**Louisville, Kentucky** – Racing Louisville FC earned their way to a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Red Stars after having to crawl back from a one-goal deficit only to produce a goal with a quarter of an hour left that would settle the points between the two sides.
The hosts were first to have a good look on goal just inside three minutes when Louisville’s CeCe Kizer produced a shot that was well-saved by Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher to keep all things level.
However, in the seventh minute, the Red Stars ended up on the board first through Amanda Kowalski. Winning the ball back deep in the Louisville half, forward Mallory Pugh carried the ball forward as she pressed toward the endline. Ultimately lifting a cross to the back post in hopes of finding a teammate, Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund got a hand on the cross-cum-shot, though the rebound fell conveniently to Kowalski who made no mistake in crushing her effort home.
Continuing to push for a two-goal lead, Chicago again tested the Louisville defense after 11 minutes. With the forward Pugh on the run, she was able to get in behind the Louisville defense and cut just outside to the left flank. Pushing away from goal following the move, Pugh still tested Lund with a powerful effort at the near post that was repelled. The only other big opportunity for the visitors inside the first half saw Ava Cook nearly get on the end of a squared ball from teammate Yuki Nagasato, only to miss just left of goal out of play.
Closing the first half, the hosts nearly found an equalizer via Lauren Milliet just two minutes before the break. Following a dangerous ball in the box, Milliet attempted to meet the cross but fell just short as the Red Stars netminder Naeher met the cross near her goalline to prevent the hosts from pulling level.
Down but not out in the second half, Louisville would eventually pull level in the 76 ^th mintute through what would be just the second free kick goal of this year’s Challenge Cup thus far. With Louisville’s Savannah DeMelo winning a free kick 20 yards from goal, University of Louisville product Emina Ekic stepped up to take. Over the ball, Ekic hammered an effort home from just right of the center of the 18-yard box into the top left corner to earn her side’s equalizer.
Louisville would end up one more solid look on goal as they won a free kick in the 90 ^th minute, but the goalscorer Ekic could not bury her opportunity at the near post and the chance went begging.
In the end, the result leaves Chicago and Louisville in their respective Central Division positions in which they entered the match—the Red Stars in second place on 8 points through five games and Louisville on 6 points through the same number of games played.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights