Pride v Racing Preview
Courtesy ISI Photos
I am a healthy scratch for this match. Let me explain…
When I was growing up in rural KY, I very rarely had the chance to attend college or pro level sporting events. Maybe once every few years, our family would make the trip to Cincinnati to see the Reds or Bengals. Occasionally we would make it to Freedom Hall to see a basketball game (usually UK's “home” game there) and I think I set foot in Rupp Arena once for a college basketball game. Don't get me wrong, I loved sports but I simply didn't have the access that I do today. I watched whatever local TV channels broadcasted until I got cable. Upon getting ESPN I followed whatever was on there including Austriailian Rules Football and Hockey, two sports that I doubt will ever be popular in central Kentucky.
Once a year, the Reds would send out a mailer that allowed you to pick a specific game or games to attend by checking a couple of boxes to select the date and the seat level. You mailed in a check and if you had nothing better to do (like me) you checked the mail everyday to see if your tickets had arrived. There was also a phone number on the mailer to call if you were interested in season tickets. THAT bit of knowledge was almost too much for my pre-adolescent brain to handle. You mean there were people who could go to EVERY game? I dreamed of being able to be one of “those” people. In retrospect maybe I should have aimed higher with my dreams, but what did a 9 or 10 year old kid know.
Which brings me to my healthy scratch. I was a U of L Football season ticket holder before Racing even existed. As it happens, this Saturday is one of the thankfully rare occasions where the U of L Football schedule clashes with the Racing schedule. Also thankfully there is no place on the schedule where they both have home games on the same date. Like most people I assume, I am opting for the live experience. Based on how terrible U of L looked on Monday, this might be a rare chance to win a game so I better make the most of it. The plan is to watch the Racing match late in the evening and give a recap on Sunday that includes player ratings.
As for the preview, I’m sure Bekki Morgan will do a much better job at that, so look for her post on The Beautiful Game Network.
However, here are a few “previewish” things. There is a rather lengthy injury report for Racing:
D ADDISYN MERRICK (OUT)
D JULIA ASHLEY (OUT)
D SINCLAIRE MIRAMONTEZ (QUESTIONABLE)
F EMINA EKIC (QUESTIONABLE)
Julia didn't practice on Thursday, so that isn't a surprise but is a blow. Watch to see if the formation stays the same or changes. I have an inkling, but since I attended practice I am not going to share. The Soccer City Radio crew all predicted a 1-1 draw so I will go against the grain and say the 2nd goal secures a victory for Racing.
