Racing Louisville edges closer to playoff berth with 2-1 win over Angel City

Janine Beckie scored the go-ahead goal in the 68th minute and Racing Louisville stayed in the hunt for a playoff berth with a 2-1 victory over Angel City on Saturday.

Louisville (5-8-7) snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory, which put them in ninth place in the National Women’s Soccer League standings, just below the playoff line and three points behind eighth place Bay FC.

Angel City took the early lead on the road at Lynn Family Stadium with Meggie Dougherty Howard’s rebound goal in the 18th minute.

Bethany Balcer scored her fifth goal of the season in the 26th minute to knot the game at 1-1.

Beckie’s goal was her first for Louisville since she was acquired from the Portland Thorns last month.

“I’m just really relieved, to be honest,” Beckie said. “Coming off a couple of tough games, we really needed those points to keep our playoff hopes alive, and at the end of the day, it’s always nice to score a goal.”

Angel City (6-11-3) has lost two straight but sits just a point behind Louisville in the standings.

Wave 2, Royals 1

The San Diego Wave scored a pair of goals in the first six minutes and snapped a 12-match regular-season winless streak with a victory over the Utah Royals.

Amirah Ali scored when the ball caromed off her thigh and into the goal just 27 seconds into the match. It was the fastest goal in Wave history and the fourth-fastest in the NWSL.

About five minutes later Delphine Cascarino gave the Wave (4-9-7) a 2-0 lead on the way to their first win on the road this season.

Cloé Lacasse scored on a left-footed blast from outside the box to narrow it for the Royals (4-13-3) in the 59th minute.

Jayden Shaw, who has been dealing with a thigh injury that has kept her sidelined since the league returned from its Olympic break, came in as a sub for San Diego in the 63rd minute.

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