**Louisville, Kentucky** – Angel City FC was able to overcome an early deficit to defeat Racing Louisville FC, 3-2, thanks to a penalty kick from midfielder Savannah McCaskill in the third minute of stoppage time to lift her side late on.
In the 29 ^th minute, Louisville opened the scoring through a spectacular finish from defender Gemma Bonner. Forward Jessica McDonald had earned a free kick for the hosts on the right side of the field just outside the 18-yard box, with midfielder Savannah DeMelo stepping up to take. Crossing a low ball in, the defender Bonner produced an outrageous finish on the spin to beat Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic and put her team in front.
However, not too long after, Angel City found their equalizer on the break through forward Christen Press. In the 36 ^th minute, a long ball over the top set Press free in Louisville territory with the playmaker looking to close space on goal. In behind the Louisville defense and close in on Racing goalkeeper Katie Lund, Press produced a calm finish to Lund’s left for her second goal of the season to bring the visitors level before the break.
Two minutes later, Press nearly doubled her tally and her side’s tally all in one move as teammate Miri Taylor snuck down to the endline and played a ball across goal for the forward to latch onto. However, though Press made fine contact in sending the ball on frame, Lund was in great position to make the save and kept the effort out.
In the 42 ^nd minute, Angel City nearly gave away the equalizer they had worked so hard to earn after losing the ball deep in their own territory. After a giveaway some 25+ yards away from goal, Louisville’s Lauren Milliet broke through on goal and played the ball to the froward McDonald, but Haracic was able to rush out, get big and repel the shot from just inside the box to save her side.
At the break, Angel City would argue that they could have been in the lead, though the hosts Louisville might make the same claim all while they sat even at one apiece through the 45 minutes of action.
Coming out of the break, Angel City needed just two minutes to nudge themselves ahead as again Press was active in front of goal, though it was midfielder Savannah McCaskill who saw it over the line. Streaking down the right and cutting inside to her left, Press attempted to curl a left-footed shot to the far post past Lund, but the intervening run of McCaskill resulted in the midfielder making contact with the ball with her chest to get the ball over the line.
However, just after the hour mark, Louisville was awarded a penalty kick in an odd sequence that saw forward Christen Press go down in her own 18-yard box after losing possession, only for moments later Savannah DeMelo to go under the challenge of Megan Reid for a spot kick. Up to take from 12 yards out, substitute forward Nadia Nadim sent Haracic the wrong way to help pull the hosts back level.
Two minutes later, though, it was Louisville’s turn to nearly give away their level standing as a back pass from Bonner to Lund resulted in Lund barely getting a clearance off amidst the onrushing Simone Charley, but the clearance bounced off Charley and back into the palms of Lund as all of Louisville collectively exhaled and the score remained level.
In the 75 ^th minute, Angel City came close again as attacker Jun Endo picked up the ball after a blocked effort by teammate Cari Roccaro moments earlier and danced her way through the box. Endo cut left and powered a left-footed effort on goal that the netminder Lund was able to get in front of, though she would need a moment to recover after contact with her head on the shot.
In the 87 ^th minute, Louisville midfielder Emina Ekic nearly produced a moment of magic that would’ve sent the noise level across the river and into the state of Indiana had she finished off the move. Dribbling from the left side into the box and then through a pair of defender, Ekic wriggled around and fired an effort on goal that was deflected narrowly wide by an Angel City defender to concede a corner, though the hosts were ultimately unable to convert.
Heading into stoppage time, though, Angel City forward Simone Charley charged into the right side of the penalty area and went down in a collision with Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund resulting in a penalty kick. Up to take for the visitors, Savannah McCaskill buried the chance to her left to give Angel City a late lead and break a few hearts in Louisville.
The difference maker in the third of six minutes of stoppage time, McCaskill’s score lifted Angel City FC over Racing Louisville FC as a back-and-forth affair saw the visitors claim all three points at Lynn Family Stadium.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights