In their final home game of the season, Angel City fell 1–3 to Racing Louisville FC. Midfielder Savannah McCaskill scored for ACFC, while forward Kirsten Davis, midfielder Alex Chidiac, and forward Emina Ekic scored for Louisville.
Angel City got on the board first, in the 14th minute. Forward Jun Endo dribbled across the edge of the 18 to find space and shot with her right foot. The ball hit McCaskill and ricocheted into the near post, where keeper Katie Lund lunged for it and missed; the ball rolled under her and over the goal line.
In the 17th minute, Louisville had their best chance yet when midfielder Alex Chidiac combined with midfielder Savannah DeMelo to overload the left side. DeMelo was in on goal, but sent her shot directly to keeper DiDi Haračić for an easy save.
Racing had another shot in the 25th minute when forward Jessica McDonald crossed a ball in for forward Kirsten Davis, who was near the penalty spot, but Davis sent her header wide of the far post.
The home side had a near miss in the 32nd minute when a corner kick by forward Claire Emslie fell to midfielder Cari Roccaro, who got her head on the ball and put it on frame. Lund punched the ball up into the air, and it nearly landed in the goal, but defender Julia Lester was on the goal line and headed it back out, where Lund collected it.
As the game continued to go back and forth, Louisville got on the board in the 38th minute. After a turnover in the midfield, Davis ran onto a pass by midfielder Savannah DeMelo, cut left around defender Megan Reid, and slotted a left-footed shot neatly past Haračić.
It wasn’t long before Racing added another to gain the lead. In the 42nd minute, Angel City defender Paige Nielsen fouled midfielder Lauren Milliet in the box, and the center ref pointed at the penalty spot. Chidiac stepped forward to take the kick and buried it to the left, with Haračić diving to the right, to put Louisville up a goal in the 43rd minute.
Angel City was on the front foot after the break, keeping Louisville largely on the defensive for much of the second half. Late in the half, the home team earned a flurry of corner kicks, putting three shots on target, but Lund kept them off the board.
In the 90th minute, Racing defender Emily Fox sprinted up the right and got around defender Allyson Swaby to send a cross into the box. Ekic was open on the weak side, settled the ball, and sent a hard left-footed shot inside the far post.
Angel City can still move into sixth place and make the playoffs with a win in their final game next weekend, if North Carolina draw or lose in their final match. LA’s last game is in Chicago next Sunday, October 2, at 3 p.m. PST.
