Run With Us | Racing Louisville FC

Post by **Agent** » 01 Jun 2025, 07:16

2027 Ballon d'Or Winner:

ST Sophia Wilson, Spanish Liga, FC Barcelona

Post by **Agent** » 01 Jun 2025, 07:21

NWSL Playoff Tree:

Quarter Finals:

Post by **Agent** » 01 Jun 2025, 08:24

Can Filipa Patão and Racing Louisville Defend Their NWSL Title in 2027?

After lifting their first-ever NWSL Championship in 2026, Filipa Patão and Racing Louisville FC are now in unfamiliar territory: the hunted. The defending champions finished the 2027 regular season atop the table with a 15-9-2 record, entering the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. But with a new cast of stars stepping into leadership roles and a former Racing legend in their path, their title defense may be anything but routine.

With Kosovare Asllani retiring after last year’s championship run, Ella Palis was handed the captain’s armband—and she’s responded with another stellar season with Racing. The French midfielder led the NWSL in goals with 16, building on her combined 40 goals from 2025 (20) and 2026 (20). Her cool finishing, tireless work rate, and clutch play have made her the heartbeat of Patão’s squad.

“She’s not just wearing the armband,” Patão said after the regular season finale. “She is the standard.”

While Palis has been burying goals, Savannah DeMelo has been serving them up on a silver platter. The U.S. native finished the regular season with an NWSL-best 15 assists, pulling strings from midfield and finding pockets of space to slice defenses open. Whether it’s a through ball to Palis or a lofted cross to the wing, DeMelo has been the most creative engine for the second straight year in the NWSL.

In her second season with Racing and first as the starting striker, Alisha Lehmann delivered in a big way. The Swiss attacker ranked 4th in goals (10) and 4th in assists (7) across the league, giving Racing a multidimensional threat up top. Her chemistry with both Palis and DeMelo has made Racing’s attack nearly impossible to contain.

One name to watch closely this postseason? Erëleta Memeti. The Kosovo international quietly put together a strong regular season with 7 goals from the wing, providing pace, width, and sharp attacking instincts on the flanks. If Memeti can elevate her game further in the playoffs, she might be the piece that puts Racing over the top once again.

“She’s been our quiet assassin,” said Palis. “When she’s on, we’re almost impossible to deal with.”

Last year’s NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, Regina van Eijk, saw opponents raise their level against the champs in 2027. She finished 5th in clean sheets with 6, a dip from last season, but she remains a steady and vocal leader in the back. With playoff intensity ramping up, van Eijk’s experience could prove vital.

Racing's quarterfinal opponent is the 8th-seeded Orlando Pride, a club that finished the regular season at 8-9-9. While the Pride squeaked into the postseason, they bring a potent emotional edge: Katie Lund, Racing’s former goalkeeper and fan favorite, will be in net.

Now thriving in her first season with Orlando, Lund tied for the league lead with 7 clean sheets (alongside Seattle’s Cassie Miller), reasserting herself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the league. After a transfer to SGS Essen in 2024 for $240,000, her return to NWSL play has been a resounding success.

“She’s motivated, no doubt,” said Patão. “But so are we.”

One factor working in Racing’s favor: Orlando will be without star striker Barbara Banda, who was sold to Paris Saint-Germain during the summer window for a $19,000 weekly wage. Banda’s departure has left the Pride struggling for goals in the final third—a crucial blow heading into a playoff matchup against a high-scoring Louisville side.

With a red-hot Palis, a lethal trio in Lehmann, DeMelo, and Memeti, and a motivated squad from back to front, Racing Louisville enters the 2027 playoffs with both the pressure of expectation and the fire of ambition.

But this is no walkover. Katie Lund is standing in the way, and she knows this team better than anyone.

If Memeti catches fire and the attacking trio continues to click, Filipa Patão may very well lead Racing to a second straight title—and possibly the beginnings of a dynasty in Louisville.

Post by **Captain Canada** » 01 Jun 2025, 10:50

Goddamn - blinked and you finished the regular season.

Let's go dancing!

Post by **Agent** » 02 Jun 2025, 01:01

Captain Canada wrote: ↑
01 Jun 2025, 10:50
Goddamn - blinked and you finished the regular season.

Let's go dancing!

Yeah I was rolling last night on matches :kghah:

Playoff time :letsgo:

Post by **Agent** » 02 Jun 2025, 06:29

Racing Fires On All Cylinders As Louisville Dominates Orlando With A 5-1 Victory In The NWSL Quarter-Finals
NWSL Playoffs, Quarter-Finals: November 6, 2027 - Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, KY

1

vs.

5

Racing's 20-year old France' native, Maeline Mendy, kept the pressure on the Orlando Pride as she scored her first goal this season in the Quarter Finals.

Match Events:
29'

A. Lehmann (RAC)
35'

E. Memeti (RAC)
61'

S. Camberos (RAC)
64'

E. Palis (RAC)
89'

G. Chanda (ORL)
90'

M. Mendy (RAC)

Current Record:
15-9-2

Post by **James** » 02 Jun 2025, 07:26

DeMelo been going off for you.

Nice job putting everyone on notice in the first game of the playoffs.

Post by **Captain Canada** » 02 Jun 2025, 09:17

Everyone who needed to show up showed up. We move

Post by **six7** » 02 Jun 2025, 09:29

wat a weekend :obama:

Post by **Agent** » 03 Jun 2025, 03:48

James wrote: ↑
02 Jun 2025, 07:26
DeMelo been going off for you.

Nice job putting everyone on notice in the first game of the playoffs.

Wasn't expecting to blow them out like that but :letsgo:

Captain Canada wrote: ↑
02 Jun 2025, 09:17
Everyone who needed to show up showed up. We move

mvp wrote: ↑
02 Jun 2025, 09:29
wat a weekend

I was rolling :kghah:

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