Racing Louisville signed free agent midfielder Marisa Viggiano to a two-year contract, the club announced Thursday.
Viggiano’s deal with Racing runs through the 2025 season, adding five years of NWSL experience to one of the league’s most talented midfield corps. The Michigan native spent the past two seasons with the Houston Dash before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
The 26-year-old represents the first free agent signing for new head coach Bev Yanez as Louisville builds toward the 2024 campaign.
“I am thrilled to be joining Racing Louisville,” VIggiano said. “It’s clear that Louisville is a club with tremendous growth on and off the field. Their mission and vision for the direction of the club is exciting and aligns with what I have envisioned for my career. I am so excited to be a part of this talented roster and Louisville community and to play in front of this incredible fan base.”
“We are so excited to welcome Marisa as our club’s first free agent signing,” said Racing general manager Ryan Dell. “From the moment we started speaking with Marisa, this felt like a great fit with Racing. Not only is she an excellent and experienced player, but her character and personality match what we’re building as we maintain and grow a tight-knit, aligned locker room.”
Over her five years in the NWSL, Viggiano has four goals and two assists in 80 appearances and 5,372 total minutes. She has started 14 or more games each season, including 14 this past season in Houston.
In 2022, Viggiano totaled two goals and two assists in 18 starts while helping Houston reach the NWSL playoffs for the first time in club history.
A central midfielder, Viggiano is known for her passing and vision. According to Opta statistics and analytics, Viggiano ranked in the top 50 in the NWSL in shot-creating actions and the top-third of midfielders across the top nine leagues in the world in progressive carries, successful take-ons and blocked shots per 90 minutes of play.
“Marisa wants to get on the ball to create lower in the build as well as higher up the pitch, and that, paired with her ability to break up play and cover ground, made us very excited to bring her to Racing,” Yanez said. “She is willing to put in the work for the success of the group. That stood out immediately.”
Viggiano first broke into the league with the Orlando Pride. A fourth-round pick, she played in 40 games and scored twice. While playing her club soccer in Orlando, Viggiano was part of the United States under-23 squad that won the 2019 Nordic Tournament, claiming the trophy alongside future Racing teammate Jordan Baggett (then DiBiasi).
At Northwestern, Viggiano finished tied for second in program history with 20 career assists after matching the third-highest consecutive matches mark with 83 straight appearances. She was a two-time All-Big Ten performer who helped the Wildcats reach four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet 16 in 2016.
