Two NWSL team sponsors have taken a new stance in the wake of Sally Yates’ findings of systemic abuse in the NWSL, opting to redirect their sponsorship dollars to the players rather than the clubs.

Sherwin-Williams, a sponsor of Racing Louisville FC, suspended its partnership with the club in favor of making a donation to the NWSL Players Association’s emergency fund, the company announced Friday.

In the U.S. Soccer report released last Monday, Yates said that Racing Louisville was one of three clubs that did not cooperate fully with her investigation. Former Louisville coach Christy Holly was a main subject of Yates’ report, which found that he sexually assaulted former player Erin Simon on multiple occasions. Racing Louisville fired Holly last August but did not provide a reason for his exit at the time.

“The Sherwin-Williams company is deeply saddened by the disturbing findings of the Yates report commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation,” the company wrote in a statement. “The abuse outlined in the report is reprehensible and we condemn the use of power to systemically harm women. … Any future support will depend on the National Women’s Soccer League creating meaningful change to ensure the health and safety of the players.”

Portland Thorns and Timbers sponsor Alaska Airlines followed suit with an updated statement Sunday. The airline announced it would redirect its sponsorship dollars this quarter to the NWSLPA fund and to youth sports in the Portland community “following calls from the players association to support their emergency fund, listening to the Portland fan community, and speaking with team leaders to understand their progress underway.”

“We will continue to seek input from players and the community to ensure our actions support meaningful change, and will reevaluate our sponsorship based on clear evidence of progress,” their statement read.

Multiple Thorns sponsors have threatened to pull support after the Yates report revealed new details of the club’s cover-up of accusations of sexual abuse and coercion against former coach Paul Riley. Portland fired president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson and president of business operations Mike Golub, and owner Merritt Paulson removed himself from decision-making in the wake of the report. Meanwhile, public pressure has mounted for Paulson to sell his stake in the team.

NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke has encouraged sponsors and fans to support players through the National Emergency Trust fund to help cover out-of-pocket costs.

“Also, go to games,” Burke wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “Players need to see & hear you.”

The NWSL playoffs begin with a two-game quarterfinal round on Oct. 16.

The players of Racing Louisville FC released a statement Saturday in response to the Sally Yates report that included multiple allegations of sexual assault against former coach Christy Holly.

They expressed support for their teammate, Erin Simon, who said in the Yates report that she was harassed and groped multiple times by Holly when she played for him. The players shared their hope that the NWSL and NWSL Players Association’s joint investigation will uncover more truths of abuse in the league.

The findings of the joint investigation are expected to be released by the end of the year.

“The conclusion of this investigation will give us much needed insight and recommendations on the future of our club,” the Racing players said. “The systemic abuse that has plagued the league for far too long is both infuriating and unacceptable. No human being should ever feel unsafe in their work environment.”

The players added that they expect the club’s full cooperation with the joint investigation, since “silence is no longer an option.” Racing Louisville was found to have hindered Yates’ investigation, along with the Portland Thorns and Chicago Red Stars.

Racing Louisville’s Nadia Nadim has torn her ACL, announcing the news on social media Sunday.

“Unfortunately I tore my ACL in my left knee in our last game. Obviously I’m devastated. But I have faced obstacles and rough times since I was a child- so you might say I’m an expert in overcoming them,” Nadim said.

“I was born a fighter and I know that nothing can break me down.”

Nadim’s injury comes one year after the 34-year-old first tore her ACL in Sept. 2021.

The star forward first joined Racing Louisville in June 2021, notching three goals and one assist before incurring the season-ending injury.

With six goals in seven starts, Nadim is Louisville’s leading goal scorer through the 2022 campaign. Her absence is a considerable blow to Racing Louisville, with the club 11th in the NWSL standings and on the outside looking in of a postseason push.

Louisville has two matches reaming on its regular season calendar as the club looks to improve upon its 3-9-8 record.

Star rookie Savannah DeMelo has signed a two-year contract extension with Racing Louisville FC, keeping her with the team through 2025.

DeMelo has been exceptional for Louisville, scoring four goals and adding one assist. She was named Rookie of the Month in July and was a part of May’s Best XI.

The team called her “an integral part of Racing’s present and future” in the news release announcing the extension.

“I love this team,” DeMelo said. “I’ve really grown to love this city and community and all the girls on the team and the staff. It’s a great place for me to keep growing and hopefully help the team in any way I can and impact the team for years to come.”

The fourth overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, she ranks first in the league in chances created and fouls won. Strong in set piece situations, she’s the only player this season in the NWSL to score twice on a direct free kick, which includes a game-winning goal against the league-leading San Diego Wave in May.

“I’m just grateful and blessed for the opportunity to be playing as much as I have been and impacting the team,” DeMelo said. “It’s all due to the staff and my teammates who have helped me along the way.”

DeMelo earned her first U.S. women’s national team call-up as an injury replacement earlier this month.

“Savannah’s development has been remarkable,” Racing coach Kim Björkegren said. “She came in as a rookie almost eight months months ago, and now, as we’re signing her to a new contract, we’re not just doing it with a top player in the NWSL — we’re also doing it with a U.S. national team player.

“She is important for this team, both on and off the pitch, and I’m looking forward to seeing her in the Racing shirt for many more years.”

OL Reign denied Racing Louisville back-to-back Women’s Cup victories, stealing the tournament in a 2-1 come-from-behind win Saturday.

Racing Louisville got on the board first, with Kristen Davis scoring a far-post banger off the half turn to put her side up 1-0 in the 34th minute.

Second-half subs were the difference makers for OL Reign, with Olivia Athens nodding in a corner from Tziarra King to equalize in the 59th minute.

Less than ten minutes later, Jordyn Huitema logged the go-ahead goal for OL Reign, splitting the Louisville defense before letting off a low shot from the top of the box.

OL Reign coach Laura Harvey praised the team’s substitutes, speaking to the club’s roster depth following Saturday’s win.

“That’s probably the most rewarding thing for me in this tournament,” said Harvey. “You’re seeing the future of what this club could be moving forward.”

Earlier in the day, America Femenil defeated AC Milan 5-4 in a thrilling third-place match, rounding out the Women’s Cup podium.

Racing Louisville FC’s Katie Lund had herself a game on Tuesday, tying the NWSL regular season single-game saves record in the club’s 1-1 tie against OL Reign.

Lund made 12 saves while allowing just one goal, a shot from Jess Fishlock in the game’s second minute.

“I want to do whatever I can for this team and I know how hard this team works,” Lund said. “I want to say it comes naturally, but it was just a good night. I was feeling it, and I’m proud of the team for fighting, for blocking shots and taking away a lot of channels that they almost could have had in addition to the ones that I saved.”

Kierstan Davis evened the score in the 46th minute and the two teams would hold even after the half, resulting in the draw.
Head coach Kim Björkegren said after the game that Lund’s career night was a makeup for the team’s previous against Portland, a 2-1 loss.

“We played against a really good team,” said Björkegren. “So even if we had the chances to score in the end we can’t cry over one point today. (Lund) had a really great game, and I’m also happy for her because she had mistakes in the previous game… It was a little bit of payback time, and she is a great goalkeeper, so I’m proud of her.”

OL Reign now sits fourth in NWSL standings with 21 points while Racing Louisville is in ninth with 12 points.

Racing Louisville added South African star Thembi Kgatlana as a transfer from Atlético Madrid, the club announced Wednesday.

The club paid a transfer fee to acquire Kgatlana, who was named African Women’s Footballer of the Year in 2018. The 26-year-old then signed a two-year contract with Louisville that includes a club option for 2024.

Because Kgatlana is playing with South Africa at the Africa Women Cup of Nations, her start with Louisville could come after that tournament’s final on July 23. As a member of the South African team, Kgatlana has netted 22 goals in 63 appearances – including the team’s first World Cup goal in 2019.

“We were looking for a winger/forward who has a good first touch and is not afraid to dribble and attack – and we have found exactly that with Thembi,” Racing coach Kim Björkegren said in the news release. “What’s also important to us is that we signed not just a good player but a good teammate. Thembi always has a smile on her face and loves football, and she is ready to help the team as soon as she arrives in Louisville.”

Kgatlana played in the NWSL in 2018 for the Houston Dash. She also has played in China, Portugal and Spain, most recently spending this past season with Madrid. She made 28 appearances and nine starts for Madrid, and she added seven goals and three assists to help the team reach the final of the Supercopa Femenina.

“I’m very excited to have this opportunity to return to the NWSL with Racing Louisville,” Kgatlana said in the news release. “It has always felt like there is unfinished business for me in the league, and I can’t wait to get started. From the moment I spoke with Kim, it was clear that it is an exciting project. I joined Beijing BG Phoenix shortly after he had left and heard only good things, so it was an easy decision. I look forward to seeing everyone after the Cup of Nations!”

The signing is the first roster move that Louisville has made in recent weeks in which they’ve added a player. Since the transfer window opened on June 1, Louisville has made three trades, sending forward Ebony Salmon to Houston, forward Cece Kizer and defender Addisyn Merrick to Kansas City and the rights of forward Tobin Heath to the OL Reign.

In exchange for all of those trades, the team received a number of draft picks, two international roster slots and $375,000 in allocation money.

The team has struggled recently, most recently finishing in a draw with Orlando despite leading 2-0 earlier in the match. They have not won a game since May 22 and sit eighth in the NWSL standings with a 2-4-4 record.

With the signing of Kgatlana, Louisville has just one international roster slot left.

Racing Louisville FC and the Orlando Pride tied 2-2 on Sunday in the first-ever NWSL match at Daytona International Speedway.

Racing Louisville got out to an early lead behind goals from Emina Ekic in the 34th minute and Savannah DeMelo in the 51st minute, needing just under 40 minutes of regulation to seal the win in Daytona Beach.

But the Pride responded later in the second half. Kylie Strom struck first for Orlando in the 59th minute, bending a shot into the bottom corner to bury a second-chance opportunity and notch her first goal with the Pride.

“I almost don’t believe that still happened,” Strom said afterward.

The goal ended a 329-minute scoring drought and an onslaught of 14 unanswered goals by Pride opponents.

Darian Jenkins scored the Pride’s second goal in the 69th minute to tie the game.

Louisville later had a chance to win the game off of a free kick, but goalkeeper Erin McLeod denied it with a diving save.

“We just have to be better at communicating what’s in front and what’s behind us, filling in our roles and doing our jobs,” Ekic said.

Each team wound up with eight shots on goal, while the Pride earned their first points since May with the draw.

“It’s more or less just kicking the ball away if you need to do it, defend with 11 players and do everything you can to win three points,” Louisville head coach Kim Bjökegren said postgame. “Sometimes it’s a little too easy for opponents to create chances against us. We need to find a way to close these kinds of games because, in my opinion, we threw away two points today.”

Outside of the result, the teams relished the opportunity to make history at Daytona International Speedway.

“Honestly, it was better than I expected — and I expected good things,” Pride defender Celia Jiménez Delgado said of the playing conditions. “When you say, ‘We’re going to build a field overnight,’ and I have a background in engineering, that is challenging, let’s be honest. Today when I stepped on the field, I thought, ‘This is amazing.'”

The NWSL will rev its engines Sunday as two teams square off on the infield at Daytona International Speedway.

The Orlando Pride and Racing Louisville FC will meet as part of the first-ever Daytona Soccer Fest. The clubs moved their regular-season match originally scheduled for July 2 in Orlando to a newly-built pitch at Daytona on July 3.

“I think we’re all thrilled,” Pride midfielder Meg Dougherty said. “We’re really excited to see the venue and see everything set up. I think it’s awesome to be making history. Hopefully the atmosphere is going to be electric, hopefully we’ll have a lot of people out there and we can put on a good performance.”

Racing coach Kim Bjorkegren said Thursday that the Louisville team, which came into training this week with a “new energy,” is excited to get out and compete in the new event.

“It’s going to be a special one for sure,” he said. “We don’t know exactly what we can expect from the pitch and the whole thing. But it’s going to be fun.”

While Racing Louisville is coming off a 2-2 draw with the Washington Spirit, the Pride suffered a 6-0 loss at the hands of the Portland Thorns their last time out. Both goalkeeper Erin McLeod and interim coach Seb Hines said Tuesday that leaving that match behind them was a point of emphasis during the NWSL’s international break.

“Our last game wasn’t something we were proud of. When it comes to team performance, you have an opportunity to let a few games define you or take control over your actions and how you perform,” said McLeod, adding that the team has responded well and used the week off to improve.

“We’ve got things to prove going into this game,” added Hines. “There’s been a different mindset in training sessions.”

McLeod called the break incredibly important, adding that the team has had a different energy as they’ve gotten back to training over the past few days.

“I am very proud of this team, in the last couple of days they have shown an entirely new level and a new hunger and desire, understanding that the last performance wasn’t good enough,” said McLeod.

The goalkeeper also addressed the unique atmosphere and what it could bring to the NWSL.

“I think what’s really wonderful about the timing of this game is it gives us something to look forward to and an opportunity to shine and also really grow the game,” she said.

“It’s an awesome time for women’s sports in this country,” McLeod added. “I think it’s growing at a rapid pace and an opportunity for different eyes to be watching our team and hopefully build more of a fan base as we continue to build this team.”

Both teams have lost significant pieces of their teams over the international break, with Racing trading Ebony Salmon to Houston and Orlando sending Sydney Leroux to Angel City. But the moves haven’t deterred either side as they head into Sunday.

“It is the NWSL, it’s the league and I think you have a lot of turnover constantly,” said Racing midfielder Lauren Millet when asked about the club also missing players due to international duty. “A lot of players are used to that. But I think we have a good core group that’s rearing and ready to go.”

Ebony Salmon’s exit from Racing Louisville is a surprise given the England striker’s emphatic start with the club.

Just one minute into her NWSL debut, Salmon slotted home a stunning finish, opening up her scoring account stateside.

Yet just more than one year to the date since Salmon’s buzzy introduction to the NWSL, Racing Louisville announced that Salmon had been traded to the Houston Dash.

Racing will receive $150,000 in allocation money for Salmon in 2022 and an additional $25,000 in 2023. Louisville could receive up to $15,000 more in allocation money this year if Salmon meets performance-based criteria while with the Dash.

“We thank Ebony for all of her contributions here in Louisville and see this as an opportunity for her to get the minutes she’s seeking,” Racing coach Kim Björkegren said in a statement.

As Björkegren alluded to in the trade announcement, Salmon struggled to get on the pitch for Louisville during the 2022 season.

Given her prolific breakout year, which included six goals and one assist across 20 matches played, many expected Salmon to be a mainstay of the Racing attack, but that hasn’t been the case.

“I think when you look at the minutes Ebony had last year to this year, the evolvement of the squad, you have a World Cup winner [in Jessica McDonald], you’ve got a world-class player in Nadia Nadim, you’ve got a young player who’s filled with enthusiasm and wants to play. I think when a situation like that arises, it’s okay, what’s best for everyone?” said Racing Louisville president James O’Connor, who added that the trade could allow the club to sign new talent while getting Salmon on the field elsewhere.

Salmon opened up to Theo Lloyd-Hughes of The Striker Texas about her struggle to get playing time, telling the publication that she didn’t feel the minutes decision was transparent.

“There were questions to be asked there, and I asked questions multiple times and didn’t really get the answer that I wanted or a definitive answer that I agreed with, which was frustrating. But then you have to agree with the coach’s opinion,” Salmon said. “I wanted to stick it out and give it a chance to prove myself. I think I was at a point where I’d kind of given it long enough. I’m not going to play here. I need to go somewhere where I am going to play and where I’m valued.”

The 21-year-old went on to say that Björkegren didn’t talk to her about her lack of minutes. Instead, she claims, she had to address him about the issue and after the trade was initiated, communication between the two ended.

Despite the tough break at Louisville, Salmon is still eager to make her mark on the NWSL and prove her ability on the field.

“I think I’ve still got a lot to do out here before I think about going back to England,” Salmon told The Striker Texas. “I’m taking my anger from not playing in Louisville and I’m going to show what I can do here when I get on the pitch.”