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Thorns 3 Racing 0 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
I'm not sure that there is a whole lot to be said about last night's loss. Racing lost to a better team. They simultaneously played well and were lucky not to concede in the first half. Once the first goal went in, there was frankly no way back.
I will beg your indulgence on this next bit. It may be hard to follow or reconcile with the way you personally watch soccer, but it's how my brain works. For me, no shot on target until the first goal is scored really matters. For example, commentators often like to say things like “the score line should be 2-0” in situations like last night where the score was 0-0 at half. Portland definitely had opportunities and Racing made heroic saves, but the ball has no memory or conscious. Every shot on goal is indicative of and predicated on the current score. The fact that Bonner saved a goal and prevented an early score from Portland dictated every action that followed. If she didn't make that save, all of the action that followed would have been different. My theory is that if Bonner is not there to make the save, the score line is 1-0 and Nadim is not there to make the second goal line clearance because both Portland and Racing behave differently with the score line at 1-0. When the scoreline is 0-0, there is a very high probability that in the next measurable moment that the scoreline will still be 0-0, a low probability that the score line will be 0-1 or 1-0 and absolutely zero probability that the score will be 0-2 or 2-0. In essence, I don't like to think about a theoretical scoreline that is mathematically impossible at a specific point in time. When the score is 0-0 at half, there is is no possible way that the next goal would make it 3-0 to the team with the better opportunities. Though hilariously, that seemed to be exactly what happened after the second half restart. Racing were down by 3 before they knew what hit them, but in my mind it was predicated on Bonner's misplaced header, and nothing that happened in the first half. That first goal changed the behavior of both teams. I also have to think that the Thorns were told to be more direct and relentless at half, which surely contributed as well. Regardless, the match for sure changed at 1-0.
It will not shock anyone for me to say that Racing needs better defensive players, but I feel like they need better cohesion, regardless of who is out there. Several times in the first half I saw players backpedaling vs. stepping to the ball. In my experience this is down to a lack of trust in the positioning of the defenders behind you. More than once the defenders were in good position, but the player closest to the ball didn't TRUST in them enough to step to the ball to try to stop an attack further up the pitch. This is a difficult thing to get right and it is especially hard when you don't have a ton of experience playing together and you have seen your defenders be out of position on several occasions in the past. Racing's back line doesn't move together. It should look like they are connected by an invisible rope that never lets them lose their defensive shape too much.
All in all, it was an expected result. Portland are much better on paper than Racing. The only way to be ultimately competitive is for Racing to get better on paper, top to bottom on the roster.
Thorns 3 Racing 0 Player Ratings
Racing played a fairly decent first half, even if a 0-0 scoreline was flattering. However, Portland pretty much took over the match at the beginning of the second half and cruised to victory.
Lund-5: Has the rather ignominious honor of making over 100 saves this season. Way too much pressure on her as a keeper.
Bonner-5: Her miscue opened the floodgates, but a save early in the first half kept the score even.
Murray-5: Was the better of the two center backs on the night.
Fox-7: Needs real help on the back line to show her full potential.
Milliet-6: Would be better served by playing the next couple of matches in attack.
Howell-6: The back line isn't disciplined enough for her to show her strength winning balls to stop attacks vs. dropping back to be an extra defender.
Chidiac-6: Neat and tidy in her passing, but no real cutting edge.
DeMelo-6: Hit the post on a good free kick chance.
Ekic-7: Unlucky not to score. She is winning me over as a potential starter.
Nadim-N/R: Hoping for the best in regards to her injury.
McDonald-6: Put in a decent defensive effort.
Davis-6: On for Nadim, but doesn't yet have her quality.
Thorns v Racing Preview
As Racing are headed into their final stretch of matches for the year, the focus will naturally turn more and more to the 2023 season. After the recent announcement of Lauren Milliet’s contract extension, the club recently announced the contract extension of Sav DeMelo through 2025. I have to believe that the next priorities are 1) Fox and 1A) Howell. Not that everyone else on the roster is expendable, but those are the players that will be entering the prime of their careers in the next few seasons and as such require locking down. Björkegren spoke about expecting the young players’ contributions to increase in the next two seasons, so I think Racing will try to get a core group of younger players to lock in their seasons at age 25. Research tends to point to age 25 as the most productive plus or minus a couple of years on either side, with age outperforming youth just outside of the peak range. DeMelo is now contracted to spend her 25th, 26th and 27th years in Louisville. I tend to believe that 27 is the prime age, but that is really based more on what I have seen in the men’s game. Either way, DeMelo will be spending her statistically most-likely best years at Racing. Fox is also 24 and Howell is 22, while Milliet will turn 26 this December.
However, of immediate concern is a west coast trip that Racing is undertaking as I write this. The plan is to take the entire available squad on the trip in hopes of getting the entire roster some experience in playing in front of large crowds, or at least experiencing the environment. Portland and Angel City usually have large crowds and Portland at least has a “good” crowd (I’m not saying anything against Angel City, I just don’t know what their reputation is. If it’s like the other soccer clubs in LA I would assume it is a good crowd too.) Every other NWSL club’s fans will probably be cheering pretty heartily for Racing in both matches. A win or draw in either match definitely hurts their opponents’ playoff prospects (Thorns in seeding and Angel City in possible elimination). Racing will be looking to improve on a better but imperfect performance vs. Orlando. I think it would be fun to start 7 defenders against Portland just to grind out a draw, but everyone else’s definition of “fun” probably doesn’t match mine. I still think the best way to win when you are outmatched is to play strictly on the counter, but for Racing another good performance in the preferred style and system is probably much more valuable than a win or draw. Anyway…look at this insanely defensive lineup I made:
I’ll eat my laptop if that is the lineup, but it’s fun to dream.
Portland’s overall form hasn’t been great, but they have taken 16 out of a possible 18 points from teams currently in the bottom four, which is exactly what good teams do. I expect Racing to put up a good fight, but ultimately fall short.
Racing 2 Pride 0 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Coach Björkegren was his usual stoic self after the win last night, but had to feel better and a bit relieved by the result. Racing was the better team for pretty much the entire match, and their lead never looked in any real danger after the second goal. There were good performances all around the pitch last night, but perhaps the most encouraging one was Emily Fox’s performance, who is the absolute key to Racing’s success going forward.
Emily Fox once again showed her quality last night, and it was good to see her put in a commanding performance. For the first time in quite a while, Fox looked 100%. I warned earlier in the year about her overuse by the national team, and I really believe those minutes caught up with her in midseason. Because Fox missed the previous match due to recovering from a concussion, she had the chance to get in some much-needed rest. I can’t say for sure that the rest is what made the difference in her performance, but she looked like her old, dominating self last night. Fox is perhaps the only Racing player that can make a defensive recovery once an attacking player is past her. On a few occasions, you saw Emily be the last defender back and make the vital tackle or at least slow-down the counter. The truth is that she covers defensive lapses, but last night she benefited by not having as many to cover.
I don’t want to bore you with a bunch of heatmaps or touch maps, so take my word for it when I say that a cursory examination of the maps from last night’s match showed positional discipline. There were a few items of interest. First, Coach Kim stated in his post-match press conferences that he thought Bonner and Murray did a good job of covering more ground by spacing out a bit more. Looking at their heatmaps and average positions shows this to be accurate. Their combined heatmap shows them covering just about the entire defensive half. Wang had a really good night being all over the pitch. In her post-match words, Nadia Nadim stated that Wang tended to stick close to her when in attack and that their on-the-field connection was in evidence last night. Looking at the four primary attackers, each of them were disciplined by keeping to their natural areas on the pitch. Wang perhaps had deeper touches than your average CAM, but her instinct to drop deep cut off a few Orlando attacks. Howell and DeMelo painted the midfield with touches but were both pretty disciplined in sticking to one side of the pitch. All of these combined efforts made Racing look in control of the match, especially after taking an early lead.
Björkegren kept his tendency to stick with the team that is working when Racing is playing well. Racing didn’t make a sub until the 85th minute. I know that this drives many, many Racing fans crazy, but it doesn’t bother me. Professional soccer players can play 90 minutes pretty consistently. Here is the part that I think people may be missing. No player ever wants to not play…ever. You could argue that the coach needs to protect the players from themselves sometimes, and I tend to agree with that. However, one of the advantages that Racing has is youth. If Racing is to ever get over the hump, I believe it will be with players like Howell and DeMelo leading the charge. They have to get minutes to get the necessary experience to lead the team forward. Racing does have 3 of the top ten outfield players in minutes so far this year (DeMelo, Milliet, and Howell), but all of them are still young. Unlike Fox, who has seemed to have played at least a match per week since January, those three have had international breaks to recover. You also have to remember that rotation is different than substitution, and I think rotation is much more important than substitution. Only 4 players have started every match and 19 different players have started. I am all for making a sub to change a match, but if it doesn’t warrant changing why substitute?
Racing’s two goals were squarely of the “team” variety, which is encouraging. The team still has a tendency to overplay the ball a bit in the box and the two goals showed the benefit of a) getting off a shot directly from an advancing move, and b) taking a shot from distance even if you have other options in the box. One day I would like to see a performance where the opposing keeper is pelted with shots. Racing had 11 shots compared to Orlando’s 14, but I feel like they could have easily had more. The on-field communication was better last night, but players still were occupying the same space in attack a few more times than you would like to see.
Racing 2 Pride 0 Player Ratings
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Racing (finally) got back in the win column in the league and also eliminated the Orlando Pride from playoff contention. The scoreline could have been better or worse, but the performance was encouraging if not a definitive turnaround from the last few matches.
Lund-7: Was excellent when called upon. Still had a nervous touch every once in a while, but walked away with a coveted clean sheet.
Fox-8: Had a near perfect defensive performance. Still could be a little more selfish on offense. The collective defense is so much better when she is available to be that last, speedy barrier between the opponent and the keeper.
Bonner-8: Excellent in her positioning and her recoveries and clearances. Needs a match off from getting head contact though.
Murray-8: Was brave in winning balls in defense. Her positioning relative to Bonner was excellent too.
Milliet-7: Maybe just a hair below the other defenders in her performance, but still really good.
Howell-7: Made some really key tackles and enforced her will on the match.
DeMelo-8: Got on the scoresheet again with another assured long range effort. Looked re-energized after the last couple of tough matches.
Wang-8 (Player of the Match): Was relentless in attack and winning the ball high up the pitch. If Racing is ever to become an effective pressing team, expect her to lead the charge.
Ekic-7: Performed well on both sides of the ball in a rare start. Probably still best effective as a change of pace substitute.
McDonald-8: Made the absolute most out of her touches and the first goal was completely made by her.
Nadim-8: Was the beneficiary of Jess's excellent run and cross, but still had to make the right final run, which she adjusted at the very last moment.
Racing v Pride Preview
Racing prepares to face the Orlando Pride on Friday evening at 7:30. It will be the first match at Lynn Family Stadium since the “Fill the Fam” debacle. During the most recent Butchertown Rundown, Bekki casually mentioned that she expected attendance to be lower next year. Friday nights in the fall are an especially tough sell and this Friday not only has high school football to compete with, but also a University of Louisville home football game. Having been a Louisville Football season ticket hold for 5 years, I know what winning does for attendance, but more importantly I know what losing does. I think it is pretty much a forgone conclusion that this year’s Racing Louisville attendance is going to fall below last year’s. For most people, there is only so much losing they can take before they start to express their displeasure with their wallets. For me, I am more dedicated and invested. There are still quite a few people who are. I don’t think Racing Louisville are in danger of dropping too far down attendance, but they do seem to have squandered the initial momentum that a new club brings.
If you haven’t yet watched Jess McDonald’s interview from practice on Wednesday, you should. Jess talks about what she sees as the team’s main issues. In a nutshell, it boils down to a lack of identity, fear when the team hits the pitch, poor communication, and not believing in themselves. With as much as she said, there were still some things that she didn’t say either on or off the record. I don’t like to assume so I won’t over speculate, but when she pointed to losing their identify in the middle of the season, it does coincide with the timing of the roster turnover. The encouraging thing, I guess, is that the team seems fully aware of the issues. And if you are a child of the 80’s, you have heard that “knowing is half the battle.”
As an adult, you know that platitude is complete and utter crap. “Knowing” may be the first step but there is definitely more to improving than problem identification. As an adult you understand that almost all improvement comes in small steps. Therefore, don’t expect a complete an utter turnaround. Here are some signs of improvement to watch for:
Go the first 30 minutes without conceding. Emily Fox was back in training on Wednesday and if everything goes well, will be back to full training on Thursday and available for selection on Friday. She should surely bring some more stability to the back line defense. The last two 4-goal defeats were disheartening, but the first one took place by having to shift Fox into the middle mid-match. Part of this need was down to Murray’s one match suspension vs. Chicago. In the second one, Fox wasn’t available. For this match vs. Orlando, Racing has the opportunity to try to limit the goals. That starts with being ready to defend from the first minute. Racing will have most of their defenders available (Lester may still be a question mark).
Better on the pitch communication. This has been an issue all year, and frankly last year too. The most experienced teams know how to communicate with each other. Sometimes it only takes one person willing to be vocal. Racing may still be missing a true vocal on the pitch leader. In my experience there are things that you say to each other in the heat of competition that you would never say to each other when you are off the field. I think you have to get over that mental hurdle. I have heard hilariously mean things said in pick-up matches that would surely cause a fight if said in a bar. However, usually those things were said as a follow up to not listening to a teammate about something that could have prevented a mistake. I believe that you should always be talking on the pitch. I for one never shut up. The point is that the dialog should constantly flow on this pitch and not be restricted to correction or encouragement. It should be instructional and frequent.
Score a team goal. There are all kinds of ways to score, but the most encouraging ones are the ones scored where multiple players are involved in the build-up. I truly believe that the way you score matters. Scoring from open play is better for the team psyche that scoring from a set piece. Scoring from set pieces proves that you can score from a plan or design. Some of the best open play goals are the results of united cohesion. That is what Racing needs right now.
Courage 5 Racing 1 Post Match Thoughts
IT’S A PHOTO BY ANNE EVANS!! (Designer of my site logo)
The first word that comes to mind is regression. It could be argued and has been argued that despite their record that this Racing team was a marked improvement over last year. I still believe that opinion could be true, but in the last two matches I think you could make a case that it is not.
The first and most glaring problem is that Racing concedes too many goals. I don’t feel like this is breaking news. The clubs tell its fans to “Run With Us” and then seem to tell its opponents to “Score On Us”. I can’t see how this changes without a change in personnel. I will give Beth Giesel of the Lavender Legion credit for this, but if Racing could find 6-foot defenders who used to run track, that might begin to help. I don’t think many of those athletes exist outside of the WNBA, so Racing will have to figure out a different way to improve on defense. Rhetorical question time: how many successful pressing clubs are you aware of that concede two goals/match?
This club and team need an identity. I am afraid/hopeful that this 2022 Racing team will be remembered as the worst team in club history from a points perspective. Coach Björkegren recently stated that the rest of the work this year will be in hopes of getting better next year. Racing then proceeded to go out and put on a performance of pre-season quality, so “message received” I guess. The main issue is that I can’t really identify what this team is supposed to be. The club has a stated philosophy of pressing, but that only works as a cohesive unit. This team is far from cohesive on the pitch. I could see progress in losing with a distinct style of defending, but so far, I haven’t. The announcers on last night’s Twitch broadcast also identified Racing’s lack of identity as a problem. It’s clear to everyone, so I assume that it is clear to the front office as well. I have no earthly idea how to solve this issue other than starting over. I don’t think you have to fire the coach or get rid of more players, but you at least have to make the concession that the original plan isn’t working. Is the club brave enough to concede defeat on Plan A and more on to Plan B?
This team is becoming not fun to watch, which could potentially be the most dangerous trend. I didn’t see any real fight to try to get back into the match last night. That is 100% on the players. I don’t think all of the players were but in their best positions, but players have to take full blame for inaccurate passing (70%) and getting out-passed by 257 freaking passes! DeMelo was probably the least involved that she has been in some time. Overall, only Nadim did anything remotely positive, but after scoring I don’t think Racing had any hope that its goal was anything more than a consolation prize.
I am hoping that Racing’s more casual fans didn’t find the match on Twitch last night. As a die-hard, I wish I didn’t watch it. I would have turned it off if I didn’t feel some kind of self-imposed obligation. The effort vs. Orlando on Friday has to be better or Racing risk turning die-hards into casual fans and not the preferred other way around.
Courage 5 Racing 1 Player Ratings
In lieu of a match relevant photo, here is picture of my cat, Ramsey watching a squirrel.
It was nearly a full capitulation for Racing against the Courage on Saturday night. The team looked neither capable of or interested in putting up much of a fight. The good news is that a top 2 pick looks rather likely at this point.
Lund-5: Plenty of saves but also plenty of picking the ball up out of the back of her net.
Wyne-5: Seemed to be singled out as a player to attack.
Murray/Bonner-4 Their midfield did them no favors, but seemed out of position at key points.
Lester-5: Exited at halftime for Martin, who didn't fare much better.
Milliet-5: Moved back into midfield, but couldn't enforce her will on the game and made a few uncharacteristic sloppy passes.
Howell-4: Mostly anonymous in this match, until she conceded a penalty.
DeMelo-5: Not deployed in the best position for her to succeed.
Wang-5: Not nearly as involved as she had been in previous matches.
McDonald-6: Tried to get involved, but didn't see much of the ball.
Nadim-7: Was absolutely gifted her chance, but credit to her for finishing.
Courage v Racing Preview + News
Racing is entering the home stretch of its season, and don’t really have much to play for other than pride. Their opponents on Saturday, the North Carolina Courage (remember to not buy Continental Tires) have loads to play for. While the Courage would have to leapfrog 3 teams to get into the playoff spots in the table, I wouldn’t put it past them. Coach Björkegren is an admirer of the North Carolina squad and still considers them a top club despite their place in the table. I tend to agree. They have been an especially difficult challenge for Racing with the club not ever really coming close to even getting a point in their 5 previous matches. The Courage score a lot of goals, but also concede more than their fair share too.
Coach Björkegren shared during his media availability today that, in essence, Racing is starting their 2023 preseason campaign this week. Instead of holding back some new tactical ideas until next year, he started to integrate them into practice today. The club practiced a particular tactic (that I will not share) for about 30 minutes. It will be interesting to see if it makes its way into the match on Saturday or will be saved for future use. I tend to think the latter, but if I notice it, I will share. As for the match on Saturday, it will be particularly valuable to the psyche of the team. If Racing can get a win or a draw against the Courage, they will at least know that it can be done. Above all other teams, Racing seems to not match up particularly well against North Carolina, probably due to the Courage’s tendency to overload the center of the pitch with midfielders (according to both Björkegren and Milliet).
The big news of the past couple of days has been the departure of Freja Olofsson to Real Madrid (sad face) and the contract extension of Lo Milliet to stay with the club until 2025. Of course, contracts aren’t much more than payment agreements but the extension of Milliet is a good sign. Björkegren hinted at more extensions to come. In her honor, I replaced Perry Groves’ name in the famous Arsenal chant “A Perry Groves World” (sung to the tune of Yellow Submarine) with hers:
Number 1 is Lo Milliet
Number 2 is Lo Milliet
Number 3 is Lo Milliet
Number 4 is Lo Milliet
Number 5 is Lo Milliet
Number 6 is Lo Milliet
Number 7 is Sav DeMelo (the Arsenal chant kept their number 7, Liam Brady)
Number 8 is Lo Milliet
Number 9 is Lo Milliet
Number 10 is Lo Milliet
Number11 is Lo Milliet
Number 12 is Lo Milliet
We all live in a Lo Milliet world, a Lo Milliet world, a Lo Milliet world.
She really can do it all, except maybe number 1.
Lo is a personal favorite, but so was Freja Olofsson. Bekki Morgan and I interviewed her last year, and it was definitely the most fun of all of the interviews we did. Win or lose, Freja was always good for a “Frejaism” and I am sure that will continue in Spanish in Madrid. Freja’s move is a win-win for Racing and her. She will be missed but Racing definitely got good value (a reported $186,000) for the transfer and Freja’s push to make the Swedish National Team should be aided by her relocation to Europe.
Racing 0 Red Stars 4 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Racing put in a dreadfull team performance in their 0-4 loss on Saturday. It's hard to know where the team goes from here and if there is any value in examining this performance too deeply.
Coach Björkegren was frank in his assessment of the team after the match and didn't shy away from expressing his disappointment. He seemed genuinely surprised by their performance because it seemed to come off of a really good week of practice and a good warm-up period prior to the match. Björkegren said that the team planned specifically for the areas that ultimately led to the team's demise. The Red Stars are not a team that takes you by surprise tactically. They did exactly what Racing planned for, but Racing could do nothing to stop them. The Red Stars cut right through the heart of Racing's midfield and defense with seemingly little resistance. More than once, a Racing player was in the unenviable position of trying to defend Mal Pugh while isolated and backpedaling. Björkegren said that the game plan had specifically called for Pugh to be given extra attention. Evidently, the players missed the memo on that.
Nadim and Fox both owned up to the player's deficiencies after the match. Nadim immediately apologized to the fans in her opening remarks. Both answered some tough questions about whether Björkegren's message wasn't being effectively understood by the players. The feeling that I got was it was really a case of a bad start snowballing into a terrible performance vs. a breakdown in communication or planning.
I think that there are probably quite a few lessons on the game film from the match. It will likely be a painful review for all parties involved, but may prove beneficial in the long run. I think the most disappointing part of the performance was just the overall lack of energy in the first 30 minutes, but there are surely plenty of tactical breakdowns to review as well.
Yuki Nagasato put in a particularly efficient and ruthless performance. She scored a brace, but her terrific long ball to Pugh for the Red Stars 4th was the pass of the night. Pugh looked onside in real time and (of course) there was no video evidence available to prove otherwise. Racing miss Yuki. She could always pick out a pass and seemed to maintain her composure in just about every situation. Sometimes you really do have time to take an extra fraction of a second to make a pass or shot just that crucial bit more precise. Yuki is the master of this. Racing needed a settling presence to get a foothold in the match, something I think several fans overlooked in Yuki's game in her all-too-brief time in Louisville.
Racing has 2 more home matches this season, so it will be interesting to see if any new fans from the “Fill the Fam” night will come out again this year. There probably isn’t any amount of promotion that works better than winning. I don't think losing this match in such a lopsided fashion will be too detrimental to the current fan base, but it surely didn't make too many new converts. Racing is a long term project, but the lack of tangible on-the-field success has to matter at some point.
Racing 0 Red Stars 4 Player Ratings
Racing presented Lo Milliet a jersey to recognize her 50th appearance with the club and it was pretty much all downhill from there as the Red Stars “Filled the Fam” with goals. Without a doubt this was Racing’s worst performance of the season.
Lund-5: Was really not given much of a chance to make a save on 3 of the four goals, but can't be completely blameless for the scoreline.
Fox/Bonner/Lester/Milliet-4: Mal Pugh probably had to pinch herself at some point to make sure she wasn't dreaming with the amount of space she was given to dribble straight up the pitch. A collective failure on Racing's behalf.
DeMelo/Howell-4: Don't let the stats fool you on their performance. Both were nowhere to be seen from a defensive perspective in the first 30 minutes.
Chidiac-5/Holloway-6: Alex was cruelly sacrificed to stop the bleeding. Holloway did fairly well I thought in her 55 or so minutes.
Wang-6: Might be wondering what she stepped into after this performance.
Nadim/Davis-4: This attacking pairing couldn't get going at all.
Nadim/McDonald-6: Jess injected some energy but couldn't find the final touch.
Racing v Red Stars Preview
Yes, that is a wheelbarrow race, and of course I was only able to get a picture and not video. You would think that after attending enough practices I would be ready to point a rectangle and hit “Record” when something funny or cool is about to happen, but obviously that wasn’t the case. I expect the team to post video at some point. The Racing staff, usually Julie Twaddle, almost always has a fun activity planned during the practices that are open to the media. I assume the team has a similar activity at every practice.
Tangentially relevant, Racing really has nothing to play for other than the enjoyment of the game. Last season, Racing turned in a few free-flowing and energetic performances in the last few matches of the season. This season I expect that the team may feel a little more pressure to win a few of their remaining matches, just to strive for some momentum to carry into next season. I asked Coach Björkegren if there was still pressure to win, or if the club could play a little more “relaxed”. He responded that there are both good and bad tendencies that come out when the pressure is off to some degree. Sometimes players become a little more aggressive in their attacking mentality and a neglect their defensive duties, but he has told the team to make sure they keep a good balance.
I have to think that Racing is going to claw its way to at least one more victory this year, and Chicago seems ripe for the picking. They are dangerously close to falling out of the top six and haven’t picked up points against any team in the top six since a 2-2 draw vs Kansas City on June 18th. Racing will be looking to avenge their opening match loss to the Red Stars on April 30th. Racing will more than likely see a squad with at least 3 or 4 changes compared to the squad that lost 2-1 in Chicago. Racing also has shown more tactical flexibility since playing Chicago on three occasions in a month’s time. Look for Wang to continue to cause problems for the opposition. She is a player that sees touches and passes that other players don’t. The Red Stars’ back 3 invites pressure that can be used to exploit their opposition on the counter, so watch for that. I don’t think Racing will roll out its back 3 to counter Chicago’s especially with Satara Murray suspended for Saturday.
The crowd on Saturday is expected to be a season high, and possibly an all-time attendance record for a Racing home match. The Red Star fans travel fairly well too, so there might be an extra bump in game day sales. If you want a t-shirt or poster, be sure to get there early.
Racing 1 OL Reign 2 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Cup finals, no matter how trivial, are the hardest losses to swallow from my perspective. It's especially hard to watch another team win a trophy on your home field. This tournament reinforced my belief that Racing are at least another offseason away from challenging at the top end of the NWSL.
Coach Björkegren is somewhat stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to squad rotation and substitutions. He believes in his starters and they work so hard for him that I feel like he thinks his best chance to win is to keep players in the match who are playing well. Conversely, you have to believe that Laura Harvey had a rotation and substitution plan for this tournament and stuck to it. The Reign definitely have more bench strength, so her plan made sense and ultimately worked to perfection. I have asked the question of Coach Björkegren a number of ways and at different times during the season: Are you rotating players enough? I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this, but in his mind I think his answer is “Yes, for the squad I have.” My answer is “No, because the squad isn't quite right.” It's really two sides of the same coin with the outcome being that the squad is still a work in progress. The reality is the sqaud is always going to be a work in progress and at best you probably get it 90 to 95% right. Racing isn't there yet.
What Racing is really lacking is enough game changing substitutes. In a league season I think you can get away with a set Starting XI (even then it is suboptimal), but in its current format the NWSL Championship is won through a knockout tournament. So is the Challenge Cup. And even though it isn't as meaningful, so is the Women's Cup. Last year the substitutes won the final for Racing. Yuki Nagasato scored the go ahead goal and Katie Lund won the shootout. Imagine putting on a Fresh Lauren Milliet or Emina Ekic in the 60th minute. I think that might have made a difference, but Milliet is required at right back at the moment and Ekic was given the start. Racing's limited flexibility doesn't really allow for a personnel change-up or a curveball during the match. It's 90 minutes of fastballs, and fastballs lose speed the later you get in a game. Racing tries mid-game adjustments in its tactics to change matches. Sometimes it works, but it would be nice to have the bench to do a tactical change with fresh personnel.
There isn't really much to play for during the rest of the season, so keep an eye on how the squad sticks together and learns to play better as a single unit. There can't be a huge amount of turnover in the Starting XI next year if there is to be any real success. There will be pieces added, but at a minimum the Starting XI next year has to include Fox, Lund, Howell, DeMelo, Chidiac, Wang, and Kgatlana. The players I didn’t mention may still be around, but those are the key core in my mind. They need as many minutes together as possible before the season ends.
Racing 1 OL Reign 2 Player Ratings
In a tournament with basically no limits on player substitutions it should be no surprise that the team with the deepest roster won. The Reign's ability to sub in players throughout the tournament and to come from behind in both matches proved vital. Racing is almost ready to match up 11 v11 with the best of the NWSL, but tonight showed that they need a little more help on the back end of the roster.
Lund-6: Couldn't really do much on either of the Reign goals, but did have a fantastic save in the 37th minute to protect the lead until halftime.
Fox-6: Emily and Howell and Lester formed a tight triangle in the beginning of the match to try to play Racing out of their own half. It worked to varying degrees, but they kept the Reign silent for the vital first 10 minutes.
Bonner-6: Played another 90, so she could use a day off soon.
Lester-6: Ditto for Julia. Had some nice forward runs.
Milliet-7: Performed admirably against Rapinoe. However, Björkegren's reliance on her in defense shortens his substitution options in midfield and attack.
Howell-8: Was singled out by Björkegren for praise. I agree. The next few matches for her will prove key in her development into the true enforcer for Racing.
DeMelo-7: Thankfully subbed off after a scary looking head injury.
Wang-7: Kept Racing in the match to the very end.
Ekic-6: For me, doesn't bring enough defensively which is probably why she was subbed off.
McDonald-6: I get the feeling that she is underappreciated by a segment of the fan base that can't tell the difference between the different styles of center forwards. Her hold up play was good tonight, but she couldn't find a way through onto goal in the 2nd half.
Davis-7: Scored a nice goal on a defensive breakdown by the Reign, but it was only to be a consolation prize.
Racing v OL Reign Preview
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Tziarra King warmed up for the Reign’s match vs. Club America while singing along to Bon Jovi. Then she went on to score the equalizer and win player of the match. It seems like King and the Reign are enjoying themselves in Louisville. Now Racing has to make it their goal to end the Reign’s trip on a sour note.
It’s hard to quantify was a midseason invitation trophy would mean to a team like the Reign. For as good as the club has been, their trophy case isn’t exactly overflowing with the highest honors. Coach Björkegren has said that Racing wants to win every match and competition that the club enters, but that is what you are supposed to say. Since there doesn’t seem to be a clear way to rank trophies, I did what any irrational person would do: I created one. I will spare you the math and details, but you can let me know via Twitter if you would like them. Basically, I took 10 or so elements that describe a competition and assigned point values to them. I added in a couple of additional factors to rationalize the model and that was about it. I tested the model by picking a dozen competitions across the leagues of which I am most familiar. Here is the ranking of the four competitions for which Racing is eligible:
NWSL Championship (30 Points)
NWSL Shield (27 Points)
NWSL Challenge Cup (14 Points)
The Women’s Cup (11 Points)
In my mind, the Shield and Championship are just about equivalent, but I would give a slight personal preference to the Shield (I am in the minority on this I am assured). The Challenge Cup and the Women’s Cup are close in stature by value, but the Challege Cup is about 30% more valuable that the Women’s Cup and the NWSL Championship is about 3 times as valuable. That seems about right in my head.
Some of my additional tests showed the US Open Cup as a trophy as10% more valuable than the USL Championship to Lou City and the UEFA Champions League Trophy as about 10% more valuable to a team like Liverpool than a Premier League title and an FA Cup trophy as about half as valuable as the Premier League title. Arguably, a first Champions League trophy would probably be a lot more valuable to a club like Manchester City, so take that ranking with a grain of salt.
Regardless, the Women’s Cup trophy’s value isn’t nothing. OL Reign rested its starters for a chance to show that it could beat Racing after two draws this year. For Racing, winning a trophy in which NWSL competition was the final barrier would be valuable as well. Racing might have to try to hold off an initial barrage from the Reign like they did back in early August. Lester, Bonner, and Lund would be seeing their 3rd 90-minute performance in 9 days if they all go the distance on Saturday. I think it’s possible that DeMelo gets to begin the match on the bench and enter in the second half as a potential game changer. Beyond that hunch, your guess is a good as mine on the lineup for Racing.
Racing 2 AC Milan 0 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Racing remains undefeated against European competition after securing a 2-0 victory against AC Milan on Wednesday night. Racing's pressing style seemed to overwhelm Milan at times in the first half, but the Italian team will surely use the experience to help them in their upcoming campaign.
The ball was in the back of the Milan net 4 times, but only 2 of the goals stood. The first time was correctly ruled out after Milliet either touched the ball or at least interfered with the keeper’s line of sight from an offside position on Fox's shot. The first actual goal was a terrific header from Nadim on a set piece delivery from DeMelo. The second goal was either a skillful or lucky bounce shot from Wang. The final time was ruled out apparently for a foul called for interfering with the Milan keeper. To my eyes, that called looked incorrect but I also think keepers are way too protected. In the end it didn't matter as Racing were never in any real danger of relinquishing the lead.
The contrast of styles is the real selling point for the Women's Cup, and Wednesday was a very fun day of football. In the first match, Tokyo Verdy's disciplined passing and pressure kept Tottenham pinned into their own half for large sections of the game. Tottenham seemed to be working on playing out from the back in the first half which invited loads of pressure. In my opinion, Tottenham was using the match to work on specific parts of their game. A long ball over the top of Tokyo's press might have been prudent if Tottenham was “going for it” from the start, but you don't really learn much from that. In the end Tokyo Verdy prevailed and got a deserved victory on their first trip to the US. Personally, they were the most enjoyable teamto watch from a style of play perspective. Tottenham will try to finish in the Champions League spots this year, but I think mid table look likely for them. The second match of the day was a fairly even affair, but in the end the Reign were just a bit too much for Club America. The Reign rested quite a few if it’s starters, so the final could be a real battle.
Wang was able to show her world-class abilities with a full compliment of teammates on Wednesday night. Sometimes there is an indescribable quality that truly world-class players seem to have. I can't quite put into words what is so appealing about her style of play but the words smoothness, creativity, and ingenuity come to mind. I don't want to so that she looks “effortless” on the pitch because that implies that she isn’t working hard which absolutely isn't true. She does appear to fit in seamlessly and Coach Björkegren said to expect her to integrate even better going forward into the rest of this season and the next.
Racing lined up in a back 4 again on Wednesday. After the match, Freya Olofsson commented that the team set up with an overload of players in the midfield (4-4-2 on the lineup sheet). This seemed to help with possession, but I suspect it will be back to a back 3 on Wednesday depending on selection considerations.
Racing 2 AC Milan 0 Player Ratings
Racing picked up its first win in a long time in the Women's Cup semifinal against AC Milan, but will face a tougher and more familiar foe in the OL Reign in the final. Racing pretty much controlled the entire match and after Wang's goal, the outcome was never in doubt.
Lund-7: She wasn't really required to do much until her excellent save in stoppage time.
Fox-7 (Holloway-7): The left backs each played a half and were both solid in defense and dangerous going forward. Fox has a goal called back after an offside ruling.
Lester/Bonner-7: The most utilized CB pairing this season combined to keep a clean sheet.
Milliet-7: Played most of the match in a traditional right back role, one in which she is getting more comfortable. Her flexibility allows her to be either a right back in a back 4 or a right wing back in a back 3. It looks like she may never get a night off.
DeMelo-8: Bossed the midfield an got an assist on Nadim's goal.
Olofsson-7: Did really well to maintain her discipline playing 84 minutes with a yellow card.
Chidiac-8: Seemed to be all over the field (in a good way) and almost got onto the end of a magical pass from Wang.
Wang-8 (Player of the Match): Had a goal and probably should have had an assist on the mysteriously disallowed goal from the corner. What I would like to know is if she deliberately drove the ball into the ground on her shot for the goal. It is a known technique used by some players, so it's not out of the question that it was done on purpose.
Nadim-8: Got the first goal and was subbed off early as a precaution.
McDonald-7: Her pressing caused havoc and her cross was the impetus for Wang's goal.
Davis-6: Came on for Nadim and had a decent effort that was off target in the second half.
Racing v AC Milan Preview
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Racing now knows its Women’s Cup semifinal opponent for Wednesday’s 8pm match and it’s AC Milan. Milan got the better of Tokyo Verde in the first quarterfinal matchup at Lynn Family Stadium by mostly absorbing pressure and scoring on the counter. It was the less physical of the two matchups, but that isn’t saying much as the level of contact and intensity in both matches that were technically “friendlies” was way more than I anticipated. Welcome to the United States of America where our soccer officials can’t even control a friendly match! From the start of the first match, the officials decided to “let them play” and players in both matches had to leave the field with worrying injuries. Come to America and play in a league where your career could be over in an instant because the officials are afraid to make calls! That’s probably not the NWSL’s pitch to foreign-born players, but it might be an accurate one.
Also, Tottenham immediately lost upon finding out there was a chance to win a trophy.
Enough on our terrible American soccer officiating problem…let’s move on to Racing who signed another goalkeeper on Monday in Kelsey Daugherty. The answer to the question “Why does a team need 4 goalkeepers on its roster?” is: it doesn’t. Realistically this move was made to allow Racing to have cover if/when Beall and Bloomer go out on loan. Wherever either of them is loaned, that club’s season is bound to overlap with the beginning of the NWSL season, so Daugherty seems like an insurance plan to next year. There’s room on the roster (AHEM) so why not?
Before Beall and Bloomer travel the globe to break in their professional mitts, they could be called on for a match this week. It’s a tough call, but I say start Bloomer on Wednesday. If Racing wins its semifinal match, then there is another selection headache. If they lose, I think Beall gets a shot on Sunday. I’m not sure if there is a limit on subs (because I am too lazy to look it up or ask), so theoretically Racing could play two completely separate teams in each half. I don’t think that’s the plan, so I expect some changes but honestly nobody on the roster concerns me in the starting lineup. Last year’s final starting XI, did make me wonder if it was going to be 0-3 at half. Since I have no earthly idea on Wednesday’s lineup, let’s speculate…
That lineup looks fairly crazy, so let’s go with that one. I do expect Martin, Ekic and Holloway to get starts but who knows? Racing will try to win the match, but I think the players that have 16 league starts (DeMelo, Howell, Lund, and Milliet) should get the evening off.
Dash 0 Racing 0 Post Match Thoughts
Racing put in a tremendous team defensive effort in the second half to salvage a point against Houston. Unfortunately it was a rather useless point in the grand scheme of things for Racing, and also unfortunately it probably didn't do too much damage to Houston's playoff hopes either. Based on Houston's performance in the second half against Racing, they don't look like much of a threat to do any real damage in the playoffs.
To put some perspective on how terrible Houston was in the second half, the Dash had only a 53% to 47% possession advantage in the second half WITH ONE MORE PLAYER. Even if the Dash got off 7 shots in the second half, almost none of them required anything other than a basic goalkeeping effort from Lund. At first I thought that Houston might just be trying to lure Racing out of its defensive third a bit, but as the half wore on it became clear that besides transition goals and penalties, the Dash doesn't really know how to manufacture much offense. Neither team looked close to scoring after halftime. If I was a Dash fan, I would be tremendously disappointed with the lack of execution in the second half.
Racing didn't have much to offer offensively either. On the other hand, the collective defending was excellent. If only they could channel this collective effort when they actually have a lead and eleven players on the pitch, maybe they would be in better position in the table. The back 3 didn't really work against Houston. Racing couldn't get out of its own half to start the match, and the extra defender definitely left fewer players available to attack and press. You can press with a back 3, but I personally believe you need 3 attackers willing to press at all times and sometimes that math doesn't work out in a 3 CB system. We definitely saw little to no pressing from Racing in this match. I’m fine with the pragmatism of a back 3 against Houston, I just wonder where this pragmatism was in the first half of the season. In fairness, perhaps it was only after Murray's arrival that it was even feasible.
Lauren Milliet made her 50th appearance for Racing in all NWSL competitions last night. She is obviously the first player to do this being the only player to appear in every Racing match to date. I've been told to expect some fanfare related to this from the club.
Dash 0 Racing 0 Player Ratings
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
A point on the road after playing more than a half down a player is always a good result. It was also assisted by the most ineffectual half of football that I have seen in quite some time from a team with a player advantage. If this Dash team is a serious contender, I sure don’t see it.
Lund-6: She had a couple of bobbles in the first half, and one good save on Salmon's shot. Didn't really have a whole lot to do in the second half.
Murray-5: I thought the second yellow was soft, but you have to avoid being put in that position.
Bonner-7: Led the newly formed back line after Murray was sent off and will surely be pleased with the clean sheet.
Fox-7: Put in really good shifts at both CB and LB. Looked good in the rare attacking forays as well.
Milliet-7: Helped keep the wing attacks from Houston in check, especially in the second half.
Lester-7: It's so good to not have to immediately sub when a defender is sent off, so her flexibility was a big plus tonight.
Chidiac/Howell/DeMelo-7: The central midfield was sort of invisible in the first half, but key in keeping Houston out of the middle of the pitch in the second.
Nadim-7: Not given a ton of opportunities, but held the ball up nicely in the second half to alleviate pressure.
Davis-6: Rookies will have up and down nights, so I look to her to rebound from a rather pedestrian performance tonight.