Pride v Racing Preview

It's the Purple Derby! OK I know I said I was going to be patient about trying to push too much immediate tradition on this team, but I couldn't resist on this one. Anyway, can Racing grab a point or three against Orlando? Let's see how things stack up.

Orlando: Contenders or Frauds

I think the big question is which Orlando team will show up. Will it be the dominant force that won 10 pts out of 12 in May while defeating both North Carolina and Portland? Or will it be the team that has only taken 5 points from their last five matches? The Pride are short 3 key players for the Olympics, (they are also missing backup keeper Erin McLeod). The Pride actually played what I think will be a very similar lineup, minus Mcleod, in their 3-1 victory over KC. I think KC is very clearly the worst team in the league so take that for what you will. Although Orlando is losing some firepower in Morgan and Marta, Sydney Leroux is clearly still dangerous with 4 goals on the season. In previous years Orlando has fallen down the table with players out, and it won’t be a shock to see them do the same this year, even though they seem a little better prepared this time around. Benton and Zack commented on their Vamos Morados podcast that they thought Orlando was a mid-table team masquerading as a top 3 team. I concur, and I think Racing has a chance for some more road points.

Do we know what Racing is yet?

I don't have the slightest idea how Racing is going to line up. The back 4 seems a complete mystery to me. Simon and Fox will surely start, but as soon as I day that you may see one of them get a rest. Coach Holly has seemed to prefer Neely Martin at center back over the last few matches. Martin has played 5 matches in a row, 4 in the middle of the defense. My experience has been that you want have a solid center back pairing and not mess with it too much if you want to be successful. Whether it be injuries, fixture congestion or trying to evaluate talent, the center back pairings for Racing have been a bit too unpredictable. I am hoping Coach Holly finds one he likes and sticks to it.

I wasn't as down on the performance against Portland as some, but the passing accuracy was definitely off. If Racing has a shot to draw against or defeat Orlando, I think the passing accuracy needs to be 75% or higher. Racing needs better accuracy in the middle of the field, and it will be on Freja Olofsson (with a passing accuracy or 84%) to lead the charge. Plan A always seems to sit back and play on the counter, but in the first match against Orlando at home the possession was a 50/50 split. Orlando is next to last in the league in possession with Racing dead last, so an even split in possession should be the bare minimum expectation for Racing in this match. Can Racing beat a team by winning possession against a full 11 for an entire match?

Prediction

I think Racing puts on a better performance and earns a point against Orlando. Let's say 1-1 with Salmon scoring first and Leroux equalizing.