Racing Louisville 3 - Portland 1 As It Happened
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Let’s talk about the Thorns
Look at these posers coming in all high and mighty on 19 points with 5 clean sheets and their 44% possession. The Racing players love to stick hard tackles on these shrinking violets. Moultrie flops so frequently that Lebron James is embarrassed. Sophia Wilson stole Lo Milliet’s goal of the week because of idiotic fan sentiment. Makenzie Arnold owns dingoes that eat babies. Their coach led Tottenham Hotspur (yuck!) to stunning mediocrity, which I guess is an accomplishment. It rains 390 days a year in Portland.
Racing Louisville lined up as:
24-Bloomer, 2-Milliet, 3-Wright, 4-Morris, 6-Hase, 8-Petersen, 9-Fischer, 12-McMahon, 20-O’Kane, 26-Flint, 42-Weber
1st Minute
Bloomer has to make a rather easy save but there are warning signs early,
3rd Minute
Portland cuts through Racing's first attempt at a pressing pretty easily.
4th Minute
The Thorns are going to try to beat the press by going side to side on Racing.
6th Minute
Goal. This time they beat it easily through patience and a long ball into Sophia Wilson who beats Bloomer easily. Easy peasy.
Racing 0 - Thorns 1
7th Minute
Hase makes a nice run but her cross can't find anybody.
8th Minute
Sophia Wilson almost makes it 2 inside 10 minutes but Bloomer has the angle covered so the shot goes wide.
10th Minute
Racing has their best attack so far but it kind of fizzles out.
11th Minute
O'Kane's shot is saved onto the post and then eventually the ball goes out for a corner.
14th Minute
GOAL! Racing equalizes on a nice, composed finish from O'Kane who seems to be hitting an extra gear tonight.
The early work on the goal was done by Hase who has also been good.
Racing 1 - Thorns 1
21st Minute
I think Hase can win her matchup all night.
28th Mintute
Portland is kind of getting away from the things that worked earlier and trying to go more down the middle which is bizarre.
32nd Minute
The match is being called tight and there have been a lot of fouls in the last few minutes.
34th Minute
Racing wins a free kick in a dangerous spot but Peterson's delivery leaves much to be desired.
37th Minute
The ball makes its way to Milliet but she doesn't have her shooting boots on tonight and it goes over the bar.
39th Minute
Racing wins a corner on a nice reverse pass into Morris.
40th Minute
The Thorns’ counter ultimately ends up in a rather tame shot that Bloomer saves easily.
41st Minute
Fischer gets a very Fischer-esque yellow card.
42nd minute
Racing is very fortunate as a ball flashes right by Bloomer in front of the goal.
45th Minute
O'Kane fires in another shot which goes gets blocked out for a corner. The corner is taken quickly but is ultimately seen out for a throw.
Halftime
Racing 1 - Thorns 1
Racing should be pleased with the response after going down 0-1. Portland looks dangerous at times, but is this really the best team in the league?
47th Minute
Racing has a couple of tame efforts stopped pretty easily.
50th Minute
O'Kane has a decent chance, but it goes way over the bar.
51st Minute
Fisher almost gets on the end of a ball from Hase.
53rd Minute
"Hey Arnold...you are my least favorite Nickelodeon show." This is directed at Mackenzie Arnold. The Waterfront Supporters Zone is its usually rowdy self.
56th Minute
The Thorns get a promising counter-attack all wrong.
60th Minute
Sears on for Morris.
69th Minute
A promising attack for Racing goes out for a corner.
71st Minute
Larnder in for Weber.
73rd Minute
Yellow Card for Flint. Awful call.
74th Minute
The Thorns resulting free kick is tame and right at Bloomer.
76th Minute
Hase is fouled right outside the box. Yellow Card for Portland’s Sam Hiatt.
77th Minute
GOAL! O'Kane smashes it right at me and it goes into the upper corner.
Racing 2 - Thorns 1
81st Minute
Fischer's shot goes wide. She looks gassed. Great effort from her tonight.
83rd Minute
Hodge on for Fischer and McKeen on for Hase.
90+1 Minute
Great tackle from Peterson to stop Wilson on a dangerous break.
90+3 Minute
Racing clears a bit of danger.
90+6 Minute
GOAL! Racing keeps the pressure on, and Sears seals the victory with a composed finish.
Racing 3 - Thorns 1
Full Time
Racing 3 - Thorns 1
The renewed focus on the basics of the press seems to have worked, at least for tonight. I told you that the Thorns were posers and that performance kind of showed it. Bev was proud of the effort and pleased that the week’s message translated to the pitch. McMahon said that early communication from the team allowed Racing to stop how Portland was trying to counter the press. O’Kane said that by not overcomplicating anything and going player to player, Racing was able to execute it gameplan.
A full report will follow tomorrow.
