Washington Spirit Set for High-Stakes Showdown Against Racing Louisville FC

Louisville, Kentucky (April 12, 2025) – The Washington Spirit will face Racing Louisville FC on Saturday, April 12, at 5 p.m. EDT, following a week off for international play. The match is set to take place at Lynn Family Stadium and will be broadcast locally on Monumental Sports Network, with streaming options available on NWSL+ and Paramount+ for fans across the United States.

In their last outing on March 28, the Spirit achieved a decisive 2-0 victory against Bay FC, driven by two first-half header goals from Ashley Hatch. Hatch is currently tied for the lead in the 2025 Golden Boot race with three goals, and her outstanding performance earned her the NWSL Player of the Week honors as well as a spot in the league’s Best XI of the Month.

The game showcased Hatch’s skill with a goal off a cross from teammate Jordan Baggett and another shortly after from a service by midfielder Krista DeCarmine, marking DeCarmine’s first assist of the season. Spirit goalkeeper, Kaela Kordun, also made a notable impact, securing her first shutout of the season while the defense limited Bay FC to just two shots on target.

Turning to the Spirit’s opponent, Racing Louisville finished at ninth place in the league last season, narrowly missing the playoffs with a 7-12-7 record. The team has proved to be tough on its home turf, suffering just two losses in their last nine matches at Lynn Family Stadium. Their recent performance against Chicago Stars FC on March 30 saw Emma Sears score the game-winning goal, becoming the seventh player to do so for Louisville in the last seven victories.

As the season unfolds, Sears remains a key player for Louisville, having scored the only goal for the club so far this season. She netted a goal in the season opener against the North Carolina Courage but was unable to secure a win in their subsequent match against Bay FC.

In the history of matchups, the Spirit has remained unbeaten in their last eight games against Racing Louisville FC, holding an overall regular-season record of 4-1-4 and a positive goal differential of +7 (17-10). The only victory for Louisville against the Spirit came during their first ever meeting in 2021.

Last season, the Spirit triumphed over Racing with a strong 4-1 victory, featuring two goals from Hatch and a converted penalty kick during Hatch’s 150th NWSL appearance. Following this Saturday’s matchup, the two teams will not meet again until August 15, when the Spirit hosts Louisville at Audi Field.