When: Saturday, October 4 | Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET | Watch: ION | Where: First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
CARY, N.C. (Oct. 3, 2025) — The North Carolina Courage host Racing Louisville on Saturday, October 4, at 7:30 p.m. ET at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in a crucial battle for playoff position. The match will be broadcast on ION.
The Courage and Racing sit on either side of the playoff line heading into the weekend, with Racing holding the final spot with an 8W-9L-5D record (29 points) and the Courage sitting just below in ninth with a 7W-8L-7D record (28 points).
The middle of the NWSL table remains heavily congested heading into the final four games of the regular season, with just six points separating fifth-place Orlando from 10th-place Houston.
Saturday is also the Courage’s Play4Kay game, a special tribute night aimed at raising awareness of women’s cancer, inspiring hope, and creating a community of support in partnership with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
The Courage fell, 2-1, in Seattle last weekend. Hannah Betfort scored the lone goal for the Courage in that match, heading home a cross from Ryan Williams to open the scoring. Racing picked up a 1-0 home win against Angel City thanks to a 66’ goal from Sarah Weber in their Week 22 matchup.
The Racing offense runs through former Ohio State Buckeye Emma Sears. The USWNT forward has a team-leading eight goals this season and has also been a creative force, creating 16 chances, the fourth-highest tally on the team.
Taylor Flint is a force to be reckoned with in midfield, with four goals and one assist. The 6-foot-1 midfielder leads the league in duels won with 240. Janine Sonis and midseason acquisition Makenna Morris give Racing strong creativity from the wide defensive positions as well.
Manaka Matsukubo continues to headline the Courage attack with a team-leading 10 goal contributions this season. Manaka, Riley Jackson, and Shinomi Koyama give the Courage an incredibly young but effective midfield trio. All three players are 21 years old or younger, but have been significant contributors on both sides of the ball for the Courage.
The first meeting between the Courage and Racing this season ended in a 1-1 draw in the season opener, with Riley Jackson scoring the Courage’s goal in that match. The Courage are 8W-1L-1D against Louisville in NWSL regular season play.
The Details
What they’ll wear:
Courage — Field: Pink/Pink/Pink | GK: Black
Racing — Field: Lavender/Lavender/Lavender | GK: Blue
2025 Records:
Courage — 7W-8L-7D (9th, 28 points)
Racing — 8W-9L-5D (8th, 29 points)
Courage vs. Racing (Regular Season): 8W-1L-1D
Last time out:
Courage — 2-1 Loss, at Seattle Reign
Racing — 1-0 Win, vs Angel City
Up next:
The Courage remain at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park to host the Washington Spirit on Saturday, October 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on ION and tickets are available here.
