Third-ranked Washington Spirit face number 10 Racing Louisville FC in Louisville tonight, with both teams looking to bounce back from losses last weekend.

For Washington Spirit (5-0-3), tonight’s match will be their third on the road in just 10 days, though they’ve had nearly a full week to rest this time. The team will be focused on preventing early goals, a known problem that interim head coach Adrián González contributes to “a lot of factors.” To avoid conceding more this match, the Spirit will focus on trying to play more vertically, simply, and in their opponent’s half, González said.

There were a number of changes to the Starting XI last Saturday, but tonight’s should be closer to González’s standard lineup. Casey Krueger, who sat out last week with tendonitis, is reportedly doing better and was not listed as out on tonight’s availability report.

Although they only have 6 points to the Spirit’s 15 on the season, Racing Louisville (1-5-1) are not to be underestimated. Their compact defense and skillful work by goalkeeper Katie Lund kept Barbra Banda and the top-ranked Orlando Pride mostly contained last weekend, and they’ve held goals against to seven across seven matches. They can score as well. Their last match at home was a 5-0 blow-out, and attackers like Uchenna Kanu and Reilyn Turner will be looking to repeat that and exploit Washington’s slow-to-start defense.

“It’s a team that we see that maybe they are not scoring too many goals but also they are not conceding goals,” González said. “They, maybe, they don’t need a lot of chances, a lot of possession to get results, and I think it’s going to be tough to be honest, especially here at home.” González mentioned Louisville’s verticality and set piece performance as particular threats.

Key Player: Gabby Carle

Gabby Carle has quietly become a vital part of the Spirit’s attack this season, winning the ball back in key positions and making smart passes from the right that put her teammates in a good position to score. Frequently trusted with moving the ball towards goal, Carle is third on the team in completed passes and touches and leads in tackles plus interceptions.

Watch Out For: Carson Pickett

One of the secrets to Louisville’s attack, right back Carson Pickett is known for accurate long passes that can take advantage of some of the Spirit’s weaknesses, threatening them on set pieces as well as creating opportunities for Racing players to run behind Washington’s high back line.

Challenges: A goalkeeper of Lund’s talent is not going to let Washington score easily. Although they tend to rack up a high number of shots, they’ll need to be smart about placement in the final third to beat her.

Previously: Washington and Louisville tied in both of their matches last season.

Racing Louisville Availability:

Out: Jordan Baggett (back), Ary Borges (knee), Elli Pikkujämsä (SEI – knee), Yukka Kurosaki (knee), Kirsten Wright (D45 – knee)

Questionable: Jaelin Howell (leg)

Washington Spirit Availability:

Out: Anna Heilferty (SEI – knee), Civana Kuhlmann (SEI – knee), Makenna Morris (hip)

Questionable: Lyza Bosselmann (wrist)

Location: Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, KY
Kickoff time: 8 p.m. ET
Referee: Shawn Tehini
Available streaming: Amazon Prime