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OL Reign v Louisville Challenge Cup Semifinal Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Louisville will play in its first ever NWSL knockout match on Wednesday night at 10 PM Eastern time in Seattle. Knockout matches are different, regardless of any protestations of players and coaches stating that they treat them like any other match. It is virtually impossible to play them in the same manner in which you would play a normal league match. In my opinion, knockout matches tend to be cagier affairs with neither team wanting to make an early mistake. I believe the players and coaches when they say the preparations are mostly the same (both Lund and Björkegren confirmed that penalty taking had taken up some of their preparation time in the last week or so). However, the reality of “win or go home” is something that no human can reasonably ignore.
Still, there is no way that Louisville will come out and play demonstrably different than they have all season. There was every reason to be conservative against Portland and to their tremendous credit they simply didn't and got a fantastic result. DeMelo will be back, but Coach Björkegren made it sound like Howell and Nadim would only be available from the bench and Baggett and Pickett didn't travel. I think Pickett’s absence is the key once again, but I agree with Coach Kim's assessment that Holloway overcame her early error to play a good match against Portland. It was something she didn't do in the brief chance that she got last season.
It will also be 6 midfield combinations in 6 matches for Louisville, but this time I suspect that the only change to the Starting XI will be DeMelo slotting into her normal spot with Wang now absent (maybe permanently?) due to her international obligations to the Chinese national team. I don’t believe that Wang has an option for 2024, so she could be allowed to stay in China to plot her next move. Louisville has plenty of cover at her position. Having Monaghan and Kgatlana on the pitch at the same time worked in the last match, so I think you stick with that.
As previously stated, I hate penalty shootouts even when I have no skin in the game, so I hope this match ends in regulation. There is a certain randomness to the outcome of any NWSL match, so adding that extra bit of randomness from a shootout is a bridge too far for me. Nonetheless, I will watch it if it comes to that, but will be miserable the entire time that I do so
Louisville 2 Portland 1 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Jordan Prather
There is lots of credit to go around for this match because it truly was a team victory. Only time will tell if this 3 points leads to something better on the horizon, but on the evening you couldn't ask for a better result, especially under the circumstances.
Louisville throughly outplayed Portland. Portland were poor on the night. That is not an excuse, but a circumstance that Louisville imposed on them. Missing Sophia Smith might be given as an excuse, but I don’t trade in excuses and believe you make no apologies when you get 3 points. A tremendous amount of credit must be given to the coaching staff. I don't think I would have set up to play Portland in their typical manner with the number of key players missing, but obviously the staff thought sticking with the usual game plan with a few tweaks was the right decision and they were proven 100% correct. Portland looked average, and frankly maybe they are average at best without Smith.
Even though I gave Rebecca Holloway a low rating out of principle, other than that moment of madness I thought she did really well. It's tough to say if making that early mistake sharpened her focus, but I give her full credit for shaking it off and rising to meet the challenge for the rest of the match. She will likely be called upon again on Wednesday, so I expect her to retain the focus she showed during the majority of this match.
Abby Erceg put in a great performance and was key in ensuring that Portland never really had many chances in the final stages of the match. Her value to the club this season cannot be overstated. She has to take a great deal of the credit in keeping her teammates focused after conceding early.
Thembi Kgatlana put in a tremendous attacking performance that was finally rewarded with a goal. To my eyes she is still to overly reliant on her right foot, but taking that extra touch to score the winner was very shrewd. Louisville attackers always seem to favor shooting at the near post and both she and Kanu had opportunities where I would have liked to see them challenge the keeper by going across the goal. The scoreline could have been much h more comfortable if Louisville had converted any of the 3 big chances that they missed. I give credit to Bella Bixby for keeping Portland in the match. It speaks volumes when your best player is your goalkeeper and you still lose 2-1.
Louisville will get Sunday off before practicing on Monday then flying out to Seattle. DeMelo will be available, but it's tough to say anything about the rest of the absentees. I think Howell is probably closest, but that is purely a guess.
Louisville 2 Portland 1 Player Ratings
Courtesy Elizabeth Shaw
Louisville overcame an early mistake to finally beat Portland and the result was entirely fair. There should be tremendous belief in themselves and each other after such a good performance.
Lund-7: Fantastic in goal and in distribution.
Holloway-5: Had one costly error in an otherwise solid performance.
Erceg-8: Got a goal (or caused an own goal) and was great leading the back line.
Lester-7: Was a great CB partner for Erceg on the night.
Milliet-7: Another really good performance for Lo.
Pikkujämsä-7: Deputized for Howell superbly.
Borges-8: Absolutely bossed the midfield.
Wang-7: Was the best version of herself tonight.
Monaghan-6: A little unlucky not to score.
Davis-7: Had a really good performance leading the line.
Kgatlana-8: Scored a fantastic goal and was voted player of the match.
Louisville v Portland Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy Racing Louisville Football Club
The main storyline for Louisville this weekend has to be the combined absences of DeMelo, Howell, Pickett, and Baggett. Baggett is natural cover for the midfield so her absence hurts almost as much as DeMelo and Howell. This guarantees that Louisville will be using its 5th different starting midfield in 5 matches.
Then there is the opponent: Portland. If ever you wanted your best possible midfield to be fully available it is against Portland. The Thorns honestly didn't have much trouble cutting through Louisville's midfield in the first match this season, so I wouldn't expect that they will have much trouble in the return match against a weakened Louisville squad.
Louisville will need to keep an eye on goal differential in this match. They currently have an equal or better differential than the 4 teams directly ahead of them in the standings. A heavy defeat would wipe that away and be truly devastating to their playoff hopes. I have never thought of Louisville's playing style as very pragmatic, so this could be a very dangerous match to go down by a goal early.
Usually I would say that Louisville needs come out and believe that they can win a match like this. However, I feel like a smash and grab is pretty much the only chance for a win here. The longer this match stays 0-0, the better I will feel. Louisville has been conceding quite a bit of possession recently, so I think you have to go into this match stating that you cannot under any circumstances give up a counterattacking goal.
I can't picture a scenario where Louisville will score “playing through” Portland, so the onus will definitely be on the strikers to create a moment of individual brilliance or to win a corner where you might get something from a set piece. Kgatlana has to find the balance between defending and attacking while she is on the pitch in this match. To me, she always defends on the aggressive side and is capable of picking up a yellow at almost any point. If she can find herself isolated in attack, I think she has to be encouraged to shoot because I have a feeling that she won't have too many attacking options aggressively following behind her.
Gotham 0 Louisville 0 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Louisville escaped New Jersey with a point and were frankly fortunate to get it. As presently composed, it's difficult to see this team as much of a playoff threat but this weekend's results mean that they are still in the hunt.
Four different midfields in four matches isn't ever going to work in the present set up. Gotham looked like they were organized and could plug and play pieces, but Louisville's can't afford to make 3 changes and retain any cohesion. I think it's likely a system issue. In fact, I'm not sure Louisville’s best 11 are its best XI. I believe that next season we will see a roster that may have fewer famous names and more players that work in the system. Kgatlana is tremendously talented, but is isolated too much for my taste. Wang can’t demonstrate consistency and Nadim can't stay healthy enough to be relied upon to be a key contributor. None of these things are the players’ fault, but you have to think that these next few matches could be their last ones representing Louisville. I think Björkegren has to figure out the best group of players to see out the remainder of the season. Injuries have forced his hand, but the fact is that this current group of available players hasn’t figured out how to play together yet, so they attempt to rely on individual brilliance. Louisville fired speculative shots multiple times in a demonstration that they didn't trust their teammates to make the right run in the box.
The defense played well, but the back four struggled to convert anything into an attacking move. A few long balls worked out late in the match when Kgatlana could use her speed, but she rarely had any other option other that to try to take on defenders one-on-one to try to get a shot. The best opportunity of the match came from a cross into the box from Milliet to Monaghan, but she decided to pass instead of shoot and DeMelo's shot was blocked.
Pikkujämsä, Holloway, and Lester performed well, but Louisville missed Pickett's attacking flair and Howell's ball winning ability. Holloway had a shocking 42% pass completion rate but did just about everything else well. However, it would be difficult to picture Pickett below 60% in her worst match. Louisville has to have a healthy Howell to have any kind of shot at winning matches consistently. At this point in the season, every team has injury issues so using it as an excuse doesn't ring true even if it is factual on its face. For as visually pleasing as Gotham played and they really seemed to understand and play well in Juan Carlos Amorós's system, it ultimately didn't pay off any more for them. However, I would say that they dealt with their absentees better than Louisville did.
I would propose that there is no more margin for error, but who knows? Not since the inaugural season has a team finished first in the standings with a below 50% winning percentage. As things stand right now Portland is in first place with a 47% winning percentage. Last year the OL Reign managed a 50% winning percentage, down from 53% in 2021 (Portland). The league like to market this as “Chaos”, which is one of my least favorite words. I have taken the advice of Tom Benson and treated the word “Choas” how the Smurfs use the word “Smurf”, in essence a catch-all term when they can’t come up with anything more descriptive. Let me propose an alternative theory to chaos and claim that every team in the NWSL is just about bang average for the league and the results point to it. In my opinion, that isn’t very exciting to watch (although I am sure many people disagree). This league needs its top teams to be better and frankly I can’t see how the Red Stars have 5 wins. It does make the league unpredictable, but in the most frustrating way possible. All of that to say that you can’t quite write off Louisville’s playoff chances, but it’s not through anything the team has done particularly well. It’s just that every other team has refused to slam the door shut on their chances.
Gotham 0 Louisville 0 Player Ratings
Louisville were frankly outplayed and probably lucky to end up getting a point in New Jersey. The passing wasn't nearly crisp enough to create any real danger but the defense help up to keep a clean sheet.
Lund-7: Had a really solid performance other than a little lapse late in the first half.
Holloway-6: Did fine substituting for Pickett, but didn't have her attacking influence and had a dreadful passing accuracy percentage.
Erceg-7: Held the back line together well.
Lester-7: Made some really good recoveries.
Milliet-8: Clearly Louisville's best player on the afternoon.
Pikkujämsä-7: Did well in Howell'sspot and was fairly accurate in her passing.
Borges-7: The most accurate passer in the midfield.
DeMelo-6: Not her best game, but she is allowed an off night every now and then.
Monaghan-6: Probably should have shot instead of passed on Milliet’s excellent cross.
Davis-6: Not really involved much and was the first player subbed off.
Wang-6: Not at her best, but not her worst.
Gotham v Louisville Pre Match Thoughts
Louisville travels to New Jersey to face Gotham on late Sunday afternoon at 5:30, and will be looking to duplicate the result that they achieved at home in June. The availability report will probably make for interesting reading for both teams. Pickett has been confirmed as out after leaving the last match at halftime. Coach Björkegren said that Howell was “50/50”. Gotham has new and returning World Cup players too, but their availability hasn't been formally announced yet. The NWSL Availability Report rules are an absolute mess and are in need of serious revision, but that will be a topic for another day.
Louisville is now in maximum point accumulation territory, and probably but not definitely need 3 points here. It is still too early to determine which teams above Louisville absolutely need to drop points, so any chance to make sure the team above you gets zero when you face them has to be taken. Any loss probably leaves no margin for error for the rest of the season. In my recent piece for the State of Louisville I stated that 12 points would probably be enough, possibly 11.
I hope to see some improvements in sharpness and cohesion during the next match. The projected kickoff temperature is 79 degrees, so the players will get a break from their hometown's absolutely oppressive heat this week. At this point of the season, their is a decent chance that many players are carrying some kind of ache or pain. Any chance to take the weather out of the equation will surely be appreciated.
For a chance to beat Gotham, Louisville will almost surely need improved performances from Nadim, DeMelo, and Monaghan this match as they are their most likely goal scorers in my opinion. With Howell not sure to start, them team could be looking at its fourth different midfield in four matches which isn't the recipe for success. The back four will be different too, so if Louisville is to scrape 3 points at Gotham, there will likely need to be a player or two that put in 8-plus level performances.
Louisville 1 Angel City 1 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
A record crowd saw a pretty mediocre soccer match on Saturday evening in Louisville. In the end, the home team shared a point with the visitors, but neither team will be too happy with that outcome. Louisville’s returning international players were honored prior to the match, but they all looked like they needed about half of the match to readjust to their club teammates.
Without giving too much away, I don’t think that Louisville played in the manner in which they hoped to play. Angel City definitely kept more of the ball in the first few minutes and Louisville never got a chance to get its press going in the first half. As much as Louisville dictated the first half in Los Angeles, they really couldn't get a foothold in the match until the second half of the home match. There were a couple of stops and starts in the first half that meant that the overall play from both teams was choppy. The 9 minutes of stoppage time in the first half was proof of just how disjointed the first 45 minutes were. Monoghan had a really decent chance in the third minute of first half stoppage time. From my vantage point it appeared that Haracic made a fantastic save, but on the replay, it was hard to tell for sure. All in all, there wasn’t much going on for Louisville until first half stoppage. Angel City figured out how to manage Louisville’s press fairly effectively by sending their wingers wide and playing the ball into space.
Angel City scored with McCaskill again being involved through an assist. She also had a really good opportunity in the first half that produced an excellent save from Lund. Louisville probably had to trade McCaskill away to grow as a team, but when you compare the production that Louisville ultimately got out of the trade (just barely over a season for Jess McDonald) to what Angel City got, I think it’s fair to say that Angel City won that trade. Conversely (I don’t think this is controversial to anyone with half a brain) Louisville clearly won the trade that sent Press’s right to Angel City for the chance to draft DeMelo. Maybe one day the two Savannah’s will play together, but I do wonder what might have been here in Louisville.
Sav and Lo (who are both delightful off the pitch but play like they are in a bar fight)
Rough segue time, but speaking of Sav DeMelo let’s talk about Maddie Pokorny and let me explain why that isn’t as rough of a segue as you might think. On a cold day in the winter of 2022, Bekki Morgan and I stood on the practice field and watched an intersquad scrimmage at Louisville’s training facility. Memory isn’t always a trustworthy source, but I believe that I remember being taken by surprise at how “league ready” DeMelo seemed to be on day one. I think Bekki and I got to talk to her on that day (if it wasn’t on that day it was one soon after) and we were both pleasantly surprised at how professional she already was fresh out of USC. To be fair, she was already 23 when Louisville drafted her. However, we all saw that she was ready to hit the ground running. Which leads me to Maddie Pokorny. She obviously isn’t Sav DeMelo, but all that I can tell you is that the feeling I get when I watch her is a very close approximation to that feeling I got when I saw Sav DeMelo play for the first time in person. I think it’s probably the energy she brings to her performances. On her first substitute appearance, I was really impressed with what she brought to the match. She is the type of high energy substitute that teams need to change a match. Obviously, she and Davis saved a point for Louisville last night. I want to also heap praise on Davis as well, because even if Pokorny did the hard work on the goal, there was still plenty to do on the header. Davis was able to generate enough power from not a super close distance to get the goal.
Look for my 3rd Quarter of the season review on the State of Louisville sometime this week where I will surely get into Louisville’s playoff hopes, but right now I would say that there isn’t any more margin for error.
Louisville 1 v Angel City 1 Player Ratings
Louisville looked like a team that hadn’t played together for a awhile and took about 75 minutes to look like they were starting to play in rhythm. The subs of Pokorny (8) and Davis (8) really saved a point.
Lund-6: Had a few good saves then an almost calamitous error, so on average an average rating seems right.
Pickett-6: Went off injured on what looked like an ankle problem.
Pikkujämsä-6: Made a few nice recoveries.
Erceg-6: Good in the air on defense.
Milliet-6: Must be made of iron to take the physical beatings she consistently gets.
Howell-6: Louisville's best player in a weak first half.
Borges-6: Looked slightly off the pace.
DeMelo-6: Was clearly winded at 75 minutes.
Monaghan-5: Didn't really have the opportunity to do much.
Nadim-5: Held up the ball well on a few occasions, but looked rusty in her first start.
Wang-5: Picked up a yellow card and didn't do much else of note.
Louisville v Angel City Pre Match Thoughts
Louisville prepares to take on Angel City on Saturday night in front of a crowd that is already expected to be greater than 9000 fans. The team has seven more league matches to try to overcome a two-point gap in the playoff positions while holding off the teams below them. Angel City is one of those teams and they have been on a decent run of form with former Louisville player Savannah McCaskill winning the NWLS Player of the Month award for July. All that being said, I believe Louisville is the better and deeper team at this point.
If there is one thing that I hope the returning World Cup players brought back with them from Austrailia/New Zealand I hope it is confidence. Coach Björkegren said that he watched how the players were deployed in the World Cup, but I don’t think he will deploy them any differently in Louisville’s setup, at least not this season. However, I think all of the players will be striving to show that they can continue their form in Louisville.
I counted 20 outfield players available at practice today, and those 20 are the best collective 20 that Louisville has ever had available for selection in my opinion (Kgatlana is expected back soon as well). I asked Lauren Milliet if there was an increase in the intensity of practices due to the players available now and she said that “having a lot of people healthy makes it way more competitive in terms of spots.” Competition at every spot is something that top-tier clubs have in my opinion, and something that Louisville has lacked until this season. With Nadim and Ekic now fully back, the competition for minutes up front will keep everyone on their toes. The midfield depth is much improved over the start of the season, and there is probably just enough depth in defense to manage the remaining schedule.
Björkegren, Pikkujämsä. and Milliet all basically categorized the matchup on Saturday as a “must win”, and I tend to agree. Björkegren even went a step further to basically label every home match as a “must win”, but things aren’t that dire yet. I think a road match in Chicago is more winnable than a home match vs. Portland, but that’s only based on the standings (as I continue to think this team and fans give the Thorns way too much credit and reverence.) The Louisville vs. Angel City match ups so far have been wildly entertaining from a neutral fan perspective and there have been loads of goals. I think any reasonable score line is possible, but I think a 3-2 either way seems more likely than a 1-0. Louisville could have that extra little bit of an edge looking to avenge a draw that felt like a loss, and with a record crowd might be able to ride the emotion to a slight advantage. Either way, it will be key to not play scared and to come out on the front foot. Louisville still has a tendency to start slow, and you don’t want to lose the crowd before you have a chance to win it over.
Kansas City 3 Louisville 0 Player Ratings/Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Louisville couldn't find the back of the net (legally) and never seemed in the match after Aylmer picked up a second yellow early in the 2nd half. For the first time in a while, Louisville looked outmatched and a little tired from the start of the match.
Lund-6: Not really called into action much other than to pick the ball out of the back of her net.
Pickett-5: Seemed to be lacking her usual sharpness in attack.
Erceg-5: Put a substandard performance for her and looked to be out of sorts on the third goal.
Pikkujämsä-5: Overhit some long balls in attack that killed some attacking movements
Milliet-6: Not as involved as she usually was but at least tested the keeper on a decent shot.
Aylmer-4: Not the least bit impressive in her time on the pitch. Seemed to be out of position multiple times and her second yellow killed any chance for a Louisville comeback.
Baggett-7: Did her job even if nobody else lived up to their standards and put in another solid performance.
Fischer-6: Neither effective nor ineffective.
Monaghan-6: Got off a couple of shots but none were really dangerous.
Goins-5: 16 touches and zero shots tells you all you need to know.
Davis-6: Got off 3 shots and at least put the ball in the net even if it didn't count.
The story of this match boils down to the early goal given up and the 2 yellow cards for Aylmer.
The team missed Howell who made the trip, but didn't play. With Lester unavailable too, this forced Louisville into starting Aylmer. I doubt that she see the pitch for Louisville again as reinforcements will be returning soon.
It would have been nice to host a knockout round match, but not at the risk of exposing Howell to additional injury. Louisville is capable of winning on the road, so I don't think fans should take this loss too hard.
Slow starts for Louisville continue to pop up too much for my liking. The team seemed organized enough on Kansas City's early counter, but Erceg looked a step slower than normal. Hamilton still had a lot of work to do, and sometimes your opponent just beats you.
Quick Update: Delayed Player Ratings
I have plans during the match tomorrow, so expect a combined post match post on Sunday.
Kansas City v Louisville Pre Match Thoughts
Louisville prepared for their upcoming match in Kansas City on Thursday. With a semifinal spot secured, seeding is all that is left to play for. Louisville will surely push for a win to secure a home semifinal match. However, Kansas City will be looking to grab a win and try to salvage something out of what has so far been a disappointing season. They are by no means out of playoff contention, but I doubt anyone was projecting them to be at the bottom of the table especially this late in the season. I think this makes the Current especially dangerous on Saturday.
Louisville had to navigate the last match without Abby Erceg, and Bev Yanez (substituting for an ill Coach Björkegren) said there was “no update” on her availability. Sometimes the club provides an availability update prior to the NWSL's official availability report, and if I see it I will post in on social media (1am not calling the erstwhile Twitter by its new name…by the way, Elon Musk is a stupid person's idea of what an intelligent person sounds like.)
Louisville's forward and attacking midfield ranks are starting to get a bit overcrowded, so this might be the last chance for players like Goins, Davis, and Ekic to show that they deserve minutes. Nadia Nadim can't be too far off from taking over the starting center forward role and Kgatlana and are Kanu certainly higher on the depth chart than Ekic (Goins is debatable, so she and Kanu might be a toss up). I asked newly named July Best XI member Paige Monaghan about the competition at forward. She believes that the number of attacking players at Louisville's disposal makes them dangerous against opponents due to the options they have off the bench. I think it's fair to say that Björkegren likes to plan his substitutes and in this season subbing on forwards has been the tendency. At practice you often see players switch teams during the scrimmage and this typically indicates who is going to be subbing on in the upcoming match if things go to plan. At full strength he will probably continue the trend of naming 4 to 5 attacking options on the bench. However those 4 to 5 will no longer be as easy to select.
I think Jordan Baggett has been a key addition and could end up being the pivotal player on Saturday, so maybe keep and eye out for her against the Current. It has turned out to be a really shrewd move by Ryan Dell.
Houston 1 Louisville 0 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Louisville lacked the final product in front of goal and Houston made them pay in last night's disappointing loss. Overall the coach and players said that they were pleased with the performance if not the result. Due to Kansas City's draw vs. Chicago, Louisville still remains in control of its own destiny in the group and there is a great advantage in winning it, but the combined results last night mean that the semifinal spot is now secured.
For me the big story last night was Abby Erceg’s absence. She was listed as questionable on the availability report, but when I asked Coach Björkegren on Thursday about player availability, he didn’t mention her. During the warmup period prior to the Chicago match last Friday, Erceg came over and talked to one of Louisville's training staff. I didn’t listen into the conversation for obvious reasons, but she seemed to be dealing with a leg issue at that time so I made a mental note of this. Obviously, she came out and had a solid, if slightly below average match for her high standards vs. Chicago. I asked Björkegren after the match if it was something that Abby had been dealing with for a while. He confirmed that it was. It really did seem like a precautionary measure with Björkegren stating after the match that if it would have been a final, that Erceg would have likely been on the pitch.
As a result, that 5 to10 minute stretch where Salmon scored was a good demonstration of how Erceg’s presence on the field is key. After the match, Elli commented that while she and Lester worked together well for not having played together on the back line prior to the match, they were definitely missing Erceg’s communication and organization to some degree. Ultimately it cost them 3 points.
Louisville also couldn’t (legally) find the back of the net. I think they got some good chances, but with Erceg out they also missed her as target in the box as they had around a dozen corners. Milliet scored but was offside. That one would be a good one to look at for the “Wenger” offside rule being tested in some of Europe’s lower leagues. Obviously, Campbell was the ultimate hero for Houston as I don’t know how many times out of ten she makes that save on Nadim, but I think it’s certainly less than half and probably less than 2.
Houston 1 Louisville 0 Player Ratings
Louisville wasn't sharp enough to break through against Houston on the night. Some heroic goalkeeping by Campbell made sure Louisville still has work to do to secure a spot in the Challenge Cup semifinals.
Lund-7: Made a few key saves but her defense let her down on the goal.
Pickett-7: Probably Louisville's best player tonight.
Pikkujämsä-6: Solid but missed Erceg as her partner.
Lester-6: Got fooled by Salmon on the goal but probably prevented another good chance on a key interception. Too up and down to be a replacement for Erceg.
Milliet-6: Was out of position on the goal,and had a goal chalked off for being offside.
Howell-6: Took a rather nasty knock on the ankle, but kept the pressure on late.
Baggett-6: Was fairly effective in helping control huge portions of the match.
Fischer-6: Found herself in some dangerous spots, but couldn't convert any of her chances.
Monaghan-6: Her scoring streak was stopped, but she played a decent match.
Davis-6: Needs to develop a more lethal finishing touch.
Goins-5: Not as effective as she was in the last match.
Houston v Louisville Pre Match Thoughts
It's hot. It will be hot in Houston, too. It's probably the first match that Louisville has played in this season where I actually believe that fatigue could be a factor. On the other hand, I played 90 plus the other night and I'm in much worse shape, so maybe let's chill with the fatigue excuse for Björkegren's substitution patterns. I am one of the lone voices that thinks that Björkegren's substitution patterns have been fine this season. Björkegren did hint that the temp would be on his mind on Saturday, but that man is an icicle. Has anyone ever seen him in anything other than long sleeves? Today he sauntered into the press conference in his normal track suit. I was outside for about 15 minutes and was getting very sweaty.
Both Pickett and Howell were wearing much more temperature appropriate gear and talked about the upcoming match. Both said that the team is aware of what's on the line in Houston, but will try to take the match as it comes. Pickett quite possibly has been Louisville's most underrated player this season. She came to Louisville with a stellar attacking reputation, but has helped solidify the back line by being (virtually) ever present. Howell has been key in the last few matches with DeMelo and Borges absent. If you care about such things (I personally don't but understand why players and fans do), you might wonder if Jae should be on the USWNT too. Louisville is much better off by not completely losing its midfield for this international competition. If all three players are still with Louisville the next time a big mid-season international competition rolls around I think they probably lose all three.
As for Houston, they have been playing terribly, but you never know when a team is going to break out of a slump. They are all but eliminated from this competition, but with no other competitions on the immediate horizon it's hard to picture much rotation. Houston obviously has dangerous attackers available, but they have not been scoring enough goals as a team. Louisville on the other hand has continued to find goals all over the pitch. Monaghan has been really good recently. It will be interesting to see if she resumes her regular role as a sub if she continues to score consistently. Nadim's minutes probably increase again, but I'm unsure if that means a start for her. Bloomer and Beall are both still recovering, so I'm sure Lund will go again. I expect Pokorny off the bench again as Björkegren does like to stick to his substitution patterns.
Louisville 2 Chicago 0 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Jordan Prather
I think Louisville would sign up to play Chicago every week because they certainly seem to have their number this year. Louisville showed their depth on the night and as the roster returns to full strength it will make selection interesting for the last few matches of the league season.
I don't want to dwell too much on the details of the goals because I think there are more interesting items from the match, but Baggett's outside foot finish was delightful and Monaghan's finish on her goal was lethal. There were other opportunities too, but both goals were well taken.
I really thought that Parker Goins helped Louisville keep its attacking speed up early. Usually when she plays she is a like-for-like replacement for her good friend Davis. I thought she brought something different on the wing compared to Wang. I asked Coach Björkegren about the differences between the two players after the match and he basically said they couldn't be more different. This is a good thing. I think the best use of a sub is to change the pace of the match. Goins played early balls in attack that created real danger. Wang is the more technically gifted player for sure, but Louisville is very soon going to be able to really throw opponents off with their substitutes if they play it right.
The only nitpicking, troubling item on the night was that several times Chicago split through Louisville's defense with a single pass. This pass was usually central and basic “Route One football”. If Mal Swanson had been on the end of those passes the scoreline might have looked much different. It's something to keep an eye on when Louisville plays a team with a more dangerous central striker.
The defensive unit was once again tremendously effective with Chicago never really posing a serious threat. It does seem like it takes them a few minutes to get into rhythm sometimes and Chicago had a half chance early. Milliet was flying all over the pitch, but called into defense more than attack. Conversely, Pickett had a tremendous attacking night finding herself forward on several occasions. Erceg is such a pro that it doesn't seem to matter who her center back partner is on the day. Lester never looked troubled and Lund didn't really have to do more than make routine saves. It seemed to me that Lund kept her concentration up and I thought she put in a good performance even though it was routine. I can't remember her putting a foot wrong other than over hitting one pass late in the match that was of no real consequence.
The Challenge Cup math is almost certainly on Louisville's side now. The chances of them hosting a midweek semifinal in September look increasingly likely. This would obviously be their first true knockout match. I’m getting my hopes up because the atmosphere For knockout matches are just different.
Louisville 2 Chicago 0 Player Ratings
Louisville used two first half goals to handle Chicago once again. The win puts Louisville in prime position for a semifinal appearance in the Challenge Cup.
Lund-7: Once again she waa.not called on to do much, but was better in distribution and time wasted effectively.
Pickett-8: Really lively on the night especially in attack.
Erceg-7: Solid once again, but had one or two nervy touches early.
Lester-7: Calm and collected and rarely called into action.
Milliet-7: Took over DeMelo's role as being the most frequently fouled player.
Howell-7: Picked up an early yellow but managed it well and shut down a bunch of counters in the second half.
Baggett-8: Had a really cheeky touch on the goal and was really good in possession too.
Fischer-7: Looks to be a solid backup for DeMelo.
Monaghan-9: Clearly her best match in a Louisville uniform. She told the media that she will be thinking more about the goals she missed, but buried her best chance.
Davis-8: Was an absolute nuisance in the first half, but couldn't finish off any of her opportunities in the second half.
Goins-7: It was interesting to contrast what she brings in comparison to Wang. Louisville seemed to play quicker with her on the pitch.
Louisville v Chicago Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy Elizabeth Shaw
Louisville looks to return to action against Chicago on Friday night at 7pm. After a week off, the team will look to continue its momentum in the Challenge Cup and keep its perfect record going. Louisville has a season-high of 8 players listed as out (6 for international duty), so they will have to pull from there depth to get a result on Friday.
In addition to the six players at the World Cup, Louisville also has Holloway, Ekic, and Pikkujämsä returning from international duty. This match more than any other will be a test of Louisville's bench strength. Luckily for Louisville, they could get potentially 20 minutes from Nadia Nadim if her pattern follows a similar pattern to Kgatlana’s return. In addition, Louisville will benefit from only having to make one forced change in Wang Shuang. Chicago is starting to play better and doesn’t have many international absences. It would be virtually impossible for them to play worse than they did in Louisville’s 3-0 victory at Lynn Family Stadium earlier this year. I expect Chicago to put up more of a fight this time around.
One of the difficult things to do in my opinion is to beat an opponent multiple times in a season, especially in a league where the margins are so fine. Jae Howell commented on Thursday, that the difficulty comes down to mentality more than anything else. It is a fine line between confidence and overconfidence. Even when playing well, Louisville has been prone to slow starts. They have shown resiliency to be able to overcome them, but Chicago pretty much capitulated after going down 2 in Louisville. I think the plan will be to try to attack Chicago early and shake their confidence.
With a win, Louisville can set itself up pretty favorably for the next couple of matches. It’s not impossible, but it would be difficult to see any other team that doesn’t win its group hitting 12 points. I will go ahead and say that a win on Friday all but guarantees Louisville a place in the semifinals. Therefore, it will be key to go out and attack in the this match. Louisville’s last two Challege Cup matches will be on the road and there will be very little rotation in the squads now that there are no double game match weeks in the schedule for a while. Louisville can expect the full force of Kansas City’s and Houston’s available squads in the two road matches, so it would be best to take care of business at home on Friday night.
Louisville 2 Kansas City 1 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy EM Dash Photography
Louisville overcame some unfortunate things that didn’t go their way to earn all 3 points at home against Kansas City. The Current came in on a mini win streak but didn’t really look any better than the team that Louisville had beaten fairly easily twice already this season. Louisville’s players looked comfortable and composed all match and didn’t panic when they fell behind early. There was a confidence to the performance that you wish they could carry over to use against more teams where prior history isn’t on their side.
After the match Björkegren was asked about how the team handled going behind early. In his remarks he shared that he told the team that this was a “must win” match. I agree with that, but sometimes that can make you play a little nervy. Coach Kim also shared that he wasn’t pleased at all with the first 10 minutes of the match. If Louisville had any nerves during the match, it showed here. The usually calm Erceg hastily cleared the ball and caused Jae to defend herself with her arm for the penalty. It looked to me like she had a bit more time to clear it. Fischer struggled a little in defense early too, with Björkegren bellowing her name while on defense at least once. Once the penalty was converted, it was one-way traffic for virtually the rest of the match.
On overturned goal, I thought the goal was ruled out due to a handball. At one point, I heard there was a foul called. On the replay I could see that Pikkujämsä might have impeded Franch, but that was almost undetectable in real time. Louisville’s official recap stated that the goal was ruled offside which is also completely plausible. Whichever way it wasn’t a goal, it was ruled not a goal on the field. I think everyone can live with that, but I can tell you what didn’t happen. The touchline official didn’t raise his flag, and least not immediately after the action. It looks like the officials were in constant communication with each other and they probably got the call right. My complaint is that for the second time in two matches, the officials haven’t used the generally recognized signals to let the fans know what is happening. When the linesman raises his flag for a foul or an offside, I tend to catch it as do the more knowledgeable fans. Nobody in the stadium seemed to know what was going with the call. First and foremost the officials should get the call right. However, I believe that they also have a duty to the fans to at least let us know what is going on even if we don’t agree with it. It wasn’t as bizarre as the alleged one-handed signally of advantage during the Reign match, but it did impact the fan experience.
The rest of the match was fairly smooth sailing for Louisville as they had loads of chances and were able to convert on 2 of their 26 shots. Monaghan’s goal was a strike worthy of winning any match. Pikkujämsä’s goal was what happens when you are in the right place at the right time. Fischer and Wang both had 6 shots with Fischer having the best of those chances. On the defensive side, Louisville once again played “keep away” and the Current didn’t have that many meaningful touches in Louisville’s half after Monaghan’s goal.
I doubt that we will hear many complaints about the substitutions in this match, but Björkegren stuck to his substitution pattern of Goins on for Davis around the 60th minute, then leaving the rest up to what he sees in real time. Kansas City put on plenty of “fresh legs” but they didn’t change the match in my eyes. I maintain it matters who you sub on and off and not just that you make a bunch of substitutions. Obviously, hindsight is the best way to evaluate substitutions, but I don’t think Coach Kim will listen to the noise about how he substitutes.
The midfield of Howell, Baggett, and Fischer had a much better second outing and were able to control the midfield for large portions of the match. Howell did a terrific job of monitoring play from the back and keeping the Current midfield on their back foot. Baggett had a really good box-to-box match and Fischer was involved in the attack all night. Madalyn Pokorny made her debut coming on for Fischer and put in an impressive 8 minutes.
Louisville will have a week off now, so I will take one too. The caveat is that with the transfer window open if news breaks, I might have something to say about the arrivals or departures.