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Racing Louisville FC won’t have long to celebrate The Women’s Cup title.

The club — which defeated FC Bayern Munich on Saturday in a dramatic penalty shootout — is back on the road this week for games four and five over a span of 15 days, playing Wednesday at Kansas City and Sunday against the Houston Dash.

Despite some undoubtedly tired legs, Racing will travel with the confidence of defeating one of the world’s best clubs. Bayern, which opens its 2021-2022 campaign this week in Germany, won its league title last season and advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinals.

The victory followed a league win over Kansas City plus draws with NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Chicago Red Stars. A four-game unbeaten streak across all competitions is Racing’s longest yet in its inaugural season.

Wednesday’s midweek rematch with Kansas City — an 8 p.m. kickoff at Legends Field — will stream on Paramount+ in the United States and Twitch Internationally. Here’s what to watch for…

Coach Christy Holly says…

“The commitment these players have put forward wearing this jersey and representing this club and this city — I mean as a coach I’m stoked. Every single one of them from start to finish was absolutely first-class players, role models, people, and we’re so proud that they’re attached to this club and this city.”

Follow along

For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @RacingLouFC on Twitter and Racing Louisville FC on Facebook. Also find us at @racinglouisvillefc on Instagram.

Watch the match on Paramount+ with play by play from Mike Watts and color commentary by Kaylyn Kyle. Internationally, fans can also stream the match on Twitch. 

Notes to know

A trophy raised: Only a months-old franchise, Racing won The Women’s Cup over a field that included not just Bayern but also French champion Paris Saint-Germain and Chicago. Organizers have stated intentions to make the tournament an annual event, continuing to attract globally known clubs to Louisville.

Lund-sanity: Goalkeeper Michelle Betos left midway through the second half of The Women’s Cup final and could find herself unavailable Wednesday. That scenario’s no longer as daunting after Katie Lund — in her professional debut — saved four Bayern penalties and converted one of her own in a legendary performance.

Playoff picture: Stepping back into league play this week, Racing finds itself five points off the sixth-place playoff cut line on the NWSL table. The ladies in lavender are looking to become the first expansion side in league history to qualify. They’re on 16 points earned after the Houston Dash totaled 18 points in their first season (2014) and Orlando tallied 19 on its debut (2016).

Key trade: Kansas City, the former Utah Royals also considered an expansion club in 2021, have made a notable addition to its lineup since being defeated by Racing earlier this month. U.S. international and Kansas City native Adrianna Franch was sent there in a trade with Portland Thorns FC, putting a formidable force at goalkeeper on the roster.

Racing’s rotation: Coach Christy Holly elected for eight changes from the Chicago draw — a win on penalties for the purposes of The Women’s Cup — to the final on the weekend. Overall, Racing has seen 20 of its 24 rostered players on the pitch since this bit of schedule congestion began on Aug. 15.

Baucom bags a goal: Making the most of an opportunity in The Women’s Cup, forward Jorian Baucom chased down a Bayern back pass gone awry, shrugged off a defender and scored her side’s opening goal. It marked her first goal since opening her professional account during the preseason NWSL Challenge Cup against the North Carolina Courage.

Salmon snags another: Forward Ebony netted her fifth NWSL goal of the year on Wednesday when she stripped Chicago’s Dani Colaprico and immediately took the goalkeeper one on one. Since joining Louisville in late June, Salmon is averaging a goal every 130 minutes on the pitch and also assisted in a recent draw at Gotham FC.

Nadim update: Forward Nadia Nadim, scratched from the lineup last Wednesday with hamstring tightness, has remained in training with Racing and is “looking sharp,” Holly says. The Danish international has scored twice in three starts since joining Louisville fresh off winning a title with PSG in France earlier this year.

Homecoming game: Three Racing players could potentially play an NWSL match in their home state for the first time on Wednesday. Defender Sinclaire Miramontez along with forwards Katie McClure and Cece Kizer all hail from Kansas. Defender Addisyn Merrick, another from the Kansas City area, continues to be sidelined with an ankle injury.

Injury report

• Julia Ashley (questionable)
• Cheyna Matthews (out)
• Addisyn Merrick (out)

Milestone watch

Michelle Betos is one shutout away from her 15th NWSL regular season shutout and would be one of seven players to earn that stat. 

Yuki Nagasato is one goal away from her 15th NWSL regular season goal.

Racing Louisville FC and Angel City FC have agreed to a trade involving the NWSL playing rights of U.S. international forward Christen Press, the club announced Monday.

Racing exchanged the right to sign Press for Angel City’s first-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, $75,000 in allocation money and roster protection from Angel City in the 2021 expansion draft.

Thanks to the deal, Racing will be open only to a selection from the NWSL’s other incoming franchise, San Diego, in the Dec. 16 expansion draft. Allocation money can be used to fund contracts above the league’s maximum, while Angel City’s 2021 first-round pick will be No. 1 or No. 2 overall with draft order to be determined later.

“We are pleased to secure a deal where we get a top first-round draft pick, receive a significant allocation mount and, importantly, protect our squad,” said James O’Connor, Racing’s executive vice president of development. “On top of all that it is also nice that Christen gets to come back to the league and play for a new team at home in Los Angeles. We wish her the very best of luck at Angel City.”

Last year’s No. 1 pick, defender Emily Fox, went to Racing Louisville, where the U.S. Women’s National Team prospect has already worked her way into May’s Team of the Month. Forward Trinity Rodman went No. 2 to the Washington Spirit and has tallied four goals and three assists as a rookie.

Rights to Press, 32, were originally acquired by Louisville in the 2020 expansion draft from the former Utah Royals. Press played for Manchester United through England’s FA Women’s Super League 2020-2021 season and recently featured on the United States’ bronze medal-winning squad at the Tokyo Olympics.

“We are delighted to secure an agreement with Angel City that provides us with many vital assets that allow us to continue to build our team as we look to the future,” said Racing head coach Christy Holly. “Additionally, we are delighted to see Christen getting back in the league and wish her continued success.”

Fresh off winning The Women’s Cup, an inaugural tournament at Lynn Family Stadium, Racing continues a congested portion of its NWSL season this week with away games Wednesday at Kansas City and Sunday against the Houston Dash. At 4-6-4, the club is unbeaten in its last four games across all competitions and vying to become the first NWSL expansion team to make the playoffs.

Katie Lund said Saturday night she hadn’t stepped up to take a penalty kick of her own since sealing a state championship as a high schooler. The goalkeeper now has a new story to tell.

Playing her first professional minutes for Racing Louisville FC, Lund converted penalty attempt No. 11 for the NWSL expansion club against FC Bayern Munich, then turned around to deny her opposite number, propelling Racing to its first trophy win.

Minutes later, Lund and her teammates raised The Women’s Cup in celebration, finishing off an inaugural four-team tournament that also included Paris Saint-Germain and the Chicago Red Stars at Lynn Family Stadium.

“In the last two months Katie Lund has turned things up a notch and we wanted to get Katie in there,” said Racing coach Christy Holly. “We wanted her to play. We wanted her to get that chance. This platform — and my goodness, she stepped up. She got what she deserved.”

Lund entered in the 71st minute of the final, then in a 1-1 game, by replacing team captain and beloved starter Michelle Betos, who was suffering the effects of a third game played in a week.

Racing selected the Texas native — she played collegiately for both TCU and Arkansas — in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. Until subbed on in the 71st minute, Lund hadn’t appeared for her club since the preseason.

“Kids dream about this,” she said. “To have this moment as pro debut, I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m so grateful for Christy and the whole staff for allowing me to play tonight and for Michelle for setting it up for me. It hasn’t hit me yet.”

Racing took the lead in the 85th minute when turning over the German champs Bayern in the own half. Lauren Milliet’s cross found a lunging Yuki Nagasato, whose leaping strike went off the cross bar and in.

Five minutes into stoppage time, Bayern came up with its equalizer off a Klara Buhl cross that caromed off a Racing defender.

The score locked at 2-2, penalties ensued with Lund between the posts for Racing. As Louisville went through its lineup, the host side had a try blocked, hit the bar and post, plus sent one over the goal altogether.

Lund kept Racing in it by making three saves before her game-winning fourth stop, the exclamation point on a dramatic pro debut that ended with seven Louisville penalties made to Bayern’s six.

Holly praised “the commitment these players have put forward wearing this jersey and representing this club and this city” — which they did Saturday in front of a Racing-record 7,813.

“I mean as a coach I’m stoked,” the coach added. “Every single one of them from start to finish was absolutely first-class players, role models, people, and we’re so proud that they’re attached to this club and this city.”

It took a monumental effort for Racing to even be in position for penalties considering Holly made nine changes from Wednesday’s victory over the Chicago Red Stars, also accomplished in penalties. Along with serving as a game in The Women’s Cup, it counted as a regular-season NWSL draw.

Overall, this marked the third of what will be five Racing games in 15 days, necessitating lineup rotation — but creating opportunities. After a scoreless first half, forward Jorian Baucom took advantage of her chance, chasing down a poorly played pass back by Bayern and finishing smoothly to knot the score at 1-1 in the 54th minute.

Racing scored on two of its four attempts in regulation and held strong defensively despite Bayern — a Champions League semifinalist this year — landing five of its own shots on target.

Appropriately, postgame Betos and Lund were named co-MVPs of The Women’s Cup, an event organizers hope to bring back to Louisville on an annual basis.

Paris Saint-German — the other league winner and Champions League semifinalist in town for the week — defeated the Chicago Red Stars by a 1-0 score in Saturday’s third-place game preceding the final.

Forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto settled a 35th-minute cross with one touch, turned and fired into the corner for the game’s only goal.

PSG entered Louisville 0-3 in its prior preseason games ahead of an Aug. 29 start to its 2021-2022 campaign.

Bayern, which had already lifted the French Cup, was denied a second preseason trophy. Its season begins next weekend as well.

The Women’s Cup — an inaugural tournament underway at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Ky. — concludes Saturday with a final and third-place game that will put domestic clubs against highly touted international counterparts.

Penalty kick shootouts set up both the matchups, with the hometown side Racing Louisville FC advancing to host FC Bayern Munich at 6 p.m. in the final following a 3 p.m. third-place game between Paris Saint-Germain and the Chicago Red Stars.

Tickets remain at TheWomensCup.world. The games will be played as one session, with admission good to both contests.

Those who can’t make it to Lynn Family Stadium can live stream via Paramount+ in the United States, Magenta Sport in Germany and PSG’s Facebook page in Frace. All other international fans can subscribe to atafootball.com for coverage.

Here’s what to watch for Saturday…

Final: Racing Louisville FC vs. FC Bayern Munich

• Bayern will be looking to win its second trophy of the current preseason before opening Frauen-Bundesliga season play next weekend against Werder Bremen. The club previously raised the 2021 Women’s French Cup after defeating women’s powerhouse Lyon by a 4-2 score in the semifinals and Roma by a 4-0 score in the Aug. 6 final.

• Racing Louisville, meanwhile, will be playing for its first-ever trophy in the middle of its inaugural NWSL season. The ladies in lavender walked away from Wednesday’s 1-1 draw in regulation with Chicago with points for the third game in a row, improving to 4-6-4. Penalty kicks were taken for the purposes of advancing a team in The Women’s Cup competition.

• A major story line of note for the home side is the status of forward Nadia Nadim. Signed this summer after winning a French title at PSG, she was scratched from the lineup Wednesday minutes before kickoff. Coach Christy Holly cited hamstring tightness. Nadim is questionable for Saturday’s final.

• Bayern is in the United States for the first time, while this will mark the first time Racing has matched up with international competition in its brief history. The visitors, in addition to winning their domestic league last season, were UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinalists and project to similarly contend in 2021-2022.

Third-place game: Chicago Red Stars vs. Paris Saint-Germain

• PSG went ahead 1-0 on Wednesday against Bayern, then equalized when facing a 2-1 deficit going into the second half. Youth academy product Sandy Baltimore, just 21 years old, assisted both the Parisian’s goals to force penalty kicks. A shot off the bar that bounced down near the line was ruled out in a crucial moment leading to a defeat.

• The Red Stars, meanwhile, found themselves down 1-0 in the 10th minute of Wednesday’s nightcap after Ebony Salmon dispossessed a center back and converted a one-on-one look at the goalkeeper. Chicago, however, controlled much of the second half, out-shooting Racing 15-2 over the final 45 minutes. Kealia Watt knotted the score in the 57th minute.

• PSG, another domestic league winner and Champions League semifinalist from 2021, is like Bayern finishing up preseason. The club showed efficiency in front of goal, scoring on two of three shots on target in a rebound performance after PSG’s three prior competitions all ended in losses by a combined 10-2.

• Wednesday’s match saw the returns of Chicago defenders Casey Krueger and Tierna Davidson from the United States’ bronze medal run at the recent Tokyo Olympics. The side is still playing without midfielder Julie Ertz and Alyssa Naeher following the tournament, both related to injuries.

This time last year, Racing Louisville had only weeks prior announced its name and hired a coach. The 2021 NWSL expansion franchise didn’t have a player on its roster.

Yet on Saturday, Racing will play for a trophy against FC Bayern Munich.

The ladies in lavender — along with the German champs — advanced Wednesday in the first session of The Women’s Cup, an inaugural four-team tournament at Lynn Family Stadium.

Bayern prevailed over the French champion Paris Saint-Germain via a penalty kick shootout before Racing defeated the Chicago Red Stars in the same fashion, albeit in front of a far more partisan crowd.

Those results set Saturday’s schedule in the Butchertown neighborhood. PSG will kick off against Chicago at 3 p.m. in The Women’s Cup’s third-place game before the final at 6 p.m.

Tickets are available at TheWomensCup.world.

“It is one of the clubs that I have admired and have a great level of appreciation for what they’ve done for the women’s game but also the game worldwide,” Racing coach Christy Holly said of Bayern. “To see the headlines that Racing Louisville is playing Bayern Munich in Louisville on Saturday night, I’m not sure there were too many people who would’ve believed that if you told them 18 months ago.

“That’s a testament to the fans that have been supporting us and the ownership that has invested in us not only money but time, energy and motivation to move this thing forward to give this incredible platform for women’s athletes. It’s a magnificent privilege but one that we definitely want to take advantage of and try and make a statement for this club and this city.”

A Racing-record 7,310 took in the dramatic doubleheader to begin the tournament, which included a pair of 2021 UEFA Champions League finalists; Chicago, a founding NWSL member; and the newcomers Racing.

Ebony Salmon dispossessed a Red Stars central defender in just the 10th minute of the nightcap, then slotted a shot between the goalkeeper’s legs to move Racing ahead. The Red Stars matched during a second half they largely dominated when Louisville failed to clear a cross. It landed to the feet of Kealia Watt, who finished with relative ease.

So ended regulation, and the sides each took a point for the purpose of the regular season standings.

In the ensuing shootout, Louisville goalkeeper Michelle Betos stopped the Red Stars’ first penalty try, and conversions followed from Yuki Nagasato, Savannah McCaskill and Sinclaire Miramontez. Lauren Milliet kept the momentum alive by smashing a shot off the left post and in, while Katie McClure’s game-winner hit the post, caromed off Chicago’s goal keeper and rolled in.

“As a goalkeeper, you save one you’ve done your job. You save two, that’s great. You save three and you’re a hero.” Betos said. “I saved one, but it was up to the girls to step up. They had great PKs and great finishes with some of them being un-saveable. All credit to them.”

“I was really happy to see us hosting this tournament,” McClure said. “It’s awesome what this organization has been able to put on with a great facility. For us to be in the championship, we are going to fight for it and try to win. Hopefully we can win the trophy.”

Hours earlier, Bayern climbed out of an early 1-0 hole with goals from Linda Dallman and Lea Schuller to force penalties against PSG. The club will play for yet another championship Saturday after taking the French Cup earlier this month in the leadup to its 2021-2022 season.

Saturday’s games will air on Paramount+ in the United States. Bayern (Magenta Sport) and PSG (Facebook) will pick up the feed on their respective platforms, while fans outside of America, German and France can subscribe to atafootball.com for the stream.

Game Summary: Racing Louisville FC vs. Chicago Red Stars

Venue: Lynn Family Stadium

Kickoff: 8:20 p.m.

Weather: 84 degrees, drizzle

Player of the Match: Michelle Betos

Attendance: 7,310

Scoring

Racing Louisville FC (1, 0, 1)

Chicago Red Stars (0, 1, 1)

Goals

Racing Louisville FC:

10’, Ebony Salmon

Chicago Red Stars:

57’, Kealia Watt

Stats Summary: Racing Louisville FC / Chicago Red Stars

Shots: 8 / 20

Shots on Goal: 1 / 7

Fouls: 7 / 13

Offside: 2 / 7

Corner Kicks: 1 / 4

Saves: 6 / 0

Lineups

Racing Louisville FC: 1 – Michelle Betos, 8 – Freja Olofsson, 18 – Kaleigh Riehl, 11 – Emily Fox, 4 – Gemma Bonner, 20 – Cheyna Matthews (59’ 2 – Lauren Milliet), 9 – Ebony Salmon (79’ 22 – Katie McClure), 3 – Erin Simon (72’ 12 – Sinclaire Miramontez), 5 – CeCe Kizer (72’ 13 – Emina Ekic), 17 – Yuki Nagasato, 7 – Savannah McCaskill

Subs not used: 19 – Taylor Otto, 23 – Katie Lund, 15 – Brooke Hendrix, 14 – Nealy Martin

Chicago Red Stars: 38 – Cassie Miller, 11 – Sarah Gorden, 6 – Casey Krueger, 26 – Tierna Davidson, 3 – Arin Wright (75’ 23 – Tatumn Milazzo), 24 – Danielle Colaprico, 13 – Morgan Gautrat, (90+2’ 7 – Nikki Stanton), 15 – Makenzy Doniak (45’ 16 – Sarah Woldmoe), 33 – Katie Johnson (45’ 5 – Rachel Hill), 2 – Kealia Watt, 9 – Mallory Pugh

Subs not used: 4 – Alyssa Mautz, 21 – Emily Boyd, 14 – Zoe Morse, 18 – Ella Stevens, 28 – Kayla Sharpies

Discipline Summary

Racing Louisville FC: Salmon (yellow caution) 57’

Racing Louisville FC: Riehl (yellow caution) 65’

Racing Louisville FC: Nagasato (yellow caution) 90’

Referee: Karen Abt

Assistant Referees: Kali Smith & Noah Matos

Fourth Official: Katherine McCormick