“Down, down, you bring me down”

Courtesy of Soccer Holdings, LLC

Match Haiku

Although goals abound,

Racing’s defense is leaky.

Bev says, “don’t panic.”

“Down, down, you bring me down”

“I am the Resurrection” - The Stone Roses, 1989

The match on Friday evening between Racing and Houston was one of the sloppiest matches I have watched in recent memory. Neither team could really defend effectively, and both played right into each other’s strengths and exploited their opponent’s weaknesses. Many matches with seven goals turn out to be “classics” and are utterly rewatchable. The video of this match needs to be buried 20 feet underground.

The good news is that Racing seems to be able to score enough goals to win matches. The bad news is that their defensive organization is expansion-franchise level. It reminds me of Year 1 Racing. Too many times, Flint was caught out of position by playing too high up the pitch, which left a) Hodge in a position where she was the makeshift center back and b) Jean without a partner and unsure of how to position herself relative to the assisting defenders. This was Jean’s poorest match in quite some time. Not being able to trust where your teammates are going to be defensively means that you sometimes have to overcompensate. Other times it makes you tentative, which is what I think happened with Jean in this match. On both open play goals and the action that lead to the Houston winner, Jean was scrambling, with Flint out of position, and having to make last ditch efforts without anyone that she trusted around to help.

If that seems like I am putting too much burden on Jean, I don’t mean to do so. It really was poor all around defensively. She just happened to be Racing’s last hope in several cases. I am not convinced that Hodge can play as the deepest central midfielder without help, which is what she did here. If that was the plan, it was a bad plan. More likely, her midfield partner O’Kane was higher up the pitch when Hodge became exposed. That is as much on O’Kane as it is Hodge, especially since O’Kane isn’t a tremendous attacking threat.

Therefore, Racing enters the first international break of the season in a mess. How did we get here?

Player availability is the obvious culprit. There have been so many players dealing with various levels of injuries that it is difficult to know what Racing can be. However, it is apparent that what they are at the moment is an inherently flawed enterprise on the pitch. The roster seems unbalanced at the moment and woefully lacking in natural central defenders. Central defenders are a prized commodity in the NWSL and there really aren’t enough to go around. All of Racing’s options at the moment to cover at the back are better placed elsewhere. Like I said in my Player Ratings post, if Flint is at the back in the next match, you know that Bev doesn’t have any other options.

More than most teams, Racing needs to be relatively healthy to be at their best. The strategy for roster building this offseason was to get players who fit the system and try to develop young talent. I don’t think that I wrote about this in the offseason, but I did think about what the limited resources available to Racing do from a roster building perspective. If money were no object, how would you build a roster? I know how I would do it. Other than Sears and Flint and possibly Bloomer (who’s form is slightly concerning) I would have built the roster so that every player that was a regular starter last season was fighting to keep their spot this year. That means bringing in players ready to play or rookies that are polished. Circumstances dictate that Racing can’t really do that, and very few teams can. I have accepted that Racing is mid table quality at best. That means that when times are challenging, the team is going to look like a bottom-third of the table team, which is what they are right now.

Post Match Moment of the Match

If there ever was a time to score two goals and not really want to talk to the media after the match, I am sure that Taylor Flint experienced it last night. When asked how it felt to score two penalties, Flint says “It feels great personally,” but that was either sarcasm or an obvious lie based on the rest of her comments. She also mentioned being “new to the role” a few times when talking about playing in her new position, which I took as an explanation rather than an excuse. Weber added that the defensive effort could have been better all around by Racing retaining possession better in transition.

Bev said that it isn’t time to press the panic button. I guess I agree, but I would be checking to see if the panic button is connected to something at this point. She could press it, but what changes or reinforcements would come. I think she is right in staying positive for now. There really isn’t another option. Changing the formation defensively is just going to put more square pegs into round holes. I did try to elicit from Bev the plan to monitor Emma Sears’ usage during this international break, but she just talked about how excited she was for her to get called up again. I know everyone gets tired of me saying how much I hate these international breaks, so let me say it another way. I don’t like the national teams using players at the expense of the player’s health and utility to their club teams. I saw posted somewhere that every player’s primary duty was to their national teams. That makes me incredibly sad if that is how most players feel.

Why can’t we have nice things?

By the NWSL’s very low standards, I thought the broadcast last night was decent. For once, my feed on NWSL+ was crisp enough. It isn’t the best HD you will ever see, but it was good enough. Jacqui Oakley and Merrit Mathias were presented with a match full of things to discuss and did a fine job covering those things. I blame the league itself for the things I didn’t like about the broadcast.

The length of time that it took to determine that there was a handball in the box on Racing’s first penalty was way too long. I did like that the central referee stopped play eventually when a Racing attack wasn’t imminent. I didn’t like that the VAR review took longer than 20 seconds. It was a clear, stone-cold penalty. The central referee’s audio was too low volume on the explanation. We also got to see the irrelevant action after the handball in reverse, for some reason. I like the transparency of the system, and not much else about it.

The excruciating 15 minutes of second half stoppage time seemed utterly ridiculous. The original 10 felt really high. There was guidance a few years ago for officials in all leagues to add on more minutes to compensate for time when the ball wasn’t in play. Every other league seems to have rightfully started to move towards rational levels of stoppage time except the NWSL. This time Racing was helped out by the extra few minutes, in that they got more chances, but 15 minutes was way too much.

I thought the first penalty awarded to the Dash was soft, but I see why it was given. If the penalty had not been given, I don’t think VAR would have overturned it or even looked at Weber’s challenge. Yes, she did make contact, but it wasn’t preventing any action from the Dash player who was already out of the play. Anywhere else on the pitch and this is a “play on” decision. If VAR doesn’t intervene here for the sake of rationality, then it is a broken system, which obviously everyone knows that it is.

One last thing: the central referee Alex Billeter looked mean as hell. I liked that.

TV Kit Rating

Houston wore their “Cosmic Storm” kits. Here is what I said upon their release:

“Elizabeth definitely likes this jersey more than I do. It is very “scrubs-y” but the color isn’t bad. It just doesn’t have anything to do with any of Houston’s previous kits. As a 3rd kit, I might be inclined to rank it higher, and I do like the pink socks. I initially thought is read as purple which seemed confusing, but I am sure that it will read as pink on the pitch. Enough nice things…Houston is an armpit of a city. It’s humid, hot and sweaty. I have only been there once. It is never on my list of potential away games.”

Without any other pink in the kit, the jersey definitely reads as purple to me. I was initially way too critical of this kit as I kind of like it now, but my comments on the city itself hold true. 7/10

The Taylor Flint Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Macey Hodge once again makes the grade. Her nasty challenge around the 69th minute was a classic “orange” card in my opinion. With Billiter going with yellow on the pitch, VAR didn’t deem it worthy of upgrading. However, if red had been awarded, I also don’t think that would have been changed. For me personally, it was red. The last contact by Hodge was high using her forearms and was intentionally above the shoulders. I wouldn’t be surprised if the league has a second look and upgrades it like they did on Boston’s Ella Stevens.

A tactical yellow from Flint in one of the situations where she got beat would have been more than welcome this week.

Madchester Song to Make You Feel Better

Oh Bez, you make me so happy.

“I can’t sleep at night”

I hope nobody has any actual sleepless nights worrying about this team, but the concerns are starting to mount. By my count, we have three, possibly four starters playing out of their most dangerous and helpful positions:

• Taylor Flint: She isn’t a central defender. You weaken two lines when you are forced to play her as one. Continuing this is a recipe for disaster. Petersen isn’t a central defender either, but she is much more reliable. Moving her doesn’t solve the long-term problem and if there were better cover for Petersen, I am sure we would see her return there. The bigger issue for Flint is the things that make her a good defensive midfielder are the same things that make her a less-than-ideal central defender. Her aggression and quick decision making are good for disruption, but not as good for discipline, which is what you need in the back line.

• Kayla Fischer: Last night was a mixed bag for Kalya. She was in the right spot to win the penalty, which was at the very front of the press, but her passing was lacking and she struggled to create her own shots. She can be creative, but she works better when she isn’t the primary ball handler in attack. Positionally and from an effort perspective, I like what she is doing. She is just better in the center forward role. Weber’s lack of flexibility by comparison means that Fischer will continue to play out of position for the foreseeable future.

• Macey Hodge: I don’t really know what her best role is, but it can’t be as a starting central defender without consistent help. Here is where Racing misses Ary Borges. She could play the deepest midfield role or play slightly higher, or next to Flint. A pairing of Hodge and Borges might have been an interesting one. The pairing of O’Kane and Hodge isn’t working, and it is having a more negative effect on Hodge. I don’t think Macey has figured out how to play in the Racing setup at her full potential, so she is learning on the job, which comes with mistakes.

• Katie O’Kane: For someone who looked to be a good fit in the system last season, she seems out of place in the current one. She consistently had Borges with her in the midfield and now that Ary is gone, Katie seems a little less reliable as a box-to-box midfielder. In essence, she is a better front-footed defender than a back footed one. She is better suited to prevent an attack rather than stopping one that has already progressed deep into Racing territory. Ideally you want your box-to-box defenders to be able to do both. If Racing can figure out how to play Katie further forward, it will be better for her and the team. She still may not add goals and assists that way, but she can shift momentum.

A few more healthy bodies returning could help with most of these issues, but in retrospect, the roster looks unbalanced. Racing needs another central defender and someone with a skill set that can somewhat replicate was Ary Borges provided. Savanah DeMelo is irreplaceable but Racing needs more creative players in central positions. I consistently criticized a midfield comprised of DeMelo, Borges and Flint for not being able to dictate matches. This setup looks pale by comparison, which isn’t good.

Bev has to figure out something that works during the international break. You can’t change tactics too much, but a defensive wrinkle that makes Racing’s transition defensive more reliable is needed. Whatever it is, is has to be simple so that players can adapt quickly.

Dash 4 - Racing 3 Player Ratings

It was a mess of a game that was full of mistakes and goals. Racing needs to go back to drawing board defensively during the international break.

Bloomer-5: Made a great stop in the first half but hard to rate her higher when 4 goals ended up in the back of her net.

Petersen-5: Had a couple of good corner deliveries, but never seemed to be in the mix defensively.

Jean-5: Flint put her in some bad spots, but she wasn't in the best positions all night either.

Flint-6: Would be a 4 without the 2 goals. If you see her at centerback again you know that Bev has no other options.

Milliet-5: Conceded the winning penalty.

Hodge-5: Isn’t Flint, but still needs to do better because she was out of position several times.

O'Kane-5: Needs to be better in possession to give Racing a chance.

Fischer-7: Not at her best, but won a penalty.

Hase-6: Fair, but needs to have more production.

Sears-7: Was good for looking to be moving at about 80%.

Weber-6: Conceded a penalty, scored a penalty.

Dash v Racing -1

The club moved up media availability by a few minutes today to leave for the airport sooner because, like nobody has ever said, “I can’t wait to get to Houston”. Houston is one of those teams that some fans hate, but I don’t really mind. I was on a podcast with Bayou City Soccer’s Diego Martinez Reyes this week and had a really good time. I have been on with other folks who cover Houston in the past and have enjoyed my time with them too. “Media” is somewhat of fraternity/sorority though, so if you have never interacted with a nice person who likes team X, I guess feel free to continue to dislike whomever you want. (As an Arsenal fan I have a few friends who are Tottenham fans so if they can be friends with me, then you are perfectly able to be friends with anyone).

Hodge and Weber drew the short straw today and faced the media. Both talked about settling into Racing’s/Bev’s system for either a first or second season. Macey talked about how the staff made her role clear to her, with a few tweaks based on what the team needs in a game. Sarah talked about being more confident as a second-year player. Each of them mentioned how the staff prepared them for Houston and how to exploit them by sticking to the plan. Macey also said that she likes playing deeper. Sarah is embracing the added layer of expectations that she has this season.

Bev talked about the evolution (I will let Joe H. coin the phrase, “Bevolution”) of the team’s tactics, now that teams are more prepared for what Racing does. She said that Racing is consistently working on different ways to present different shapes while also using different personnel.

I specifically asked Bev about the challenges that the injuries are posing. She shared that she did have to make some mid-week adjustments and some more last-minute adjustments before the match in Spokane. She is also proud of how the players adjust to playing in positions that maybe don’t fully utilize their strengths but potentially uncover new ones. However, she did concede that sometimes a player is asked to fill in simply because they are the best (only?) option.

I still believe that the number of injuries and persistent inability to field a full squad is a symptom of something that nobody has an answer to. I will reiterate that I don’t believe anything nefarious is going on, but I can’t dismiss it as bad luck. Likely, it is the compounding of several small challenges all making a noticeable impact at the same time. Sears is day to day but aren’t we all.

Personally, I don’t feel too bad about where Racing sits at the moment. A loss at Houston, which is entirely on the table, might change my outlook slightly, but as I have said: this team isn’t built to win a shield. They just simply need to get healthy and field a more full-strength team.

“It’s far too late”

Courtesy of the NWSL

Match Haiku

In a home, away,

The Reign profit from error.

A meager spring start.

“It’s far too late”

“Shoot You Down” - The Stone Roses, 1989

A rare goalkeeping error from Bloomer (turf field or no turf field) dug Racing into a hole from which they could not recover and it results in one point from three matches, which is evidently Racing’s worst start to a season ever (to be fair, they never come out of the gates “on fire”). The players who were available (much more on this throughout this post) gave a valiant effort and pulled back a consolation goal at the end, but Racing never felt like they were really in this match, to me at least. The Reign team and fans had to feel comfortable the entire time. Even the late goal didn’t really put any pressure on the Reign. Racing almost never seems to be on the other side of the coin in a match like this. I can count on one hand the number of “relaxing victories” that Racing has ever had.

My greatest fear this season is a long stretch where Sears is unavailable. We are on match 1 of ?. Let’s hope that it is a short absence. It’s hard to picture this team down both DeMelo and Sears and figure out where a consistent attacking threat comes from. I think White and McKeen showed good early indicators, but neither is near ready to put up the type of goals that this team needs to stay in matches. The triumvirate of O’Kane, Weber, and Hase will have to embrace their newly acquired veteran status and manufacture goals if this team is to keep its head above water. After a slow start in the opener, Fischer has shown some signs that she can be the main attacking threat, but she will have to deliver more consistently than Racing has ever demanded of her.

The patchwork defense is going to give up goals. That is a fact. The full-strength defense was going to give up goals too. Here is where so-called “flexibility” is a killer. I never bought into this whole “positionless” football thing. It is the luxury of deeply talented teams with intricate systems implemented over several seasons. That whole Ted Lasso Season 3 thing was a pure and dangerous fiction. In Racing’s case, this flexibility that keeps getting mentioned is merely putting talented players into spots where they are less effective, simply because there is no other recourse. It’s okay for a “Plan C” for a match, but as a “Plan A” or “Plan B”, it is dangerous.

Racing seems to be on “Plan F” about right now. It would be unfair to place blame on anyone or anything, but as people like to say: “it may not be your fault, but it is your problem.”

Post Match Moment of the Match

I believe that in the last few seasons no team has put out a less-than-20-player squad more often than Racing Louisville. I could definitely be wrong in this, and I am happy to digest evidence that changes this view. All that I can tell you is that I have asked Bev about it multiple times and have written about it multiple times. Racing signed a goalkeeper this week and had to put her on the bench with another keeper to get the squad size even up to 18, compared to the allowable 20. My point isn’t that 18 isn’t enough (several leagues limit the matchday squad to 18 and historically football squads were much smaller) but it just happens so often with Racing that you can’t continually chalk it up to bad luck. A least, I can’t. I have to believe that there is something systemic going on that makes this situation keep coming up.

I asked Bev about this, the best I could. I didn’t expect her to have a definitive answer, because if she did know what the issue was, I truly believe that she would fix it. She stated that the club consistently looks into things like this (not specifically during this post match media session) and I believe her. My recommendation as a professional problem solver would be to really sit down and frame and analyze the issue.

I did think, and Bev reiterated, that the players that were available performed admirably, for the most part. White and McKeen will ultimately benefit from the unexpected minutes, but they aren’t “ready for primetime” yet. Flint did a good job covering at center back, but her replacement, Hodge, cannot replicate Flint’s performances in defensive midfield and would probably be more effective higher up the pitch. What this team needs is its best players healthy and in their best positions to have a fighting chance at anything more than temporary success.

Why can’t we have nice things?

Since I am already in a mood, let me also complain about the level of quality of the NWSL broadcasts. I personally think it is rather embarrassing that a second-rate gridiron football league can put on a broadcast that is 3 times as visually pleasing and about 5 times more compelling than the NWSL can. For whatever you think about Lynn Family Stadium’s new tenant the Louisville Kings, if you watched the Fox broadcast, you had to be impressed. Lynn Family Stadium is a wonderful venue, but the Fox broadcast on Friday evening put an extra shine on it. The camera angles and enthusiasm of the announcers made the watch so entertaining, even when the football wasn’t. I know that money has everything to do with it, but the NWSL’s marquee presentation each week can’t hold a candle to what Fox can do for the UFL. I am not mad at anybody in particular, but I am still mad.

The other thing that is a barrier to the quality of NWSL broadcasts, in my opinion, is this maternalistic compulsion by announcers to not call out bad mistakes. Bloomer’s error on the first goal was atrocious. She would be the first one to own it and not make any excuses. I don’t understand the compulsion by announcers or fans to make excuses for her. It undermines the integrity of the broadcast, the league, the sport, and the player when we can’t be frank and open about poor play. If I were going to make a suggestion to the NWSL about how to improve the broadcast, I would say that you need more ex-players calling out current players on poor performances. I have seen Lianne Sanderson do this more consistently than anyone, which is one of the reasons that she is my favorite. Well that, and the fact that she is a dear, dear friend.*

*The level of friendship between the author and Ms. Sanderson may be grossly exaggerated to the extent of delusion.

TV Kit Rating

Seattle was wearing its primary kit from last season. Here is what I said when it first debuted:

“I think Seattle always does well on their kits. It’s a shame to see the Black Future Co-op Fund go, but a clean, sponsor-less kit from time to time is refreshing. The reborn Reign badge will always do the heavy lifting on the Seattle kits, but I like the pattern, and the shorts really set off the shirt. It’s a fine addition to the Reign kit history.”

They do have a kit sponsor now (Trupanion, which helps its customers keep down the cost of vet care for their furry children), but it is inobtrusive and is matched for color. 8/10

The Taylor Flint Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Macey Hodge, who one day has a real shot of finding herself the namesake for this column, had a proper crunchy tackle in the 63rd minute. There was no malice in it, just a little over aggression and maybe a like bit of misfortune (the announcers tried to make excuses). Good on you, Macey. I foresee many returns to this space in the future.

Madchester Song to Make You Feel Better

There are a bunch of videos options to go with here, but the mimed TOTP performance is probably the best vibe.

“I can’t wait”

Hindsight is always helpful. I wish I had chosen this year’s framing structure to go with last season. I have so many bright and exciting framing devices ready for this year that I can’t wait to use. However, Racing has to be cooperative and win some matches. If the injury list stays as lengthy as it currently is for much longer, the hole to dig out of may be too deep. I stubbornly refuse to look at the table because early season tables are often full of lies. If they do hold truths, they do tend to be in the bottom portions. A fast start this season was never all that probable or that important based on the schedule and Racing’s traditional slow starts to the season. It has made the wiggle room virtually nil and now they really need points on the road in Houston on Friday. If they put out a similar squad, I don’t have the highest of hopes.

Racing has an availability problem, and the club needs to acknowledge it. Problems are ripe to be solved most efficiently when little to no time is spent on assigning blame or worrying about who takes credit for finding the solution. Define and diagnose is my advice. I have watched many team’s seasons be destroyed by injuries. The only way truly around it is to have better solutions when the injuries come. Racing as an organization probably doesn’t have the capacity for the simplest solution: buy your way out of it. This is really only a viable option for the most elite of organizations and even then, you have to both have the spending capacity and also be having a good season.

I wish I had a solution, but the only one that I can think of as a second best option is prevention. Something has to be the root cause of Racing’s consistent inability to field full squads. The roster at the start of the season seemed robust enough, but right now it seems painfully thin. Any idea around what may be causing it would be pure conjecture, and conjecture is the enemy of good problem solving. I am hoping a solution can be found soon or this season may be lost before it even really begins.

Reign 2 Racing 1 Player Ratings

An early error puts Racing behind the eight ball and they end up with only a consolation goal. It too early to fret about the table but 1 point from 3 matches isn't going to get it done.

Bloomer-4: Regardless of what caused the lack of concentration, her error put Racing in a bad spot.

Petersen-6: Put in a decent shift at left back.

Flint-6: Deputized well at CB.

Jean-7: Of the starters, the lone bright spot.

Milliet-6: Looked better today in defense and attack.

Hodge-5: Liked her energy, but might be a little concerned with her in the position she played this evening.

O'Kane-5: Racing needs more from her.

Fischer-6: The only real first half attacking threat.

Hase-5: Another player that needs to step up.

White-5: Got in good spots, but needs to learn to finish more quickly.

Weber-7: Got a late assist to pad her personal stats.

Reign v Racing -1

I didn’t get to join the media availability for Racing today as I was toiling away at my full-time job. You probably know that items of note. The match is being played in Spokane and Racing needs points. The reason the match is being played in Spokane is because Lumen Field is undergoing preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

I hate the World Cup and the Olympics for one main reason: they use public money to build stadiums that are almost always destined to be underutilized. From a financial perspective, the Olympics are a bad deal for the host city, likewise for the World Cup. I hate this. In addition, America has an epidemic of building taxpayer funded stadiums that almost are never worth the spend. Lumen Field’s renovations are of course being heavily funded by public money.

This gives me a chance to talk about the Louisville Kings. I may never go to a match. I may think their existence is silly. I may not like it if there are gridiron lines on the pitch for Lou City and Racing matches. I also want them to be wildly successful. I have seen a lot of hate and hopefulness of failure for this enterprise. That is tremendously short-sighted, even for fans that support Lou City and Racing and do not live in the state of Kentucky.

The Kings success is important for Butchertown, Louisville and Kentucky. Anything that drives revenue in the area theoretically reduces the potential tax burden of the citizens of Louisville and Kentucky. Just like Lumen Field, at some point the stadium will need modernization. With more tenants comes more opportunity to share the burden of that eventuality (although I am sure the owners will take the opportunity to put as much of that burden on the city and state as possible). The financial success of ownership groups gives us, the taxpayer, the right, the evidence and the duty to push back when they inevitably stick their greedy hands out again.

Now, for you out of state bellyachers: extra money in Soccer Holdings pockets is a good thing and that is exactly what the Kings are providing. Yes, it will suck if the pitch gets torn up. It will suck if the gridiron lines are distracting. However, Soccer Holdings needs every bit of money they can scrounge up to compete in the NWSL (and the new USL league will likely be more expensive to run too).

Lastly, let me remind you that every dollar spent on a stadium is a dollar not spent on something of that is almost certainly more important and vital to someone in need. If stadiums were a good deal for cities and they actually delivered on the promises made, maybe you could dismiss this. However, time after frustrating time, the wealthy owners get most of the welfare of a sweet stadium deal. To their credit, Soccer Holdings is trying to make good on their promise to the community, but it is a difficult road. Having the Kings as a tenant is a good first step.

“But it might go wrong”

Photo by Elizabeth Shaw

Match Haiku

A mild spring evening

Yields a welcome early lead.

The Spirit fight back.

“But it might go wrong”

“This is the One” - The Stone Roses, 1989

It will be a struggle for Racing to have many clean sheets this season. The team is not set up to defend for long stretches, especially against teams with the amount of attacking talent that the Spirit have. Having a new back line every match doesn’t help, but even when Racing figures out what a first choice back line looks like, I don’t believe that collectively the team can defend at the back for 90 minutes. Their style and philosophy are predicated on being tough to play against. This manifests itself most clearly when Racing presses high and disrupts things in the midfield. When their opponents have long stretches of uninterrupted possession, like the start of the second half where the Spirit had around 85% of the possession in Racing’s half, Racing tends to get penned in with no foreseeable way out. This happened a few times last season, and it looks like we may see a repeat this season. Regardless of the score, Racing needs to play every minute like the match is even or they are trailing because their best defense comes from aggression, not organization, unfortunately.

Racing found themselves with a 2-goal lead precisely because they capitalized on the things they do well. The first goal came from a decent spell of possession that resulted from the Spirit having to play a long ball to try to beat their press. The second was classic counter-attacking run from Sears. That is the winning formula for Racing against the league’s top teams. However, Racing has never been too keen on defending an early lead so the next evolution has to be that counter-possession thing that I always harp on. There were too many long clearances that came right back into Racing’s half, especially as the match wore on.

Fischer had a much better night as the central attacking threat in this match. Even if she was a bit fortunate on the goal, she was in better positions in this match. This was likely helped by Hase’s tendency to drift into central spaces and drag defenders with her. When both Hase and Sears can attract attention, it opens up the middle of the pitch for Fischer and Weber. Sears’ ability to play on both wings is a plus too. She looked more comfortable in her briefer spell on the left in this match. She had a decent shot on goal from a cut back onto her right foot, which is something that works better when she is on the left. Her similar movements on the right tend to set her up for passes or shots from tougher angles. On her breakaway goal she took every touch with her right foot. One of these days a defender might actually figure this out and start to overplay her if they can match her speed, which is much easier said than done.

Post Match Moment of the Match

After the post-match fireworks (Who are fireworks for? I didn’t see anyone who was particularly interested.), we got to speak to Bev, Jordyn and Lo. On the overall defending effort Bev said that they have to be ‘better in some of those moments” essentially to get the defensive shapes right and gain some control and respite. I pressed Bev a little about if there was anything “structurally or philosophically” that needed to be different, and she was pretty adamant that the answer was “no” and that they need to have “a bit more in us” in those moments when things are tough. There is a comforting element to her confidence and conviction, and it is still early in the season so one hopes that she is right and these little things get fixed and don’t become an epidemic.

I asked Jordyn what she was able to see on Cantore’s wonder goal. She said, “I thought I saw the ball perfectly and then as it was approaching my hands it went (makes a curving hand motion).” Fair enough. It really was one of the best goals I have ever seen live based on the swerve and the distance. Lo has been around for all of Racing’s persistent failures to close out games, so she really didn’t have anything to add other than “we have to find a way”. I guess that is why I pressed Bev on the structure and philosophy piece. It does seem to be this team’s Achilles heel.

Thing I bought at ear X-tacy back in the day

(I would have loved to have been a music journalist in the 90s in England, but unfortunately, I lived here. Therefore, I will do a little retrospective music journalism to amuse myself. I will even try to tie it to Racing or soccer in general. If you want to give it a go, contact me at admin@fleur-de-lis.fc and maybe I will use your piece. The rules are that you have to believe in good faith that you bought it at ear X-tacy, and it has to be “on-theme”. For example, don’t write about buying Nirvana’s “Nevermind” in 1993, but you can write about buying “Bleach” in 1989 or 1990. If that doesn’t make sense, maybe skip it.)

Artist:  Paul Weller       

Album:  Stanley Road

Year:  1995

Format:  CD (Import)

Store Location:  1534 Bardstown Road

The “punters” liked this album more than the critics if memory serves correctly.  It was a UK #1 for Weller, who was firmly into the third phase of his career after a hugely successful first act leading The Jam and an ambitious and underrated (but ultimately unsuccessful) second act as the leader of The Style Council.  This was his 3rd solo album and a follow up to the wildly successful (and frankly career rescuing) “Wild Wood” album.  This album was the last one he released before being dubbed “The Modfather”, but he was already working his way into the “dad rock” category. 

I was 20 when this album was released and Weller was just about to turn 37.  He was “old” for a relevant pop artist, and there aren’t too many artists who consistently produce hits after turning 35, let alone 30.  He seemed even older, probably because of his prodigious output and the reverence that people in Great Britain had and still have for him.  What I wouldn’t give to be 37 now.   This year Bev Yanez is in her 3rd season (3rd album?) as Racing’s head coach at the age of 37.  If she is fortunate, this is the beginning of a long second act as a coach after act 1 as successful player.    

The most famous song from the album today is likely Weller’s cover of Dr. John’s “I Walk on Gilded Splinters”.  I say this because it is the music used in the closing music montage for The Wire’s Season 4.  That episode, “Final Grades”, is usually thought of as The Wire’s best episode even if The Wire doesn’t really work that way.  This year, I hope a line from that song might be appropriate for the “Sunshine Assassin”.  I can see Bev smiling as she says, “see my enemy at the end of their rope”.

The Taylor Flint Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Racing picked up two yellow cards in the match. The first one came in the 76th minute when a frustrated Sears shoved Kouassi (who always scares the heck out of me and was the best player on the pitch in the match) just a couple of minutes after the Spirit equalized. It was Fischer-esque but Kayla has been behaving herself well recently and I want to assume that she has somewhat “reformed” herself without losing her edge. The new namesake for this section didn’t let us down by picking up a silly one on a late challenge deep into stoppage time.

The Louisville (Draft?) Kings Sports Betting Corner

(Racing’s new co-tenant at Lynn Family Stadium surely only exists to quench the thirst of those who must “have action” on sports 365 days a year. I am not a gambler, but if you are I will suggest “easy money” from time to time. Your challenge will be to see if you can actually bet on it.)

I was going to go super easy on this first one and say take the -150 on a Taylor Flint yellow card suspension this season, but what might be more fun is an over/under on combined Taylor Flint/Emily Sonnett yellow cards this season. Let’s set the over/under at 16.5 which would mean that they will be better behaved this season. I am feeling the over on this one.

“All the plans that I have made”

One point from six isn’t the best of starts, but Racing has plenty of time to get things right. Nothing has been a disaster, but there also hasn’t been too much to make you believe that a mid-table finish isn’t the ceiling. That’s fine honestly. This team isn’t built to be an NWSL Shield winner. One does wish that their fate didn’t seem to be tied to some cosmic random number generator where all 3 outcomes seem equally likely and it is just like the roll of a 3-sided die. Some of that is the league itself, but with continued expansion maybe that will lessen for the good. Before the match, I did wonder to myself how Bev’s halftime adjustments will work this season if they have a lead at half. It is not fair to judge it based on one match, but despite all logic and probability, I think it is almost better for Racing to be all square at half and try to win matches late most of the time. It allows them to exploit their strengths and hide their weaknesses. I am all for Racing “boat racing” a team in the first half 4-0, but realistically I don’t see that happening all that often.

The difficult part is that Racing isn’t a defensive oriented team in the traditional sense. Most teams that are comfortable out of possession tend to be more defensively sturdy. They aren’t particularly good when they have long spells in either half. I know that sounds horrible, but it isn’t meant to be. Racing is at their best when they are making their opponent do things they don’t want to do. This season there has been too much comfortable possession conceded, and that will have to change if Racing is serious about a top half of the table finish.

Racing 2 Spirit 2 Player Ratings

Racing jumped out to an early 2 goal lead but couldn't hold onto possession enough to see out the win. Bev will need to figure out how to see out games like this if the playoffs are to be in the cards this season.

Bloomer-7: Made a few good saves but needed better defending in front of her.

Gacioch-6: Had a decent debut, but seemed to tire at the end.

Jean-7: The team needs another defender of her quality on the team.

Petersen-6: Lost the ball in a dangerous spot in the first half and had a few nervy touches.

Milliet-7: Handled Rodman well for the most part.

Flint-6: Loaded up the stat sheet again, but hasn't hit her peak yet early in the season.

O'Kane-7: Another solid performance, but would like to see her in attack more. That is predicated on Racing having more possession though.

Fischer-8: Fantastic stuff from her, but lucky to have MacIver spill her goal.

Hase-7: Attacked more centrally that usual.

Sears-8: So, so good on the counter and had a decent effort stopped when she was out on the left and cut in on her right foot.

Weber-7: Solid effort from her.

Racing v Spirit -1

In case I didn't mention it last week, I like the new interview setup. So far the Lou City and Racing media availabilities have lined up so I can do both. It also means that I get to watch the Communications Team do the backdrop quick change. This needs to be on social media at some point. Let's get on that.

Racing is coming off of the most positive loss I can remember and the good loss vibes carried forward to today. Bev continues to like what she has seen from the team but did share that she thinks that Racing's slow start against the Courage was due to the players being too amped up and not the other way around.

Is the Spirit Racing’s true rival? Taylor Flint seems more apt to go with Portland. I am of the mind that everyone should hate everyone equally. It makes things much simpler.

I mentioned the lack of yellow cards from both players in the last match, and the contrast to how that typically played out last season. That produced some giggles and the promise to try to be better behaved, but ultimately they said that you can’t worry too much about the officials and lose your edge.

Butchertown Rundown's new-ish writer Brendan Devine tried to sneak a player health update out of Bev. LOL! Nice try rook! She is never going to give you anything useful. Believe me, I have tried and honestly it would only give aid and comfort to the enemy, so I stopped.

You never know what level of underachievement you are going to get from the Spirit, but they never seem to be quite as good a they should be. Remember when they were hilariously bad a few years ago? Let's hope for a repeat of that.

"She'll carry on through it all"

Courtesy of the NWSL

Match Haiku

Springtime in Cary

Yields a familiar result.

A Sanchez brace stings.

“She’ll carry on through it all”

“Waterfall” - The Stone Roses, 1989

Let’s be frank about who Racing Louisville is as a team. I bellyached for years about this team’s lack of a true identity. Last year they found one, and it is likely to be the one as long as Bev Yanez is the coach. They are a hard-working blue-collar team. This is appealing for many reasons, but it also implies the things that they will never be. One thing that the team is for the first time in its existence is a squad that doesn’t have a single international player. That statement is meant to be a neutral statement of fact, but it’s hard to avoid the implications. From a footballing perspective that means that their youth careers and playing experiences are likely to be somewhat consistent. Sure, there will be differences, but when you add in players from different international backgrounds it can spice things up and makes sure things don’t get too stale. The club has made a big deal of getting players that fit into Bev’s system and the overall team culture. For the circumstances that define and conform and constrict the environment in which Racing Louisville must exist, it is probably the best way to do things even if the football is a little bland at times.

However, one must live with the consequences. Bigger clubs in bigger cities will have the ability to showcase their cosmopolitan freedom and individuality as a way to win matches and achieve results. Every team plays a system. Every player plays in a system. The key is to live in balance with the system and its principles and not become a robot in it.

Matches like last night’s one in Cary are the ones that I worry about for Racing. Racing will almost always grind the other team down. Sometimes it will be enough, but last night it wasn’t. Sometimes you will have an excellent individual effort nullify all of your best laid plans and dogged determination. The key is to not lose hope and get back on the horse.

Post Match Moment of the Match

Bev as an interview subject is never going to say too much to criticize a performance. I actually don’t recall that many times after a loss where she hasn’t spoken mostly of the positives. I didn’t necessarily expect her to take the bait when I asked about the central attacking performance compared to the positives that I saw in the wings, and she didn’t really comment specifically. What I saw was a performance that relied too heavily on the outer thirds of the pitch. Depending on which side of the pitch the attack was building, the other two thirds didn’t really have to be defended at all. Sav Demelo and Ary Borges are players that can utilize the center of the pitch for creativity. I guess we will have to be patient to see what develops.

Sarah Weber and Jordyn Bloomer also spoke after the match. Bloomer was voted Player of the Match. You people need to listen to Butchertown Rundown and heed the advice that Tom Benson has given about awarding the Player of the Match to a keeper until the match is over. Also, do people not know how to count or not know the definition of a save? I think Zerboni referred to Bloomer’s save in the 63rd minute as a triple save. I think even the Racing official media made the same mistake (if not I apologize because I think it has since been corrected).

The double save was good enough, but what wasn’t good enough according to Bloomer herself, was the late goal from Sanchez that Bloomer said, “needs to be kept out of the net by myself”. I must have rewatched her positioning on the 2nd goal a dozen times and frankly I think she is being a little too hard on herself. She was in the right spot from a positioning perspective, but I think the thing that she will be critical of is her reaction time and being so rooted to the right spot that she couldn’t reach the deflection.

Were the Announcers Good?

No.

I might retire this section unless by some miracle I hear some intelligent commentary. The quality of the NWSL broadcasts in general is lacking and it is readily apparent. There is no need for me to pile on.

TV Kit Rating

The Courage’s kit was number 3 in our kit rankings but on the big screen the details simply do not read. It just looks blue. That’s what I get for saying anything remotely nice about the Courage. By the laws of probability some of the Courage fans are also likely Duke fans. Let that sentence sink in. There is only one excuse for being a Duke fan and that is only if you attended West Point with Mike Krzyzewski like my trivia teammate Jim Ruwet. That’s it. The rest of them can suck an egg.

Madchester Song to Make You Feel Better

Definitely revered in the UK and underrated in the US, the Charlatans will be making multiple appearances in the “Madchester” section this year.

“She’s a waterfall”

Thankfully, nothing much looks like it gets Bev down. She was generally pleased with the performance and to be honest so was I. In my season kickoff post I committed to not be so “doom and gloom” to start the season. I think a draw would have been a fair and good result here, but it wasn’t to be. I had another line prepared from “Waterfall” to be the title of this post, but I am sure I will get the chance to use it later on. The season was always going to be a grind and have its ups and downs. Therefore, the season will be about persistence and overcoming adversity, just like the song referenced here.

I liked the resilience of coming back to level the score at 1-1 before half. Ellie Jean seems just as good as last season and ready to lead the line as it were. Racing possesses dangerous wingers and there seems to be depth there. This team will always have a fighting chance with Bev’s ability to adjust at half and everyone is bought in (for now).

What has me worried is wing defense and central attack. Weber scored, but probably should have had another, and the goal was created out wide by Sears. It will be a long season is Fischer doesn’t immediately improve at the 10 or they don’t figure out a better option. It pains me to say this, but Milliet looked a little overmatched by Sanchez a few times and McMahon, to me at least, didn’t rise about the level of “serviceable” (she was better in attack).

This league for better or worse will always be about fine margins. When that is the case, oftentimes individual talent, skill and quality are what you need to get things done, regardless of how well-oiled and tight-knit your team is. If you look at the current roster, it is hard to see any player beyond Sears who has the ability to consistently change a match on the offensive end. That may just be the current state of things, but for now, any victory from Racing will have to come from a unified and gritty effort. The good news: that is right in Racing’s wheelhouse.

Courage 2 Racing 1 Player Ratings

Racing pulls one back in the first half and dominated huge portions of the second half but fall short when they can't make it count.

Bloomer-6: Had a fantastic double save but by her own account, should have done better on Sanchez's second.

McMahon-6: A little shaky at the start, but grew into the match.

Petersen-7: The team misses her delivery on set pieces when she doesn't play.

Jean-7: Other than one bad touch, was pretty solid

Milliet-5: Had 2 goals scored by the player she was defending. Not the best debut as captain.

Flint-6: Needed to do more to stitch things together.

O'Kane-6: Ditto for her.

Fischer-6: I like her better a center forward.

Hase-7: Was looking really dangerous and then got subbed off.

Sears-7: Oddly started on the left but looked more comfortable on the right and set up Weber's goal.

Weber-7: Scored one but probably felt like she could have had 2.

Courage v Racing -1

Welcome to my first proper post of the season! We are dangerously close to being able to talk about some actual soccer (note: posts may only contain around 25% actual soccer coverage). I am not much for reading previews, so I don’t write them. As a reminder and if by some bizarre reason you are new to this space, my “minus one” posts are really just an excuse for me to write something and make sure I don’t get my media pass revoked. My long con has now entered year 6 and expanded to getting to sit on the pitch for Lou City home matchers, weather and Racing duties permitting (Elizabeth always has to be on the pitch as the Fleur-de-lis FC official photographer: rain/sleet/snow/extreme heat/disgusting odor).

I maintain a virtual radio silence from December to February because the offseason doesn’t really interest me. I follow the signings, but that’s about it. I come out of my cave just in time for NWSL kit release day (a kit ranking post is now pretty common, but when I did my first one in 2022 it was pretty ambitious and rare. Yes, I do have a very healthy ego). I tend not to read anything beyond the press releases from the club and avoid anything with the words “offseason grade” in them like the plague. Who among us doesn’t sit down with our boss at the beginning of each year and get a performance review based on how he or she thinks we will perform in the coming year? As you process the ridiculousness of that previous sentence let me say that I don’t judge those who write and consume those types of things. There is an audience for them, it just doesn’t include me.

I assume that if you look back into the history of sports journalism (I can’t be bothered) that you will find that the concept of a “preview” and its first cousin, a “prediction” probably came about when newspapers figured out that gamblers might drop a spare nickel to get some sort of inside scoop. I don’t gamble. I am terrible at it. I never win at the track. However, I do find myself part of the “Big Preview Industry” as I regularly show up to ask questions of Racing players and coaches whenever there is “media availability”. New to Racing (and Lou City) this year is a designated interview room. This keeps everyone out of the elements when necessary. There has also been an emphasis on making sure that the consumers of the pre-match interviews can hear the questions being asked, so now you get to hear my stupid voice as I ask my dumbass questions. You’re welcome.

Lo, Emma and Bev are used to my dumbass questions, so they usually have good answers. You can listen here and here if you are interested and make your own judgements. The only piece of color that I might add this that the vibe seemed relaxed. Aren’t you glad that you came here for that type of analysis?

Of course, you cannot escape any piece of mine about the Courage without me reminding you that Cary, NC is an anonymous city in an overrated state. If Neil Tennant arrived in Cary and asked “Hay una discoteca por acqui?”, I am sure he would be greeted with a confused look, so it’s appropriate that Racing’s Disco Kits won’t be making a debut here. Also, the Courage’s stadium is an absolute dump. I am contractually obliged to say that the playing surface is nice and that it drains water quickly.

For everything we might think we know about Racing and this match at this point, we don’t actually know anything which is why sports is fun. Whatever starting 11 you are picturing in your head is surely to be wrong (not because I know anything, but because I have seen Racing’s collective fanbase be wrong so many times even when it’s a no change lineup from the previous match). Don’t worry, we’ll final have some evidence to judge come Saturday evening.

MASCOTS!

Lou City and Racing introduced mascots to members of their kid’s club Saturday morning at the Ali Center in downtown Louisville. Float and Sting come with a perfectly charming backstory and will be seen around the stadium on match days.

Personally, I think “Sting” comes across as the better designed of the pair…

but “Float” isn’t without charm either.

On a scale of Times Square Elmo to Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey Mouse, I rate them about a Universal Studios Orlando Minion. However, their real spiritual forerunner is UC Santa Cruz’s Sammie the Banana Slug seen here:

Courtesy ucsc.edu

Sammie was the answer to a trivia question at a recent fundraiser where Elizabeth and I and some friends formed the “Friends”-themed trivia juggernaut “Joey Triviani” and took home first prize. Many thanks to our friend, David who was all over the college mascot category.

Not everyone will like the mascots, but then again if you don’t like them, the mascots are not for you. While not quite on the Gunnersaurus or Louie level, I am sure these two will grow on me.

I look forward to seeing them around the stadium.

The Box (2026)

If you are reading this, let me express my extreme gratitude for the time you have committed so far to reading my thoughts and ramblings over the years. If you have been with me since the beginning or met me along the way, you have probably figured out that this isn’t a traditional sports website/blog. At different points in time this site has been (or continues to be) a place to record history, provide analysis, be goofy, complain, or wax poetic about soccer and specifically Racing Louisville Football Club.

If you were with me last season, you likely saw a shift in tone and seriousness. It was definitely more esoteric, purposefully so. I drew a box around how I wanted to talk about the matches and frame them in a certain way. I like having a framework, so that will continue. Having a framework does a few things. It sets readers’ expectations, but it also offers me a challenge to fit my thoughts into a strict-ish structure, thus making sure I don’t meander or ramble. It also forces me to make connections between things that may not seem related, which is a fun writing exercise.

Butchertown Rundown’s “Mint Mix” gives fans the opportunity to pick a song based on a recent performance or activity. Subconsciously (I think), I did somewhat of the opposite last year: by having a set of potential predetermined post-match post titles (Epigraphs from the Wire) and a list of lyrics to close my analysis with (Prefab Sprout song lyrics), I made the match performance fit a reference instead of letting the performance trigger a connection. I liked the challenge of boxing myself in and writing myself out of it, so I decided to continue with a similar framework this season. I think Kaitlyn (Whiteside, the curator of the Butchertown Rundown Mint Mix) and I are good enough friends not to worry about duplicating each other or stepping on each other’s toes. Besides, using music to comment on sports long predates both of us. In fact, one of my first posts was the kind of thing that today would have likely led a Mint Mix suggestion. And I definitely stole that trope from somewhere.

Full disclosure without getting into a debate about free will: this year’s framework has been burrowing into my brain since last season. Here is some background (if you are still with me and interested).

The Second Summer of Love

I don’t pretend to know exactly how to describe “The Second Summer of Love” (SSOL). There have been books written about it if you are interested. In short, from a BBC documentary: “The dawn of acid house in 1988 was dubbed ‘the second summer of love’ but its roots lay in the techno and house clubs of Chicago and Berlin.” I have no real first-hand knowledge of it, other than a love of the byproducts of it. Even then, I only came to them a few years later, and only the peripheral ones. In a nutshell the SSOL was about dance clubs, rave culture, house music, and of course, drugs (particularly ecstasy) over a brief period in 1988 and into 1989 in England. I don’t dance. I have never been to a rave. I don’t really own much (if any) house music but do enjoy enough general dance music. I am a virtual teetotaler and have definitely never tried ecstasy.

Depending on your source, it’s hard to say for sure how much some of the most beloved British albums that came directly after this period actually had to do with the SSOL, other than being a reflection of the times. The Happy Monday’s “Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches” probably has the most street cred. New Order’s “Technique” is probably the closest to the “sounds”. The most revered is likely The Stone Roses self-titled debut. All three are great and it’s hard for me to choose between “Technique” and “The Stone Roses” for a favorite. However, for the purposes of this site I am going to choose the latter to help me frame 2026.

Bravado and Optimism

My framing for last season definitely didn’t leave much room for hope and positivity. “The Wire” continues to be my all-time favorite television show, but let’s face it: there isn’t much hope in it. At the time of choosing “The Wire” epigraphs for a framing mechanism it seemed fitting because frankly I didn’t have much, if any hope for the season. My second framing tool was the lyrics of Paddy McAloon from Prefab Sprout’s 1980s(ish) output. Those lyrics were definitely biting and pessimistic in nature, or at least the ones I confined myself to were that way. By the middle of the season, I had boxed myself in to a position where I was scrambling to find light in places that were mostly dark.

Several times last season, especially as the season moved into the home stretch, I kept thinking about “The Stone Roses”. It just kept popping into my head. It is an album full of bravado and optimism. Even if it is debatable how much impact it had on the SSOL, I don’t think any other album better captured the attitude that I associate with it. Again, I was 14 and on a different continent, so I can only imagine vibes. Anyway, for me, it is the album from that time period that I listen to the most.

It’s good to have some bravado and optimism options going into this season when I write about Racing. I don’t pretend to know how the season will go, but the flexibility to be optimistic is a welcome change.

Melancholy, Desire, and Painful Longing

Then again, let’s not kid ourselves. This is still Racing. Things are bound to go poorly at times, even if it is just the law of averages. I didn’t allow for optimism last season, but I will not make the same mistake this year by avoiding the possibility of being frustrated and disappointed at times. That is the burden of being a fan. Not that I couldn’t find some lyrical options on “The Stone Roses” to express frustration when Racing draws or loses, but having another option is probably wise. Let’s face it, most music contains at least some melancholy, desire or painful longing so I don’t have to pick something too depressing to find a good quote to use now and then. There is another piece to consider as well: “The Stone Roses” kind of belongs to everyone of a certain age and disposition. It is celebratory and meant to be listened to with other people and shared. In contrast, something designed to be listened to as a “covert operation in the bedrooms of the world” might be better when my mood is more reflective. In essence, something more personal might be needed.

My Summer of Love (1997)

As most of us are, I am a creature of habit. My college days from 1993 to 1998 were filled with several routines. Maybe rituals would be a more apt description. One of my favorite rituals was a weekly trip (at least) to ear X-Tacy. Usually this was on Thursday, as this was the usual date that the import CDs from England arrived (having been released on Monday in the UK). I could have sworn that I saved at least one of those stickers, but I couldn’t find one. Regardless, here is an image of the sticker:

If my calculations are right, I would have bought Gene’s “Drawn to the Deep End” on February 20th, 1997. Here is a picture of my well-worn copy.

By most contemporary and retrospective accounts, this album is unremarkable. It performed decently on the UK music charts, hitting number 8 at its peak and had a few Top 30 singles. Its lackluster reception was likely somewhat a symptom of “Britpop fatigue”.

But for me, it was the album I listened to before my first date with my wife Elizabeth on February 21st, 1997. And then, unbeknownst to her (until I told her the other day about this season kick-off post) it became my soundtrack for falling in love with her, but only listening to it alone, in the car, either on my way to her or from her.

A blurry pic of us, circa 1997

Therefore, it is impossible for me to be objective about this album. I doubt she would like it. You probably wouldn’t either. It is “of its time” and not “timeless” and “classic” like “The Stone Roses”. Like I mentioned in my assessment of love of Prefab Sprout in last year’s kick off post, this music is “mine”, selfishly. “Drawn to the Deep End” is full of melancholy, desire and longing, but there is also bravado and optimism in it as well. No decent album is just one mood.

Connecting it to Racing

Those are the two reference points for “the box” from which my post-match articles will be constructed and hemmed in. I will keep what I liked from last year, add in some new stuff and trim the stuff I tired of.

One of the most rewarding things about last season is that I no longer do this alone. Elizabeth helped and we expanded to cover some Lou City things (check her pics out on Instagram @PictureThisFC). Ultimately, that is why I chose the reference points I did. I moved from a solo act to a partnership.

The season Racing is likely to look magnificent and like some perfect machine operating at the peak of its powers, at times. There will be lyrics that fit that. Then, there will also be times where they will look less than perfect, even defeated. There will be lyrics for those moments as well.

For all of the off-season speculation and analysis and previews and ebbs and flows of information, we can go into the season knowing that there will be surprises, good and bad, but nobody knows anything about the future. That is why hope and optimism never die. Neither do fear nor dread. The best we can hope for is to experience it purely and make a connection with the team through our own experiences.

As for this season, the dawn is approaching. I am excited. It’s a feeling of anticipation of good things to come and maybe some biased overly syrupy optimism. It will be new, but the feeling of excitement is not new. It is comforting and fires well-worn synapses in my brain. It’s the same pathways of joy triggered when you hear a favorite song and it gets, if not quite to the chorus, maybe to a favorite line…

“Through the early morning sun, I can see her. Here she comes…”

Curtains

Photo by Elizabeth Shaw

The full color version of the photo above (in poster size) hangs in the office at my house, so you can assume that it is the picture I look at the most during workdays. It reminds me of the delayed start, horrible weather, and low expectations I had that day. However, in the picture…joy…utter joy. That wasn’t even the best game against North Carolina this year! It is moment frozen in time and Racing led 1-0 in a match that they would draw 1-1. In and of itself, it is still a great moment. It is full of hope and possibility. Again, it was a dreary day and a disappointing outcome, but in that moment, all was right with the world for the Racing players on the pitch.

Racing accomplished much this season, and you can find my piece on the State of Louisville website in a few days where I outline those accomplishments. This post is more forward looking, but I wanted to stop first and remember a special season full of special moments. The goal depicted above was the first of the season, so it is special in that way. It also secured a point, and we know that in the end every point ended up mattering.

My first post of the season declared my restated intent and ultimately allowed space for my wife Elizabeth to express herself in her wit and photography. I also set the parameters for my writing by ‘boxing myself in” basically requiring myself, however tenuously, to incorporate an epigraph from The Wire and a line or two from Paddy McAloon into my analysis of the most recent match. I could say that the original intention of this was to focus me, but in reality, it was to make me not lose interest in what I was sure was going to be a bad team and long season. As the season extended it was a challenge, but never one that I couldn’t overcome. The thing that I noticed most of all was that almost all of the epigraphs were “downers” and the lyrics I had preselected were the melancholier ones.

This was all due to expectations and those expectations were blown out of the water. I already have in my mind how this might differ next year, and I might restrict myself to a single album. I have one in mind, but I am pretty sure that there are enough dark and light elements to cover the gamut of emotions next season. I guess, my point is that I am planning for next year and I am sure Racing is too.

---

Let me start again by saying that Racing is in a decent position to start the year because they have something that they really haven’t really had before: a General Manager with a coherent strategy.

I don’t spend a ton of time talking about Caitlyn Milby and that is probably due to her clear and demonstrable competence. She has done an excellent job quietly and efficiently without much fuss. She got extensions done on Racing’s most key players and Racing only has a handful of players that have been contributors this season and are out of contract (Borges and DiGrande topping that list if my data is up to date). I would like to see Ary return based on her performance at the tail end of the season. DiGrande has been reliable and would be welcome if both parties agree.

This may seem harsh, but everyone else is expendable in my opinion. I would love to have the 2021-2024 version of Bethany Balcer, but who knows if that player still exists. Other than the three I mentioned, I don’t think there is much point in extending anyone’s stay in Louisville. I think Katie Lund needs to move on and should be successful on the right team. Maddie Pokorny would be fine as a last player on a roster, but we can’t assume she came back from injury the same player she was before it.

Caitlyn Milby’s to-do list for the offseason is likely:

• At least one clinical striker: Racing’s lack of finishing was on stark display all season, but the best microcosm was the penalty shootout in the playoff match against Washington. Balcer went first and buried hers. None of the others were close. This season, Racing had seven “attackers” with more than 1000 minutes. Only Emma Sears had a “goals scored” number higher than her xG. Louisville was in the bottom 3 in the league in G-xG (goals scored minus expected goals) behind Bay and a surprisingly poor finishing Orlando team, who didn’t have a single attacker whose goals scored was higher than her xG. For anyone ruing the loss of Reilyn Turner, let me just share that she returned 5 goals on an 8.41 xG, so building a time machine for that trade doesn’t solve this particular problem.

• Center back and midfield depth: Center back depth has been an issue from day 1 with Racing and this definitely isn’t the worst shape the club has ever been in, but you would like to see your “next best” center back sitting on your bench instead of being on the pitch already. For some reason known only to Bev, Petersen found herself on the bench in the last few matches after having started most of the season. Theoretically you could look to her as a utility defender, but I think you need at least one more nominal center back on the squad that Bev can trust. Who knows what the status of DeMelo will be going forward, but if the club loses Ary and Digrande they are in deep, deep trouble in the midfield. I can’t imagine not signing a free agent or two here. I think Bev needs to figure out what she wants this midfield to be in the future because it could go all kinds of different directions at the moment.

• Roster sanity: I might lose my mind if there are 5 keepers in the team photo next season. Racing struggled to keep 3 healthy all at once, so I get it, but the goal should be to roster 3 and be done with it. The other thing that might make be lose my mind is any more matches with less than the allotted 9 players on the bench. In the playoff match, Racing once again went with 8 on the bench. There wasn’t anyone available that they could have put on the bench (maybe except for Lund, but that wouldn’t have helped). Some players definitely won’t be back. I want insult them or your intelligence because you know who they are. They were too many unproductive players on the roster this season, and that cannot continue to be the case going forward if Racing is serious about making the next step.

There are a few other things that Racing needs to sort out on the tactical side. The first one is the ability to convert defending into possession when it is prudent. This season Racing was decent on counters and was always looking to score quickly once they obtained possession. I don’t disagree with that. However, in key points in matches they need to figure out a way to keep possession for possession’s sake. Too many times, late in matches Racing was either unwilling or incapable of managing possession in their own half to try to move forward, especially with a lead. We have all seen teams settle into a shell for the last 10 minutes of a match and that is just how things are done. I do see other teams at least try to work the ball out of danger instead of consistently playing it long to nobody only to see it return to danger immediately. Several matches jump to mind but the Gotham away match is fresh in mine. Racing may not ever be a team that scores by playing through their opponent, nor do I think they should try to. However, in some cases, simply having the ball at your feet for a few seconds is enough to pick out the next pass and try to relieve some of the pressure.

I also think Racing is lacking in the number of technical staff that they employ. Carm Moscato left in the middle of the season and almost immediately Racing’s attacking prowess suffered. They recovered some of it at the end of the season, but there was definitely a dip right after she left. Racing’s main staff is effective, but I think they could definitely do with an additional staff member to go along with Carm’s replacement.

I think the biggest challenge will be avoid settling for what worked this season. Every other team will look to improve and if Racing doesn’t get better, expect them to finish lower than they did this season. Weber and Fischer are serviceable center forwards. That doesn’t mean that their jobs should be safe or comfortable. Taylor Flint should have someone breathing down her neck that wants her starting job so bad she can taste it. Emma Sears should come into training camp with a target to score 5 left-footed goals next season. Hase and O’Kane should be fighting for every minute that they get and consider themselves fortunate if they get the minutes that the got this season. Arin Wright and Janine Sonis should be losing sleep over the players pushing them for their spots. Nobody should be comfortable going into next season. The period of moderate expectations ended in Washington.

“Deserve got nuthin’ to do with it”

Courtesy Connor Cunningham

Stolen The Wire Epigraph

"Deserve got nuthin' to do with it."

For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is a show about a haute cuisine chef who takes over the family business…selling heroin outside of a sandwich shop.

I use this particular quote from The Wire quite a bit. Probably more than anyone wants me to. This time I want to expand it, paraphrase the sentiment, and soften it to a degree: An outcome isn't necessarily a reflection on what you deserve, it's just your time to experience it.

Racing did almost nothing wrong in its match against Washington, but that didn’t change the outcome. It shouldn't cheapen the result, nor should it make it easier to digest. Somebody has to win, and somebody has to lose in playoff matches. It's a cruel fate to let a match go to penalties, but what other option is there?

Every team bar one gets eliminated in a season. It was just Racing’s time. Depending on your perspective there may be no solace in that or there may be plenty of it. The fact that Racing came up just short seems right. It seems to sum up the season perfectly.

Racing found itself level at the end of the first half of regular time, the end of regular time, the first half of extra time, and at the end of extra time. If that didn’t prove that Racing was exactly where they belonged, I don’t know how to convince you otherwise.

It wasn’t Racing’s best performance of the season, nor near its worst, but maybe it was the one in which all of us could be the proudest. It was a “never quit” performance. It wasn’t one that showed a ton of “fighting back” because it was one where they were the better team for noticeable stretches.

For the longest of times, Racing has been dealing with being not quite good enough when the margins are at their finest. In this case however, the margins where barely there (they still exist and I will get there when I close the curtains on the season in a future post). They belonged in the playoffs, and they belong in the playoffs in the future. They may not always get there, but now we know the possibility exists.

Post Match Moment of the Match

Arin Wright was emotional and proud of the team and the effort. “Deserve” came up as it always does when you play well, but you all know my feelings on that. She also added that this was the beginning of something. I hope that's true. It feels like it is true. She then mentioned that this was the season the Racing found its identity. I feel like that is true too. In her words, “we found what made us, us.”

Janine Sonis was also proud of the fight from the team and I think we all can get behind that sentiment.

Coach Bev echoed the sentiments of disappointment, sadness, but ultimately pride in the team's effort in the match and the season.

This section of my post-match wrap up pieces has essentially become a recap of the post-match media availability, and I have been lazy about picking out my “favorite” part. This time it was pretty easy. I got to say this to Bev:

“I don’t think anybody considers this season for Racing anything other than a massive success.”

She smiled and said, “thank you for saying it in that manner.”

Excuse my vanity…more on that later.

Were the Announcers Good?

Kate Scott and Lori Lindsey were on the call. They found a good balance calling the match and while Racing fans might generally disagree with their assessment that Washington were the clear favorites and that Racing ultimately was playing with house money, that is how the neutral observer would have seen it too. When it went to penalties, they were still pushing the narrative that Racing “had nothing to lose.” I don't think that is ever true in a match that goes to penalties, but I get what they were trying to say.

TV Kit Rating

One of the reasons I don’t like Racing’s green kits was evident in this match. In the shade they essentially disappeared which isn’t a great viewing experience. NO MORE DARK GREENS KITS AFTER THIS ONE PLEASE!

I am a fan of Washington's highlighter kits. They are the best kit that the Spirit has worn in a long time. From my kit rating piece:

“I have hated every other Washington jersey that I have ranked, but I love this one. It was my top choice, but that’s democracy for you. Many people despise yellow and yellow jerseys. I love them. I like the mix of greens and yellow. I hope Washington sticks with yellow on future kit releases.”

I will stick with that assessment. 8/10

The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match (brought to you by Taylor Flint)

This was a well-played match and a fairly played one. Borges picked up a card late but rode it out through extra time. If was a well officiated match and a good representation of the quality of football in the NWSL.

“Sentimental is part of the deal”

“Wild Horses”/Jordan: The Comeback/1990”

I don’t know how much I will remember this match in a year. If Racing goes on to do bigger and better things this match will be a footnote. Kayla Fischer scored a goal that meant so much until it meant nothing. It is a shame, but the only way to get over it is to score more and make them count for more. Players will probably be retaking their missed penalties in their dreams for weeks, but I hope they come to some sort of peace with it. Washington was just slightly better because they were much more experienced.

When you watch sports for long enough, you will have favorite seasons and teams. If you are an “experience over results” person, sometimes that means that you recall teams fondly even if they don’t win anything shiny. I can recall several teams that I remember more fondly than “better” teams that won trophies or championships. I won’t bore you with an extensive list, but in general I think everyone likes teams that are “good when they aren’t supposed to be” or “ahead of schedule” at building something. I will always treasure the 2021 version of Racing. They were the first. There was a lot to hate about that season because of what happened off the pitch, but there was also a lot of bravery in it. This team will also be right up there among my favorites. There was a lot of difficulty in this season too, but many, many bright spots. I just hope the memories don’t dull as much as they always tend to do.

This is site is an unapologetic vanity project. I think that is crystal clear. If it wasn’t fun I wouldn’t do it. If it was objective, I wouldn’t do it. This year I realized that it was richer to share it with Elizabeth and I want to thank her for her contributions which include more than the readers will ever know.

This site can now remind me when I forget, but I hope I never forget this season.

Spirit 1 (3) Racing 1 (1) Player Ratings

Racing fought valiantly, but just didn't have enough in the tank at the end. Next season the expectations will be raised, but this will only be a temporary disappointment for a really good season for this team.

Bloomer-7: Kept Racing in a couple of times, but painfully watched as Washington buried their near perfect penalties.

Sonis-7: Great effort from her today.

Wright-7: Had a few key blocks.

Jean-6: Probably needed to be a little stronger on the header for the goal, but otherwise solid.

Milliet-7: Had a half decent chance on goal and ran her legs off.

Flint-6: Really off her game in the first half, but recovered to have a decent match.

Borges-8: Really active but finally ran out of gas by the end.

O'Kane-7: Applied really good pressure especially early.

Hase-7: Found herself in good positions several times.

Sears-7: Almost scored at the end of regular time.

Weber-6: Had a good clearance off the line, but not involved other than that.

Fischer-8: Great instinctual finish on the goal.

Spirit v RLFC -1 (Playoffs)

Racing gets a big game on big CBS at noon on Saturday. Avoiding Kansas City is a bonus, but Washington will pose their own puzzles to solve. Louisville almost pulled off 3 points earlier in the season at Audi Field and depending on your perspective in that match, they were either unfortunate to drop points or extremely fortunate to have been leading 2-1 in the final minutes.

Players like Sonis and Wright will bring the playoff credentials, but Janine mentioned in the pre match media availability, “all of our young players have gotten so much experience,” then added, “I think there is a piece of inexperience that is actually an advantage in these types of situations,” stating that the less experienced players might not feel the pressure that more experienced players might feel. On her season as a whole she said, “I have just loved playing for this team this season. I fully expect us to play for another three weeks.”

When asked if she expected to make 26 appearances for a playoff team in her rookie season Katie O'Kane simply stated, “No” and laughed. She then added that she it was something that she hoped for, but was really just focused on making the team at the beginning of the year. She has taken each step one at a time, first getting substantial minutes, then earning a regular starting spot.

This team’s “one match at a time” mentality will serve them well in the playoffs. It's hard to picture any team taking Racing for granted, but Washington could be thinking ahead, as anything other than a finals appearance would be a disappointment for them.

“The Life of Kings”

Photo by Elizabeth Shaw

Stolen The Wire Epigraph

"...the life of kings."

For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is just like “Cheers” but in an abandoned row house with Bubbles playing the role of “Norm”.

“I go into the 2025 with the absolute lowest of expectations. I can’t envision how this team will be good. They may be competitive. If they do turn out to be decent, it will be counter to most of the previous evidence.”

-Me, here

“I expect a regression back to Racing 1.0 or Racing 2.0 defensively. I am not sure who is going to ‘lead the line’”.

“The club could be feeling really good about this season, and I imagine that most clubs do in their own protective bubbles and echo chambers. I just wish I had something to go on other than 4 years of failure. There hasn’t been enough positive change in the offseason to offset even the losses that needed to come.”

-Me, here

“I thought Racing had a chance to win, but in my heart, I didn’t believe it.”

“I think Racing is a dinosaur set for extinction. They have always moved too slowly or not had the right pieces.”

And this last one really stings…

“I don’t think Bev will turn things around.”

-Me, here

I have always said that I don’t have any emotional capital invested in by “being right”. I am so glad to have been wrong on so many things.

In a world where people double down and go into their echo chambers, nobody likes to openly admit that their opinions are wrong and definitely there is a bizarre resistance to “change your mind” on much of anything. I changed my mind here, here but mostly here.

Is it odd to be so emotional about something to which you didn’t really personally contribute?

Bev turned things around. The whole team did, but with her at the helm of the ship.

The last few weeks made things nervier than I wanted them to be, but the end result ended up being so much sweeter. I promised myself not to check the score of the North Carolina match. I checked the score of the North Carolina match several times. Gotham FA’ed and my guess is that they are about to experience FO part in Kansas City next weekend.

The match itself, objectively, wasn’t a thing a beauty, but we don’t care. Bay offered next to nothing going forward. Their only real threats seemed to come from isolated attacks, mostly from Bay’s wing players. I really thought that Bay would fold with an early goal, but without Racing finding one, they did put up a fight defensively and North Carolina fans should not complain about Bay’s defensive effort. They were just a bad team playing out their last match with dignity.

Racing only needed a single moment of magic and Hase scored a goal that everyone will remember. It feels like her first goal has been coming for a while, so this was the absolute best time to get it. It will surely be a special memory for her.

This whole season will be a special memory to me. It has been the most fun season to write about and to observe.

I will paraphrase HL Mencken here: I find myself more and more convinced that I had more fun writing about this team than in any other enterprise. It is really the life of kings.

Post Match Moment of the Match

There could be hundreds, but the joyful walk around the stadium was my favorite moment after the match. It’s traditional for a reason. It is quite good when the season ends on a positive note.

Lo Milliet seemed to be the most emotional player in the time after the whistle. It’s hard to imagine that this win means any more to one single person than her. She praised the defensive performance and said that the defense had really performed well all season. When asked if she was tempted to peek at the score of the North Carolina match at half she said that the players kept their phones put away.

Bev on the other hand was aware somewhat of the score of the other crucial match at halftime. She said that she felt that she had to be for tactical reasons. I don’t think she shared the score with anyone. Bev was so clearly happy after the match, and Racing will do well to hang onto her after the job she has done this season. She trusted her process and by not making the game bigger than it needed to be by focusing on one match at a time, she ultimately got the job done. She always defers credit. She deserves a huge credit. She pointed to the home loss to San Diego as the point at which their season changed. “We’re too special…we had some tough conversations as a group but we ultimately wanted the success for each other.”

Ella Hase was the hero but was deferential in her comments saying that she was “prouder of the performance we had after the goal” and “Katie, my girl, played a really, really good ball” and that we should be interviewing Katie. That’s silly. Hase had a fantastic match all of the pitch. She also got hilariously distracted by her boyfriend during the interview. Maybe that was my second favorite moment.

JBS versus noses in LFS

Somebody has to make the bacon and the sausage. Due to the short notice of the match start time, JBS seemed to be doing a little bit of processing. Mercifully, the “eau de Butchertown” only wafted for a few moments prior to kickoff and then after the match. I wonder whose role it is to make sure that things are coordinated. Do they have a backup? Please tell me that both JBS and Soccer Holdings have roles with outlined job responsibilities that say something like “serves as Vice Stench Reduction Coordinator when the Head of Stench Reduction Coordination is unavailable.”

Did the stadium have good food?

To nobody’s regret, this bit will be retired going forward. The mini cheesecake bites were the highlight. I always like a good French Onion dip as well. The “sausage” of the night appeared to be chorizo, of which I am evidently not a fan of in link form. The fruit salad was hilarious being comprised of only blackberries (the king of all berries) and cantaloupe (trash fruit incarnate). The dichotomy was striking. I was greatly appreciative of the hot chocolate and the coffee. I run cold by nature.

Rando of the match

Nobody enjoys hearing about “first world problems” but one of the reasons that Elizabeth and I will be moving to different seats next season is that people tend to hang out in the loge boxes whether or not they buy tickets. I don’t mind so much except more than once I have had to kick people out of our box (including an unnamed local media personality who was very gracious about it). At one match earlier in the season a very nice young man invited himself into the box and talked Elizabeth’s ear off. That was fine (her opinion may vary on that). On this night however, there was a rando guy who was sitting in the box next to us and talking loudly throughout the first 30 minutes. He was barking out such helpful advice as “play defense” when Racing was in firm possession. Someone called security on him (not us) because they sent a security guard to “check our tickets”. The guard then went to the next box and checked the loud guy who was obviously not supposed to be there. Minutes later a crew escorted him out of the box. He was back in the second half standing outside of the box (which is permitted) and was much less raucous. Anyway, my tip for box squatters next season: be discrete and don’t call attention to yourself. You will make out just fine. Maybe also don’t stand in a box if someone else is sitting in it. It amazes me how many people feel comfortable doing that without asking.

The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match (brought to you by Taylor Flint)

If I keep a similar format next season I WILL be keeping this section. It will likely be renamed to fully honor Flint and her league-leading discipline record. She hit double digits by picking up a yellow for a tactical foul in the 57th minute which I honestly didn’t even remember. The only card for Racing for a bad foul was the one the one that Ary picked up which was labeled as a “Reckless Offence” according to Opta. Wright’s was also labeled as such by Opta, but that seems a stretch. Bloomer pickup up a tasty one for “Time Wasting” (correct and labeled in the traditional manner). Lema for Bay picked up one after that for an “Argument” (I prefer the traditional label “Dissent” for this).

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 another section I expect to retire for next season. I expected Racing’s wins to come few and far between and when they have won this season, they haven’t been “lucky”. On this occasion once again, the only bit of fortune that Racing received is that they played a bad team. Bay haven’t been great all year but did outplay Racing in the reverse fixture. In this match, Racing dictated play and took the match to Bay. None of Bay’s shot were on target, but there were only six to begin with. With the team looking to do bigger and better things, the fact the Racing has now finally beaten every other team in the league (until next season when Boston and Denver join) becomes a footnote. 1/5

“If you’ve never been nowhere, don’t you pay that no mind.”

“Machine Gun Ibiza”/Jordan: The Comeback/1990

I don’t know if we will ever know how expectations played into the story of the season, but they will for sure next season. If you’ve never been nowhere, nobody expects you to be anywhere. Now Racing is in the playoffs, and likely are the draw nobody wanted. There has to be a nagging feeling in the back of the mind of any future opponent of Racing in this year’s playoffs: You cannot let things go to penalties. Bloomer has at least one save in her, maybe two if you do. Racing will want to win their first playoff match, but honestly, they are playing with house money the rest of the way regardless of what the coaches and players may say. Washington isn’t a bad draw for Racing, so maybe there will be more destinations in the future.

Let me speak once again on the collective success of the club this season: “Black wand, white magic, nitroglycerin”

• Black Wand - You need players to get anything done. You need the right players, and you need them bought in. Just like a stage magician, Bev waved her wand and then: pledge, turn, prestige (the three acts of a magic trick). However, the players did the work. Sears needed to score double digit goals and did so. The rookies needed to not be rookies for long, and they never seemed like they were. The defense had to work. It did. “All the pieces matter” is my motto, and this season showed how much,

• White Magic - It is the benevolent counterpart of malicious black magic. It’s selfless. Has there ever been a more selfless coach than Bev Yanez? She has preached her principles without making it about her. Make no mistake though. It was magic. There was no previous evidence that these types of performances were possible with this group. Last season’s performances were not necessarily bad or underwhelming, but they sure weren’t this. Bev doesn’t seem like the type of person who gets caught up in awards or junk like that. This season’s achievement is its own reward.

• Nitroglycerin - Isn’t it funny how it is explosive and healing at the same time. Jordan Bloomer has been this team’s nitroglycerin this season. The change in the team has been noticeable. It made it okay for the rest of the team to adopt her personality a little bit. Individuals can be fiery in and of themselves, but Racing never seemed like a fiery team until she took over. I often malign goalkeepers as interchangeable and not as pivotal as the outfield players, but to this team it has been the most important change.

I learned a lot by being wrong this year. I think that is my takeaway and advice. Don’t be afraid to be wrong, admit it, and move forward. You will enjoy yourself much more when you do.

Racing 1 Bay 0 Player Ratings

I was so excited, that I kind of forgot I usually do Player Ratings right after the final whistle. I apologize for the lateness. Racing did the job that needed to be done and because Gotham are hilariously unpredictable, find themselves with a 7th place finish and a playoff appearance.

Bloomer-6: Her rating is not meant to be an indictment on her, just indicative of how little she had to do because Bay provided nothing in attack.

Sonis-7: Always seemed to be where she needed to be.

Wright-7: Had the odd run forward and had to be careful after picking up an early yellow when Lema beat her for pace.

Jean-8: Untroubled and snuffed out anything remotely dangerous.

Milliet-7: Typical energetic and confident performance from Lo. Looks to be getting her connection with Sears back up to where it was earlier in the season.

Flint-8: Bay had zero answers for her defending in the box.

Borges-7: Other than one bad touch that almost gave Bay a promising break, everything she seemed to do came off well and pushed Racing forward.

O'Kane-8: Hase commented after the match that Katie’s pass to send her through was terrific and better than the goal she herself scored.

Hase-9: That is maybe a fair assessment aesthetically, but for what it ultimately meant for the club, her first goal couldn’t be more memorable.

Sears-7: Troubled Bay all evening, but couldn’t quite find a finishing touch or an incisive enough pass.

Fischer-7: A real nuisance to Bay in the first half.