"It don't matter that some fool say he different

…cuz the only thing that make you different is what you really do.”

If you consider yourself “progressive” and you haven’t seen The Wire I don’t know what I could say to you at this point to convince you to watch it, so I won’t waste my breath. (If you consider yourself “conservative” I assume that if “Bawlmer” didn’t scare you off, the sheer number of black cast members would have.)

I know someone who named their dog “Avon Barksdale”. That is the greatest dog's name in the history of mankind, however the above quote comes from his nephew D’Angelo. It’s essentially his take on The Great Gatsby. Back in the previous century this would have been considered mandatory reading for a high school student, but that concept is a thing of the past.

Any who… D’Angelo’s point (before it is brutally evident to viewers that it serves a dual purpose as jailhouse literary criticism and a clearly foreshadowed last act) is that the narrative isn’t as important as the results.

I really have no idea if Racing is saying that they are different because they really aren’t saying much of anything. In previous years I would have been invited to see some action in the preseason, but that was reduced last season and has basically petered out to nil this season. I won’t project my opinions on why that might be because the reasons are probably numerous, practical, environmental, and necessary.

However, we are only a few weeks out from a first match and them team looks like it is going to be what it is at this point in the preseason. What it is, frankly, is uninspiring.

Tactics

No clue. Zero. Zilch.

I feel like this is probably by design, but the coaching staff kept things close to the vest last season and I wouldn’t say that they surprised anybody or broke new ground from a tactical perspective. Since there are not many new players that will likely break into the starting XI, this may be the place of most interest when the season starts.

The defense is unproven at best, so Racing will likely need to score multiple goals to win. Teams that do this are typically a) better at holding possession and/or b) have a game changing goal-scoring threat. Racing don’t control the possession particularly well nor do they have what I would consider a real top-of-the-line goal scorer (that definition changed for the league last year so leave your “9 goals/season striker” mess at the door). Best of luck outscoring opponents with that setup!

Goalkeeper

Katie Lund.

End of discussion. Jordyn Bloomer will have to prove to me that she can stay fit off the pitch before I would even consider her as an option on it. Racing will live or die in some matches based on Katie’s level of focus. The good news is that the defense might be porous enough that she won’t have the opportunity to lose focus or get distracted.

Defense

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”, but the recent injury to Ángela Barón definitely limits Racing’s already not great options. There is a reason why good centerbacks have long careers and that reason is scarcity. While nominally a midfielder, Flint will likely need to double down on her already tremendous effectiveness for Racing to have any defensive success.

Midfield

If Bev Yanez is going to get a third season or full second one, the midfield has to play better. I think the feeling around the club and fans is that this is where Racing is best, at least from a talent perspective. Racing's midfield gets consistently outplayed in matches where their opponents want to control possession. Racing has never had an answer for this. I can’t think of any successful soccer endeavor where the midfield wasn't at least above average.

DeMelo hasn't shown herself to be consistent enough to be “the answer” leading the midfield so maybe Racing should stop putting so much on her shoulders. I do feel like Bev did a decent job at rotation in the midfield last year when most players were available.

Attack

I hinted at this above, but “attack” in 2025 isn't what “attack” was even a few years ago. I'm sorry, but having a leading scorer (or even multiple players) have a goal tally for the season of 5 goals screams “bottom half of the table team” to me. North Carolina kind of got away with that last year, but they were much better defensively and actually had a bad season compared to their high standards.

Once again Racing seems to be going all in on a player that has had one good rookie season. Emma Sears may turn out to be great. She may also turn out to be good, average, or bad.

There is decent talent up front, but not game-changing talent. If the defense is as porous as I expect it to be, I don't think decent will hack it.

“I swear at you 'cause I believe that sweet talk, like candy, rots teeth.”

I have never been accused of being overly optimistic, but the preseason is the most optimistic of times. Then why do I feel so down about Racing’s chances this season?

I guess I just believe in honest assessments. 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. I listened to the BTRD podcast today, and there is something admirable in Tom Benson’s Pollyannaish optimism but that’s not me. Who I am is a realist who hopes for the best. At this point, I think avoiding last place might be a rosy as I can be based on the current evidence. Don’t get your hopes up. It is looking to be a very long season.