Collect them all!

“You’ve got my card!”

Michelle Betos examined a picture of herself and signed one of many items she often does after matches. This particular item caught her attention because it was her Parkside Collectables 2021 NWSL Premier Series card. The Racing players get asked to signed a variety of items after matches from jerseys, to paper plates. However there must be something special about signing a trading card of yourself.

Parkside Collectables, the creator and distributor of the NWSL card set has been featured in The Athletic and if you have a subscription you can read the article here.. In a nutshell, Parkside seized on a gap in the trading card market, and has had a very successful run of selling their NWSL set. Parkside did a limited set in 2020 for the NWSL Challenge Cup and printed only 3000. For this year's set, Parkside printed many more cards and found a couple of distribution partners in Walmart and Target. So far, the set has been a resounding success with fans and is sold out on the Parkside site.

I have always been a collector of things, but particularly trading cards. There's something special about opening a pack and not knowing what you're going to get. One Easter I got 10 packs of 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Trading cards and pulled the Michael Jordan insert out of one of them. Another time I opened a pack that was all inserts (special cards not in the base set). Over the last few years, I really haven't bothered much with trading cards, and I thought I might never buy a pack for myself again (my wife still collects NFL trading cards and has frankly a ridiculous collection). Then I heard that the NWSL would be having a trading card set this year, and ordered 5 packs from Parkside. While waiting on those cards to arrive, I stumbled across a few sets in Target. Over the next few weeks, I started monitoring eBay and searching Targets and Walmarts. I had become hooked.

I wasn't the only one. On Twitter and Facebook, groups started popping up that were interested in trading cards. One of the leaders in the effort to get organized around trading cards is Luke Fritz. I have traded with Luke a couple of times and asked him about his experience.

Tell me a little about your collecting history...I'm guessing the NWSL trading cards are not your first collection.

Luke: I used to collect sports cards growing up, then in middle/high school I collected (but did not play) Star Wars CCG. Since then, I have not purchased or collected any cards, so it has been probably 15+ years since I have collected cards.

What was it that made you take particular interest in the NWSL cards?

I have been a huge supporter and advocate for the NWSL since its inception in 2012 and inaugural season in 2013. I was born and raised in Portland, and so making sure I did everything possible to help the Thorns and league be successful was (and is) very important to me. When the cards were announced last year, I knew for sure that I wanted a Christine Sinclair signature card (she is my favorite player and I watched her play a lot in college), so that was an easy hook in.

What do you think of the set?

I like the set! It has been fun to collect and there are a ton of inserts that will interest almost anyone interested in trading cards and/or the league itself. I also know that as a first big release for Parkside, there is always room for improvement and cutting down on errors.

What's your favorite pull so far?

Definitely a Simone Charley autograph, which I *finally* pulled after not pulling any autographs in 45+ packs. It was also a fun pull because I bought the pack in a Target in a different state on a whim, as I was there for a totally different reason.

Let's move on to the trading aspect. This set seems like a true "trading card set". You started a Google doc and a Twitter group to encourage trading. How have those technological advances enhanced your newly revived collecting fascination?

I knew from the 2020 Parkside release that it was somewhat challenging to find traders - it sort of relied on Parkside itself retweeting those who might be trading. When the current set was released (and the checklist was unveiled), I knew that there needed to be a better way to organize trades. I am a high school teacher and I use Google Docs/Sheets all the time in meetings with colleagues, so it seemed like an easy way to just use similar templates and share it with everyone. The Twitter group was really only so that I would know who to share the document with once it was ready for editing.

Are you using Facebook as well?

I am! That was also cool to see - that someone both joined the spreadsheet to track their inventory and created a Facebook group to more easily facilitate trades. I would guess I have made about 20 trades so far, about half via Twitter and half via the Facebook group.

Do you think Parkside will release an update set? They seemed to misjudge the demand a bit for the 2021 initial release.

It sounds like for sure that they are going to make a series 2 set, at least according to indications on their Twitter account. As for the demand part: it's funny, because the 2020 Challenge Cup set was *seriously* misjudged in terms of demand. They only made 3000 sets/packs, and they sold out almost instantly whenever they went on sale. So I'm not surprised that a print run of 140,000 for the 2021 set is in demand, given how hot the trading card market is at the moment.

Do you consider yourself a "completist"? I'm sure you have a full set. What other subsets are you trying to complete?

Haha, I consider myself a completist when it comes to the team I support, Portland Thorns FC, yes. My aim was to collect every card possible (within reason - the Chrome 1 of 1 set would be impossible to collect all 20 of) for the club, both for 2020 and for 2021. I have just about accomplished this, pending receiving some final cards (including the trade that we just made)!

What the longest distance between you and a trading partner so far?

I think Long Island, New York is the furthest away. Portland to New York is about as far as it gets in the continental U.S.

…

The set has really been fun to trade and there are a lot of cool inserts. Of course it has been difficult to produce a set of cards for an expansion team when you don’t have any game action shots from the previous year to use for your cards. There are two unsung heroes that made it possible for Racing to be included in this year's set. Toni Geiger of EM Dash Photography and Joe Robbins of ISI Photos are responsible for the action shots and the headshots respectively. Toni told me that Parkside reached out about some photos she had taken for ISI during a preseason march. You have seen Toni and Joe's work on the Racing website even if you weren't aware of it.

For me, trading the cards has almost been as much fun as collecting them. I have mailed cards to Portland, Newport, KY, Port Orchard, WA, Columbus, OH and have made an exchange with a fellow fan that sits in my section at the Fam. It has been really cool to see people just give away cards to help collectors fill in their sets. I am hoping for an update set later this year to include Salmon, Miramontez, Bonner, Nadim and Matthews.

Know Your Foe: Orlando Pride with Sean Rollins from The Mane Land

The Mane Land is an SB Nation Soccer site dedicated to covering both Orlando City SC and the Orlando Pride. Sean Rollins is an Editor and Senior Columnist.

I wanted to include a little preamble prior to this post. I think it is of note that Louisville owes quite a bit to Orlando when it comes to soccer. Louisville City moved from Orlando to begin playing in 2015. Minority owner of Orlando City Wayne Estopinal was instrumental in the relocation. Orlando kept its formal association with LouCity for about a year, and the purple color scheme remains an enduring reminder of the association. LouCity's success led to the building of Lynn Family Stadium, without which there would be no Racing Louisville FC. This connection is important and one day, maybe can even lead to an eventual friendly rivalry, maybe even one that honors the late Mr. Estopinal. I am slowly learning not to force things with this club, so I will leave it at tbis: One day I hope this league is full of natural rivalries that mean something to the fans, and I think this match-up could be one of them.

Now onto the main event:

The Pride were at the top of the table for a while this season. Is that the expectation, to finish top and win the league?

Since the Pride joined the NWSL in 2016, they've had high expectations. Big names have been in the team every season, but the only playoff appearance came in 2017. Marc Skinner took over in 2019 and began to build the team around non-internationals, players they wouldn't lose for major tournaments. This has increased expectation that the Pride will continue to play well during the Olympics and not fall apart as they did during the 2019 World Cup.

How do you expect Orlando to deal with missing players during the Olympics?

The Pride are well-prepared to handle the absences during the Olympics. Skinner showed his plan two weeks ago against Kansas City when he left forward Alex Morgan, midfielder Marta, and right back Ali Riley out of the lineup. Ali Krieger has played a lot of right back in the past, they recently signed England center back Amy Turner, and Sydney Leroux will move up to the forward position. They won't be as strong without Morgan, Marta, and Riley, but they should be able to handle the absences must better than they have in the past.

On a recent trip through Orlando, Racing's players noticed the Orlando City/Pride pub at the airport. Have you visited it, and if so what did you think?

The club has opened a pub at Orlando International Airport and on Church Street in downtown Orlando. I haven't visited the pub in the airport but it was created as a part of Flavio Augusto da Silva and Alex Leitao's plan to expand the club's brand globally.

How long did it take for Orlando to stop feeling like an "expansion team"?

The Pride joined the NWSL at an interesting time. The Boston Breakers were on the verge of folding and the league was looking to expand. The club also made big moves by bringing in Ashlyn Harris and Alex Morgan in 2016 and Marta in 2017. I'd say that they no longer felt like an expansion team in 2017, the team's second season.

Whom should Racing fans pay special attention to on Friday night?

Defensively, Ashlyn Harris has been incredible this year in goal. Courtney Petersen can be a handful at left back when at her best. On the attacking side, the two players to watch are Sydney Leroux and Taylor Kornieck. Fans of the USWNT will remember what Leroux can do and Kornieck has had a breakout year in the attacking midfield.

You can follow Orlando Pride News on Twitter @TheManeLand.

A Quick Story from Last Night

Courtesy Racing Louisville

Courtesy Racing Louisville

Addison Merrick and Katie McClure were teammates on Kansas University's Women's Soccer Team prior to joining Racing Louisville for its Inaugural season. In 2019 Kansas won the Big 12 Tournament and qualified for the NCAA tournament. During their time at Kansas they developed a few dedicated fans.

At last night's game, there was a family of 5 in my section that traveled all the way from Kansas to see Addisyn and Katie in Racing kits. Although the family is KC fans, they were decked out in full Racing gear last night with all 3 of the children wearing Racing home jerseys, two of them customized for Merrick and McClure. One of the girls had been a mascot (one of the young kids you often see lining up with players in the tunnel and on the field before matches all across the world) at KU and lined up with Katie for one match. The young lady was lucky enough to get to show Katie this old picture and take another to relive the moment. I shouldn't say, lucky because the Racing players are very intentional about interacting with fans after games. Each of the girls got their jerseys signed and got to spend time with Merrick and McClure.

I think it says something about the pull of this sport particularly in this league that you get fans willing to travel such distances. The connections with players start early in their careers and are genuine. I’m sure this wasn't a unique experience, it's just the one I witnessed. I think we should share these little snapshots of Racing and it’s players interacting with the fans, because it shows their commitment to the fans, the city and the city's visitors.

Racing 0 - Thorns 2 Analysis and broader trends

Courtesy ISI Photos

I’m sure most fans were disappointed in the outcome of last night's victory. Two sets of eyes that I really trust, Benton from Vamos Morados and Bekki from BGN both commented that the performance seemed off. Judging by Benton's immediate post game video reaction, I think it might have been hard for him to envision a different outcome. Becki and I chatted at halftime and she said that if Racing ending up losing 0-2, that it would be a disappointing night for her. I think I saw a slightly different match but like I said, I value their opinions.

I could clearly have envisioned a point from this match. Reasonable people can differ on whether the contact from Nagasato on Rodriguez was a penalty (I think it was) but a few seconds prior, there was a shove on Fox that caused her to tumble over. I have seen this called as a foul from an ensuing corner a great many times and I believe it was a foul on this occasion too. A few bounces here or there, and I could have clearly seen a path to a draw.

I think Racing looked better in attack than in the previous game against Portland. Milliet again was great going forward. I think Kizer looks more comfortable playing out wide and Salmon has proved that sometimes she only needs half a chance to score. Yuki and McCaskill came fairly close to socring. Overall I thought the attacking performance was decent. The defensive performance I thought was decent as well, although Racing clearly missed Bonner, especially on that second goal.

The Trends

However, I do see what Benton and Bekki were talking about. The passing accuracy was off in this game. It was only 71%. In fact passing accuracy has generally been trending in the wrong direction:

To be fair, the opponents accuracy has been generally lower trending as well, which tends to mean more pressure being applied by Racing. As you saw above, the 2 most recent wins have come when Racing has been the more accurate passing team. The odd thing when you look at the passing stats, is sometimes the player of the Match has bad passing stats. Milliet and Fox both had relatively low passing stats, but were two of the best players for Racing last night. To be fair Fox had the most completed passes for Racing.

Looking on the bright side, the shot trends are looking better.

Racing’s total shots have been pretty steady, and that number needs to increase. What I will say, is that most of Racing's shots have been quality ones. Rarely do they take an ill-advised shot. Racing's opponents shots are dropping too. They still obviously need to drop more. It's frankly a great testimony to Racing's defense and their captain that they have 10 points while being out shot in all buy one match.

The shots on target are clearly trending in the right direction. Last night, Racing had opportunities to score, even though most of those lacked real quality in the finished product. Racing's opponents are getting fewer attempts on target too.

Final Thoughts

Perhaps the most encouraging positive trend is something that cannot be measured. Last night's reactions tell me that expectations have increased tremendously. On many people's minds was the fact that Portland was missing 4 starters due to Olympic commitments. Many people expected a better performance and possibly a win vs Portland. When I asked Grant Little from Stumptown Footy who covers the Portland Thorns if he was concerned about the missing starters, he said that he really wasn't. He knew that the Thorns roster was plenty deep. I think some of the Racing fans thought that Portland Thorns might roll out 4 stiffs to replace their missing starters and that obviously wasn't the case. However, from the Racing perspective this was seen as a real opportunity to grab a result. This is the right attitude to have. Like I said I think last night was a missed opportunity, but not a crippling defeat. Going forward, the trip to Orlando ought to be met with the same optimism. It is a chance for points against a weakened team. Let's see if Racing can meet those expectations.

Racing 0 Thorns 2

Tonight's loss was a bit of a tough pill to swallow. The penalty given was probably the right call, but I still maintain that there was a foul not called in the build up before the penalty decision. Definitely missed Bonner's stature and presence on the second goal. Racing still had a few really good chances to score and played much better than the previous effort in Portland.

Betos-6: Could do nothing on either goal. Had a few nice saves. Solid as usual.

Fox-7 (Player of the Match): Played well on both sides of the ball. Dangerous in attack in supplying the front line.

Simon-6: Worked some good combination play with Milliet.

Martin-6: Has definitely earned Coach Holly's trust with her steady displays.

Riehl-6: Maybe (combined with Martin) could have done better on the 2nd goal. Other than that was solid.

Olofsson-6: Seems to be playing better and better each match.

McCaskill-7: Ran hard a usual, almost scored a fantastic goal.

Milliet-7: My vote for Player of the Match while she was on the field. Really dangerous playing down the right side.

Nagasato-6: A bit unlucky to give away a penalty.

Salmon-6: Had half a chance to score in the first half. Other than that, not given much service.

Kizer-7: The most dangerous of the front 3.

Subs-6: Merrick looked good early, but had a few nervous touches late. Ashley was solid again. Matthew’s had a decent effort on goal.

Racing v Thorns Preview

Saturday will see the 2nd match-up between Racing and the Thorns. The first match was memorable for the travel nightmare that ensued, and a rather handy 3-0 victory for Portland. Thus time around, I expect it to be quite a different match and potentially a different outcome.

Total statistical dominance

The last match was a total dominant performance by Portland. The Thorns won the big stats, possession and shots, with 59% possession and out shot Racing 28-4. Portland jumped out to an early lead and Racing never really looked threatening on attack.

A different set of teams

However, the teams are going to be quite different this time around. Portland is missing 4 starters for this game due to Olympic commitments, but that doesn't mean they lack steel or firepower. Two of the goal scorers (Rodriguez and Salem) are likely to start and frankly Rodriguez is terrifying every time she is near the ball. Portland are missing 2 defenders and their starting keeper, but they have plenty of talent to replace them. I talked to Grant Little of Stumptown Footy and he reckons Portland will go with a 4-4-2 diamond formation, which could look like this:

Designed on buildlineup.com

On the Racing side of the ball, there could be a few potential changes. Taylor Otto is listed as questionable instead of out, so we could see her make her first appearance since the opener. I don't think it's likely that she will start, but I think she may see the field at some point. The only two other players listed on the injury report are Higginson, who is still out and Kizer is listed as questionable. I think this is the most fit and complete the roster has been all season, so Coach Holly will be able to look at the match-ups and see if he favors any different starters versus the last match in Portland. I will be interested to see:

• Will Ebony Salmon play a full 90?

• Will Martin be given her 5th start in a row?

• Can Racing hold the ball at least 45% of the time?

• Will another player score their first goal for Racing?

Prediction

I predicted a draw last time and Racing won. Let's stick with that and hope I am being too pessimistic once again.

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.