Racing v Reign Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy NWSL LLC
Racing looks to keep up their post summer break form against Seattle on Saturday. Jae Howell returns to Louisville, but other storylines are likely to be more important on the pitch.
With all of the newly acquired players having a few more practices under their belts, we could see another new Starting XI. However, with the squad now composed of more NWSL-proven talent the starters become less important as Racing now has the ability to bring proven scorers from the bench. What is less certain is how they might look if they have to make any defensive substitutes if they find themselves with a narrow lead late in the second half of a match.
With the new CBA meaning there is no draft next season, you would have to assume that Racing’s wish list of defensive free agents is starting to take shape. Wright and Erceg could sign new contracts but that is hardly guaranteed. A good lesson to remember from the first few Racing seasons is that weakness at CB is a recipe for disaster. It will be difficult to replace Erceg's leadership, but I personally think they need to get at least one more experienced CB under 30 and ditto for LB. A playoff appearance and a good showing might convince Erceg to stay for another year or two, but then again maybe not. Wright has a little more incentive to stick around, but Lauren Milliet plays in her favored position and a switch there isn't likely. Racing is an Erceg, Wright, or Jean absence away from things becoming very dicey this season because we really don't have a sense of how Barón would fare in an NWSL match. If Racing were to get a decent lead at some point, I would like to see what she can offer before it becomes an absolute necessity.
Kanu, Pikkujämsä, and Baggett all had their 2025 options exercised. I believe Elli’s was a mutual option, but I am not 100% sure. I have run into Elli at practice and on the concourse at matches and the last few times I have, she hasn’t been wearing any visible tape or braces which is a good sign. The Kanu extension for me was kind of a toss-up. I heard that she might be on a relatively high salary, but that may not be true. She has delivered enough goals to stick around in my opinion, but she will have to fight for minutes going forward. I would have been truly baffled if Racing would have exercised Baggett’s option if Howell was still on the team. She is obviously the last option in the midfield. I could see her fighting for a roster spot next season but in my opinion, she only still here based on reputation over performance.
