BLOG
Spirit 2 Racing 2 Player Ratings
A point here is good. Don't sleep on that. A little better decision making late and Racing could have gotten all 3 points.
Bloomer-6: Maybe could have done better on the second, but otherwise really good.
Petersen-6: Caught out of position a few times causing teammates to have to cover.
Jean-7: Another solid performance.
Wright-6: Lost possession too easily on the first goal.
Sonis-7: Looked lively all night.
Flint-8: Pretty great all evening.
DiGrande-6: Not really involved much.
DeMelo-8: Great match and a solid penalty gave Racing a lead.
Hase-6: Had her ups and downs but overall was solid.
Sears-7: A bit unlucky not to finish off one of her chances.
Weber-6: Solid run out for her.
Borges-6: Won a penalty, but her late refusal to pass the ball led to the late equalizer.
Spirit v RLFC -1
Spirits are still high after a 1-1 draw in Orlando with the schedule not quite ready to be forgiving just yet. If there is anyone better equipped to handle the attention that Jordyn Bloomer is deservedly getting for her performance on Saturday, I haven't met her. At the media availability, she said all of the right things but did confess that she doesn't do a ton of homework on potential penalty takers in upcoming matches. I think tendencies can be a bit over analyzed, and Jordyn's swagger is always going to be her biggest quality when it comes to those types of situations anyway. Believing is half the battle. Let's hope Racing avoids conceding any more penalties in the immediate future, so that we don't have to test my theory.
Ellie Jean has signed a new contract through 2028, and I think that is a great bit of business for her and the club. Solidity and consistency at the back is always a good thing. Ellie has made the starting CB role hers and has played her way into the team based on her match performances. I like when that happens because then nobody questions why a certain player is or isn't starting. The first half of this season has made me a full believer in Jean.
Washington, like Racing, feels like a teams that can get goals from anywhere so it's difficult to hone in on a specific threat. Rodman is always a name on everyone's lips but the actual goals this year are coming from Monday and Hatch (absent now due to her pregnancy). Hatch historically scores frequently against Racing, so she will definitely be missed by the Spirit. The Spirit didn't look great in a 0-0 snoozefest at Gotham last Saturday, so will be looking to rebound. If Racing can sneak a win here, it might shift the narrative for the rest of the season. More likely, Racing will be satisfied with a point here and in San Diego next week.
“No One Wins…”
Courtesy of the NWSL
Stolen The Wire Epigraph
“No one wins. One side just loses more slowly.”
For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, the 4th season is basically just Abbott Elementary, but with 8th graders.
I was so close to handing out my first ever “10” player rating to Jordyn Bloomer, but I could not bring myself to do it in a match that Racing didn’t win. Prior to the match, I said that any points here would be good, and I stand by that. Play that match again 100 times and there is no way Bloomer saves two penalties and likely doesn’t even get the chance to do so. As this season marches on I do believe that the above epigraph (which actually might be my least favorite in the entire series as it seems overly pessimistic, even for David Simon) probably does apply to every team that isn’t Kansas City. They look to be clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the league at this point. All of the other teams, including Orlando, are in a race to lose more slowly. A win has me writing other things here, but one thing stuck with me that I will go ahead and propose. “Are we sure that Racing isn’t at least the second or third best team in the league at this point?” Now I know that sounds overly optimistic for me but after watching some of the other teams recently, I really don’t think any of them are better than Racing other than Kansas City and maybe San Diego.
Racing handled Orlando for much of the match. The first penalty was unnecessary but soft. The second was a joke and softer than the first. That Bloomer saved both of them is a little bit “ball don’t lie” but the same could be said for the own goal. Part of me does wonder if the late subs of Fischer for Weber and Ary for DeMelo were the right moves, but hindsight is always 20/20. All of the players worked hard and all had good moments, so I won’t worry too much about what might have been. At the end of the season there will be only one winner, but this match will always be memorable even if no one won.
Post Match Moment of the Match
Once again, I skived off my usual post-match duties for Racing to catch the last few minutes of the Lou City match as I was watching the match from the LFS press box. Bev was still rightfully pumped after the match, dropping 3 f-bombs during the 7-minute video. She called Bloomer “F-ing amazing” (we all agree). Bloomer shared that she enjoyed engaging with the Orlando fans in each end after she made the saves. (Bloomer F-bomb count during the press conference: 1). She signed off with “90 plus nine…I need to go lay down now.” Marissa eschewed the f-bombs and said she was “proud of the group”, a sentiment we can all get behind.
Were the Announcers Good?
JP Dellacamera and Jill Loyden were on the call. Once again, I was not in my normal friendly confines at home for this match. I watched the Racing match in the Lynn Family Stadium press box as Lou City battered Charleston 4-1 in front of 13,611 fans.
Subsection: How was their “Louisville”?
Louisvillians are persnickety on the pronunciation of their beloved hometown. I will be monitoring the broadcaster’s commitment to getting it right.
Jill: Always spot on. Two syllables. Honorary Louisvillian.
JP: When will this dude just retire? The one I caught was French…again. JP pronounced Sonis wrong…again but got nearer to the correct pronunciation as the match went on.
JP and Jill are remote when calling the match. JP seemed to not understand that the first penalty was given until at least a minute had passed. He seems generally ill-prepared for the matches he calls. Get Jill a better partner please. Close personal friend, Lianne Sanderson (alright we’ve met once, and she once liked a tweet I made about our meeting) made the snoozefest at Gotham earlier in the day much more palatable from a broadcast perspective. More like her please, NWSL.
TV Kit Rating
I said nice things about this kit in the kit rating piece earlier in the season, but Elizabeth didn’t care for it, so it ended up 11th. I think she had the better take in retrospect. On some screens, the kit reads as dark periwinkle more than a pure purple. I don’t like it. The pattern doesn’t read either (although to be fair neither does the pattern on Racing’s kit.) It was a bit confusing to watch two matches at once where Louisville is in a dark purple kit in one and essentially a white kit in the other and their opponents basically wore the opposites. Anyway, the Orlando kits are fairly meh. 5/10
The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match
Sav DeMelo picked up a good tactical yellow in the 55th minute stopping a promising attack by Banda. It was a nice, firm tug back that stopped her in her tracks. It was a “clean” yellow in that it didn’t endanger anyone. Good job Sav!
“Some of us shout ‘Cheats’ for cheating on the deal.”
“When the Angels”/Steve McQueen/1985
Technically, there is nothing stopping me from giving Jordyn Bloomer a “10” ratings other than some self-imposed rule about saving a “10” for something truly special in a win. Bloomer saved two penalties in an NWSL match and that has never been done before. Why couldn’t the soccer gods let us have this one? As the great poet once said, “if they can dance of the head of a pin, don't that tell you something about their skin?”
The soccer gods are really “heart-faced little bastards.”
I will forgo the angel imagery now and say that it was an encouraging and uplifting performance. I feel better about Racing’s chances for the playoffs now more than ever. They can do it. They are going to do it (reminder: whenever I get too up on this team bad things happen, but I am the least superstitious person I know so I said it anyway).
I really did mean that Racing is in the second tier of teams in the league. In a league with a one-team first tier, that isn’t a terrible place to be. The next two matches will show if my declaration is correct or too hasty.
Orlando 1 Racing 1 Player Ratings
Racing was just a few minutes of stoppage time away from getting an amazing result, but on balance a point is more than fair.
Bloomer-9: A clean sheet would have given her a 10. Amazing.
Petersen-7: Continues her solid run.
Jean-5: Conceded an unnecessary penalty.
Wright-6: Captained the side well on a challenging night.
Sonis-7: Great assist on DiGrande's goal.
Flint-7: Not as disruptive, but had a lot of recoveries.
DiGrande-8: Great goal and made the case for more minutes.
DeMelo-6: Good tactical yellow card on Banda was her best contribution.
Hase-7: Had a really good chance to put Racing up 2.
Sears-7: Looked sharper in this match than she has recently.
Weber-7: Had a really good effort in the first half.
Orlando v RLFC -1
On the news front, Katie Scott was loaned in from the KC Current as defensive cover (likely for Lo Milliet, but no update yet on her SEI status). This will likely be the chance for her to audition for a role next season as she only signed a one-year contract with the Current. Allie George’s loan is still not yet official, but when it is it will allow Racing to add Lo to the SEI list and still have 22 active players rostered.
Orlando will surely be looking for revenge against Racing, but they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home against Utah, so they might be doubly motivated for this match. Racing’s attack wasn’t great during the friendly season and looked toothless against Kansas City. They will likely need goals in Orlando to stand much of a chance at getting any kind of result. I think part of Orlando’s problem is that they get compared to the Current and themselves from last season. They aren’t as good as either of those teams, but that doesn’t mean that they still aren’t very, very good.
Racing starts a 3-game road trip with this match. Trinity Rodman returning and scoring is good news for the NWSL and bad news for Racing. A weakened Spirit might have been the best chance to grab points, but even a weakened Washington team with Trinity Rodman is daunting. I think San Diego is a terrible matchup for Racing. Points of any variety in Orlando would be a good enough result.
It stinks when Lou City and Racing play at the same time, but that is the circumstance we are up against on Saturday. I will be in the press box at Lynn with two eyes on the Racing match. Elizabeth will be on picture/commentary duty for Lou City this weekend.
"Come at the king, you best not miss."
Photo by Elizabeth Shaw
Stolen The Wire Epigraph
"Come at the king, you best not miss."
For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is a show based on Shakespeare’s penultimate play, “The Listener” about a Danish prince who sells his “white horse” to some forest nymphs or something…
All in all, that went about as expected.
Racing hung tough for a while but couldn’t convert when they were in the ascendency, and Kansas City ultimately cruised to a 2-goal victory. Like last year when I thought Orlando’s dominant run was good for the league, I thnk having a clear powerhouse is a good thing. One difference between this season’s Kansas City and last year’s Orlando is that this year’s Current team is just intuitively unlikeable (at least Kaitlyn Whiteside and I don’t like them). Kansas City’s sports landscape had been downtrodden for so long, that now that they have some success, even more seems cruel and smug. It looks like they are enjoying themselves being the “villains” so no hard feelings really. It’s good for narrative to have bad guys.
My big takeaway is that Kansas City is a patient team when they need to be. Ultimately that could be their downfall. If by some small chance Kansas City and Racing find each other matched up in the playoffs, Racing has a blueprint to beat them. In this match however, Racing didn’t really have too many opportunities that turned into shots. Their real opportunities came from times that if they had just been a little sharper or a little quicker, a dangerous chance might have presented itself. It takes a valiant effort and a little luck to beat the best of the best. Racing wasn’t quite ready for the challenge on the night.
Post Match Moment of the Match
After the match, Sonis, Jean (who now must be at the top of two lists: my favorite players to interview and Racing’s Free Agent extension list) and Bev were all disappointed but upbeat. This didn’t seem like a momentum killing loss, just a blip in the journey. Bev concurred saying, “I think we’re different, we’re just different.” Many times, in earlier seasons a decent performance in a loss was explained away as “almost there”. That felt optimistic and not really genuine. This time there was disappointment but not dread, which seems much more believable, and I think you can use it to fuel improvement. When Bev took off her mic from the Amazon Prime coverage, I joked with her to see if she wanted to wear it a bit longer so Amazon could follow her around during the rest of her week. Of course, they didn’t. It’s a shame because unknown to her I caught a sweet moment between her and her daughter as they were walking on the concourse. Bev the coach is great, but Bev the human being is even better. I am thrilled to have her around for another year.
Did the stadium have good food?
It was andouille night at the club. There were the sausages themselves as an option for the rotating hot dog/sausage on a bun offering. There was also jambalaya with and without meat, and the veggie option was just as good as the meat option. Two-thirds of BTRD were my guests at the club, but I believe Tom may have also had Bekki bring him a beer. The club was busier than usual, which is a good thing.
The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match
Last night Fischer picked up a what I thought at the time was a harsh yellow card on a play that a) was really rough b) probably could have been avoided. On the replay it looks like Fischer probably could have pulled out of the challenge, but that isn’t her. It was one where she definitely initiated the contact. Kayla and former Racing captain Jaelin Howell are leading the league in (lack of) discipline with 4 yellows and a red apiece.
“New broom, this room, sweep it clean”
“The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”/From Langley Park to Memphis/1988
First things first. Racing attracted a good crowd on the night. The fans were there early, and I think you have to applaud Soccer Holdings for pulling out most of the stops to get a crowd of over 8,000. The pre-match activities were done well from what I saw, and the atmosphere was good. It’s really a shame that the result wasn’t better. The club needed a big crowd for the showcase match, but I also wonder if the performance convinced any newbies. That is always the danger when you put the focus on getting people to the stadium for a high-quality opponent, but it surely was a "no regrets” move by the team. You have to shoot your shot.
You also have to move on quickly. In truth, there isn’t much interesting football to discuss in this match on the Racing side. They gave up two goals that were well executed by a good team. The regret should come from allowing the amount of sustained possession that led to the goals and likely not the goals themselves.
In the highlights were:
Plenty of solid defending stepping in front of shots
Sonis’ speed on defensive recovery runs
Jean’s assuredness in defense
There just weren’t enough attacking highlights. Even though the Current is a great team, Racing has always seemed to be able to get goals against them. The Current’s defending on the night was excellent, which probably bolsters their confidence even more. I thought Hase may have turned a corner last night as an attacker, but you would like to her get off a shot with 5 touches in the box. Sears touched the ball 14 times. That is definitely not the recipe for success. Fischer didn’t have much luck either. If there is a worrying trend, it does seem like the attack is now the weak link. Kanu always looks lively when she comes on. Balcer didn’t make an appearance. It might be time to mix things up a bit up front.
Anyway, it’s time to move on and Racing must do it quickly against an Orlando team that is likely looking for revenge and Racing has never won in Orlando (I don’t count the Liga MX cup penalty shoot-out thing from last season). Racing shouldn’t be intimidated however, so I give them a decent shot for points.
Racing 0 Current 2 Player Ratings
Photo by Elizabeth Shaw
The Current scored on two really fine pieces of play. Racing hung in for as long as they could.
Bloomer-6: Decent…not at fault for either goal.
Petersen-6: Solid, but possibly caught out of position on the first goal.
Jean-7: Defended her side well.
Wright-6: Really good in the first half.
Sonis-6: Ditto…thought she was great in the first 45 but fell off.
Flint-7: Kept Racing in it early.
O'Kane-7: Back up to her previous level after a brief dip over the break.
DeMelo-7: Needed an 8 or 9 performance from her to have a chance.
Hase-7: Again…a really good first half.
Sears-6: Pedestrian effort.
Fischer-6: Her yellow was harsh, but only really troubled the Current keeper once.
Entr’acte
Photo by Elizabeth Shaw
Act I is over.
The interlude is complete as well.
On the interlude…
Interruptions to the seasons are a bit like the weather. There are many things that can be said about them, but little to be done about it. Racing ended its first act as well as a team could (or as well as this team ever has). It hopes to carry of the momentum it built and well…things aren’t looking as good as they could.
I am always going to temper my enthusiasm. It’s in my nature. Here is what I saw during the break:
Three subpar performances that may or may not be worrisome: There are plenty of reasons not to be too concerned about the results against Lexington, São Paulo, and Palmeiras. First of all, nothing was really at stake (The Women’s Cup is nice to win, but it isn’t on the to-do list for the season). There was much rotation in the matches (except where they absolutely needed it as it turned out). Unfamiliar foes can make for tough opponents. All fair points. On the other side, at times Racing’s players looked as if they hadn’t played together in months, not weeks. I think all three of Racing’s opponents started slowly in the matches which lead to some over dribbling and trying to beat opponents one on one or one on two in some cases. Racing is not going to dribble its way through many NWSL teams. The resulting passing and connections seemed to lack cohesion. Several times simple passes just didn’t come off. That isn’t something you want to see heading into your 14th match of the season. The mid-summer break is a reality, so the teams that manage it best will get a short-term boost. Racing didn’t give me a warm and fuzzy feeling here.
Racing’s plan A has improved, but their plan B hasn’t: Bev in Bev style stated that Lo Milliet will be out “tomorrow”, but we all know that she is out for a while. Allie George self-reported on TikTok that she is going out on loan. I now count 21 players on the active roster and 2 of them, Barón and Borges, are definitely still in South America for the Copa América final. Racing has to have 22 “active” players on its roster, so I can guarantee you that either Lo will not be listed as SEI or George’s move will not be announced, or both. Regardless of any roster shenanigans to stay in the good graces of the rules, Racing is short especially on defense. They are also short in the technical staff department with Carmelina Moscato leaving for a head coaching in Saudi Arabia. Soccer Holdings, if you remember, is an organization that thought it was a good idea to not have a nominal head coach for decent stretch of the season. In my opinion, they were very fortunate to have that decision work out well and have been acting like “anyone can fill in” is a legitimate type of plan since then.
Racing runs lean. They are allowed to run lean. I am also allowed to absolutely blast them when I think it’s going to backfire on them. Losing Lo weakens both the attack and defense. That they don’t have a nominal right back available to fill in seems like a very “Racing” thing to me. They may get one quickly and Sonis may fill in fine (I hope she does). However, this loss and the loss of Moscato expose the fine lines. My opinion: since Racing employs a small coaching staff, part of the reason that the staff if hyper-focused on playing a certain way and sticking to it is that they aren’t staffed to design, teach and practice a counter strategy. For example: something I like to call the big club strategy, where teams consistently play and set up differently when they play the best of the best. It takes resources to focus on a multiweek strategy. Maybe Racing has spent the last 3 weeks preparing for KC and that is why they looked poor in the interim. I doubt that. I don’t think much foresight exists in the club’s DNA, yet. I think they will roll out Plan A against KC on Friday and will take the result that it gives them.
Things are improving, just maybe not at the rate they need to: Racing signed Taylor Flint long-term (A plus) and have been marketing the heck out of this weekend’s match (the numbers will dictate that grade). Those are both great things and what they need to be doing. One match will not decide a season, but it might define it. The expectations are both low and high for the match against the Current on Friday evening. Any points would be a good result. The spotlight is shining on Racing. I wish they were just a little more prepared for their close-up. For all kinds of reasons, the crowds haven’t been very big for Racing (they have still been “good” from an atmosphere perspective from time to time). They need a good and big crowd on Friday. Soccer Holdings is throwing everything at this one. I would feel better if they had a reliable history of mobilizing support. The big attendance matches have been planned way in advance or have other appeal or both. This is a test for the organization off the pitch as much as it is on the pitch.
Act II gets off to a start on Friday and I hope it is an entertaining as Act I. The new back line will have to gel quickly. Bathany Balcer will need to find her form out of the gate. Kayla Fischer will need to do the good Kayla things and ditch the bad Kayla ones. I still think Racing needs another reliable defender. O’Kane will need to keep up her form for the second half of the season. I guess what I am saying is that a bunch of things need to go right…right now. The sense of urgency will be the thing to watch for me on Friday. Racing needs to carry forward momentum that I fear it has lost. If they have, they will need to rebuild it quickly.
Racing 1 (3) Palmeiras 1 (2) Player Ratings
Racing still looks a little rusty coming out of the summer break. They will definitely need to connect with each other better when the season restarts next week.
Bloomer-7: Made a key save on a one on one to keep Racing in the match.
Petersen-6: Went down for a minute but looked to be okay.
Wright-7: Great ball into Sears for an assist.
Jean-7: Now pretty consistently the best defender on the pitch for Racing
Sonis-6: Deputized well in defense.
Flint-6: Gave the ball away more than usual.
DiGrande-6: Didn't create much.
O'Kane-6: Might be hitting the rookie wall.
Sears-8: Fantastic finish for the goal.
Weber-6: Not sure she gave much production in this match.
Fischer-7: Pressed hard but lacked any finishing touch.
Made penalties: Sonis, Flint, DeMelo
Bloomer: 2 saves
Racing 1 (4) São Paulo 1 (2) FC Player Ratings
Racing started fast but ended sloppy as they got outplayed for the last 50-60 minutes. They will need to cut down on the over dribbling and connect better in the final third when the season starts back in August.
Bloomer-6: After not being called into action much in the first 30 she made some decent saves. In hindsight she possibly could have done better on the goal.
Petersen-6: Wasn't used as much on set pieces as usual.
Jean-7: Best defender in the match by far.
Wright-6: Interchanged nicely when Milliet has to come off.
Milliet-6: Her injury looks worrying.
Flint-6: Spent a lot of time on the floor.
O'Kane-6: Not as sharp as she has been.
DeMelo-7: The announcers were crushing hard on her.
Hase-6: I remain unconvinced that she is the best option as an attacking winger.
Sears-6: Not quite back up to speed yet.
Fischer-7: Was a nuisance but needed more from her teammates in the press.
Sonis-7: Brightest spot in the second half.
Successful spot kicks: Sonis, Jean, DiGrande, Petersen
Racing 1 Lexington SC 1 Player Ratings
It looked like two teams getting in the swing of things. 1-1 seemed fair.
Roque-6: Touched the ball twice, maybe (45 out)
Petersen-6: Delivered a few good corners (61 out)
George-7: Showed good recovery speed and poise (45 out)
Wright-7: Solid (45 out) for the captain
Milliet-7: Must have a pact with the coaching staff to play every second of every match.
Kalitta-7: Won the ball effectively and fairly several times. (32 out)
O'Kane-8: A menace (45 out)
DeMelo-8: All over the place and full of energy (45 out)
Hase-7: Looks like winger is her position now.
Kanu-6: Had a couple of decent looks but couldn't find the back of the net (32 out)
Fischer-8: Showed good composure on the goal and had a few other good chances (72 out)
Flint-7: Solid as usual (32 in)
Weber-6: Not super involved (32)
Baggett-6: As expected (45 in)
DiGrande-7: Heavily involved (45 in)
Pikkujämsä-6: Still looks a little rusty (45 in)
Jean-7: Nice and calm in defense (45 in)
White-6: Couldn't do anything on the goal (45 in)
Balcer-7: Looked dangerous in her cameo (61 in)
RLFC v Lexington Sporting Club -1
Sunday's friendly against Lexington will be a good opportunity for Racing to get back into the swing of things since the majority of the players are back from their summer breaks. It may also be a chance for a few players to get some actions who we haven't seen so far this season. At the top of my list is Allie George.
Of all of the rookies, she is the one who I expected to make a push for real minutes prior to the start of the season. That wasn't based on anything other than her familiarity with the club and its style, so I would like to see her get some game time soon. It is impossible for fans to know much about a player's ability until they see them up against real competition.
I am hoping we also get to see some minutes for Bethany Balcer. The limited amount I have seen from her in practice lets me know that she hasn't lost her touch, but match fitness is another thing. It might be nice to get a look at Avery Kalitta as well.
Caitlyn Milby spoke to he media on Friday and briefly discussed the transfer window. There was not much firm news on specific players, but it sounded like things are in the works. For a club like Racing, the key thing will be to manage its core talent, so I wouldn't expect any flashy signings. This specific iteration of the club prides itself on togetherness, so personally I think money is best spent keeping your best and most important players around to spread the culture. I get the sense that is how the club leadership sees things as well. I believe good news is around the corner.
I hope Lexington ends up being a good sparring partner for Racing. It would be handy to have a team just down the road to test yourself against during each other's off seasons. However, it will probably line up better for summer due to the USL Super League's current format.
“We ain’t gotta dream no more, man.”
Photo: Elizabeth Shaw
Link to Elizabeth’s gallery of the match
Racing 2-Orlando-0 — Fleur-de-lis FC
Stolen The Wire Epigraph
“We ain’t gotta dream no more, man.”
For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is a show about 4 retired women living under one roof, proving that life goes on after 50 and that friendship is the true currency for which we should all strive…that and heroin.
Racing might not have a more satisfying win all season. Before the match, everyone I spoke to would have taken a draw. After the match, anything seems possible for this team. Racing has now taken us, well me at least, to the point of where heartache is possible. I started the season with such low expectations, that well…if you are consistent visitor to this space, you can see that I didn’t take them seriously. This goofy format (which will remained unchanged for this season at least) was a hedge against this team being awful and not very fun to write about. At the midway point, nothing could be further from the truth.
I will not type the words all of the words that I want to type because any time I write something positive I am immediately punished by the soccer gods for being hopeful. Maybe I will say it this way: we have enough evidence now that this team has a real shot to make the playoffs. And I don’t mean in the “monitoring the table after every result” way. I mean in the “this team is capable of not needing results to fall just right” way. I am fairly confident that people are going to continue to talk about the table from now until the end of the season. I think that is fun for most people, but I wouldn’t really get bent out of shape about it until 20 matches are in the books. If you are sweating the table, it means you haven’t taken care of business. Racing seems capable of doing that on a regular basis now.
The fact that they have done it by not adding a bunch of high-priced free agents may be the most impressive thing. I am not a big believer in togetherness and cohesion as the absolute key to success, but we really don’t have anything else to go on here. Something is working. I think the commitment to an identity probably helps greatly as well. Racing is still far too stubborn at times for my taste, but if that formula gets you 20 points from 13 matches, I think you have to take the good with the bad.
Last night was almost all good in spite of the opponent, which might be the most encouraging thing of all. Maybe you can count Racing a bit fortunate in that they seemed to catch Orlando on an off night and switching to back to a back four (followed by a back three at half). Regardless, Racing didn’t really give Orlando anything offensively, and their frustration mounted.
Out of context, the epigraph above may seem overly hopeful for me. If you know The Wire well, then the context will seem overly ominous. I mean to split the difference and instruct you take it at face value. The reality is that as of this moment, the playoffs seem not to be a dream, but a destination.
Bonus The Wire Video
There aren’t characters named “Gotham”, “Dash” or “Angel City” on The Wire. However, there is one named Orlando. Here is his death scene in honor of Racing beating the life out of Orlando.
Post Match Moment of the Match
Prompted by me, Arin Wright confirmed that this was the best “collective back four performance” in her tenure here. It is the type of performance that was lacking in Kansas City. If Racing can channel more like the one against Orlando, then things will continue to look up. I don’t think any defender would say that they had a stellar performance, but they all covered for each other. Wright admitted to thinking more about one of her rare mistakes on the night instead of her excellent header. Coach Bev, once again focused on the quality of the opponent (more believable on this occasion) and how the team didn’t get rattled by the different looks thrown at them by Orlando. Coaches often remind us that tactics are for practice and effort and commitment are for the match. Bev was highly complementary of how all of the players worked to get this effort right.
Did the stadium have good food?
I was particularly fond of the “Marinated Skirt Steak w/ Red Wine Demi”. There was a potato-y theme on the night with perogies and mashed potatoes both available. The fruit option was a little disappointing due to an overabundance what I call “trash fruit” (cantaloupe and honeydew) with only a single blackberry available when I went through the line. I am sure they replenished it, but I was too lazy to go back through the line.
Lightning-in-a-Bottle-O-Meter
Whenever Racing wins a match, I will rate how much of it was down to catching lightning in a bottle versus Racing just doing the things they do well.
This is a tough one. Racing earned its clean sheet without too much bother. Orlando had 16 shots and 7 on target, but I can’t remember a single one of them being dangerous and when I looked at the xG shot chart, their best chance was off target. Racing frustrated Orlando and that is to their credit. On the other hand, Orlando played poorly, and both Marta (special section) and Sams lost their cool. I saw nothing that would make me think Racing did anything above and beyond to seem extra irritating, so I have to chalk up their frustration to disappointment in their own performance. Sams’ penalty concession was needless and while Racing score from set pieces often enough, you hate to concede from one if you are Orlando. Racing played well, but they definitely got a poor performance from the Pride. 3/5
What do I miss?
Oh “Sav-acado” banner, you make me so happy. Why do you haunt me with your absence? Wind and rain and rescheduled matches meant that I have not been able to gaze at your glorious beauty for what feels like an eternity. I was crestfallen when the Legion decided not to hang you for this match. I asked the sage, Bekki Morgan, why they keep you locked away. She pondered that perhaps they only bring you out when the home team is draped in green.
Okay, fair enough. If that is the deal, stay in your prison “Sav-acado” banner. I will remember you fondly.
The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match
Kayla Fischer will soon be returning to have reckless yellow cards doled out to her, but in the meantime, Taylor Flint has picked up the slack with 2 yellows in the last two matches. This one seemed to be for a flying hip check to the face of a Pride player. You read that correctly. She hip checked player in the face.
Just maybe don’t give Fischer any ideas.
Tantrum of the Match
OOOOOH! Marta’s mad!!!
The TV broadcast made it a point to cut to a frustrated Marta after she was subbed out. Maybe she was mad at her 6.1 Fotmob rating for the match. Or maybe it was her 1 for 7 in ground duels won (on a season average of around 50%). Maybe she was mad that she had to wear that ridiculous orange kit. Could be a number of things. Take the international break to cool down.
“One gorgeous night”
“We Let the Stars Go”/Jordan: The Comeback/1990
The stars finally aligned for Racing to have a beautiful night for soccer. The crowd was reported at only around 5600, but those fans will remember this one. Like I said, I didn’t give Racing much of a shot in this one but was delightfully proven wrong. You hate to go into a long break on a loss, and you also hate to go on a long break with momentum. I think Racing heads into this break with a no regrets feeling for the first half of the season. I am sure individual players will look back on things and wish they had done them differently, but the results are pleasantly solid with half a season to play.
“Fan the embers long enough”
Racing haven’t exactly caught fire, but this sustained run makes one think that a continued run after the break isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. The opening four matches are still brutal with 3 road matches against Orlando, Washington, and San Diego following a home rematch against the league leaders in Kansas City. Racing has proven that they have a home formula for beating good teams and Washington doesn’t seem quite as formidable. Then again, I could see no points from four. The difference is that I don’t expect it. Racing has played well enough recently to make me believe that there are points to be had in those matches.
“Other music fills my ears”
On the other hand, it is entirely possible that Racing and every opponent they face will look a bit different upon the return from break. With the transfer window opening on July 1st, all kinds of things could happen. The silly international tournaments during the window could make for slower player movement this summer and with free agency, teams have to operate differently than they did in the past. For Racing, one would expect that Fischer will be back in starting lineup with possibly Balcer pushing for her place when we get to August. Other teams will also look to regroup. Washington needs a few more healthy players in my opinion. Portland and Seattle could look at their accelerated rebuilds and think going into the market is worth it. Gotham continues to rely somewhat on the health of Rose Lavelle, so they could look to bolster their roster too. Several teams could be playing from a different song book when we return to NWSL action.
“The light is gone and it is dark”
I don’t expect that you will be hearing from me for a while in this space. I will cover The Women’s Cup and the friendly against Lexington SC but will probably forgo this format and stick to the basics.
All of us have homework during the summer break.
Somehow, we all have to figure out a way to get people to come see this team. I wish I had the magic formula, but nobody does. The one thing working for all of us that we have never had before is that we can demonstrate that this team is a winner and legitimately has something to play for. The last question asked of Arin Wright last night, was basically “How do you get people to come see this team?” I think Arin was correct in saying that it starts with winning. I find baseball incredibly dull, but I watched U of L in the NCAA tournament and College World Series. There are casual fans out there to be convinced. Let’s go convince them.
Racing 2 Pride 0 Player Ratings
Racing played easily its best match at home all season. Orlando was not at their best, but nobody will care
Bloomer-7: The back 4 was so good in front of her that she didn't have much to do, but her positioning was good.
Petersen-8: Excellent delivery on Wright's goal and great defensely too.
Jean-8: Had a few nervy moments but kept Banda at bay.
Wright-9: So crucial on defense with the goal making her one step above the other defenders.
Milliet-7: Got beaten here and there but always recovered.
Flint-8: Excellent once again and took her penalty coldly.
Borges-7: Missed a golden opportunity to put Racing up 2-0.
DeMelo-8: Really good as Racing killed off the match.
Sears-7: Couple of matches without a goal but did well in her other duties.
Sonis-7: Solid once again.
Weber-7: Tired at the end, but worked hard.
RLFC v Pride -1
Photo: Elizabeth Shaw
For once, there isn’t rain the forecast for a Racing match at home. It may be on the hotter side, but it will be an interesting night to watch the crowd that Racing attracts. Orlando, the defending champions should be a decent draw on paper, but it’s hard to know what Racing’s steady state attendance number will be this year. It will be the last chance to catch any NWSL action in Louisville for over a month, due to the upcoming summer break.
Racing got a reality check on Saturday but shouldn’t carry over too much sting into this next match because of how well Kansas City are playing and the fight Racing showed in the second half. Orlando is equally as tough. I like a back 3 in this league and specifically on Orlando. It cuts the defensive responsibilities into thirds instead of halves. Racing have might try to experiment with some different looks at different points in the match. I think I would rather have Sears on the Dyke/Pickett side over Sams’ side, but we will see what Bev thinks.
Any result here for Racing isn’t disastrous but stealing some points before the break would be good for the psyche. After the long summer break, the schedule doesn’t get any easier. Here are some things to consider going into the break.
The transfer window opens on July 1st. Racing has by my count 19 players on its roster that have contracts that only run through the end of this season. At least a few of them have to be keeping an eye on Boston and Denver. The newer expansion teams have been willing to splash money on players. There are also some names on that list that might be attractive to teams looking for a final piece for a playoff push. Racing has bought and traded in the summer window in the past as well. Just be braced for the chance that the roster that returns after the break might look different that the one that exists now.
Balcer was seen in practice today
I have no information on what that means exactly, but as close as Bev keeps things to the vest, one would have to think that is means that Bacler is at least on the path towards returning. I have no idea how fully she participated in practice, but the staff felt comfortable enough letting the media see her in the warmup drill today. Reason would seem to point to a return post break.
There are just as many games after the break as before it, so anything can happen in the table. Nobody is out of it, but Utah and Chicago have to been looking at their rosters and deciding if they have assets that are valuable in the short term. Mina Tanaka is a free agent at the end of the season for Utah and Bea Franklin is for Chicago is as well. I don’t have any inside knowledge on these players, but they might be interesting to teams looking for extra pieces.
They used to make steel there, no?
Courtesy of the NWSL
Stolen The Wire Epigraph
“They used to make steel there, no?”
For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is a cautionary tale of when seven drug lords picked to live in an abandoned row house have their lives taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real.
“Sometimes the old ways are the best.” according to Eve Moneypenny from Skyfall.
Complaint A from my coverage of the entire history of Racing is that they aren’t good at Plan B. Once upon a time before Pep Guardiola convinced the world that playing one way and sticking to it regardless of the outcome was the “right way”, teams used to have self-realization. There are still pockets of it (ironically often deployed to counter Man City’s stubbornness) but it is becoming more and more rare. It’s a shame really. One of the most liberating things you can tell yourselves as a team is “we can’t beat this team strength vs. strength.” Racing was never going to beat Kansas City that way.
To be fair, (dammit Letterkenny, I can’t ever type those words without thinking of this) we really don’t know what Racing’s plan was in full force because they got smacked in the mouth before they could settle in and were down 3-0 before 20 minutes had elapsed. That used to be an adage too. “Weather the storm for 20 minutes on the road and go from there.” Racing didn’t look prepared to weather much of anything. For all of Racing’s newfound identity, there is still an absence of steel. I feel like Arin’s Wright’s Chicago Red Stars team that made it to the 2021 NWSL finals was a good example of this. They let in their fair share of goals but knew how to grind one out. Racing seems to be in a stage where they can only win a few different ways. Last night’s set up kind of made the performance irrelevant. Very few people in America make steel anymore. For all of the talk of blue-collar grit on this team, the thing missing from that old, antiquated metaphor is the humble self-awareness that goes unstated but implied.
Post Match Moment of the Match
I skived off my usual post-match duties for Racing to catch the last few minutes of the Lou City match (a mathematically pleasing inverse of the Racing result culminating in a 4-2 home win with Governor Andy in attendance). The “respectable side” platitude that Bev invariably uses to describe every team from Utah to Kansas City grates a bit on me at this point, but it is coach speak so I will move on. Identity was a theme from Bev. She said that they “veered away from who they are” even early. I think it was more accurate to go where Jeff Milby was trying to guide her and just say “KC was the better team”. Sonis gave “credit where credit is due”. Racing didn’t fold however, which honestly is the big takeaway for me. Bev seemed satisfied with the “fight back” and frankly so am I.
I also think a fair point is that Racing never folded (a habit seen as recently as against San Diego, but I think that was due to a bit of shock versus any internal self-doubt). Arin, Janine and Bev all commented on the subs, who all performed well.
Were the Announcers Good?
JP Dellacamera and Jill Loyden were on the call. As I hinted at this earlier, but I was not in my normal friendly confines at home for this match. I watched the Racing match in the Lynn Family Stadium press box while Elizabeth took pictures of Lou City’s 4-2 win. I caught some of the broadcast, so here is what I caught.
Subsection: How was their “Louisville”?
Louisvillians are persnickety on the pronunciation of their beloved hometown. I will be monitoring the broadcaster’s commitment to getting it right.
Jill: Solid once again. Two syllables. Sounds like a native speaker.
JP: The one’s I caught were French…again. JP pronounced Sonis wrong…again. Time to think about retirement on doubling down on studying the pronunciation guides.
I will give credit to JP for this assessment: “There are some teams you can make a mistake against, but Kansas City isn’t one of them.”
The Jill Loyden corollary was: “This team (KC) entices foolishness.”
I don’t think I could have said it better myself.
TV Kit Rating
My number two overall kit from my 2024 rankings still holds up well. I said at the time that if not for San Diego’s brave and wonderful kit, in another season it would have been number one. My hope for kits in this league is that when teams find one that works, they do variations on a theme and not go all change as Racing is wont to do. 9/10
Show You Might Want to Binge When Racing Plays a Top 4 Team
Thanks to Jonathan Lintner for the suggestion and reminder:
If the “Tusk” opening doesn’t hook you, you might want to check your pulse. It’s been a while for me, so I am due a rewatch. It’s a period piece (but in some ways isn’t everything) so it will be interesting to see if the relatively quaint concerns of 2013 play into the portrayal of the early 1980s the same way they do today as they did back then. No piece of art is free of the context in which it is created (that goes double for non-fiction). It’s something we would all be good to recognize when consuming anything. Other than The Wire this may be the one that I suggest most strongly if you haven’t seen it.
“Your mother’s got bags of good advice. The “don’ts” exceed the “dos”, but she’s not you.”
“Wicked Things”/Protest Songs/1989
You have to analyze the wisdom of playing a high line against the Current. Racing paid dearly once, and that was AFTER having another one ruled offside where the high line burned them. Everyone plays some version of a high line but after going down 1-0, didn’t it seem obvious that this was the way that Kansas City was going to counter? Kansas City is superfast. Prudence seems like motherly advice but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
The other thing that I noticed, especially in the first 60 minutes, was that while not quite everything came off for the Current, it at least looked like it was possible. Racing tried so many things that bordered the line between improbability and impossibility in possession and in attack (another long standing complaint as Racing often over depend on forcing mistakes versus creating).
Racing’s first goal came from its best spell of possession. This is why I held out some slight home before the match and after Racing pulled to within 3-2. Racing can score goals on teams, especially teams like Kansas City. I just don’t know if they can outscore them, which seemed to be the plan.
Then there is this: why not at least try something different against the Current? I could pretty much guarantee you that the effort that beat the Dash, Angel City, and Utah wasn’t going to get it done against the Current. Only the 1-0 win against Gotham seemed like a blueprint, but that was thrown out early due to Milliet’s own goal. If there ever was a time to switch things up in the Starting XI, I think Kansas City and Orlando are the teams to do it against. I think you have to confuse them out of the gate to throw them off. Wright talked of a slight tactical tweak that didn’t work after the match, so maybe that was some of the plan. You lose something with Kanu in the press but maybe don’t press as much in this match and show your opponent a puzzle to solve. But hey, if every team you play is a “respectable side” then maybe you don’t think you need to approach any match differently.
“All it takes is a little nerve as they close in for the kill.”
Racing simply looked rattled early. They did ultimately get their bearings, but it was too late. While the scoreline crept to 3-2 late in the second half, Kansas City always felt capable of killing off the match which they did with cold efficiency. Chawinga had a lot to do with that. Again, look at the talent gap and maybe say “we need a plan B here.”
Current 4 Racing 2 Player Ratings
Racing prove that they are not ready for the league's best yet. The second half was better but the match was only on edge for a brief time late in the match.
Bloomer-4: It seemed like communication was lacking on the first goal and needed to do better on the other three.
Petersen-4: Got absolutely torched by Cooper.
Wright-5: The high line didn't work.
Jean-4: Beaten and outclassed by Chawinga on her goal.
Milliet-4: Maybe the worst attempt at a headed clearance in recent memory.
Flint-5: Won a bunch of duels to drive up her automated rating. That doesn’t fool me.
O'Kane-6: A solid performance for the rookie again.
DeMelo-6: Racing’s best player on the night until the goals, with Hase a close second.
Sears-5: Invisible. Not good for your star player.
Sonis-7: Nice finish, and started the mini comeback.
Weber-5: Less involved than Sears.
Kanu-7: Scored and excellent header.
Current v RLFC -1
Photo by Elizabeth Shaw
Racing starts its toughest stretch of the season on the road in Kansas City this Saturday. However, the mood around the team is uniformly optimistic. The team has played well on the road since the loss at Bay. Kansas City is an exciting place to play according to Bev, Emma, and Arin. It's hard to disagree.
You obviously want to accumulate points, but that isn’t the absolute necessity in these next two macthes. The performances need to stay at the level they have been at, especially on the road. The results will come if the levels are maintained. Kansas City has never been this intimidating force like some other teams have been in the past. Racing has usually found ways to score on them. Last year the Current bossed huge sections of the 3-3 draw in Kansas City last season, but Racing kept clawing back. I believe muscle memory of these types of things helps sometimes.
Maybe we won
Photo by Elizabeth Shaw
Link to Elizabeth’s gallery of the match
6-6-25 Racing 3-Utah 2 — Fleur-de-lis FC
Pregame note of the match
I feel like I spent the overwhelming majority of my life before I heard the word “bespoke” used in a sentence. Now I feel like I hear it everywhere, even in places where it seems out of place…like the game notes of a soccer match. From Utah's game notes: (on new coach Jimmy Coenraets) “Coenraets also implemented a plethora of bespoke tactical tweaks…” I don't know. Sounds weird but technically accurate, I guess. I think I may try it to see if I like it.
Stolen The Wire Epigraph
For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is like Antiques Roadshow except for bespoke heroin vials.
It’s good to win a match that you should win, especially when you don’t play that well. Teams that do well (make the playoffs/win championships) find ways to win. Racing won this match by being excellent in some moments to compensate for the moments when they weren’t so great. It feels like it could be a little like getting over the proverbial “hump”. Racing has never won 4 out of 5 matches prior to this stretch. If I recall correctly, I think a point total of 10 out of a possible 15 is the best they have ever accomplished. This means that we at least have some evidence that this team can go on a pretty decent run.
There wasn’t a moment in the match where I didn’t believe a Racing win was possible or even probable. When Utah’s Tejada picked up a second yellow, a win felt inevitable, to me at least. As a team, Racing doesn’t seem to get too bothered when bad things happen to them and doesn’t seem to put too much pressure on themselves when they need to be patient and put in the work to make good things happen. I think we have all been waiting for this team to be something identifiable even if it isn’t perfect. It has been a struggle, but maybe we won.
Post Match Moment of the Match
Bev graciously let assistant coach Mitch Sowerby take the post-match media duties since Bev was gone for most of the week (for required training) and Mitch really ran the practices. Mitch was deferential and didn’t want to take too much credit for the win. We spent some time asking him about Sears’ excellent goal which he said was down to technique and Emma spending extra time at practice working on shooting. I asked Sarah Weber if she or teammate Katie O’Kane was more excited about Weber’s first goal. Sarah conceded that Katie may have been even more excited than she was (I am unsure if the broadcast picked it up and if you were in the stadium, you may have missed it, but O’Kane embraced Weber excitedly on the sideline after the initial celebration.) Ellie Jean confirmed that her bespoke goal was her first one ever but also conceded that she was a little disappointed that Utah’s initial goal came from a ricochet off of her legs.
Lightning-in-a-Bottle-O-Meter
Racing didn’t play that great at times and Sears’ fine goal was, if not fortunate, the result of an unpredictable swerve that threw off Utah keeper McGlynn. Jean scored from a set piece and if Weber planned a bespoke header exactly like that (by her own admission felt like “it was in the air for 30 seconds”) I will eat my hat. The deflection off of the first goal was unfortunate, but the positioning could have been better. The perfectly timed run (yes it was, don’t argue) from St-Georges could have just as easily been offside as onside. On the whole if feels like a middling score is appropriate. 2.5 out of 5
“On a traffic light green means 'go' and yellow means 'yield', but on a banana it's just the opposite…
Green means 'hold on,' yellow means 'go ahead,' and red means, 'where the hell did you get that banana at?”
- Mitch Hedberg
Utah’s bespoke 2024 primary uniform may be a new favorite after seeing them in person again. The blue isn’t as navy as it appears on the screen of a phone or computer. The yellow socks are great too.
And Racing is back to its stupid green home uniforms. I don’t care that everyone else likes them. I get sicker and sicker of them every time I see them. Unlike Utah’s uniforms which are striking when they reappear into my field of vision, Racing’s green uniforms are too much green for a rainy spring that blasts your retinas with constant emerald shades.
As for the red donning referees, I didn’t think they were half bad other than Adorae Monroy’s insistence of bespoke positioning of every free kick, and throw in. She unnecessarily stopped play too much for my taste, but if that is the worst thing I have to say about an official then I think you have to say job well done.
Did the stadium have good food?
The tomato basil caprese sandwich was a nice vegetarian option (sorry vegans, but the buttered cauliflower was good too). Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya was an interesting but tasty choice as well. I will say this. Every time someone brings a bespoke burrito from I Love Tacos into my line of sight, I do kind of wish I wasn’t too cheap to try one of those. Maybe on a Lou City night with a food voucher.
The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match
Pure unnecessary time wasting (although Monroy didn’t seem to add any time to make up for it) from DeMelo. Monroy had already shown a bespoke yellow for time wasting to Nuria Rábano 20 minutes earlier for virtually the same thing, so why test her? Now she will have to try to work it off based on good behavior, something she isn’t universally renowned for.
“Movin’ the river: bucket by spoon”
Moving the River/Steve McQueen/1985
“If it's uphill all the way, you should be used to it by now”
Slowly but surely Racing is accumulating points. That’s a good thing because the road gets pretty tough really quickly. It’s unreasonable to expect exponential growth in a team that is run like Racing, but the slow and steady growth seen over the first part of the season is really encouraging. The team still likes to make things hard on themselves. Joe Havelda said to me as we were leaving that Racing’s new motto should be something like “Racing always makes things harder than they need to be” (I am sure he was more poetic, sorry Joe). I agree. One, anything to replace “Go Big Purp” and two, it is painfully accurate. There are better ways to move a river than bucket by spoon, but I guess it will move eventually.
“You surely are a truly gifted kid, but you're only as good as the last great thing you did”
Doing great work almost always gets you two things: higher expectations and more work. Sears has six goals and if the season ended today, that would still be the club record for a season. However, ask anyone if she ended the season with 9 goals, would it be a disappointment and I bet almost everyone would answer “yes”. What is the number for her? Is it12…15? She is in the high-pressure position now of having to be the face of the team while scoring loads of goals. Her demeanor makes me think she can handle it, but we will have to see.
O’Kane was my player of the match. No player on Racing’s roster is going to single-handedly replace what Fischer gives Racing in the press, so other players are going to have to step up. O’Kane’s bespoke secondary pressure, especially after Utah insisted on trying to break the press through the middle for some reason, was really good. She sniffed out when to go after 50/50 balls really well and let Weber keep some of her energy so that she could last the entire match.
Weber didn’t quite play the full 90, but 87 minutes was her longest night by some measure. I am not quite sure that the goals will come one right after the other just yet (she only touched the ball 22 times) but it is always good to see that first one go in.
“Did the schedule get you down?”
Oh boy…the schedule makers did Racing no favors. While the KC/Orlando double gauntlet is broken up by a six-week summer league break, it is a four-game stretch where zero points isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. I think the important thing here is to play well regardless of the points you get. There are 27 points available in the last 9 matches, so if Racing can scrape 4 or 5 in the next six matches, they should be in decent shape. Long low-point runs have gotten to Racing in the past, so Bev’s job over the next few months might be therapist and cheerleader as much as head coach. The whole point of getting points early in a season is to weather these inevitable storms. I am not writing off any of these matches, but in aggregate they look very daunting because you get Washington and San Diego away after the second Orlando match.
Racing 3 Utah 2 Player Ratings
Photo by Elizabeth Shaw
Racing found a way to win despite not playing up to their recently elevated standards. While not a “must win” this was a “should win” and Racing accomplished that mission.
Bloomer-7: Not a fault for either goal. Made a couple of fantastic saves. Still punches when she should catch more than I like.
Petersen-7: Her steady deliveries consistently give her teammates good chances to score.
Jean-8: It was great to see her score. Rounding up due to it being her first professional goal.
Milliet-6: Solid effort if slightly under her standard.
Flint-7: Filled in the stat sheet in the usual spots but had a rather terrible give away in the first half that Racing were fortunate to escape from.
O'Kane-8: I remember one pretty bad giveaway from her too but the rest of her night was nearly perfect.
DeMelo-7: Maybe not as involved as she usually is in the attack, but she drove Utah crazy and collected fouls.
Sonis-7: Picked up a nice assist but should have finished off her golden opportunity to score.
Sears-8: On pace to reach double digit goals pretty easily.
Weber-8: The header took ages to loop into thr net, but she will take her first goal any way she can get it.