedy Wesley then headed home a Kenza Dali free kick in stoppage time to seal the three points. San Diego finished with 15 shots and four on target while limiting Kansas City to four shots on target, extending the Wave’s unbeaten streak at Snapdragon Stadium to five matches.
Player to Watch
Perle Morroni has been one of the Wave’s most consistent pieces throughout the 2026 season.
The left back has started all 24 out of 25 games this season, playing 2,104 minutes while completing 82% of her passes. She has also recorded 47 tackles and 38 interceptions, showing just how much work she contributes on both sides of the ball.
Morroni’s impact goes beyond her defensive numbers. Her ability to push forward and combine with San Diego’s attackers gives the Wave another way to stretch opposing defenses. She has repeatedly created opportunities from the left side, including setting up Trinity Byars during the Wave’s win over Utah and sending dangerous service into the box against North Carolina. Against Gotham, she also spent significant stretches dealing with Rose Lavelle and Jordynn Dudley as San Diego worked to contain Gotham’s attack.
The Formula for Success
The biggest priority for San Diego will be staying organized when Louisville wins the ball. The Wave dominated possession during their first meeting in August and finished with 32 shots, but Louisville still found a way to score twice in the opening 23 minutes by attacking in transition and from a set piece.
San Diego eventually turned the match around, but giving Louisville another early advantage would make the task much harder.
San Diego will also need to balance its aggressive fullback play with enough defensive cover behind the ball. Morroni and Mimi Van Zanten frequently push forward to help stretch defenses, which can create dangerous attacking opportunities but also leaves space for opponents to attack if possession is lost.
The Wave showed against Kansas City that they can defend as a unit and recover their shape, with Kennedy Wesley and Kristen McNabb repeatedly clearing dangerous crosses. If San Diego can maintain that defensive discipline while quickly turning recoveries into attacking transitions, it can put Louisville under pressure without leaving itself vulnerable on the counter.
