**SEATTLE, WA.** – Racing Louisville FC are headed to the club’s first-ever competitive final in all NWSL competitions this coming weekend after a 1-0 victory over OL Reign secures the team’s place in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup Final. A goal in the first half by Louisville forward Kirsten Davis after a bad giveaway by the Reign defense sent the visitors in front, and the hosts’ attempts to come back and find a leveller were thwarted at every turn. Racing now faces the Courage on Saturday afternoon in the competition’s final.
The first real scare of the night for Louisville came just a couple of minutes in when heavy pressure by the Reign front line saw Racing goalkeeper Katie Lund attempt to make a clearance just a couple of yards in front of her own goal. However, because of the proximity of Reign players closing her down, Lund’s clearance ricocheted off not one but two Reign players before rolling just wide of the goal in the end.
Then, in the 10 ^th minute, the Reign had another look on goal in what would be classified as the side’s first shot, this one via attacker Tziarra King. The Louisville back line had recovered possession and were prepared to move out of the back when a pass by a defender went directly to King just outside the box to the left. King then spotted up and opted to test Lund still from quite a distance, but Lund had no issue holding the effort in the end.
Louisville’s first opportunity came not too many minutes later though, with midfielder Savannah DeMelo testing Reign goalkeeper Laurel Ivory from close in, but the U.S. Women’s National Team player should have done even more just in front of goal. Louisville forward Kirsten Davis was steaming ahead down the left side when she picked out DeMelo just a few yards in front of goal. DeMelo was able to get a shot away amidst pressure by the Reign defense, but her effort did not have nearly enough behind it to beat Ivory and the chance was cleared.
Just before the half-hour mark, though, Louisville forward Kirsten Davis would give her side the lead after an interception deep in Reign territory that led to the attacker picking her spot with a straight drive to the bottom left corner past Ivory. Davis had the ball passed straight to her, unmarked, just outside the Reign penalty area. Picking the ball up, Davis then fired to the bottom near corner past Ivory, who had little chance to keep the ball out, and with the goal sent the visitors ahead.
Both sides would settle back into the match after the game’s opening goal, but approaching halftime it became clear that neither side were going to find the game’s second goal before the break as Racing clung to its one-goal advantage heading into the second half.
The second half brought plenty of drama with it like the first, beginning just before the hour mark when a collision between Reign defender Sofia Huerta in attack and Louisville forward Thembi Kgatlana in defense saw a penalty given to the Reign before review. However, once VAR was involved, the decision was reversed, and OL Reign were given a free kick from just outside the box that they could not convert from.
Louisville’s first best chance in the second half came in the 68 ^th minute after a great spell of passing opened up space for Maddie Pokorny on the right side of the field. DeMelo had been on the ball for Racing when she spotted the run of the substitute Pokorny on the right flank. Receiving a pass, Pokorny then went for goal only for her shot to be blocked away in the end.
As the hosts Reign continued to push for an equalizer, one of their best opportunities in front of goal came in the 82 ^nd minute for substitute Jordyn Huitema just a couple of yards away from the near post. A recycled ball out to the edge of the penalty area saw the Reign keep possession and eventually swing a great cross back in toward the back post where Huitema was waiting. Leaping nearly unmarked to meet the ball, Huitema made solid contact with the cross but could not keep her header down as she missed high over the crossbar with just a few minutes of regulation left.
As the fulltime whistle sounded, however, a hard-fought road victory came for Louisville after forward Kirsten Davis separated her side from the Reign with her goal in the 28 ^th minute. The result now sees Louisville travel to North Carolina to face the Courage on Saturday afternoon.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights