**LOUISVILLE, Ky.** – Racing Louisville FC came back from a one-goal deficit against Portland Thorns FC on Saturday night to defeat the visitors, 2-1, for a first-ever win over the Thorns in regular season play. After Morgan Weaver opened the scoring for Portland, two goals in four minutes from Abby Erceg and Thembi Kgatlana in the 60 ^th and 64 ^th minutes propelled the hosts in the end.
The two sides traded chances early on, though Louisville had multiple looks on goal and appeared the more dominant team. The best look in the opening minutes came after 6 minutes, when Louisville midfielder Paige Monaghan smashed the crossbar from a few feet out. A ball across the box found Monaghan near the back post, but as she settled the ball, she did not lean forward enough to keep her effort down and it rattled the bar before eventually being seen away.
However, Portland turned the game on its head just a few seconds later when Thorns forward Morgan Weaver pounced on a loose pass between Louisville defenders to drive forward. After intercepting, she managed to get around Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund and keep her composure before she fired a powerful shot around Racing defenders that rippled the back of the net. The goal was Weaver’s sixth of the season.
Louisville then carried the lion’s share of the chances the rest of the way through, with forwards Thembi Kgatlana, as well as defender Lauren Milliet and midfielder Ary Borges testing Bixby in some form of fashion among others. In the 8 ^th minute, Kgatlana got in behind the Portland and was able to fire a shot toward goal, but her effort was high over the crossbar as a golden chance came to equalize. In the 33 ^rd minute, midfielder Lauren Milliet strove ahead through her attacking half just right of the center of the field. Milliet then got close enough in on goal to opt for either a cross or a shot, and she went for a curling effort toward Bixby’s back post that the goalkeeper was equal to.
A break in the looks for Louisville came when Weaver threatened against for Portland in the 41 ^st minute, ultimately forcing a great save out of the goalkeeper Lund. Weaver was breaking forward in position through the center of the field when she approached the penalty area and opted to put all she had behind an effort on goal. Her shot was high and curling down as it soared from around 20 yards out, but Lund did well to push the ball over the bar and save her team from going down a second goal.
Just before the half, though, Louisville’s best chance came via a long range bomb from Brazilian star Ary Borges. Borges had lined up an effort from just outside the box as Louisville continued to pepper the Portland goal, but an incredible save from Bixby kept it out and Monaghan’s follow up effort could not squeak across the line as the Thorns snuck away without conceding.
Portland held its lead through the halftime break and were the first to test the opposition goal in the second half as Weaver again had a look on goal, only to be denied by Lund again. Weaver had been slipped through on goal from a run from the left side of the field, but as she blitzed into the box she was unable to curl a low shot around Lund, who had done well to come off her line and prevent a second goal.
Kgatlana had another golden opportunity in the 53 ^rd minute denied by Bixby, who was producing some of her finest goalkeeping of the year on the night, but Louisville would eventually break through in the 60 ^th minute through defender Abby Erceg from a set piece. The hosts had won a corner that was swung to the back post by Wang Shuang, and Erceg rose above the rest to power a header past Bixby and bring her side level right on the hour mark.
Louisville then did not wait long to find a second goal of the night as Kgatlana also capitalized following a set piece to then put her team in front after just four minutes in the 64 ^th minute. A corner swung in had been knocked down to Louisville defender Rebecca Holloway in the box, and she laid off a pass for Kgatlana near the top of the box. From there, Kgatlana curled a beautiful effort to the bottom far corner past Bixby to then turn momentum in the home side’s favor in quick succession.
The hosts would have one more great look on goal in the 81 ^st minute when forward Uchenna Kanu came on and caused a bit of trouble down the right side. Kanu had dribbled her way toward the right side of the box and opened up her left foot in attempting to swing toward goal, and though her shot was slightly blocked it still got through and made Bixby turn it away for a corner.
In the end, though, Racing hung on to earn a massive 2-1 win over Portland and, at least for the night, up itself into 6 ^th place, the final playoff position available. The loss for the Thorns also keeps them atop the NWSL table after North Carolina’s 3-3 draw with Gotham, but San Diego could equal them in points with a win on Sunday night.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights