“The blade flashed by”

Match Haiku

An elegant Wave

Sweeps Racing into the sea.

A fall into Fall.

“The Accidental” - Drawn to the Deep End, 1997

So efficient was the Wave’s victory in Louisville, that I am sure that by season’s end I will barely remember it. Aesthetically, the Wave may be my favorite team to watch. Everything seems so smooth and orchestrated. Sometimes their play is like a lullaby. If I do remember one thing from the match it may be a moment that ultimately didn’t matter but summed up the clash of styles on the evening. The Wave were weaving their way through the Racing defense bearing down on goal, surely to score, until Arin Wright threw herself in front of the ball. On this occasion, the ball serendipitously found its way to a Racing player which started a beautiful counter where Milliet played Fischer in for a great finish, only for Kayla to be offside. When I went back and watched the video, this call seemed impossibly close, but the assistant referee flagged offside on the pitch, and the poor camera angle was never going to overturn an on-field decision. Fischer might have been onside but needs to hold her run just a bit longer when she has the space like this afforded to her. It was still a great finish.

After that, the Wave never got caught out as drastically. And when you don’t get many similar chances, you have to finish the other ones you get. Racing hit the post twice, McKeen and Gacioch the culprits, so San Diego ultimately used two fantastic examples of quick ball movement to get its goals. The better, more efficient team won. End of story.

Post Match Moment of the Match

Rachel Hill and Lo Milliet answered a few questions after the match. Lo appeared a little more down and exhausted than usual and you do have to wonder what the point of this season has been to someone like her. Coach Bev discussed that the season was now officially over in terms of making a playoff run and that the team would have to find ways to create meaning in the remainder of the season. I used the time to try to get a little more intel on the plan for Macy Phillippus, who finally got onto the pitch for about 15 minutes or so. Bev thought she did well (what else is she going to say, but I agree) and sees her as either a wing back or an outside center back in a back three. That means heading into next season she is competing against the likes of Morris and Jean for minutes, assuming she sticks around.

Thing I bought at ear X-tacy back in the day

Artist: Joy Division

Album: Heart and Soul

Year: 1997

Format: CD Box set

Store Location: 1534 Bardstown Road

There is no possible way I could say anything insightful that already hasn’t been said about Ian Curtis and Joy Division. What I will say is that if you have Unknown Pleasures, Closer, and Substance you have everything you need. There is another giant box set out now from Rhino, but I can’t imagine you’ll learn anything new. Here’s “Transmission” if you are unacquainted:

Joy Division were from Manchester.

Speaking of Manchester, Man City might actually have to pay for their crimes! Good. They were bloody cheats and everyone knew it.

The Taylor Flint Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Fischer got the match’s only card. The official statistics log this as a “reckless offense”, but center referee Joshua Encarnación clearly indicated that it was for accumulation, showing Kayla a “one, two, three” count with his fingers.

63rd Minute-Reckless offense - Kayla Fischer

I feel like Encarnación always calls a tight match. Once again Racing fan Daniel Goforth was on top of his game, getting a look from one of the assistant referees. The Fischer offside decision was tight and the crowd hated it, but I do think officials get those types of call right the overwhelming majority of the time. The other (non) call that got loudly booed was not calling the San Diego opener offside. It was clearly onside.

The 2026 UFL Champion Louisville (Draft?) Kings Sports Betting Corner

Racing looks closer than ever to a lock for 15th, so I think betting on their finishing position is no longer much of a challenge.

Let’s talk Racing’s goal contributions. Sears leads the team at 12; Fischer has 11; Milliet is the surprise in third at 9. Who will lead Racing in G+A at the end of the season?

Sears: -120
Fischer: +110
Milliet: +150
O’Kane: +300 (7 at the moment)

I think Kayla is a solid bet at +110. She looks much more likely to score than Sears at the moment.

“I barely saw it”

At least it was a pleasant evening.

It’s hard for me to believe that any rational person could look at the talent disparity between the two teams on the pitch on Friday night and expect a vastly different outcome. San Diego has the ability to play elegant football and win most of the time during the season. (In knockout competitions give me Gotham, who has more bite and grit while still being capable of good football.) I have been slightly encouraged by the energy brought by the subs in the last couple of matches. If McKeen sticks around for a while (we’ll see) she is physical enough to hang with anyone and just needs a little more polish to be a really good player. I would give Blackburn a start in place of Jean at some point to show if she can defend for 90 minutes or if she is just a substitute winger level of player. Lo could use a night off in spite of herself.

The better teams have exposed a lack of cohesion in Racing’s defensive structure, especially when Flint isn’t on the pitch in her usual role. I still like the formation, but Racing has lacked a defensive one-on-one quality in too many situations when a center back is caught out of position. Wright has to win her dual on the Wave’s first goal, and she simply got beaten by a deft touch from Byars and nobody in Racing’s defense had the recovery speed to catch Gia Corley. Corley was denied a brace by a block from Gacioch, but Dali’s great touch meant that Racing only had Gacioch in position to defend, so Ludmila buried the rebound. It’s painfully simple stuff. Racing’s central defenders were too high in both instances. Both goals are the types of goals that maybe could have been prevented with Flint on the pitch because Wright was trying to play the role of disruptor instead of being further back.

“The blade flashed by”

Match Haiku