‘You can feel the energy.’ U.S. women’s soccer team enjoys triumphant return to Kentucky.
After a long wait, Kentucky returned to being a centerpiece of the American soccer world on Wednesday night.
For the first time in 20 years, the U.S. women’s national team took to the pitch in the commonwealth, handily defeating Argentina 3-0 in a friendly match.
The Americans got two goals from defender Naomi Girma on either side of halftime in the 37th and 49th minutes, as well as an Argentinian own goal in the 44th minute.
The U.S. finished the match with 14 shots on goal, while Argentina failed to force U.S. goalkeeper Mandy Haught, who was making her international debut, into action.
Wednesday’s match was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 13,543 fans at Lynn Family Stadium, the soccer-specific home of Louisville City (USL Championship) and Racing Louisville (National Women’s Soccer League) that opened in 2020 in Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood.
Temporary bleachers in the Waterfront Supporters Zone end of the stadium helped even more fans see the U.S. women’s national team’s first trip to the commonwealth in two decades.
The announced crowd was the largest to ever watch a women’s soccer match in Lynn Family Stadium’s history. It topped the previous record by more than 2,000 fans.
“We’ve had a great trip. You can feel the family feel around here,” U.S. manager Emma Hayes — who earlier this week won the inaugural Ballon d’Or award for the women’s soccer coach of the year — said postmatch. “The crowd, being a sellout, you can feel the energy. You can certainly feel the excitement.”
This was the fifth time the U.S. women’s national team played in the Derby City. Previously, the U.S. had played four matches at what’s now known as L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, the home of U of L’s football team. Those games came between 1999 and 2004.
The Americans — four-time World Cup winners who are fresh off winning their fifth Olympic gold medal at this summer’s 2024 Paris Olympics — now own a 4-0-1 (W-L-D) all-time mark when playing in Louisville. The United States defeated Brazil in 1999 (4-2), Costa Rica in 2000 (8-0), Canada also in 2000 (4-1) and drew Japan in 2004 (1-1).
“The home crowd was, I think throughout the game, constantly willing the team on,” Hayes said, adding how that atmosphere isn’t always the case when the U.S. plays an overmatched opponent. “… Their energy and excitement drove the team on.”
The United States now boasts a 12-0-1 mark since Hayes was appointed manager last November.
Rose Lavelle, Emma Sears headline USWNT match in Louisville
Even among the always loaded U.S. women’s national team roster, there were two clear-cut stars on the pitch Wednesday.
Rose Lavelle — the 29-year-old longtime U.S. midfielder who was born in Cincinnati — was celebrated for reaching the 100-appearance milestone in her national team career.
Lavelle, who captained the U.S. on Wednesday, was actually making her 108th career appearance for the national team against Argentina. But, in part because of Louisville’s proximity to her hometown of Cincinnati, Lavelle selected this match as the one that would include recognition of her achievement.
This was the third time Lavelle served as captain for the United States. She played 48 minutes against Argentina and delivered the set piece that led to the first U.S. goal in the 37th minute.
“A lot of my family came down, all of my siblings, my parents. That was really nice,” Lavelle said. “… I was, obviously, I think, more emotional when I actually got my 100th cap (in June). I think this moment for me was more about celebrating my family and having a moment with them on the field. Because they’re the reason that I am here today and the reason I’ve been able to be on this crazy journey is their love and support.”
The other top attraction on the field was Emma Sears, a forward making only her second-ever appearance for the United States. Sears plays for Racing Louisville, and was selected by the hometown club in the second round of this year’s NWSL Draft out of Ohio State.
Sears — who has tallied five goals for Racing Louisville in NWSL action this season — made her first start for the United States on Wednesday. Her national team debut came Sunday in a 3-1 comeback victory over Iceland that was played in Nashville.
During that match, Sears came off the bench as a substitute to make her international debut and scored and recorded an assist. Sears is only the fourth player in United States women’s national team history to do both of those things in their debut.
On Wednesday, Sears played all 90 minutes in front of a home crowd that consistently provided her with vocal support.
“It was surreal for sure,” Sears said. “… You can definitely feel the energy. I tried my best, and that’s all I can do. I tried to create for this team and make opportunities in front of the goal happen. It was great.”
The Americans went three-for-three during this celebratory October camp, also defeating Iceland by a 3-1 score on Oct. 24 in Austin, Texas.
Kentucky continues to rise within American soccer scene
Hosting a U.S. women’s national team match is only the latest example of Kentucky’s increasing prominence in the American soccer landscape.
The commonwealth now boasts a combined four professional soccer teams with LouCity and Racing Louisville and Lexington’s two professional outfits, both of which are under the Lexington Sporting Club umbrella.
Lexington Sporting Club’s men’s and women’s teams both play at the newly opened Lexington SC Stadium, a soccer-specific venue that is located along Athens Boonesboro Road near Interstate 75. The new stadium can seat 7,500 fans and reported a crowd of just under 4,000 spectators for its first-ever match in September featuring the LSC women’s team.
It’s worth noting the on-field fortunes of Louisville and Lexington’s soccer teams differ greatly.
LouCity is the standard-bearer in the USL Championship, the second-highest division of American men’s professional soccer and the league that LSC’s men’s team is joining next year.
Louisville City has twice won the USL Cup and twice finished as runners-up for it. This season, LouCity won the league’s regular season championship for the first time. Racing Louisville is currently in contention for what would be the fourth-year team’s first appearance in the NWSL playoffs.
Lexington Sporting Club’s men’s team just completed a disappointing campaign in USL League One, the third-tier of American men’s professional soccer. LSC missed out on the postseason for the second straight season in League One, and the club recently announced its search for a new head coach.
LSC’s women’s team is currently in the midst of its debut season in the USL Super League, a new, eight-team league that has been sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation as a Division I league. This puts the Super League on the same level as the NWSL.
The LSC women’s club is in last place in the Super League, having won just two of its nine matches while allowing a league-worst 20 goals.
All of this — combined with the success of MLS club FC Cincinnati just across the Ohio River from Northern Kentucky — gives the commonwealth a strong soccer footprint as a major event looms on the horizon.
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
Both Louisville and the city’s Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center are available as a potential “team base camp” for that World Cup.
The closest city to Lexington with hosting duties for the 2026 World Cup is Atlanta, about 380 miles away.
This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 8:18 AM.
