News

Racing Louisville FC’s Michelle Betos is just one month into her playing career here, though she’s already seen how special Louisville can be — so special that Betos made a promise in an interview with All for XI’s Stephanie Yang.

“You’re gonna love it,” Betos said of visitors. “You really will.”

Betos spoke about how the Racing players have adjusted to a new city and team, the excitement of creating a new culture, and how the NWSL has grown since she joined in 2013. 

“I feel really, really lucky to be a part of establishing that and being part of creating that,” Betos told Yang. “The first time I was part of a new team was the (OL) Reign in 2013. And I was young, so having nine years in this league under my belt to come in and be like, hey, this is what I know and this is what I can bring, and this is what you guys bring and this is going to be awesome, and this is how it’s gonna work in this league — that feels like a really cool opportunity for me and something I take real, great pleasure in being able to have that responsibility.”

Ever since Betos first found out she was heading to Louisville, she has noted the commitment put in place for the team to succeed. 

“Everything is just so well laid out for us,” she said. “We walk in, we have beautiful gear, beautiful locker rooms, a beautiful stadium, beautiful training facilities. Every single person here I think feels like a real pro. And I think that that’s special. I think that that hasn’t always been the case in this league. I think that that’s where the league is headed now. And so I think that everyone coming in walks into the building, is like, wow, I want to be a part of this, whatever it takes.”

As Racing’s preseason continues along, Betos has noted that the team has not lost the energy that they had when they first arrived in Louisville. However, the team has learned to channel that energy into a disciplined game plan. That she wants to continue through the Challenge Cup and into the regular season. 

“We are still as excited every single day to get out there, but now we’re playing within our system, within our plan,” she said. “We’re calming down, we’re trusting ourselves and each other on the ball. We’re understanding at the end of the 10 weeks, what strengths and weaknesses we have, who we can play where.”

Read All for XI’s full interview with Betos here.

Racing Louisville FC’s roster measured 29 players at this week’s deadline for National Women’s Soccer League clubs to trim their ranks to 32 or fewer. While under the limit, the 2021 expansion team has managed to reinforce its squad over the last month.

Since Racing opened preseason, four key players reported ahead of an inaugural campaign kicking off with the Challenge Cup tournament in April.

Forward Yuki Nagasato, acquired in a trade last fall from the Chicago Red Stars, won the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup with her native Japan. Defender Emily Fox, selected No. 1 overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft, has been part of two U.S. Women’s National Team camps this year, adding a fourth cap to her resume.

Both Nagasato and Fox were in the squad over the weekend as Racing defeated neighboring University of Louisville by a 4-0 score in an exhibition. Also expected to be available for selection moving forward are midfielder Freja Olofsson and defender Kaleigh Riehl.

Olofsson, a box-to-box player who has worked with Sweden at as high as the U-23 level, will exit quarantine and begin training with Racing this week. The same is expected of Riehl, a 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft pick whose loan spell recently ended with Paris FC, a member of France’s top division.

“Incrementally, we’re seeing good cohesion and the quality improving on a weekly basis, which is really exciting as we edge our way closer to the Challenge Cup,” said Racing’s head coach, Christy Holly.

Racing’s next preseason friendly is scheduled for Sunday at Vanderbilt. The club then hosts West Virginia University on March 13 before a two-game swing at Florida State on March 24 and 28.

The Challenge Cup starts April 9 and leads into the regular season, which begins in mid-May. Season ticket memberships are on sale with more than 3,000 already claimed for home games at the new Lynn Family Stadium. To purchase yours, visit www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/tickets or call (502) 568-2489 during regular business hours to reach our team.

2021 Racing Louisville FC Roster

Goalkeepers (4): Brooke Ballinger (NRI), Michelle Betos, Katie Lund, Shelby Money (NRI)

Defenders (8): Julia Ashley, Molly Dwyer (NRI), Emily Fox (CDP), Brooke Hendrix, Nealy Martin (NRI), Addisyn Merrick, Kaleigh Riehl, Erin Simon

Midfielders (8): Chinyelu Asher (NRI), Grace Bahr (NRI), Lauren Milliet, Noelle Higginson (NRI), Alex Kimball (NRI), Freja Olofsson, Taylor Otto (CDP), Savanah Uveges (NRI)

Forwards (9): Jorian Baucom (NRI), Vanessa Kara (NRI), Emina Ekic (CDP), Alex Genas (NRI), Cece Kizer, Cheyna Matthews (NYR), Katie McClure, Savannah McCaskill, Yuki Nagasato

Key:

CDP – 2020 NWSL College Draft Pick

NRI – Non-Roster Invitee

NYR – Not Yet Reported to Camp

Racing Louisville FC also holds the NWSL playing rights to forwards Caitlin Foord, Tobin Heath and Christen Press, as well as midfielder Alanna Kennedy, who were selected in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. Each is under contract with a club in England’s FA Women’s Super League.

Cece Kizer netted a hat trick with goals in either half while leading Racing Louisville FC to a victory Saturday in its first-ever competition, a 4-0 preseason win over the University of Louisville.

Kizer, a forward out of Ole Miss, scored on service from the left side by Emily Fox (22nd minute) and Yuki Nagasato (24th minute) before getting on the good end of a 49th-minute free kick from just outside the box.

“I think I was just in the right place at the right time,” Kizer said, “We’ve been getting our chemistry on the field. I’m just making my runs into the box, being on top of the ball and putting it in the back of the net.

“It was a little hectic at the beginning getting the jitters out, but I think we got composed and got a lot of possession. They sat in a lot, so it was hard for us to build. That challenged us to make connections in the final third and get opportunities.”

Racing selected Kizer in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft from the Houston Dash, which won last year’s Challenge Cup tournament. Saturday’s game — a closed exhibition at Thurman Hutchins Park — marked another step toward Racing’s own Challenge Cup debut this April.

Kizer’s trio of goals added to midfielder Lauren Milliet’s fifth-minute cleanup off a deflection in the Cardinals’ box, the first chance on goal in a game where Racing out-shot UofL by an 18-2 margin.

“It’s a great thing, first and foremost, to get 90 minutes in,” said Racing’s head coach, Christy Holly. “We were able to push players for the most amount of minutes in a game so far.  So for us, it’s a fantastic experience. It’s really valuable, and there’s a lot of moments within the game we’re very happy with. There’s obviously things we want to improve, but that’s preseason.”

Remaining Racing Louisville FC preseason games are scheduled against other NCAA Division 1 opponents on March 7 (at Vanderbilt), March 13 (versus West Virginia), March 24 (at Florida State) and March 28 (at Florida State).

The Challenge Cup begins April 9 before the regular season starts in mid-May.

UofL, meanwhile, played its first game since finishing 4-5 last fall. That also meant the Cardinals were finding their way without forward Emina Ekic, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 2020 Offensive Player of the Year who was selected No. 5 overall by Racing in the 2021 NWSL Draft.

The Louisville native Ekic started against her alma mater to mark her first minutes at the professional level.

“It’s fantastic to have the UofL team here,” Holly said. “…That relationship is vitally important to us. We do wish that it was something we could open up more to the public, and in the future maybe it will be as (COVID-19) restrictions lift.”

As the U.S. Women’s National Team went 3-0 during the recent SheBelieves Cup, Racing Louisville FC didn’t have a representative on the roster. But in the days leading up to the competition, defender Emily Fox mixed into sessions as a training player to help prepare the Americans.

Now, the No. 1 overall NWSL Draft pick is more than a week into her time on the pitch with Racing, a squad that skews young in both age and experience.

“There is no better team to come back from,” said head coach Christy Holly of Fox’s stint in red, white and blue. “The impact that has on the team from a quality standpoint is fantastic, but it also is energizing.”

An expansion club beginning NWSL play this spring, Racing will play its first competition Saturday when it hosts the University of Louisville in a preseason game.

So will continue a busy 2021 for Fox, a University of North Carolina product who heard her name called in the NWSL Draft while at USWNT camp preparing for January friendlies against Colombia. Days later, in a Jan. 22 victory, Fox subbed on for Ali Krieger in the 79th minute to earn her fourth senior team cap.

“The past few weeks have been crazy,” Fox said. “I feel like I have been traveling a lot all over the place. I am excited to be here and to get settled in and have this be my new home.”

When Fox arrived in Louisville, she was immediately introduced to the stadium, training facility and apartments. Her initial reaction to the resources: “Holy cow,” she said. “This is awesome.”

Outside of soccer, Fox said her integration into the team has gone well, too.

“The girls, they all were super welcoming,” she said. “I have old teammates and some new teammates. It is nice to see everyone.”

As for those “old teammates,” Fox attended UNC with fellow draft pick Taylor Otto and expansion draft selection Julia Ashley. Additionally, she’s familiar with University of Louisville graduate Emina Ekic having played against her in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Holly’s system of play is also a familiar one for Fox, whose teams won at the highest levels in college.

“It is similar to where I came from in terms of high press, going forward at pace,” Fox said. “But also, the new parts are a building phase and being composed.”

Fox started 69 collegiate matches, scoring two goals and notching 20 assists in addition to standout defending at outside back. During her junior season, she was a first-team All-ACC selection and a Hermann Trophy semifinalist. Through a senior season abbreviated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox helped the Tar Heels advance to the ACC Tournament’s final and was recognized once again as a first-team All-ACC selection.

Also while in college, Fox returned to peak performance despite tearing her ACL twice.

“She is coming from UNC and they just produce players with a real strong, competitive mindset,” Holly said. “She has a huge amount of quality and drive about everything that she does. As someone who has overcome two ACLs, you have to be hungry to overcome that and put yourself back in the national team picture.”

In addition to the UofL friendly, Racing will face Vanderbilt (March 7), West Virginia (March 13) and Florida State (March 24/28) leading up to the NWSL’s competition calendar.

“I think these games are critical to get those kinks out of what people like and don’t like with communication and style of play,” said Fox. “I think these games are really important and exciting.”

Racing Louisville FC will prepare for its inaugural National Women’s Soccer League campaign with five preseason games against NCAA Division 1 opponents, among them the University of Louisville.

Games begin Saturday and will lead up to an April 9 start to the NWSL’s Challenge Cup tournament. The regular season then begins in mid-May.

Each of Racing’s preseason games are expected to be closed to the public. Should a host school choose to live stream an event, details will be communicated via Racing Louisville FC’s social media channels along with in-game updates.

“It’s great to be able to confirm some dates for our preseason,” said Racing’s head coach, Christy Holly. “As a team we have a lot of work to do and many areas of the game that we wish to improve upon. Each of these games will allow us the opportunity to be challenged by good opposition while also continuing to work on the cohesion within the team.”

Racing’s first-ever competition will come this weekend against neighboring UofL. The Cardinals finished 4-5 during an abbreviated 2020 season when starring forward Emina Ekic, since selected No. 5 overall by Racing in the NWSL Draft.

Racing will travel March 7 to play against reigning SEC Tournament winner Vanderbilt, which has already qualified for this spring’s NCAA Tournament. The Commodores’ roster includes senior goalkeeper Sarah Fuller, nationally known after in December becoming the first woman to score in a “Power Five” conference football game kicking for Vandy.

Racing will be back home on March 13 when playing host to West Virginia. The Mountaineers finished second in the Big 12 Conference with a 7-2 record last fall and are chasing an NCAA Tournament bid.

Preseason activities will wrap up March 24 and 28 with a pair of contests against powerhouse Florida State in Tallahassee. The Seminoles went 11-0 last fall, won the Atlantic Coast Conference and feature midfielder Jaelin Howell, who was called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team for the SheBelieves Cup.

The Challenge Cup and NWSL season schedules will be announced later.

Racing Louisville FC preseason schedule

Feb. 27 vs. Louisville

March 7 at Vanderbilt

March 13 vs. West Virginia

March 24 at Florida State

March 28 at Florida State

Racing Louisville FC’s Brynn Sebring, hired as the NWSL’s first director of player experience, will be the first to tell you she’s no soccer expert. But that hasn’t stopped Sebring from building an environment around the expansion club that treats every athlete like a “World Cup winner.”

In a story this week by The Equalizer’s Dan Lauletta, Sebring spoke about how she came to join the Racing staff and her role in helping the players settle into a new city.

“Basically, I manage every single thing that touches the players when they’re here,” Sebring told Lauletta. “From how they get picked up at the airport to what they’re living in to how we communicate our schedule to how we prepare and support them off the field. It’s a large scope.”

For Sebring, it is about the little details for each player. Before the players even moved into their apartments, she made sure that they could possibly need for their first night in an apartment was there and ready for them upon arrival. 

“It’s really nice coming into a new market and a new place and feeling like you don’t even have to run to the store the first night,” goalkeeper Michelle Betos said. “Little things like having a garbage bag in the garbage to having a roll of toilet paper. The bed was made. You could walk in and take a deep breath and settle in on your own time.”

Through the positive experience that Sebring brings to all players on the Racing roster, she believes that it will help with recruiting future athletes to Louisville. But more importantly for Sebring, she believes it is the right thing to do.

“Players deserve to have good experiences when they’re with a club. And if you want to set the standard for women’s soccer this is a huge part of it. The way players talk about your club when they leave or when they retire is going to be important to your perception.”

Read The Equalizer’s full feature on Sebring here. 

Now in its second year of existence, the Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC Academy has grown to become the only area club providing a pathway from the beginning of a player’s career to the professional level.

Registration is open for U-5 through U-8 age groups, coined Academy Juniors with more information available at a newly launched website (loucityracingacademy.com) that will feature updates for academy families and fans alike on rising soccer stars.

The girls and boys programs now range from the U-5 to U-19 levels, and a pipeline to become a pro is open after Oldham County native Elijah Wynder in December became the first academy player to sign a full first team LouCity contract. The same opportunity exists for Racing Louisville academy members to one day join the 2021 NWSL expansion side.

“This completes the youth player experience from the time they start kicking the ball,” said academy director Mario Sanchez. “Families can grow in the game of soccer as we continue to grow.”

When the academy launched in 2020, news and information was stored on the LouCity first team website. Now, those wanting to keep up with the burgeoning youth program have a separate home for keeping up on the future of their favorite clubs at loucityracingacademy.com.

“We’re really excited for the new website,” Sanchez said. “It will give soccer enthusiasts the opportunity to learn about all we’re offering within the LouCity and Racing youth teams.”

The Academy Juniors program, led by Junior Academy Director Kincaid Schmidt, will focus on developing players at younger levels. They may grow up with soccer as a hobby, though the hope is also to find the next Wynder to represent the community as a homegrown pro.

Schmidt said the U-5 and U-6 programming will focus on basics of movement and soccer skills. U-7 and U-8 players will be introduced to more technical aspects of the game and put in small-sided games.

“This helps us provide a home for young players who can see out their potential in the future,” said Schmidt, who previously held a leadership role within the Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids’ youth program. “It’s about fun, belonging and development. Fun first — feeling like they belong and then development comes as a long-term process.

“Whether you’re a girl or a boy, this club can be something special for you.”

Those looking to enroll a child in the Academy Juniors ranks can register for Spring Sessions set for March 12-April 23 or May 7-June 11.

On Sunday, Racing Louisville FC got its first opportunity to play a full-sided intrasquad scrimmage thanks to a last-minute shift in location from its training facility to Bellarmine University’s Owsley B. Frazier Stadium — which had been cleared of snow.

One squad, wearing pink pinnies, consisted of nearly exclusively contracted players aside from former University of Florida standout Vanessa Kara, a non-roster camp invitee who played on the right wing.  This group defeated a team in yellow pinnies by a 2-0 score after an own goal courtesy of a slotted ball from Katie McClure and a long-range strike from Savannah McCaskill.

“It has been an interesting week, that is for sure,” Racing head coach Christy Holly said afterward.

Racing has dodged weather by training at indoor facilities in Lexington, Ky., and Indianapolis in recent days.

“I can’t ask for any more from this group of girls,” Holly said. “They have been tremendous from start to finish. As soon as we said where we are going to be, they have shown up and given 100 percent. Truthfully, I have learned more about the type of people we have on the team, which is exciting for us moving forward.”

Here’s what we learned from watching the scrimmage:

As more players arrive, the level of play rises

Racing’s squad is coming together. Forward Yuki Nagasato has more than a week of training under her belt after completing her required quarantine period. Defender Emily Fox is also working her way into the squad after a recent stint training with the United States Women’s National Team.

“Naturally when you add players like that, the quality of the team and the play just goes up,” said Holly. “Yuki is a phenomenal professional. She is a great role model for the younger players. I can see the influence that is having. Then you bring in Emily Fox who is just coming back from the national team, there is no better team to come back from.

Additionally, midfielder Freja Olofsson has arrived in Louisville from Sweden. She will join training once she completes her required quarantine period.

Partnerships are continuing to form

Quickly established relationships on the field will be key leading into April’s NWSL Challenge Cup for Racing. That’s whether it’s a center back pairing or chemistry working down the same side of the field

“I can see that those relationships are huge for us, and I think you can see probably in the first 15 minutes, there was a real disconnect. That is expected,” Holly said. “I think it is about learning what we can and cannot do — learning who can and who cannot do what. And ultimately that will impact our game plan as we go into the season.”

Absent any sort of a crowd in the closed environment, communication was easily heard. Fox, the left back, and Nagasato, who played on the wing, were among those getting their initial touches in Louisville.

This happened through the squad’s constant communication on the field. Throughout the scrimmage, the players for both teams were continually giving each other instructions.

“I think the most important thing is developing little communities on what side you are on,” Fox said. “Then figuring out what each person likes, whether that person needs a scream, or they need a little private, ‘Hey next time, look at me.’”

Mentality with and without the ball will be the difference

Throughout the scrimmage, Racing players provided insight into Holly’s approach. Offensively, when given the opportunity, they drubbed the ball at speed toward an opposing defender.

“For us, we want to get across the team that if you find yourself in an opportunity for a one-v-one situation, we back you,” Holly said.” “You have to back yourself and get after it and enjoy those situations. Some people get in those one-v-one situations and they don’t want to be there. They don’t have the confidence to do it.

“We have the utmost confidence in our players, and we encourage that as a way to separate ourselves in the game to create goal-scoring opportunities.”

Defensively, players were evident in how they reacted when losing the ball. At that point, they immediately applied pressure to prevent the opposition from mounting an attack.

“We want to be an absolute nuisance.” Holly said. “We don’t want people to enjoy playing against us. I am trying to build the team that if you are going to get something out of me, you are going to earn it. We want that among the team. Everything is competitive. Everything is imposing. That is what we are trying to carry on throughout the season.”

There is still room to grow, and that’s good

While there were a lot of positives to be gleaned from this initial scrimmage, it’s only going to provide Holly more insights into what his group needs to shore up in the coming weeks. He has purposefully assembled a young team hungry for opportunity at the NWSL level. Naturally, there will be growing pains.

“I think once we get into a more consistent schedule especially with the craziness with the weather,” Fox said, “I think those relationships will get stronger and we will get a better sense of each other.”

The Challenge Cup tournament begins as soon as April 9 before the NWSL’s regular season starts in mid-May. Season tickets are now on sale with more than 3,000 already claimed. To purchase your own, visit www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/tickets or call (502) 568-2489 during regular business hours to reach our team.

Racing Louisville FC’s academy athletes get the opportunity each session for a professional experience, training over the same fields as the club’s first team at Champions Park.

This week, youth players also connected with the pros themselves while displaced by recent winter weather that recently hit the region. Snowed in and unable to practice, academy members connected with Racing’s roster about lessons learned along the way of their own path to pro.

All academy age groups were able to submit questions for first team coaches and players, including Emily Fox, the recent 2021 NWSL Draft’s No. 1 pick. Fox began training Thursday with Racing after a stint in camp with the U.S. Women’s National Team.

A former University of North Carolina star defender, Fox emphasized the importance of developing good habits early while also enjoying every step.

“Be in the moment,” she said. “Don’t forget where you are now.”

Racing teammates Julia Ashley, Emina Ekic, Taylor Otto along with coach Christy Holly joined this particular Zoom call with high school-aged academy players.

Ekic, the No. 5 draft pick out of the University of Louisville, drove home the importance of focusing on yourself rather than others.

“Comparisons are the thief of joy,” she said. “My teammates at Louisville all committed at different times in our high school careers, but we all ended up at the same place. Don’t get discouraged or down on yourself. Focus on yourself and your skills. Work on your weaknesses until they are your strengths.”

All four players emphasized the importance of learning from errors.

“Have confidence in yourself to know that you are going to make mistakes,” Otto said. “Those mistakes are what is going to allow you to get better.”

Ashley, who Racing acquired in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft, noted how she handles big situations when nerves come into play.

“Go back to the small things,” Ashley said. “I tell myself to make my next tackle hard or complete my next pass. Then from there, I slowly build.”

Academy athletes also heard from Holly some advice on defensive tactics that can be translated from the youth to first team levels.

“We can’t just talk about it and then expect to go out and do it on a Saturday,” Holly said. “We live that lifestyle. It is a very forward proactive way of living on and off the field.”

“It is a mentality,” Fox added.

Following the program, Racing’s players encouraged academy members to tune into the USWNT’s eventual 1-0 SheBelieves Cup victory over Canada. They also advised their aspiring counterparts not to be strangers around the training facility that will upon its completion this spring house operations for the club.