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Can we talk…with Leigh Nieves
Leigh Nieves is the President of the Lavender Legion, one of Racing Louisville FC's fantastic supporters groups.
I don't know if even the most ardent Racing fan would have said they would get 6 points out of 9 in their 3 game in 7 days stretch. What were your expectations?
Leigh: I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I knew we were going to pull off some points! I think now that we are beginning to see the line up really come together, we will be seeing more of this. Having Merrick, Salmon, and Cheyna now available full time has been a game changer and you can tell!
Speaking of player availability, Racing are about to face two of the league's best in Orlando and Portland with them missing players. Do you expect the winning to continue?
It will be interesting to see how we fair against Portland. They are a great team this year, but we are going to be in front of a home crowd and our confidence and finishing is building and improving every game. Orlando has really been impressing me this year, but I think now that we are even more lethal up top, that we can take them.
It will be an interesting match to watch. Switching gears a bit, what's it been like being involved in a new Supporters Group, while being limited a bit by Covid restrictions? I have found the club to be great to work with and never imagined the amount of cooperation I have received. What has it been like for the Lavender Legion?
Well, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's been a cake walk because it hasn't been, ha ha. Especially kicking off in a pandemic. It was challenging trying to conjure up organization because we wanted to get off the ground, but we wanted everyone to be safe while doing it. Now that we are gaining some traction, we are realizing it was a huge bonding experience. We are building a pretty cool and inclusive culture in the Legion, which I am stoked about.
Does the Lavender Legion have preferred section? Do you enjoy watching the matches surrounded by a rowdy crowd or are you like me, trying to pick apart the game analytically?
Currently we hang out in the Estopinal End with lots of sun screen. (It's the worst spot in the stadium for sun, lol). I really am all about the experience when I attend a game. I leave the analytics for after the game when I rewatch it at home. Live sports and entertainment has always been so much more of a feeling rather than a think piece. This is why I 100% could never be a coach or athlete.
I am an analytical person, so I always default to that way of watching a game. Since you brought it up, do you rewatch every game?
I try to! I would say I do it for about 50% of games!
I think the kits and the variety of merchandise have been great. Do you have a favorite piece of merch?
It really has been! I mean, I selfishly want to say the "This is Her Louisville" collaboration shirt we made with Racing to recognize our first tifo,
but the real answer is the #DatAss shirts, lol.
You can't beat that one! Does the Lavender Legion have any special events coming up?
Well we are REALLY excited because this Saturday will be our first official March to the Match EVER! Thank you vaccines and weekend games. 🙏
Awesome. Where does the march start?
We are starting a Ten20 Brewing. They've been amazing supporters this season. They even named a drink after us.
That is cool. What's it called?
The Lavender Legion Lemonade! Its vodka, lemonade, and lavender syrup.
Sounds delicious. Thanks for answering my questions.
You're so welcome!
Follow Leigh on Twitter @LeighNieves and also be sure to join The Lavender Legion for only $5.02 and follow them on Twitter @LavenderLegion.
Inaugural Fleur-de-lis-FC Player of the Month Award
Courtesy ISI Photos
Each month I will conduct a Twitter poll to let people vote on the Player of the Month. I will pretend to consider input from this poll then award the honor precisely to who I think deserves it.
June's Player of the Month, and frankly the Player of the Year so far is Michelle Betos. She received 75% of the votes via Twitter (including mine as well). Michelle has been a great Captain on and off the field. She was awarded with the NWSL Player of the Week on honor for her performance against Houston. She leads the league in Saves (43/27 in June) and is tied for the lead in Clean sheets (4/2 in June). Although there is not true way to measure this, she probably leads the league in fan engagement too. She often sticks around long after the match is over to take pictures and sign autographs.
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Several fans on Twitter have posted that she made their day after an interaction with her. She is a tremendous ambassador for the club and a great example to her young teammates as captain.
Courtesy ISI Photos
I think Michelle and the fans would be happy if this was the last Player of the Month award she ever won. That would mean she didn't have to make as many great saves as she has consistently done so far this season. However, for this month I am very pleased to say the Michelle is #1 on her shirt and in our hearts. Congratulations Ms. Betos!
Thoughts on Racing's first road win
Courtesy ISI Photos
Congratulations to the team on their first road victory! With 3 games in seven days, I think only the very most optimist of Racing fans would have predicting taking six points out of nine. In consider myself fairly optimistic and I predicted 4 points, but I thought that might be a stretch. I think Coach Holly did a masterful job managing the rotation during this busy stretch. Giving Nagasato and McCaskill a bit of a break on Wednesday so they were rested for Chicago on Saturday turned out to be a masterstroke. I believe that that the Courage is the best team that Racing has faced so far, and Louisville doesn't seem to match up well against North Carolina. Although I'm sure Coach Holly wasn't conceding defeat, it was a chance to rest some players for a more winnable game on Saturday.
The game on Saturday started out similar to Racing’s two previous road losses. In the first half, Racing lost the possession battle 60% to 40%. The key difference was the number of shots on goal. There were only 3 shots that made it past a block, and only one of them was on goal. However one of those clearly had Betos beaten and hit the frame. Racing managed 5 shots that weren't blocked, scoring on one of those. Most people love a screamer belted from outside the box, and those goals are typically the ones that made it onto Twitter or onto a highlight video. Give me a goal that is created by effective ball movement above all else.
I loved the final two touches on that goal. Milliet places is perfectly to Kizer who can use her first touch to find Salmon, who uses her first touch to simply pass the ball inro the back corner of the net. No player in the history of football (soccer) is faster than the ball when it is played effectely. In fact, ball movement is my favorite thing when watching football. It's “proper football” played as a team endeavor.
The victory on Saturday truly was a team effort. For once, Betos didn't have to do more than her fair share, although she was great as usual. I write my player ratings before taking a look at the stat sheet, because I want the ratings not to be too influenced by statistics. I actually almost always trust numbers over what I see, but in a football match I find that they truly can be deceiving. The stats say that McCaskill only completed 59% of her passes. I have to believe that is correct, bit would never have guessed it being that low. What I do know is that I don't remember very many of them being a “bad” pass. Gemma Bonner registered a 57% successful pass rate, but many of her “unsuccessful” passes had to be clearances. Regardless, for me Yuki and Savannah were the clear players of the match. Yuki's positioning on the counter attack in the 56th minute was the key moment for me. It shows up in the stats as one of three fouls won by Yuki, but it was a massive moment in the game. Yuki positioned herself perfectly to receive a pass in stride and take off toward goal. Colaprico lost her head for a split second and grabbed Nagasato's jersey, earning a second yellow card. Shortly after, McCaskill whipped a nice ball into the box, which after a deflection or two found Yuki's feet for the second goal. Game over. The third goal was icing on the cake and a great finish from McCaskill, but the game was clearly over by then. Racing had a 58% to 48% possession advantage in the second half to bring the match total to almost an even split. After Ebony's miss in the 66th minute, Racing took the air out of the ball and professionally managed the remainder of the match.
I thought the entire team played well on Saturday. One minor nitpicky thing is that I thought Salmon was a bit too isolated at some points in the first half, so that's something to watch for in the future. Racing is back in action on Saturday for what I am sure will be a tough rematch against the Thorns.
Red Stars 0 - Racing 3 Player ratings and instant analysis
There were quite a few firsts today:
The first road victory
The first 1st Half goal
A first Racing goal for both McCaskill and Nagasato
First time playing with a player advantage.
The match really was sealed when Racing scored right after Colaprico was sent off for her second yellow card in the 56th minute. Racing then did a real professional job seeing the game out.
Player Ratings
Betos-7: Had a relatively slow final 30 to 35 minutes but was right on top of her game with a couple of good saves to keep the game close.
Simon-7: Worked really hard defensively and made a few really good plays to stop threatening attacks. Got a well deserved break at the end.
Martin-7: Solid again in her partnership with Bonner.
Bonner-7: Led the back line effectively and got the last few minutes off.
Fox-7: Steady as usual and good in attack as well. Slid into the midfield a bit to help see the game out.
Milliet-7: Played forward a bit more early, but settled further back into the midfield as the game went on. Was critical in the build up to the first goal. Got a well deserved break in the last 25 minutes.
Olofsson-7: Helped the subs see out the game with another solid effort.
McCaskill-9 (Player of the Match): Threatening all game and had a cheeky chipped effort that was saved to go along with her goal. You probably could not have dragged her off the field and will surely relish this performance.
Nagasato-8: Nearly a player of the match performance. Will surely be delighted with her goal. Her attempted breakaway in the 56th minute that drew a yellow card and ultimately a red was the turning point in the match.
Kizer-8: Her one touch pass to Ebony to open the scoring was fantastic. Good to see her recovering from the eye injury.
Salmon-8: Worked hard as the furthest player forward for most of the match and was rewarded with a sweet goal taken with a nice first touch.
Subs-7: Did a nice job seeing out the last few minutes. I would like to Ashley and Merrick get a start at some point.
More analysis to come tomorrow.
Red Stars vs. Racing Super Quick Preview
With 3 games in 7 days, it has been a busy week for coverage, especially since I have been out of town since Tuesday. I will be traveling home during the game, so I hope my 4G connection lets me see the game in real time.
Just a few things to hit in this abbreviated preview, so let me just put them in bullet point form.
Expect quite a different lineup compared to Wednesday obviously. I will be super curious to see who will be partnered with Bonner. I expect it to be Hendrix, but you never know.
Look for a warm welcome for Yuki, even if they don't broadcast the player walkout. She was definitely a fan fave in Chicago like she is in Louisville.
Chicago hasn't been very inconsistent, so see if Racing can exploit their defense early and pick up their first ever away goal.
Racing's kits are so popular that Alex Campbell wore one when he interviewed me for his SoccerCast Chicago podcast this week. Also, Chicago is probably the easiest away game to get to, so see if you can spot some Racing fans who made this a weekend road trip.
A few weeks ago, I said 4 points from 9 was a good point total from these 3 games. That's definitely possible and I predict 1-1 draw with Racing scoring first, but the Red Stars grabbing a late goal to snatch a point.
Know Your Foe with Alex Campbell
Alex is a contributor to the SB Nation site Hot Time in Old Town where he primarily covers the Chicago Red Stars and occasionally the Chicago Fire. He is also a recent play-by-play broadcaster for the Concordia University Chicago Cougars across a variety of sports. In his free time, he also hosts a podcast focusing on Chicago soccer, SoccerCast Chicago.
The Red Stars sit in the middle of the table, how would you assess there performance so far?
It’s been really inconsistent. Up front, they’re overly reliant on Mallory Pugh to create chances and score goals. She’s been fantastic, but the team needs more from Kealia Watt in terms of goal contributions. Defensively, they’re usual solidity has often been interrupted by uncharacteristic mistakes. It also hasn’t helped that the defensive lineup has changed so frequently. The next month or so, with several players missing at the Olympics, will be an enormous test.
The Red Stars don’t have any major honors in the NWSL yet. What are the chances this year to win a first trophy?
Low, to be honest. I don’t see them contending for the shield for which I think Portland are still the favorites. Add in Orlando’s impressive start and OL Reign likely making a charge up the table now that they’ve fully assembled their all star team and I can’t see the Red Stars improving enough, especially losing so much to Tokyo on defense, to make a push.
I think it’s going to be a fight for them to make the playoffs, and obviously anything is possible once that happens. Maybe the Red Stars have everyone back and healthy for that run, maybe they sign another attacker at some point, and maybe they make a run. The tougher task might be qualifying for the postseason rather than winning the Cup once they get there.
The Red Stars will be participating in the Women’s Cup in Louisville this summer with the chance to play either Bayern Munich or PSG. Is the fan base talking about this, or is it too early?
I think there’s certainly some excitement for the chance to watch the Red Stars face European competition. For Chicago fans, NWSL away days aren’t very practical because there hasn’t been another team within driving distance. Louisville’s addition to the league (and to a lesser extent Utah’s move to Kansas City) changes that, and the chance to not only see an NWSL match but some of Europe’s best is an opportunity I hope a lot of fans are able to take advantage of.
What kind of reception do you think Yuki Nagasato and Savannah McCaskill will get from fans in Chicago?
Yuki will always be a fan favorite here no matter what, and I’d imagine she’s excited to be back this weekend too. I’m sure she’ll be loudly cheered if/when her name is called for the starting lineups, and likewise if she is subbed on/off. It’s going to be very conflicting I think for fans if she scores.
Savannah doesn’t hold the same stature as Yuki but was certainly well liked during her time in Chicago, and I’d expect a very positive reception as well though not on the scale or volume of what Yuki is likely to be greeted with.
Who should Racing fans keep a special lookout for in Saturday’s match?
It has to be Mal Pugh. Lousiville have given up more good chances to opposing attackers than any team in the league so far this year, and the Red Stars need a boost. This is the sort of game Pugh will be looking to control and take over. Expect Morgan Gautrat to return to the starting lineup as well and try to control things in midfield. She’s playing her best soccer right now probably since 2015.
Has the stadium opened for full attendance yet? What has attendance been like?
So that first question is oddly hard to answer. SeatGeek Stadium is not in Chicago, so it’s not part of the very clear communication from the city that has seen Wrigley Field open to full capacity, with Guaranteed Rate Field following suit this weekend and Soldier Field on July 3rd. SeatGeek Stadium has a capacity of 20,000, so any sort of existing capacity limit would likely not be noticed.
The home attendance has averaged just over 3,000 in three home games this year. That’s lower than they’d like, but conflicts with the Cubs, White Sox and Fire on nice summer days can make it difficult to draw not only casual fans but some soccer fans as well.
Thanks again to Alex! Follow him on Twitter @alex_s_campbell or visit his website: alexcampbellsports.com.
Racing 0 Courage 2 Player Ratings and Analysis
I hate watching a match after I already know the final result, but sometimes that's just how it is. The plan is to cover the Saturday matchup against Chicago live from the road, but the plan had been to cover this one live as well. Regardless, since this post is late and recaps have already been published I will be brief-ish.
Betos-7: Solid as usual with a fantastic save in the first minute of the second half
Matin-6: Acquitted herself well in her first ever appearance in a right back role.
Hendrix/Riehl-6: Not much they could have done about either goal.
Simon-5: Playing out of position at left back, made a bad pass to McCaskill which led directly to the opening goal. Played well otherwise.
McCaskill-6: Maybe could have done better with Simon's pass, but worked hard and got about 30 minutes of rest, her first of the season.
Miramontez-7: Played well in her full debut. Will look forward to seeing her on the pitch more
Milliet-8(Player of the Match): I like Lauren as the most forward positioned midfielder. Created a nice chance and applied what little pressure Racing were able to muster.
McClure/Baucom/Mathews-5: Not given much to do, and I thought could have applied more pressure up the pitch.
Fox/Salmon/Nagasato-6: Changed the nature of the game a bit, if not the result.
Racing got handily beaten in possession again, but the goals came from a give-away and a set piece. Racing seemed happy to concede possession early, which I don’t necessarily think was a bad idea. However, they have to be more accurate passing the ball. It matters more where you make a bad pass on the pitch than if you make one. That being said, it wasn't a bad performance by any means based on the number of changes and the opponent. Much of Racing's team had not played together in a match before, so that was surely a factor for some of the inaccurate passing. A coach will never say that they set up to lose a game, but I think this matchup was the toughest of the 3 this week and I am fine with the rotation decisions that Coach Holly made. I always thought the upcoming game on Saturday was a much more winnable game.
I do want to point out one thing that I think is missing in Racing's team so far, and that is someone like Carson Pickett. She is a fantastic crosser of the ball. She had an assist and SIX chances created. I singled her out last match too. I think she may be my favorite non-Racing player.
On to Chicago…
Preview: Racing v Courage III
If Racing as a new franchise is familiar with any club, it is the North Carolina Courage. One of the first posts I wrote on this site was about the 5-0 defeat suffered in Cary. In that post I wondered if Coach Holly might change up his formation a bit and advocated for a back 3. The answer was no, and I’m not surprised. Coaches don't like to switch formations much, especially mid-season. I don't think he will for this match either. First of all, Brooke Hendrix is still listed as questionable, so that limits his choices a bit at center back. I do wonder what his back four will look like. I wouldn't be surprised to see Merrick or Ashley get a start. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Yuki get a rest. If Kizer wasn't listed as questionable, I also wouldn't have been surprised to see McCaskill get a rest too. The numbers for midfielders on the roster are still thin, but I have a hunch (based on nothing really) that maybe Fox takes a midfield spot in this match to get one of the starting midfielders a rest. I hope that if Coach Holly is planning to rest Yuki and Savannah soon, that he does so in this match and not the trip to Chicago. I think both players would relish the chance to shine against their old club.
Salmon is also listed as questionable, and if she wasn't I would say she definitely would start. Could we see Jorian Baucom or Cheyna Matthews get a start? I say it's definitely possible.
My biggest concern though is not about the lineup, but to see if Racing can handle the pressure from the left side of the Courage attack. I will be watching to see if the tactics are any different for the third time around against this team. Who ever plays on the right side of the attack will surely be given extra defensive responsibilities this time around. I'm not predicting a win here, but a draw would be a good result, so let's go with that.
Know Your Foe with Ryan Keefer of CourageCountry
Ryan Keefer is Founder and publisher of CourageCountry, a North Carolina Courage fan site.
The Courage's form has been a little inconsistent. What is the key to finding more consistency?
There's not a single answer. The league has a lot of parity in 2021, and the Courage have played the same formation and attacked consistently the same way over the course of their time in North Carolina. Some of it is adjusting for the rest of the league catching up, and sometimes surpassing the Courage, its speed of play, and fitness level.
Every team can say this, but passing needs to be crisper, and timing runs needs to improve.
It's also about depth. The backline is missing Abby Dahlkemper and Jaelene Daniels this year. Irish international Diane Caldwell has not seen the minutes fans had hoped she would yet to supplement the Courage backline.
This will be the third matchup between Louisville and the Courage already. Do you expect this match to go down differently than the 5-0 Courage victory month ago?
It will definitely be different. Both teams are at near full strength but are also in the middle of three matches in the same week.
With the Courage's recent successes, is it title or bust for them this year?
I think that's the mentality that every team in the NWSL has to have. All but one team is going to come up short. Head coach Paul Riley though has the players and staff focus on one match at a time. So while it may be in the back of their heads for the big picture, right now Racing Louisville is the focus till the triple whistle 90+ minutes into Wednesday's match.
Are you nervous about the absentees for the matches that will take place during the Olympics?
Not as much as in past years. During the World Cup in 2019, the Courage were missing a ton more players with its USWNT and international players who were in France. The league as a whole hurts every time there's an international event whether it's friendlies, the World Cup, or the Olympics.
What has attendance been like this year?
Not wonderful, but about where it was in 2019. During the 2021 Challenge Cup, with reduced attendance allowed, matches sold out, but as restrictions have lifted, the fans have returned, but aren't selling out our 10,000 seat capacity. It's a bummer for broadcast looks too as the main cameras are on the same side as most of the season ticket holders.
Even if Racing fans may be familiar with the Courage, is there anyone in particular to watch this time around?
The starting XI has varied every time the Courage have been on the pitch in 2021, but Carson Pickett, and Jess McDonald are two consistent starters who make a difference up and down the field.
The Courage often come on strong in the second half and watch for those fresh legs. In recent matches, Hailie Mace and Brittany Ratcliffe add quality minutes late in the match.
Thanks again to Ryan. Follow his site on Twitter @CourageCountry.
Who tells your story?
This is the post I have been slowly writing in my head since this site started. Why does this site exist? Among the reasons are:
I believe a top tier club deserves as much coverage from professional and amateur media as the market will bear.
I did a little bit of research and didn't find anybody doing non-statistical, eye-test player ratings for Racing Louisville FC
My inflated ego made me think I could actually write about soccer. That same ego is healthy enough not to be insulted if only a few people read it.
Cynically…I wanted there to be a place where fans could get the unvarnished truth. If the club did something bad, I wanted there to be an outlet for fans to hammer them on it (Google European Super League debacle if you need some context).
Not in that list was to be a club historian.
History is such a funny thing. It's simultaneously embraced for its better parts and reviled for its inevitable recording of the unsavory ones…if it's a truthful history.
Selfishly I want this club to stay new forever and simultaneously be 100 years old. The newness brings a willingness and dare I say eagerness to engage with fans. New teams need fans to be successful. New teams have a honeymoon period on both sides. Using Racing as an example, the team immediately reached out to me and gave me as much access as I could have ever dreamed. I think it was on the site's second or third day of existence. I have frankly bombarded the communications team with questions and ideas, and they have been gracious in responding. Everyone on the team seems likable, and you could not design a better captain in a lab than Racing has in Michelle Betos. The stadium is new and sparkles. The merchandise is flying off the racks. The local media seems engaged and educated about the team. The 2 clubs owned by Soccer Holdings LLC are tremendously run organizations. They have shown several times to be responsive to fan complaints (logo changes, name changes, where away fans should sit). Hopefully most of these things come with being a well run organization, and not just being a new one that needs its fans as much as the fans need them.
A perusal of the ownership list of some of the oldest professional sports teams in the world frankly is full of selfish jerks and shady businessmen. I would say that most large sporting enterprises care just as much, if not more, about their TV revenues and licensing fees than their fans. However, their support is huge and their history is often rich. You don’t get “You'll Never Walk Alone” by buying a franchise and popping it in a random city. Nor do you inherit a memory like “It's up for grabs now!”. As many times as I watch it, it still gives me chills, but not as much as someone who experienced it real time or was actually there.
But traditions have to start somewhere. There is no better place than right here and now, but you can't force them. I was so close to trying to start an oh-Eb-o-ny Sal-mon chant (the ever present Seven Nation Army chant) after she scored, but the goal song played, a hydration break occurred and I lost my nerve. As much as I would like to be “King of the World”, I don't know if I could have even gotten my section to go along with me. Traditions can't be forced and have to occur naturally, no matter how much I might want to manufacture 3 or 4 of them right now.
What I CAN do is be a historian. I can tell the story of someone who was there, pretty much from the beginning. I am trying to do this through this site. As an auxiliary to my posts about the matches, I am creating a few historical markers. First, I am keeping a list of goals scored in competitive matches. Of course you could get these one by one through match reports, but my list is a chronological record if you want them all at once. There are links to the videos that I hope stay active. The second one is something a little more tangible and evolving. I have a wooden fleur-de-lis where I am logging the same information as the goal list,
but I plan to leave room for a chart of appearances and maybe, just maybe, a space for silverware.
I have no idea of what I will do with it once the season is over, but it’s more about the process of doing it, than the finished product. Also, I want to start a Player of the Month award. Several Premier League teams give a Player of the Month award that is voted on by fans. I am deciding whether to open it up for voting, but the “King of the World” in me says that I'll be a benevolent king by asking for input, but ultimately decide it myself. I'm willing to actually make a physical trophy as well, but we'll see if there is any interest in that.
You might ask yourself why, since so many stats and stories are available on the internet, would anyone go to the trouble to document a history that can be reconstructed at any time? At no point in history have more or better statistics been available more broadly. It is because football (soccer) is betrayed by its statistics more than any other sport. A box score in baseball is such a beautifully tragic item. It so greatly encapsulates the game that you need not have watched the game to understand what happened. Of course you would have missed something by not watching the game, but for the most part the story is there. You can reconstruct the game in your mind with some degree of accuracy. In football, the performances by defenders and midfielders are often boiled down to goals, tackles, passes, etc. on the stat sheet. The statistics can do them a great injustice. I looked at Freja Olofsson's stats and player rating on Fotmob after the match yesterday. She had 6.8 rating and 0 tackles. To me she was the player of the match. Who is right? Probably both perspectives, but one of those perspectives would be lost to history if I had not recorded it somewhere.
I guess my entire point is that it matters who records history. If you leave it to the robots and machines, you might rob yourself of a truer understanding of what happened. If you somewhat trust a unapologetically biased fan like me, you'll get my version of the truth even if it has a lavender tint.
Post Match Thoughts Racing 1 Dash 0
Courtesy of EM Dash Photography
There will be many articles that deservedly talk about Ebony Salmon's solo effort, so I want to focus my post match thoughts on Racing's midfield. Honestly, the midfield was probably a weak spot going into this match based on previous performances. The possession battle is won in the midfield and other than the KC game, the possession numbers have been dreadful. Today was a completely different story.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that Racing bossed the midfield. The possession splits were about 50/50, with the Dash having huge spells of uninterrupted possession. The most glaring and dangerous one occurred from about the 28th minute until the hydration break around the 34th minute. The Dash looked to have scored at one point, but that goal by Sanchez was rightly ruled offside, after a fabulous save by Betos on the initial effort. In the last few minutes, the team sat back a little and absorbed pressure, rightly so protecting a 1-0 lead.
Other than those two spells, Racing did well in possession and also fought to win possession in the middle of the pitch. One of the things that I think Gemma Bonner will bring to the team is her ability to read danger higher up the pitch. More than once she ventured into the middle third to win a crucial tackle to stop or slow down an attack. In previous games, the opponents seemed to sometimes take the express lane through the middle third and set up camp in the final third. Bonner set a good example of not surrendering huge sections of the pitch, just to play it “safe”.
McCaskill was her usual feisty self. Occasionally she dwelt on the ball a bit much for my liking, but nevertheless showed her usual work ethic, which is always terrific. Milliet playing higher up the pitch that in previous matches, at least to my eyes, caused Houston real problems early in the match. She registered a couple of shots, at least one on target to my recollection. She also covered a ton of ground all over the pitch. It was probably her best performance in a Racing kit.
Without a doubt, Sunday afternoon was Freja Olofsson's best performance. From the first few minutes, I kept a close watch on her, because she looked like she had something to prove from the beginning of the match. The stats have her with a 78% passing accuracy, which I am sure is correct. However, her off the ball performance was a delight. Whenever the ball was near her and not in her possession, she put forward every effort to win it. She took possession away from Houston in the middle of the field more than a couple of times. If she lost possession, she always fought to win it back. I think she slowed down several Dash attacks and after a while, I think the Dash midfield was looking over their shoulders in fear of another tough challenge, which she often provided. The general public will usually favor a goal scoring performance, but I thought she was the player of the match hands down. It was a really encouraging performance.
A little bit on Salmon. If the rest of the NWSL isn't already shaking in their boots at the sight of her, then they soon will be. She took up the #9 role and did exactly what you expect a world class #9 to do: be strong on the ball, be good with your back to the goal, and be selfish. That last one may get on people's nerves from time-to-time, but that's what's needed. She wants to score and she wants to score in bunches. I’m betting she will.
M
Player Ratings: Racing 1 Dash 0
What a fantastic effort by the team today. Since I am actually at the game, I will be brief.
Betos - 7: Solid as usual. Took a lot of dangerous crosses with ease. Made some great saves too.
Simon - 7: Steady on defense and got involved in attack more than usual.
Bonner - 7:. Looked leggy but that didn't hamper her effort. Will be a defensive stalwart once she is 100% fit.
Martin -7: A little nervous at the start but grew into the game.
Fox -7: Great on both sides of the ball as usual.
McCaskill - 7: Was her usual steady self. Better 2nd half than first.
Milliet - 8: Fantastic in a more attacking position. Ran her legs off.
Olofsson - 9 Player of the Match:. Won nearly everything that came near her. Almost scored.
Yuki - 7: Tremendous defensively. A real professional effort.
Ekic - 6: A little off the pace and was subbed off in favor of McClure.
Kizer - 7: Worked hard and got a nice swollen eye for her effort.
Salmon - 8: Showed why the league should fear her with a cracking goal.
Bonus:
Your truly - 7: I saved about 6 beers in my section with my punch of an errant clearance.
Racing vs. Dash Preview and Thoughts
Phew! The dreaded (by me at least) International Break is almost over and the focus can turn back to club soccer. I tried to fill the gap with some decent content, but I am happy to fill the next week or so with match previews, recaps and analysis.
The Houston Dash are an interesting proposition. As Jen Cooper noted in our discussion yesterday, when they are playing well they are a tough team to beat. Houston has several players who regularly play for their national teams. Allysha Chapman, Nichelle Prince and Sophie Schmidt all play for Canada, but none of them were overworked on the break. Kristie Mewis saw only 61 minutes for the USWNT. Jane Campbell only made the bench, so there is much relatively well rested talent on this team. However, even though Rachel Daly's England didn't have any matches over this break, she is already with the England team in preparation for the Olympics.
Looking at the player ratings from Fotmob, Sophie Schmidt has graded out at a 7.79 rating this season so far, and as Jen Cooper stated has been bossing the midfield. According to Fotmob the next two highest rated players are Kristie Mewis and Michelle Prince, so no surprises there. The absent Rachel Daly leads the team with 2 goals, and Kristie Mewis leads the team with 2 assists. The Dash also lead the league in big chances created with 12. On paper this is a very impressive team.
On the flip side, the team only has 7 points from 5 matches. That isn't a terrible return, but I believe there are definite issues that Racing can exploit. While Houston leads the league is big chances created, they also lead the league in big chances missed. That's not exactly clinical finishing. The Dash are pretty mediocre when it come to shots on target at 4.6/match which is only good for 6th in the league. They do concede about a goal/ match as well, but only average 2.6 saves/match, so their opponents haven't exactly been peppering Campbell's goal with shots. The team is also in the middle of the pack in the possession (49.6%) and passing stats.
One thing that jumped out at me was that twice already this year the Dash have conceded a goal when the other team was down a player. It cost them 3 points in total, 1 in turning a draw vs. Washington into a loss and 2 in turning a win vs. KC into a draw. Great teams almost never do this. I would argue that even good ones don't. What this says to me is that Houston may be prone to lapses in concentration from time to time. In summary, I think Houston is a mid-table team that has been playing below their ability.
On the Racing side, I believe they have the ability to catch Houston off guard with unfamiliar players taking the field or in new roles. I will be watching to see if Gemma Bonner gets the start. She hasn't played completely since November 2020. Barring injury, centerbacks almost always play the full 90 minutes, so I don't read too much into her not coming on as a sub vs. Portland. I think she could get the start despite not playing in a while, but we'll see.
I definitely think we will see Ebony Salmon, and I think she'll start. I am super excited to see what she can do. I expect Matthews to make the bench again and play some as well. I also think you could see Kizer and McCaskill take up slightly different positions.
Ever the optimist, I am predicting a 2-1 home victory for Racing as a great Father's Day gift for me.
M
Know Your Foe with Jen Cooper from Keeper Notes
Keeper Notes is a fantastic site that has been covering soccer in Houston since 2002. Jen Cooper is a soccer savant. Jen, aka The Keeper is an NWSL analyst, host or The Mixxed Zone women's soccer podcast and publisher of The Keeper Notes NWSL. I am frankly amazed she had time to answer my questions, so I am really appreciative.
Houston sit in a pretty decent spot in the table. What are the overall expectations for the year? Playoff qualification or more?
Following the Challenge Cup win in 2020 and a second-place finish in the Fall Series, expectations are very high for the Dash. The players and coaching staff (not to mention the fans) will be very disappointed if the team doesn't reach the playoffs in 2021 (which would be the first time in the playoffs).
What's been your take on the team's performances this year?
When they're on, they're on, as we saw in Kansas City for the 3-1 Cup win or the come-from-behind win vs. Chicago in late May. It's also notable that Dash was able to grind out a win at KC on June 6 when they weren't playing well, something the team hasn't been able to do in the past. One big challenge will be handling the international player departures/arrivals due to the Olympics, but I feel like Dash has more depth on the bench than ever before. It will be interesting to see who steps up to carry the load when Campbell, Mewis, Schdmit, Daly, Prince, Chapman are gone for the Olympics -- Shea Groom can't do it all by herself! I also think Dash have the best back four the club has ever had. Naughton & Oyster are playing very well together in the center, and Naughton even got the game-winner off a set piece at KC.
Any concern/excitement about the potential sale of the team?
No concern, definitely some excitement. A new owner, especially one with deeper pockets, could take the Dash to the next level in terms of infrastructure support, player development, marketing to fans, etc.
The Dash won their first piece of silverware last year. What is your overall assessment of the team's success in their history?
That was the FIRST trophy in club history and a huge accomplishment during an incredibly stressful time. I knew James Clarkson had put the pieces together to make the Dash more successful than they had been in the past (having never made the playoffs) but to see it come to fruition during Covid last summer was an incredible experience. The "drive through" parade when the team got back to town lasted more than 90 minutes because so many fans showed up to celebrate the players. There is so much potential in this club, I'm so glad as a native Houstonian to finally see them successful.
Who should Racing fans pay particular attention to in Sunday's match vs the Dash?
Canadian midfielder Sophie Schmidt really "holds it down" for Houston in front of the back four. Bri Visalli & Veronica Latsko are hunger to get their first goals of the season. And Jane Campbell will be keen to get a clean sheet in her last chance to show Vlatko Andonovski that she should be in the 18 for the Tokyo Olympics.
Thanks again to Jen. Follow her @keepernotes.
Can we talk? (with Robin Pryor)
Photo Courtesy of Bee Buck Photography
Robin Pryor is the host of the awesomely named podcast “Hot Brown Soccer Town”. On Thursday she will be posting her podcast with Christy Holly. Be sure to listen! Find it here.
Only one more week until Racing gets back on the field. Who are you most excited to see in the pitch on Sunday?
I’m excited to see if Ebony makes the starting XI.
Me too. This will be the first Racing game with no attendance restrictions. Do you think we'll see an attendance record for Racing in the next match?
I don’t, simply because it is also Father’s Day.
Well, I'm spending my Father's Day there. How much airtime are you giving Racing on your Podcast?
I’m trying to split the time evenly between the teams. If I can get my life to cooperate a little more, my podcast frequency will increase. I’m actually chatting with Christy Holly this week, so that should be almost 2 hours.
What's the coolest thing about doing your podcast?
I enjoy so many things about podcasting, but the coolest thing is being able to talk to so many awesome people. My perspective is pretty unique in that it’s not focused on sports analysis, so I think people appreciate the more personal side of my guests.
That is cool. I'm too chicken to do one and hate the sound of my own voice way to much to edit one. Do you have a piece of favorite Racing merch yet?
My favorite merch I’ve purchased is a thin cotton hoodie. It’s obviously way too hot for that right now! Otherwise, I love almost everything they have released, and I wish I were a millionaire so I could buy it all.
I love the Nike Swoosh Tee. My wife and I have matching ones. Do you have a favorite player on the team so far?
It is hard to choose a favorite, because they all work so hard on the pitch. I tend to gravitate toward Savannah a lot. Her energy is so dynamic, and she hustles like every game is her last. I really enjoy watching her.
I agree with that assessment. Did you make it to the LouCity match on Saturday? What did you think of the atmosphere?
I did! I thought energy was electrifying, and taking the 3 points was the icing on the cake.
Thanks again to Robin for answering my questions. Follow her on Twitter @HotBrownSoccer.
A Closer Examination of the Nadia Nadim acquisition by Travis Murphy
Photo Courtesy of Getty Images
Let me do a quick intro before I turn this post over to Travis. Until now, all of the posts on this site have been written by me. If all goes well, you will be seeing contributions from Travis and potentially others.
Michael Shaw - Fleur-de-lis-FC.com Editor
What went into Nadia Nadim’s signing with Racing Louisville?
Last week’s breaking news of Nadia Nadim’s signing with Racing Louisville was widely covered in the media. The club itself put out an excellent introductory video that clearly took some advance cooperation with Nadim. Several articles were prepared in advance for immediate publication that went through Nadim’s background for the fans unfamiliar with her. And the Racing coach, Christy Holly, was credited with contacting Nadim’s camp in January to initiate this entire process.
The true roots of the signing go back further than January, however. On October 26, last year, Racing acquired the organization’s first players in announcing a trade with the Chicago Red Stars. Racing received Savannah McCaskill, Yuki Nagasato, Chicago’s first-round pick in the upcoming college draft (number 5 overall) and an international player slot in 2021 and 2022 in return for full roster protection in the expansion draft. The first-round pick became Emina Ekic, but the international slot that was part of the deal was an afterthought until last week’s signing of Nadia Nadim.
What is an international player slot?
NWSL rules allow for each league team to have 4 international player slots on the roster in 2021. Put simply, any team signing an international player must have an empty international player slot before the league will approve the signing. These slots limit the amount of internationals, defined in the NWSL as non-US or Canadian, players on NWSL rosters at any given time. The slots themselves are tradeable assets and frequently are traded; there is no limit on the number of slots a given team may acquire or hold at the same time but there are only 40 slots available in 2021 spread across the 10 teams. Racing received an additional slot from the Chicago trade to bring their available slots up to 5, while Chicago’s slots decreased to 3 because of the trade.
Approaching the expansion draft with just 1 international player on the roster but 4 additional slots available surely played a role in who the front office chose in the draft. Ultimately, Racing selected 3 international players in the first 9 picks: Ghanaian Jennifer Cudjoe from Sky Blue FC with the 3rd pick and Australians Alanna Kennedy and Caitlin Foord from the Orlando Pride with the 6th and 9th picks. While the club has been silent regarding any negotiations with those three players, Racing was unable to sign any of the 3, ultimately trading Cudjoe back to Sky Blue for an additional 2nd round pick in the college draft.
Racing began the season with just 2 international players signed: Yuki Nagasato and Swedish midfielder Freja Olofsson, who signed with the club in December. Two additional signings came quickly at the beginning of the season: English defender Gemma Bonner signed in late April followed by English forward Ebony Salmon in early May. The 5th and final international slot was filled last week when Racing announced the signing of Nadia Nadim.
Chicago Red Stars trade recap
It’s always dangerous to evaluate the results of a trade so soon after it took place, and with so many games left in the season. That said, the Racing front office probably deserved an “A” grade at the time of the Red Stars trade that can now be upgraded to an “A+”. Both Nagasato and McCaskill have played every minute of regular season competition thus far for Racing, 2 of only 5 players to do so. Racing turned the 5th pick of the college draft they received from Chicago into Emina Ekic – who scored the winning goal in the club’s first ever NWSL win and who is also the marketing face of the club as the “Hometown Hero” Louisville native. Now Racing is set to debut Nadia Nadim using their 5th international slot – only possible due to this Chicago trade. Per the expansion draft rules, Racing was only permitted to select up to 2 players from Chicago. Yet the club executed a novel trade that produced 4 starters for them in 2021. Pretty safe to look back at this point and call this an “A+”.
Travis Murphy is a contributing Writer for Fleur-de-lis-FC.com.
Brief midday Monday thoughts
This is going to be a short one. Better stuff is coming later this week. It may include the first post on this site not authored by me, which I am sure will be a refreshing change.
LouCity had the “grand opening” for The Fam on Saturday, but the turf looked well beyond its years. I don't know if this is a particular concern, and the pitch has to be better than playing at Slugger Field, but it looked like pretty significant sections had new sod.
The previous week there were problems with the corners. It's not even summer yet. This could be a thing to watch if there are continued issues with the field.
The sun was so bright for Saturday's game that the Memphis keeper wore a baseball cap in the first half, which I always find hilarious for some reason. Racing's match with Houston is scheduled for kick-off at 3:00 PM on Sunday, June 20th, so both keepers will have to deal with the sun at some point. Betos in a hat? The NWSL season will surely have many matches where the sun could be an issue. Many fine baseball caps are available in the team store.
Addisyn Merrick is back in training today. This is a bit of a pleasant surprise since the last word we heard from Coach Holly was that there was no specific timetable. I imagine that the training sessions are getting more intense day by day.
M
Numbers - A poorly researched look at how Racing could line up
In 1993 the English Football Association decided for some reason (probably money) to abandon the shirt numbering system that had been in use since 1940. This system was somewhat invented by Herbert Chapman, Arsenal FC's first great coach. Numbered shirts were first worn by an English top division team in a match by Arsenal against Sheffield Wednesday in 1928. Over the next few years most teams adopted a system of assigning numbers based on the players position on the field. Regardless of who the team played at striker (#9) the striker wore that number for that game. If a different player started the next game at striker, then he would wear the number 9 jersey. The numbers weren't so much squad numbers, as they were match jerseys. Theoretically a player could wear 11 numbers in 11 games, although I’m sure nobody ever did. Since this was a new concept, players didn't really think of themselves as having a “number”. However, soon players began to covet certain numbers, mostly because it meant that they were playing in their preferred position. Here is an example of traditional numbering system for a 4-2-3-1 formation:
1 Goalkeeper
2 Right back
3 Left back
4 Central midfielder (more defensive)
5 Center back
6 Center back
7 Right winger
8 Central midfielder (box-to-box)
9 Striker
10 Central midfielder/playmaker
11 Left winger
This was not a system without flaws for fans. Say as a fan you had a favorite player. This player was a bit of a utility player and could play out of his natural position, so you might not know what number to look for on the field during the match. In addition, while you knew where to look for number 2 on the field, you might not be sure who was actually planning right back. Enter names on the back of the jersey, increased kit sales and the birth of the squad number. Many players today still like to take the jersey number of their preferred position. The numbering system is important to me for a couple of reasons. One, it’s how the players from the prior generations of English footballers who are now pundits and analysts talk about the game. It’s a language shortcut. Second, if you don't know much about a player you might be able to infer something about that player by their squad number. You don't often see a center back wearing #9, so I would assume someone with a squad number of nine is almost certainly a striker.
Now, what does this have to do with anything? Well, I like to predict how my favorite teams might line up. Racing now has 3 new players who haven't played a second for the team, but very soon will likely be in the starting XI. We also have a player wearing #5, playing out of position, but that position is definitely not center back.
How might Racing line up against Houston?
This is where the poorly researched part comes in. I did just enough research on each player, but not exhaustive. I finally found some good resources thanks to Bekki Morgan and other users on Twitter, but by that time I was tired of researching and many of these assumptions may be flawed. I tried to look at recent history as much as possible. Someone might tell me that in Nadia Nadim's last stint in the NWSL, she lined up as a right sided attacker exclusively. Fair enough, that could be true (like I said I didn't research it), but I am basing most of my analysis on recent history.
Let's start with the easy one. Gemma Bonner plays center back on the left side. She has done it in a back 3 and also a back 4, which was Manchester City's preferred setup. She will almost certainly slot in at center back on the left side.
Here's where is gets harder. I don't think Salmon or Nadim have recently been lining up as a true #9. Nadim for example, wore #10 for PSG but to my eyes played as a center forward vs. a playmaker that traditionally wears number 10. It looks like she lined up a position directly behind the main striker. She has also been referred to as a striker in her recent interviews. Ebony Salmon, who will wear number 9, also wore #9 for Bristol City. She lined up in all three forward positions: left, right and center. I think most of her starts came on the right. My gut tells me that Nadim and Salmon might interchange quite a bit on the pitch or play in a front two instead of a single striker.
Now for the hard one. CeCe Kizer has started in the striker position for all of the league matches. While at Houston, she quite often came off the bench, so it's hard to tell what position she took as a sub. She did start a couple of games, so that had the potential to be helpful. NOPE! She started at striker in those game too. For someone who's constantly being complimented for playing out of position, I can't tell what her preferred position might be. She is listed on some sources as a forward/midfielder and midfield is where Racing needs the most help, so I assume that's where she is going to be for the time being.
The Lineup
So I think we know the following names are no doubters in the Starting XI:
Betos, Fox, Bonner, McCaskill, Kizer, Nadim.
I think right back, right center back, one midfielder, and two forwards could be up for grabs. For the time being, I think those positions will be filled by Simon, Hendrix, Milliet, Nagasato and Salmon respectively. I think Salmon is all but a shoe in. She was the top scorer on a team that was relegated. I assume Bristol City probably didn't have a lot of possession in many games, so she should be used to scoring on the counter. Again, that bit was not researched at all, but it seems reasonable. This is almost certain to be wrong, and Nadim might not even be in Louisville in time to start against Houston, but here's my projected lineup for that match.
Disagree and have a better idea? Feel free to comment below, or start a pointless Twitter discussion with me @FleurdelisFC1.
Eight more days to go before the next match. (Audible sigh)
M
Can we talk? (with Bekki Morgan)
Photo by Connor Cunningham, courtesy Racing Louisville FC
This week I chat with Bekki Morgan, who excellently covers Racing Louisville FC for the beautiful game network (while The Courier Journal slowly abdicates their responsibility to cover professional sports). She is awesome and I am prepared to go into a Twitter war with anyone who disagrees.
What's been your biggest surprise covering the team so far?
Honestly? How easy it’s been. When Benton asked for volunteers I thought I’d be writing in a bubble with no access or contact with the front (back?) office. But they immediately set me up with press access and have gone out of their way to be accessible. It’s really phenomenal and shows the dedication the club has to building dedicated local support.
The team has 4 points from 4 games. Is that a fair representation of how they have performed?
I would say yes and it might even be better than expected. We should have beaten KC, in my opinion, because they aren't that strong a team and we were at home. We were also incredibly lucky to beat the Spirit. Betos put in a master class that night, but the Spirit's number of shots weren't that off from the Thorns and the Courage so it's looking more like luck that we won that one. I honestly think we're performing well for where we are and the league that we're in.
We both saw a rumor on Monday about a potential acquisition...Nadia Nadim (Wednesday update: not a rumor, confirmed loudly and clearly!) How much more roster movement should we expect?
I’ve heard rumors about another possible signing but have seen no indication of it happening so I really don’t know. It’s hard to tell because the club has kept everything very close to the chest. Salmon and Bonner were both surprises right up until the day they were announced, so anything could happen. But Holly has said for a while that the roster won’t be finalized until June and June’s just begun.
Switching topics a bit, I have been transparent about my love of Arsenal, and my relative indifference to international soccer because of that. How did you first fall in love with soccer and do you have a club or international team that impacts how you see soccer?
I fell in love with soccer watching the 1999 Women’s World Cup like many, many people my age. It was the first time I’d seen women play a sport outside the Olympics and get that much attention. My attention waxed and waned, but I was what I described above: a fan of the sport who watched the international game mostly, followed the NWSL a bit when it started but mostly got truly interested around the 2015 women’s WC. I didn’t get deeply involved until the last several years. I’ve never had a club before Racing. I liked almost all the teams and watched all the games I could because I liked the league. I still watch most NWSL games because I’m invested, but I’m absolutely 100% Racing focused as far as club goes. And it’s been a weird transition to throw myself fully into a team for the first time. A great experience, but an adjustment.
Racing has 3 games in pretty quick succession after the break. What is a good amount of points to take from those games?
First let’s look at the teams: Houston, NC, and Chicago. All three teams have been pretty chaotic and inconsistent with their results. Houston and Chicago have been pulling together a bit more though. So a lot of it depends on which team shows up to each game. Our being at home will help us against NCC and Houston, but we travel for Chicago and that might be a tougher trip. The fact we have new personnel and a deeper bench with Salmon and Bonner (and possibly Ashley) is very good timing. But it’s still going to be tough on us to have three in such quick succession. I’d be happy with 3 points from draws, but not 3 points from 1 win and 2 losses. I think I’d be happier with 2 points from 2 draws than 1 win and 2 losses. So I think we should be satisfied with 2 or 3 points. More than that and I’d be ecstatic but I’m trying to be realistic. And honestly, if we do lose 2, but they’re close and competitive and show growth and we manage to score goals, I’ll be content. Not happy but I’ll be fine.
Is sixth place (the last playoff place) possible?
I think we can definitely have a shot at it, but it’ll be very hard. But that is realistically what we should be aiming for as our best outcome for the season, based on how we’ve done thus far. Finishing in 7th or 8th would honestly be pretty good too. However, this question is almost impossible to answer right now because we don’t know how the team will look by the end of the month. Bonner, Salmon, and now possibly Nadim, would drastically alter the starting lineup. We haven’t even gotten a chance to really see Otto, Ashley, or Merrick either. What potential depth could they bring? So 6th is going to be hard, but if things start geling, it’s the most realistic goal we could set for the time being. Whether that’s too pessimistic or optimistic can be adjusted based on how the team performs as time moves on.
What's a good attendance number for the next game now that "The Fam" is at 100 percent capacity?
Well we did sell out the last limited capacities so I’d think sustaining around 6-7k would be great. That would put us in 3rd-5th place in league attendance compared to past years. More than that would be phenomenal but I think the growth will come in time.
Speaking of growth, what are the keys to being ready to win some silverware in a couple of years?
Developing the young players we chose in the drafts. Milliet, Fox, Kizer, and Ekic in particular are playing extremely well and could be built around to create a solid team. We can’t be a team that develops young players then lets them move on. We need to be a destination. The culture also needs to be sustained. Right now everyone says it’s phenomenal but will it hold through a tough season? Probably but we’ll have to see.
Thanks again to Bekki for answering some tough questions. Follow her on Twitter @sukiisacat.
Quick lunch time thoughts about Nadia Nadim
Oh man. This job (well hobby really) is actually quite stressful sometimes. I have an actual job where I get paid and so my routine is to write the night before and post during the lunch break. Today I guess I will have to do both. I’m sure better analysis on what Nadia Nadim will bring to the team is forthcoming, but I wanted to chime in with some quick thoughts:
Nadia comes to Racing in absolutely fantastic form. She averaged a goal every 78 minutes for PSG this year. That is a bit crazy. I couldn't find the numbers quickly, but I assume with as top heavy as the French league is, that PSG had an overwhelming possession advantage in those games. I don't that that rate of return is fair to anticipate when she joins Racing, but I am hopeful that she will bring goals and soon.
Nadia will have an immediate impact all across the team when she joins, hopefully in 10 days to 2 weeks. Coach Holly said a few telling things in the quick presser today. First, Cece Kizer will now almost certainly play deeper on the pitch. Second, Nadia is a true pro and will have an immediate impact on the training ground as well as the games. Third, she is a true “striker”. A brief asside: strikers quite often seem to covet that number 10 jersey even though they are a true 9. I mean everyone wants the number 10, so I did find it a bit odd that Racing started the season with no 9 or 10 on the roster. I think we know why now. Fourth, I think I heard Coach Holly hint at a potential change in formation. Somehow this team has to get the ball to Nadia. Might he set up to counter more often with a natural number 9? Fifth, Nadia is available as soon as she arrives. She will do so fit and in form.
Nadia herself said some interesting things. She thinks the league suits her “direct” playeing style. With the possession issues, that should really help. She also noted how impressed she was with the clubs commitment and facilities. These things are important to players and I think can continue to be a real strength for Racing.
I could say more, but lunch is over so back to work.