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The popular Soccer City radio show, powered by Kentuckiana Toyota Dealers, returns this week with a new time slot, host and home station for the 2021 season.

Now airing at 6 p.m. Thursdays on ESPN Louisville’s AM 680 and FM 105.7, Soccer City will include all of the same Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC conversation that has made it a local fixture over the years. But a shift away from Saturday mornings will also allow for more exclusive content, including live interviews with coaches and players.

Jeff Greer, LouCity’s play-by-play voice for games on ESPN Louisville, will host Soccer City. Color commentator Casey Whitfield and Lance McGarvey, the public address announcer at Lynn Family Stadium, will co-host.

“I’m so excited to join the show and help bring entertainment to this city’s loyal, knowledgeable soccer fans,” Greer said. “We want to continue the work Lance has done over the years to provide engaging content, and we’re so thrilled to have another team in Racing Louisville join the conversation.

“The show will have a mix of deep analysis and thoughtful opinion with lots of fun sprinkled in.”

As announced last month, LouCity and ESPN Louisville have forged a new agreement to air the club’s USL Championship across its family of stations. The 32-game regular season begins on or around May 1, adding to ESPN Louisville’s portfolio of rights deals including the Kentucky Derby, Cincinnati Reds and Bellarmine basketball.

While Racing Louisville FC’s games won’t air on radio in 2021, the 2021 NWSL expansion franchise will be prominent in each edition of Soccer City. Racing opens competition April 10 when hosting the Orlando Pride in the NWSL Challenge Cup, a preseason tournament leading into the full campaign that starts mid-May.

“Soccer City is a great addition to our lineup, and I’m excited to see what the crew does with the show,” said Andy Sweeney, program director and host of “The Take With Andy Sweeney,” which will lead into each edition of Soccer City. “If you want to know about LouCity or Racing Louisville, ESPN Louisville will continue to be your home for the most coverage.”

Both head coaches — LouCity’s John Hackworth and Racing’s Christy Holly — are expected to feature on Soccer City’s first show back. Listen live on air or visit ESPNLouisville.com for the station’s live stream. Archived editions will be made available at LouCity.com/soccercity.

Standout performances Saturday by forwards Emina Ekic and Katie McClure pushed Racing Louisville FC over the top in a 4-0 preseason victory over West Virginia University at Thurman Hutchins Park.

Racing Louisville, a 2021 NWSL expansion side, remained unbeaten leading up to its inaugural season as the hometown product Ekic registered a goal and an assist and McClure added two goals of her own.

The Mountaineers were another quality NCAA Division 1 opponent on the club’s preseason slate entering ranked No. 7 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. Dating back to 2014, the Mountaineers are 58-9-5 in their away games.

“I am really happy with certain moments within the game,” said Racing’s head coach, Christy Holly. “I felt like West Virginia gave us some fantastic issues to try and problem solve. I thought that with their buildout we had to be very defensively organized. We had to be diligent in everything that we did.

“For large parts of the game, I thought we played well, but there are some little things that we need to work on.”

Ekic opened the scoring in the 17th minute thanks to a well-placed cross from defender Emily Fox. The goal was the first in lavender for Ekic, the reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Year out of the University of Louisville.

Ekic’s 41st-minute corner, which found McClure for another goal, doubled the lead. And McClure’s 59th-minute cleanup of another Ekic corner made it a brace.

Trialist Joran Baucom finished out the scoring when, in the 83rd minute, she won the ball back in the box, gathered and fired into the corner of the net.

“As the weeks have gone on, our chemistry has gotten better,” Ekic said. “The interchange, what pockets to step into, and just understanding each other, have helped build that process.

“…I feel like our practices are hard and we train well, but you never know what is going to look like until you play some outside competition. I feel like the competition has been really good so far. The aggression, the speed, we need that. We need to get that feel for the game before we go into our home opener.”

Racing concludes preseason play with two away games against No. 1-ranked Florida State on March 24 and 28. The preparation leads up to its NWSL debut in the 2021 Challenge Cup tournament, which for Racing opens April 10 against the Orlando Pride at Lynn Family Stadium.

The NWSL’s regular season begins in mid-May.

Before Cheyna Matthews could make way to Louisville, her future club came to her.

The forward, selected by Racing Louisville FC on the NWSL’s 2020 Re-Entry Wire from the Washington Spirit, greeted her future Racing Louisville FC teammates Sunday at their preseason game against Vanderbilt University.

Matthews gave birth to her second child in December and is working her way back into shape in Nashville, where she attended Vanderbilt and met her husband, NFL free agent Jordan Matthews.

“Things are good,” she said, “I am recovering well. I haven’t had any setbacks or anything. It feels easier this time around, which is a little bit surprising. “

Matthews, who transferred to Florida State toward the end of her college career, said Nashville holds a special place in her heart. She and her husband have made the city, fewer than three hours south of Louisville, their home base.

Matthews attended Sunday’s 2-1 Racing victory with both her sons.

“I could walk to the game if I wanted to,” she said. “It is nice to be in my neck of the woods. Typically, when you are in a new environment you are going to the place to be around the team out of your city. But it is nice to meet everybody in my hometown.”

Matthews, who was selected No. 7 overall in the 2016 NWSL Draft, returned quickly enough from the birth of her first son to appear in two 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup games for Jamaica, her mother’s home country. The feat led to FIFA.com coined Matthews “Jamaica’s super mom.” 

This go around, Matthews’ goal is to join Racing Louisville this spring for its inaugural NWSL season.

Racing continues its preparations Saturday when hosting West Virginia University. The match will be closed to the public, but fans can follow the club’s social channels for updates. Friendlies at Florida State on March 24 and 28 round out the exhibition calendar before 2021 NWSL Cup play begins April 10 against the Orlando Pride.

Season memberships are now on sale with 3,000 tickets already claimed for the inaugural season. Those on the list will also receive priority to attend Challenge Cup home games. Visit www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/tickets or call (502) 568-2489 during regular business hours to claim your spot at the new Lynn Family Stadium.

Tournament soccer for Louisville’s youth clubs has typically equated to leaving the city, placing the burden on families to both pay for transportation and carve out extra travel time.

That is, until now.

Over the next two weekends, the Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC academies will host The Motz Group Turf Classic, their first home tournament welcoming nearly 60 teams to the new Champions Park training facility.

This weekend, boys teams from U-9 to U-14 age groups will play over the same turf fields serving as training grounds for Louisville’s NWSL and USL Championship clubs. Next weekend, the girls will follow.

“Now that we have this world-class facility, we are excited to bring in teams whether they are from the Louisville area or outside,” said Mario Sanchez, the youth academies’ director. “We are excited to get them into our facility, see kids to play games at a professional facility and provide them a good environment to enjoy the game.”

Each team competing this month is guaranteed at least three games. Top finishers from each age group advance to championship matches Sunday afternoon, with winners receiving trophies.

Finally, players within the LouCity and Racing academies can enjoy the perks of playing at home. Aptly, Cincinnati-based The Motz Group installed the turf fields they’ll play on at Champions Park.

“When you travel, there are costs associated with it, especially for the little kids,” Sanchez said. “Not having to travel hours outside the city is a benefit to what we are trying to do. It is providing our local community another option here.”

The training facility’s turf surfaces allow for play rain or shine, and each field is lighted for night games.

“There are a few sites here that have one field, but the fact that we have multiple fields with turf and all with lights is new to this area,” Sanchez said. “Typically for tournaments, especially this time of the year, it was hard to host because of the weather. To be able to host in early March is a bonus for the soccer community.”

The Motz Group Turf Classic is only the start. The academies are aiming to host a similar event in the fall with hopes of drawing an even larger pool of teams from across the midwest.

For more information on The Motz Group Turf Classic, visit loucityracingacademy.com/academy-tournaments.

Expansion side Racing Louisville FC will start its National Women’s Soccer League era with a 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup schedule that boasts plenty of international star power.

The league’s 10 clubs are slated to play four games apiece within their respective East and West divisions before leaders exiting the group stage advance to a May 8 final.

Season members — of which Racing already has more than 3,000 — will be contacted about first right to purchase Challenge Cup tickets for games at Lynn Family Stadium. Visit www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/tickets to join the list today and guarantee a spot in the venue.

Announced Tuesday, Racing’s NWSL debut is a home game set for  7 p.m. Saturday, April 10, against an Orlando Pride squad featuring U.S. National Team striker Alex Morgan and Marta, a Brazilian legend who has scored a record 17 goals in FIFA Women’s World Cup competitions.

Louisville travels next for a 7 p.m. Friday, April 16, matchup with the Washington Spirit. During the offseason, the Spirit added U.S. international defenders Kelly O’Hara and Emily Sonnett to their roster.

Racing returns to Lynn Family Stadium on Monday, April 26, with kickoff at 6 p.m. against the North Carolina Courage. Back-to-back NWSL champs in 2018 and 2019, the Courage feature national team member Lynn Williams and Debinha, another Brazilian mainstay.

Group play concludes for Racing with a trip to play Sky Blue FC at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 2. New Jersey-based Sky Blue is welcoming back two-time World Cup winner and 2015 FIFA World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd, who missed all of 2020 due to injury.

The other half of the Challenge Cup, the West division, consists of the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, Kansas City, OL Reign and Portland Thorns FC.

“We’re very excited about the Challenge Cup,” said Racing Louisville’s head coach, Christy Holly. “It’ll be really nice after all the planning to see our team run out at Lynn Family Stadium. There’s no easy game in this tournament, making for a brilliant learning process.”

Four Challenge Cup games will air on CBS Sports Network, while other games stream in the United States via Paramount+, the newly launched premium streaming service from ViacomCBS. All games will be available internationally on Twitch, including in Canada for all games that are not on CBS Sports Network.

Presenting Challenge Cup sponsor Secret Deodorant and the NWSL have created a “Rookie Class” program of interest for a young Racing squad. It creates sponsorship opportunities for rookies competing in the tournament as Secret and NWSL hope to continue building media equity for women in sports.

“I’m so excited to kick off a new year in style with the 2021 Challenge Cup presented by Secret Deodorant and thrilled to once again partner with our friends at CBS Sports to bring the best women’s soccer league in the world to our viewers,” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird. “My thanks to CBS, Twitch and all of our partners for continuing to invest in this league and showcasing these incredible athletes.”

Following the Challenge Cup, the NWSL’s 10 teams will face off in a 24-game regular season beginning May 15. Six teams will qualify for an expanded NWSL playoffs set to begin on Nov. 6, with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes.

Racing Louisville FC in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup

April 10 vs. Orlando Pride at Lynn Family Stadium (7 p.m., Paramount+)

April 16 vs. Washington Spirit at Segra Field (7 p.m., Paramount+)

April 26 vs. North Carolina Courage at Lynn Family Stadium (6 p.m., Paramount+)

May 2 vs. Sky Blue FC at Montclair State (12:30 p.m., Paramount+)

The same training grounds used by Louisville’s top professional soccer players can also become home to your adult league squad starting this spring.

Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC are excited to launch the new Champions City Adult League with games played at the clubs’ multimillion-dollar facility off River Road, minutes from downtown Louisville.

Registration is now open at www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/adult-leagues with play starting April 2. The Champions City Adult League will offer the following 7v7 divisions:

• Men’s Over 30 and Men’s Over 40 (Mondays)

• Men’s and Women’s Open (Wednesdays)

• Men’s Intermediate (Thursdays)

• Coed (Fridays)

Each division will be officiated by certified referees with seasons consisting of seven regular season games and one mini-tournament. The new training grounds will also be host to a full-service concession stand and open-air common area once construction finishes this spring.

“The Champions City Adult League aims to provide the Greater Louisville soccer community with organized competition for adults of all ages and skill levels on professional-caliber fields,” said league manager Caitlyn Flores. “From the youngest LouCity and Racing youth academy players through the adult leagues, we’re offering our community a chance to play where the pros do.”

Players can see which division fits their skill level at a pair of open pickup kickoff events from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, March 20, and Friday, March 26. Plus enjoy all the amenities of playing at the pros’ home, including food and beer vendors, LouCity/Racing swag and on-site registration for the initial Champions City Adult League season.

Summer and fall leagues will follow at conclusion of the spring sessions. For more information on the Champions City Adult League, contact Flores at cflores@loucity.com.

Racing Louisville FC will make its National Women’s Soccer League debut as a member of the NWSL Challenge Cup’s East division, it was announced Monday, with the expansion club’s first games against the North Carolina Courage, Orlando Pride, Sky Blue FC and Washington Spirit.

Presented by Secret Deodorant, the Challenge Cup tournament kicks off at 8:30 p.m April 9 when the Houston Dash host the Chicago Red Stars. The West division’s other teams are Kansas City, OL Reign and Portland Thorns FC.

A full Challenge Cup schedule is due out Tuesday. Each club will play the four others in its group while looking to qualify for a May 8 final.

As opposed to the inaugural Challenge Cup, a bubble environment event last year as the NWSL returned to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition will be contested in team markets.

Racing Louisville FC, coached by Christy Holly, will play its home games at the new Lynn Family Stadium. The inaugural roster assembled primarily through expansion and college drafts includes U.S. Women’s National Team defender Emily Fox, former University of Louisville forward Emina Ekic and Yuki Nagasato, a World Cup winner with Japan, among others.

Racing’s season members — of which there are already more than 3,000 — will receive first right to purchase Challenge Cup tickets for games at Lynn Family Stadium. Visit www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/tickets to join the list today.

The Challenge Cup opener and three additional games will air on CBS Sports Network, while other games will stream in the United States on Paramount+, the newly launched premium streaming service from ViacomCBS. All games will be available internationally on Twitch, including in Canada for all games that are not on CBS Sports Network.

As part of Secret’s continued investment in women’s equality and advocacy for women in sports, Secret and the league are creating a NWSL Rookie Class program. Through this program there will be sponsorship opportunities for NWSL rookies competing in the tournament. By creating this program Secret and NWSL hope to continue to build media equity for women in sports.

“As a women’s brand, we are especially proud to systemically address the lack of representation and sponsorship in women’s sports through our NWSL partnership,” said Sara Saunders, senior brand director of Secret & Gillette. “By supporting the Rookie program this year, we will strengthen the development pipeline for women’s professional soccer.” 

Following the Challenge Cup, the NWSL’s 10 teams will face off in a 24-game regular season beginning May 15. Six teams will qualify for an expanded NWSL playoffs set to begin on Nov. 6, with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes.

Midfielder Lauren Milliet scored the game’s opening goal and earned a penalty leading to another tally Sunday as Racing Louisville FC continued its preseason with a 2-1 victory over Vanderbilt University.

The Commodores, last fall’s reigning SEC Tournament champions, hosted Racing’s second exhibition of the year in Nashville as the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League expansion club gears up for its inaugural campaign.

“We’re very happy to get down here and get a game against fantastic opposition,” said Racing Louisville’s head coach, Christy Holly. “Vanderbilt were able to give us a different type of challenge than we faced last week, which was great — some formation changes and pressed us. We’re delighted.”

Selected by Racing from the North Carolina Courage in the November expansion draft, Milliet broke a stalemate near the halftime whistle. Teammate Emina Ekic was taken down on the edge of the box, where Milliet gained possession and cleaned up the chance for a 43rd-minute goal.

After the break, Milliet was tripped up in the 48th minute before forward Cece Kizer — who registered a hat trick a week ago against the University of Louisville — stepped up to drill the ensuing penalty kick, doubling the lead.

Vanderbilt got a goal back in the 68th minute when midfielder Raegan Kelley made the most of a breakaway opportunity. But the hosts were held otherwise scoreless in a game finished off by a slew of Racing’s non-roster preseason camp invitees vying for contract offers.

“I think at times we were really good, and I think we had some good moments,” Milliet said. “At times, we were scrappy — all things we can work on. I’m just excited about the progress of the team, and obviously getting a goal is awesome for me. I’m definitely looking to get that rolling during the season, too.”

Racing’s attack wasn’t without other chances, especially during a standout first half by the Louisville native Ekic. She was working with the ball when tackled to set up Milliet’s goal and eight minutes earlier had rattled a free kick off the bar.

Savannah McCaskill also had a 26th-minute shot punched away by Vanderbilt goalkeeper Sarah Fuller, nationally known after in December becoming the first woman to score in a “Power Five” conference football game kicking for Vandy. McCaskill later saw a shot from distance carom off the bar in the 62nd minute.

Vanderbilt, which started its spring season 2-0, hadn’t conceded a goal this year until Sunday.

Racing’s preseason continues Saturday when the club hosts West Virginia University. Friendlies at Florida State on March 24 and 28 round out the exhibitions before the 2021 NWSL Cup begins April 9, with that schedule to be announced.

Season memberships are now on sale with 3,000 tickets already claimed for the inaugural season. Those on the list will also receive priority to attend Challenge Cup home games. Visit www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/tickets or call (502) 568-2489 during regular business hours to claim your spot at the new Lynn Family Stadium.

Tasked with fielding an expansion team, Racing Louisville FC coach Christy Holly set out last fall to build a young roster made up of players hungry for opportunities at the National Women’s Soccer League level.

That said, the club is also leaning on leadership from its two most veteran players.

“When we go to practice, they are the first ones out with their cleats warming up,” Holly said of forward Yuki Nagasato and goalkeeper Michelle Betos, both 33-year-olds.

“It has been great for them to set the example and lead the way for the younger players.”

Nagasato and Betos have a combined 30 years of professional playing experience with 10 of those in the NWSL. The former, from Japan, won the FIFA Women’s World Cup with her country in 2011 and was a runner-up in 2015. The latter has played on multiple continents and in 2015 won the NWSL’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award.

“My one goal here is for each player individually to maximize their potential,” Betos said. “I think that every day I am just trying to bring it out of them. I am going to try to help them be their best, understand what it is going to take in the League, push them to play faster, play hard. I just want to set an example any way I can.”

In that respect, Betos has taken a vocal lead, a role that comes with her position, constantly providing her teammates instruction and support from the box.

“Then for me, my position is to show what it means to be a professional soccer player and what I need to do,” Nagasato said. “In preparation for the game, in preparation for training, and after training, I just do what I need to do. That is what makes me a role model.”

On a typical day at training, Nagasato and Betos are first on the field warming up and the last two getting extra touches when the session has ended.

That isn’t for show to Racing Louisville counterparts whose average age is under 25 years old. Rather, it’s part of both players’ regular routines.

“That is my thing,” Nagasato said. “If I do that, I feel much better and I will show my best performance. That is my traditional preparation.”

“I love this game,” Betos added. “The reason why I have played for so long is that I love it. It usually takes a strength and conditioning coach to pull me off. All I want to do is get better. I want to play. I want to be out on the field. This is my favorite thing to do. If it sets an example, great. But I am trying to get better every day.”

While there are obvious challenges to being an expansion club, these veterans have also found some silver linings, particularly in how their team is structured.

Nagasato sees a group that’s “really flexible and adaptable” as most players find their footings professionally.

“There are no egos,” Betos said. “There are a bunch of kids who want to work their butts off. If Christy says to press, they say, ‘How hard?’ And if Christy says to drop, they drop. I think that they are bought in.”

And that goes back to one of Holly’s favorite lines: With youth comes a lack of fear. Likewise, Betos is also encouraging her younger teammates not to play scared.

“What I want them to understand is that the quicker they fail, the quicker they will succeed,” she said. “The quicker they will learn. And we are going to make mistakes. If we fear them, it is not going to change that. It is just going to make us play less than ourselves. That’s a big one that I want for them.”

“…I also think that we are unknown. I think that people will underestimate us because of the average age of this team. I think that will work in our favor.”

Racing, which defeated the University of Louisville last Saturday by a 4-0 score, continues its preseason Sunday with an exhibition at Vanderbilt University. 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 tournament will mark Racing’s first NWSL competition. It starts April 9 and leads into the regular season 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, visit www.racingloufc.com/racingloufc/tickets or call (502) 568-2489 during regular business hours to reach our team.