Racing 1 (4) v Courage (5) 1 Player Ratings

Racing let one slip away by sitting too deep too early. Overall, Racing played better than they have recently.

Lund-7: Had a few good saves, but could do nothing on the goal.

Pickett-7: Got a little lucky on the goal but won't mind.

Erceg-7: Really solid for the first 75 minutes.

Wright-6: Subbed off at half to give Jean some minutes. Ellie deputized well.

Milliet-6: Took a really nasty foul and maybe should have won a penalty.

Flint-6: It was a quiet night for her.

Howell-8: I thought she was excellent. The missed penalty doesn't cheapen it.

DiGrande-6: Couldn't quite connect with Sears as much as I would have liked.

DeMelo-6: Worryingly went off, but stayed on the bench after she was subbed.

Fischer-7: Put in an excellent pressing performance at the 9, and got an assist.

Sears-7: Appeared to be back to her old self.

Borges-6: Got a really smart yellow card to prevent a dangerous counter attack from the Courage.

Jean-6: Has earned more minutes with her solid performance.

Racing v Courage Pre Match Thoughts

Courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Racing gets another bite at NC Courage apple on Friday night in the NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup. The Courage have always been a nightmare team for Racing, but I attribute the current gap between the teams to stylistic difference (or stylistic superiority in my humble opinion) in its current iteration. North Carolina is missing 5 Olympians, but it remains to be seen if their absences will be enough for Racing to get over the hump.

• The recent trip to Cary, North Carolina (home of the world’s least spectacular stadium, WakeMed Soccer Park) has definitely left a bad taste in the mouths of the Racing players. Bev commented that she didn’t feel like she needed to give the team any extra motivation to get up for this match. You would have to think that Abby Erceg would especially like to stick one to her old club sooner rather than later. If they are to do so Racing will probably have to a) possess more of the ball or b) at least not let the Courage possess so such of it in Racing’s defensive half. Having “not Casey Murphy” in the Courage goal is always a brighter scenario too. In the last match I felt like Racing ultimately outclassed Monterrey, so they definitely must do something different here to get points.

• Racing have been practicing penalties in order to prepare for a shootout if things come to that in either of the next two matches. Last season prior to the knockout rounds of the Challenge Cup, Racing practiced penalties but kept them under wraps. This year, I got to see a few players take penalties. I personally think penalties can be over analyzed and there is definitely increased focus on them at the highest levels of football. Bev did say that they have “mechanisms as a staff to prepare the goalkeepers…to provide them information…quickly, so we have a lot of processes in place for that specifically.” For me, show me a saved penalty and I will show you a mediocre-at-best effort.

• Not apropos of anything really, but Kirsten Wright seems like a afterthought on this team now. She didn’t practice today but was around at the end of practice. Since she is signed through the 2026 season, you have to assume that she will be around next season if she is healthy. It’s hard to say if Racing actually misses her as the combo of Sears and Turner have produced more numerically than she ever did. I said a few weeks ago that if she were to have an impact on this season, she would have to get some minutes in the summer tournaments. As of this moment, I don’t foresee that happening. One thing is for sure: Racing could have used the extra roster spot earlier in the season if they knew she was going to be out this long.

• Is it just me or have 4 seasons of general lackluster play caused the fan base to go from hope to frustration to apathy in a fairly quick manner. This season has been the least excited I have been entering into a Racing season yet, and I haven’t seen anything yet to make me think my excitement level was wrong. I will admit that external factors are at play for me. My true football love (Arsenal) is good again, so that plays into my general lack of enthusiasm toward Racing because I have a different outlet for my football enjoyment. However, I don’t sense that I am alone. The attendance has been up, but has the enthusiasm? Maybe it has, and I just haven’t noticed. I think this franchise needs a shot in the arm and barring a trophy (I would even take a 2nd Women’s Cup) I don’t see much on the horizon worth me getting excited about. A playoff run might do it, but this club needs something newsworthy AND positive to happen.

Racing 3 Monterrey 1 Post Match Thoughts

Courtesy Elizabeth Shaw

In the end Racing fairly easily handled Rayadas after a slow start. The goal in the group stage of this competition is to maximize points and goal difference, so job mostly done.

• Stop me if you've heard this one before, but Racing got off to a slow start. When asked about it, Bev who is ever the optimist in her public facing comments about the team, commented that she felt like there were shifts in momentum, not necessarily a slow start. That's definitely one way to look at it. Let's be honest here. The 2nd half showed us that Racing was completely capable of bossing the match. They simply weren't organized enough to do so in the first 30 minutes. Bev also mentioned that the particular focus this week in practice was on counter pressing. You have to say that Racing did look good in their counter press in the 2nd half, but there were moments in the first where they weren't as coordinated in their pressing. I think Racing is still in the phase of their system with Beth where they are thinking too much. Counter pressing hasn't become second nature yet. Bev still has to call out to the players when to press too often. A tweak at half meant that Racing were much more fluid in their style in the 2nd half.

• When the match opened, it looked like Rayadas identified Sears and DeMelo as Racing's “danger women” and doubled both frequently. It was slightly ironic that both were involved in all 3 goals, but not in their typical ways. Sears scored from being in the right place at the right time, and DeMelo assisted twice by making the right pass. On Fischer's goal, Rayadas kind of lost track of Sav and to her credit, she took only a single touch to find Kayla. It's not the typical thing we see from Sav and I wish we would see more of it. On Ary's goal, I think the set piece benefited by Wright starting it centrally, then getting it out to DeMelo wide so she could deliver the ball into the box at a better angle. Let me also point out that the defending by Monterrey on both of those goals was atrocious.

• Jordyn Bloomer proved herself to be a very capable shot stopper. It is quite a jolt to see someone other than Katie in the goal, and you don't quite appreciate her physical presence in goal until you see someone else out there. I hope that we continue to see Bloomer out there for the next couple of matches. I think she would be better evaluated against an NWSL opponent and I don't think one match is a fair evaluation period. Surely Orlando and North Carolina would put her under much more pressure in the build up which is where we need more match film on her.

Racing 3 Monterrey 1 Player Ratings

After a slow start Racing handled Monterrey pretty handily in the second half. Racing still can't string 2 good halves of football together, but they will take the 3 points.

Bloomer-7: Deputized well for Lund, but we didn't get to see her distribution skills much.

Pickett-6: Got a few minutes off for once.

Erceg-6: This probably doesn't interest anyone but me, but a comedy of errors meant that she didn't get the captain's armband after Howell departed.

Wright-7: It was good to see her at left back for a bit.

Milliet-7: Good going forward and had a couple of decent looks at goal.

Flint-7: Helped control the 2nd half.

Howell-7: Had an assist (or at least I think it will count that way) on Sears goal.

DiGrande-7: I continue to like how she gets into space centrally.

DeMelo-7: Great assist on Ary's goal.

Sears-7: In the right place at the right time for her goal.

Turner-6: Found it difficult to get too many touches.

Bahr-6: Put in a solid 2nd half.

Fischer-7: Took her goal well.

Borges-7: It was good to see her get a goal.

Racing v C. F. Monterrey Pre Match Thoughts

Racing will play it’s first match in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup on Saturday at 8pm against Liga MX team Rayadas de Monterrey. The “Striped Ones” were the champions of the Clausura section of the Liga MX season. Racing's group (E) is rounded out with Orlando and North Carolina, so the club faces a challenging group stage. The rules for the tournament can be found on the “Rules and Policies” section of the official NWSL website if you want to know more. Here are some items of specific interest, followed by my usual thoughts:

• There are 5 groups, but only the 4 group winners with most points advance to the knockout stage. The tiebreaker procedure is the usual type of thing (goal difference, goals scored, then discipline).

• The unique-ish (but fairly common for summer club tournaments) feature is that draws award each team a point, but there will be a penalty shootout after full time to award one additional point to the shootout winner. The usual 3 points for a win still applies.

• Kayla Fischer may want to note that two yellow card offenses during the first two matches will result in a suspension for the last group match, but all cards will be wiped for the knockout stage.

• There will still be a limit of 5 subs, with the standard concussion protocols in place. The minimum game day roster size is 18 with a max of 20. I am fairly certain that for NWSL teams, the player must be under an NWSL contract but with some teams sending off 7 players I think they could appeal to add a non-rostered player (it isn’t clear in the stated rules).

• It's tough to know how Racing plan to use these 3 games other than what was presented at face value. The general feeling that I got was that the plan was to continue to hone the themes and skills that have been part of the system, but maybe to focus more on the specific execution of the details. Clear as mud? When pressed (by me even though I should know better by now), Bev gave no indication of whether or not we might see some players that we haven't seen much of to date. I remain ambivalent on whether or not it would be good to rotate in some new players. It's not as if the regulars are setting the world afire, so figuring out a better rhythm might be the way to go. Regardless, it feels like previous years in that the back end of the roster is just along for the ride.

Courage 3 Racing 1 Post Match Thoughts

Courtesy NWSL

Seemingly incapable of putting together two consecutive halves of solid football, Racing is now 0-0-10 all time against the North Carolina Courage. The second half display by Louisville was by far their worst this season, and things look pretty bleak at the moment. Luckily, the players and staff will have some time off to regroup and try to salvage something by the end of the season.

• Somewhat incomprehensively, Racing finished the weekend no worse for wear in the hunt for a final playoff spot. Louisville is in the worst form in the league based on their last five matches (1 point from 15). They are aided by the fact the 5 teams below them have only marginally better recent form. This stretch of matches before the break seems like a missed opportunity, but based on Racing’s performances you have to wonder if the opportunity was really truly there.

• After the aggressive decision by Sean Nahas to make 3 attacking changes at half, Racing had no answer for the speed and ferocity of North Carolina’s attack. The Courage’s first goal was a delight to those of us who prioritize ball movement over individual brilliance. It is my personal favorite type of goal. It makes the defense look confused and bewildered. My operating principle is that the ball is always the fastest thing on the pitch, so to see a goal like that reminds me of what is great about football. When teams get that type of quick passing right, there is little you can do to stop it. Wingate’s cheeky finish on the Courage’s third was the result of some good ball movement and a fortunate bounce when Erceg stopped the initial pass. It wasn’t as good as the first but was a “tails up” type of goal that teams get when they are “feeling it” and have the match well in hand. Lund frankly gifted the Courage the second goal, and if the team wasn’t already demoralized, that surely did it.

• Turner scored a fine goal of her own. Here she is describing it. “Obviously, back to goal, I know that a quick touch and a shot will probably not be expected. The ball was able to get through to me, and I just saw a window, and I just took a shot.” It was the type of center forward’s goal that Racing misses out on when Bahr is starting centrally.

• After the match Coach Moscato talked about cohesion and the lack of it in the second half. According to her, Racing’s lines of engagement became stretched and there wasn’t tactical cohesion in terms of players not collectively knowing when to press and when to drop. Maybe it's me, but Racing rarely seems cohesive. I will be honest with you and say that maybe they are, and it is just in patterns that I don’t recognize. I will tell you that I often see pattens that I recognize when I watch Racing’s opponents. It could just be my bias in that I think that we all tend to do more pattern recognition when the patterns are more pleasing to us. When I watch Racing, especially recently, I see a team of individuals who never quite know what to expect from each other. That issue was something that I pointed out at the tail end of last season too. I am positive that the staff is working tirelessly to communicate how they want their system to work, and I am sure that the players are giving it their all. I am just not recognizing it. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Maybe it’s a chaotic pattern that is meant to be disruptive and therefore my brain won’t see it as I like pleasingly elegant ball movement and spacing. I will tell you this. Regardless of the plan, it isn’t producing results and Racing’s better opponents seem to have no trouble figuring out the weaknesses.

Courage 3 Racing 1 Player Ratings

The Courage showed it class, seemed to shift into another gear, and then cut through Racing in the second half without much resistance. Lund’s error didn't help but Racing were collectively poor in the 2nd half.

Lund-5: 100% guilty of conceding the 2nd goal.

Pickett-5: The Courage seemed to pick on her in the 2nd half and to be honest she looked at step slow.

Erceg-5: Was not her usual solid self with a few bad touches and a giveaway.

Wright-5: Spent most of the 2nd half on her heels.

Milliet-5: The best of the defenders on a poor night, but that isn't saying much.

Flint-6: Looked rusty at the start but worked her way into the match.

Howell-6: Mercifully did not play her 3rd 90 minutes in a row.

DiGrande-6: Got the assist on Turner's goal.

DeMelo-6: Had a couple of good chances and hit the crossbar on what could have been a fantastic goal.

Fischer-6: I know this will shock everyone but she picked up a first half yellow (and then was subbed).

Turner-7: Scored a fine goal.

Sears-5: Appeared slower than she typically does.

Courage v Racing Pre Match Thoughts

Racing find themselves in a rather poor but certainly not unprecedented run of mid-season form which now means that they are on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff position. It isn’t a great time for a road trip to North Carolina, but if you've ever been to WakeMed Park you know that there is never a great time to visit that dump (although the field itself is nice).

• Carm Moscato was the coaching staff representative at media availability today, so I asked her if the team felt at all down about the recent run of results. I prefaced my question to her about the team's form by stating that Racing seemed to be falling into the all too familiar pattern of a mid-season slump. She she that personally, she didn't feel any kind of “heaviness” related to the team’s mindset, but rather “excited to get it right”. It is tough to understand the “why” of Racing’s recent results, and Carm called it the “million dollar question”. I think it's simply a bad break here or an unfortunate bounce there. Racing simply hasn't shown an ability to overcome the random misfortune that will inevitably be encountered in some matches. Put another way, things seem to happen TO them versus them being in control of their own destiny. I will pose a question: has it ever felt like Racing coveted control? Personally, I think control in football is a two-sided proposition. Focus too much on your opponent and you miss the details important to your own system. Focus too much on your own system and you leave yourself vulnerable when Plan A doesn't work and your opponent starts to dictate the match. Based mostly on what I have seen from this team and heard the staff, I would say that Racing are likely more guilty of the latter. When things don't go their way and they don't have immediate success, it takes a halftime talk to adjust, or when things are going their way, they sometimes seem to forget that a very capable opponent is on the other side.

• I am pleased that Jae Howell seems to be back to full strength. I asked her how she felt and she joked that playing down a player and in a match with a 100 degree heat index wasn't ideal. Here is her full quote. “Physically I feel great. My past two 90 minutes, we were down one and then it was like 110 degrees out, so that just threw me in the fire a little bit, but it's been great. You know I said last game that it's my favorite thing playing on the field with those girls, and it's just been a joy to be back and a blessing to be healthy and so hopefully just keep it that way but, yeah, I'm feeling great right now.”

• Racing really needs to get a result in Cary, but I think they could use some time off just as much. I feel like this team needs a reset. The last few matches have been labored affairs. The mental weight of never having gotten a result against North Carolina is something else the players will have to contend with on Sunday. After that, they will get some much-needed time off.

Racing 0 Bay 1 Post Match Thoughts

Courtesy Jordan Prather (NWSL)

Racing put in another lackluster performance and now find themselves outside of the playoff spots. I predicted that the match would pivot on an error after watching a labored first half from both sides and Louisville ended up being the one who made it.

• There is a rule of thumb that you never make a defensive substitute while defending a corner, but Bev did the next worst thing by putting in Baggett and Goins to defend on a dangerous throw deep in Racing’s territory. Baggett committed the foul for a (stone cold) penalty on virtually her first action of the match. The subs of Goins and Baggett had been planned minutes before, but I think I would have told the 4th official to hold off on the subs until Racing wasn't in such a dangerous position. I'm not saying that this is a major error. I AM saying this is the type of detail you have to get right when your margins of error are so slim. Baggett hasn't played meaningful minutes in a while, so it was pretty clear that she might be rusty.

• Racing will always miss Taylor Flint when she doesn't play, but they especially missed her on Saturday. The passing completion rates for both teams were well above 80%, indicative of a lack of pressure from both sides. Flint likely would not have allowed such nonsense as she lives to disrupt things. However, the heat index sucked the life out of the atmosphere, so who knows how this match plays out in other circumstances. By the way, I hate ESPN. It's full of sports shouting,

commercial breaks where college football players stand around for 5 minutes while erectile disfunction ads play ad nauseum, and frequent appearances by noted circus clown Stephen A Smith. Their worst crime may be that they mandate stupid game times to fill their schedule. I hope Racing never appears on ESPN again unless they get a decent time spot.

• This team has to start to play better. You can make all of the excuses in the world and there have been plenty of extenuating circumstances, but I have heard 3 and a half years of the “this team didn't quit” platitudes. It's definitely been long enough for me to take no solace in any kind of “effort” related, “nearly there” rhetoric. I will throw out a platitude of my own…I'm not mad, just disappointed. However, I can't say I am surprised at how this season is turning out because every season before it has turned out the same way.

• The Fill the Fam match is always a good time to do a pulse check on the general health of the franchise. The average attendance for Racing’s home matches this season is 7300. That is up 21.6 % from last season and also represents a 10.5% increase over the inaugural season which was their highest to date (numbers represent league matches only). Those increases aren't bad, but I suspect that Racing is going to end up around 6900 or 7000 when the season ends. If you would have asked me at the beginning of this season if I thought the roster was 21.6% improved, I would have probably said no. I think I say yes to the question now, but the roster balance is suboptimal. Racing has needed the back end of its roster this season and it has been woefully lacking. Having 4 keepers under contract is a bizarre luxury for even a top-level team. Motlhalo was given the number 10 jersey and has played 7 minutes less than that high-profile number. Clegg isn't close to seeing meaningful NWSL action and Kurosaki has seen no time. I would probably sacrifice Motlhalo, Kurosaki, or a keeper for an extra defender at this point. The transfer window doesn’t open for another month, but I think we could see some movement then.

Racing 0 Bay 1 Player Ratings

It was a day when a single mistake decided the match. Racing was not (is not) good enough to recover.

Lund-6: Got nowhere near Oshoala's penalty.

Pickett-6: Exhibited good energy going forward and had a good look at the end.

Erceg-6: Had a nervy touch or two which is unusual for her.

Jean-6: Got caught on the ball a few times.

Milliet-6: Solid as usual.

Howell-7: Looks to be getting back to full strength.

DiGrande-7: I thought this was one of her better matches.

DeMelo-6: Didn't get a whole lot of good attacking looks.

Fischer-6: Managed not to get a yellow card.

Bahr-5: Pushed Racing’s best chance wide.

Sears-6: Was not as quick or dangerous as she usually is.

Racing v Bay Pre Match Thoughts

Racing looks to get back on the winning side of things on Saturday at 4pm on ESPN against Bay FC. The Fill the Fam match has a mixed history, so it will be interesting to see how the team performs.

• If the last couple of matches have reminded us of anything, it is that you should never tally your points before kick the ball. On paper, the matches in LA and Seattle seemed winnable (and they were theoretically) but Racing found themselves in early holes in both. It seems to me like they just don't have enough “something” to put in a 90 minutes where they can keep both their hearts and heads in the match. Like always, we have seen flashes of intensity and flashes of wisdom but never both for very long. The theme that continues to stick in my head is randomness. There very rarely seems to be a rhyme or reason to how much energy Racing is going to bring to the beginning of a match. The team is really at the mercy of the random nature of existence for the most part. One of the things that I have liked about this season is that the top 3 teams in the league have figured out how to avoid the general random nature of the NWSL that has plagued the last few seasons. KC, Orlando, and Washington have records where their wins greatly exceed their losses or draws. That indicates a desire to overcome the nature of chance and take matches to their opponents. Racing is still struggling in a state of existence in which the metaphorical direction of the wind is likely to determine the outcome most matches. There is a certain fragility to such an existence.

• On Saturday we will get another pulse check to see if this city/region has enough love in its heart to support 2 professional soccer teams. With the attendance record that was set for the Thunder match, the Fill the Fam match this year has seemed a bit like an afterthought. I don't have any real inside info, but my gut tells me that the attendance for this match isn’t going to come close to the attendance for the Utah match and I would also guess that it is likely to be lower than the last two iterations of Fill the Fam. Other than the Utah match, the attendance has been in the 6000ish range. Louisville City is still averaging 10,000. The Kansas City Current appears to be selling out every single match in their new 11,500 seat stadium. I think 10,000 per match is Racing’s aspirational figure. I don’t think Racing’s attendance issues have a single root cause barrier and will therefore take a multi-year fix with mutliple solutions.

• On the pitch, Racing is slowly getting some players who are closer to returning like Ary and Kanu, but they will be without Arin Wright and almost certainly Taylor Flint on Saturday. Kirsten Wright is now further away than she was just a few weeks ago. Ellie Jean will need to step up again and it's been a while since she's played a full 90 minutes in the League (July 9th, 2023 if you want to get really specific). Other than a couple of matches, Bay has been in contention for points just about every time they have taken the pitch. I expect them to perform much better than Utah did on their debut trip to Lynn Family Stadium.

Reign 1 Racing 1 Post Match Thoughts

Courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Racing stole a precious point, and remain in 8th place. Turner was the hero, and Howell showed her value to this team.

• In my pre match piece I stated that we could learn something about this team if they didn't get all three points. For as good as the draw felt, I am not sure I learned much. I never doubted this team’s heart and grit. My questions have always been about their wisdom and poise. I feel pretty much the same way after this match. Racing is capable of producing moments of magic and frustrating ones too. Of all people, I was surprised that Arin Wright lost her head. In the world of VAR, I can't fathom carrying on contact into the box. It's something a player at some moment in the past might have had a chance of getting away with. Today…no shot. Getting sent off and having a penalty awarded is something that has come up as an opportunity for a rule change, as it is just about the most severe punishment in the game. However, the rules still call for both in this situation.

• I really thought the match was over starting in about the 55th minute. Racing's levels dropped and truth be told, a good team would have finished off at least one of the several chances that the Reign had in the last 35 minutes. You have to give credit to Racing for continuing to fight when all appeared lost. This draw reminded me of what happened to Racing on their first ever visit to Orlando in 2021. That sucked. This felt much better.

• Howell had a match. Racing has covered her absence fairly effectively, but this performance was a reminder of what this team can be with her in it. She had the freshest legs of all of the starters, and she ran the entire match. I don't think she plays 90 if things go to plan, but she subbed at centerback effectively until Jean came on for Flint (who is currently being evaluated for a head injury but is in stable condition). I questioned why Jean wasn't immediately put in and Bahr sacrificed, but ultimately patience by Bev was the correct decision. Howell won the header that led to Turner's goal. Her fight was one of the major reasons for the result.

• Fischer looks much more effective in a substitute role. She managed to escape the match without a yellow card for once. I was a bit surprised to see DeMelo taken off, but it was 100% the right call. I think we all saw the formula for playing down a player that worked in the end (hold on until late and then go route 1, in this case a long set piece). DeMelo’s dribbling style isn’t really suited for route 1 football and nobody really wants to watch 90 minutes of it. Racing didn’t really go route 1 much and stuck to their game plan, but their passing became longer and more forward penetrating when Fischer came on. On this occasion, the substitute made tactical sense. I also wonder if Bev was looking to the Bay game when she made a sub. She was already going to be missing Arin Wright and possibly Flint. I think DeMelo’s being on 4 yellows could have had something to do with taking her off before the 60th minute. It was good load management regardless and it worked out for Racing.

Reign 1 Racing 1 Player Ratings

It's never good to go down to 10 players, but 5 minutes into your 2nd match in 5 days definitely isn't ideal. However, Racing stayed close enough to make the Reign pay.

Lund-7: Fantastic ball to start the equalizing goal. Made some good saves too.

Pickett-7: Extra points to the defenders who stayed on the pitch.

Erceg-7: Held things together with Jean.

Wright-3: Has to know to not to concede a penalty in that position especially that early.

Jean-7: Looked good enough to sub for the suspended Wright in the next match.

Milliet-7: Ran her legs off.

Flint-6: Had a nasty looking collision with Dickey and was rightfully subbed off afterwards.

Howell-8: Was really impressive in a 90 minutes that was probably not planned. Won the header from Lund on the equalizer.

DiGrande-6: Tough to evaluate her in a higher position due to Wright’s sending off.

DeMelo-5: Tried to dribble through trouble a few too many times for my liking.

Bahr-6: Was decent with limited touches.

Sears-6: Moved centrally a little more after Racing went down to 10.

Turner-8: Scored the heroic equalizer.

Reign v Racing Pre Match Thoughts

Courtesy USA Today Sports Images

What more needs to be said other than Racing needs to win this match on Sunday? The Reign has earned just 2 points from its last six matches. They struggle to score consistently and average conceding 2 goals per match. Racing could have a physicality advantage too in that Racing lead the league in fouls per match at 12.6 and the Reign are near the bottom at 9.5. The question is: Will Racing step up?

• When asked by Bekki on Friday about Racing’s slow starts, Bev didn’t really have an explanation. I don’t have one either, but Racing has let their opponents dictate the style of play at the start of matches and the start of halves on a fairly frequent basis. Earlier in the year it was the second half but recently it has been the first half. The most logical explanation is randomness. Racing is a “league-average” team putting in “league-average” performances. I think Racing’s average performance should be enough to take care of the Reign, but you never know.

• What has stood at to me recently is that the player-to-player connections are not where they need to be. Racing is near the bottom of the league in passing accuracy and possession, but near the top in things like interceptions, tackles and possession won in the final third. In other words, Racing puts more value in winning the ball versus having it. I call that “eBay syndrome”. It is usually more fun getting something versus having it. If their transition attacks were more precise and effective, I wouldn’t be so against it as a plan. Racing definitely has the speed to execute the tactic, but I am not sure they have the requisite skills. I believe that good teams demonstrate control and precision, things that Racing lacks at the moment.

• If Racing come away from Seattle with all three points, I am not sure we learn much of anything. If they don’t I think we learn quite a bit. I don’t see how Kayla Fischer starts again, but I’m not in charge. Bahr and Turner need to do more in the minutes they are given on Sunday. The defense has not been great in the last couple of matches, so I think we need to see improvement there as well.

Angel City 3 Racing 2 Post Match Thoughts

Courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Unable to string together two decent halves of football, Racing now finds themselves on a 2-match losing skid. For once, it was a sloppy defensive performance that let the team down. Racing has a short turnaround to try to get things right before facing the Seattle Reign.

• Angel City got on the board fairly early with a goal that really only took one very good pass and one very good first-time touch in order to find the back of the net. While it is hard to fault a single Racing player here, I think it was Flint who likely was out of position on Curry which allowed her to perfectly split Wright and Erceg for Fuller to finish. The second Angel City goal really should have been dealt with better. It was a low ball that should have never been allowed to get into the position it did when Rodriguez finished it off. On the third, Angel City got some fortunate bounces, but Wright had the touch that set off the sequence leading to the goal. You won’t win many matches giving up 3 goals.

• In the end, Angel City was simply more clinical than Racing. There were plenty of chances for Racing to get additional goals, but they couldn’t capitalize. A great save by Haracic on Erceg’s header was probably the best chance, but it certainly wasn’t the only one. DeMelo, Sears, and Bahr all could have done better with their opportunities.

• Through 13 matches, I think we have a pretty clear picture of what Racing is. They are a playoff contender and nothing more. That will be considered progress if they manage to ultimately finish in the 7th or 8th spot. I can’t imagine a scenario where they could climb much higher. I could see the bottom falling out, but I don’t think that is very likely either. The team doesn’t yet seem capable of going on any extended run of good form. Flint commented after the match that mentality, or at least the mentality associated with starting better, was “something we’re struggling with.” Right now, this team just doesn’t’ seen capable of putting together a 90 minutes that I would call “mentally tough.” You don’t always need it, but the ability to demonstrate it sure would be nice to see.

• How Kayla Fischer keeps finding her way into the lineup I just don’t get. She is obviously capable of some brilliant stuff. What she seems incapable of is not committing at least one dangerous foul per match. Right now, I don’t think she is offering enough to overcome the fact that she plays too out-of-control. I hope it doesn’t take a sending off for her to either get the message, or for Bev to find a calmer option. I liked Sears getting a 45-minute break, but Racing needs better wing options than Fischer at the moment.

Angel City 3 Racing 2 Player Ratings

A slow start and sloppier defending than usual doomed Racing to a loss in LA. Racing wad better in the second half but couldn't finish enough chances.

Lund-6: Her defense let her down.

Pickett-7: Scored to bring Racing level.

Erceg-5: The central defending duo has seen better matches.

Wright-5: The pair got caught in the wrong position more than once.

Milliet-6: Always looks better paired with Sears now.

Flint-8: Kept Racing in the match. I can't imagine where this team would be without her ball winning skills.

DiGrande-6: Put in a solid effort.

DeMelo-6: Couldn't find a finish and was lucky that a giveaway by over-dribbling too far up the pitch didn't end up costing a goal.

Fischer-5: Other teams have to scout her as one of the most reckless players in the league. Sears replaced her and was far superior.

Kanu-6: Back in the lineup but looked a half a step slow at times.

Bahr-6: “Won” the penalty but didn't do much other than miss a golden chance.

Angel City v Racing Pre Match Thoughts

Courtesy USA Today Sports Image

Racing face another litmus test on the road on Wednesday in Los Angeles against Angel City. If Louisville is serious about something more than a top half finish, this is the type of match that they need to find a way to win.

• Racing is still trying to find out who they are. They moved from 7th to 8th after the loss on Saturday, so by one definition that is pretty clearly “middling”. If you think of the league in 3 tiers (upper echelon/middle of the pack/cellar dwellers) Racing is pretty firmly in the middle of the pack tier. Angel City is arguably in that tier as well (only Seattle and Utah are teams that I feel completely comfortable saying are “cellar dwellers”). If Racing is to rebound against Angel City, it will take a more complete effort that they showed against Gotham. Racing definitely have it in them to win or lose both matches on this road trip, so focus and determination will likely be the deciding factors.

• Forgetting which players are the nominal midfielders, Racing’s midfield has to be better than it showed against Gotham. Saturday reminded me of some of the circa 2022/2023 performances where Racing put up absolutely no fight while teams with good possession skills cut right through the middle third of the pitch like there were no Racing players there. I honestly think that lack of controlled possession in the middle third has been a 3 and a half year issue for Racing that shows no sign of changing. I know I have said it multiple times and in multiple ways on this space, but I just don't think Racing values control as much as other teams.

• I don't often get to hung up on individual match statistics, but I do like to look at overall trends. FobMob does a player rating for each player in every match. While I don't particularly agree with their methodology completely, it is pretty good for an aggregate measure over time. Any automated player rating system is always going to prioritize stat padding and measurables, but there really isn't any other way to do an automated system. Racing's average player rating is 6.96 which puts them at 5th best in the league (essentially tied with 6th place Gotham) and they are closer to 1st place (7.09) than 7th (6.80). The teams above them are exactly who you would expect (Current, Spirit, Thorns and Pride). My takeaway is that Racing is still performing at a rate that is less than the sum of their parts (or at least less than their statistical parts). That to me indicates something systemic above lack of talent. It's still too early to read too much into this, but as long as Racing plays in the style they do (which I admit to being 100% biased against) I believe they will continue to be less than the sum of their parts. Gotham plays more to my style preference, so Racing’s loss stung a little less than a usual one because at least I got to see a system executed well (albeit for only 40-45 minutes).

• While Angel City isn't nearly as good, they do like to control the ball as much as Gotham does. That typically means quite a bit of running for their opponents. With a short turn around it’s tough to imagine that Racing will set up much differently. On her media availability on Wednesday Bev was asked about load management, and that could be the key to how these next few matches go. This is the kind of stretch where you would like to rotate your fullbacks a bit or at least not give them 3 full 90s in 11 days. If Ellie Jean doesn’t see time during this stretch, I think it speaks volumes. I think the same goes for Motlhalo and Kurosaki as well. Howell is getting “healthy” at the right time, but there is no way she plays a full 90 in any of these matches without a deep inquiry (from me at least). Racing’s roster has felt on the thin side for a while, so they really don’t have anyone else to blame if they get overworked during this period.

Racing 0 Gotham 2 Post Match Thoughts

Courtesy Connor Cunningham

Racing got a reality check in front of an ESPN audience on Saturday afternoon. I don’t think Racing played particularly poorly. I think Gotham are that much better than Louisville at this point in time. I think “mid-table” is about the proper assessment of Racing at the moment, and I think we should appreciate that it is a pretty good improvement for a first-year coach/system.

• On the other hand, I don’t necessarily agree with Bev assessment that the little things are what separates Racing and the top teams in the league. Gotham came out and played about as good of a half as you can while staying in second gear. They never seemed rushed or bothered by Racing’s defensive setup or offensive attacks (bar a few early counters). I think it is crystal clear that Gotham values the football above all else. Very few of their passes went awry and frankly very few of them were very difficult to complete. Their spacing was quite excellent and pleasing to the eyes. When Racing did get on the ball, Gotham fought very hard to immediately get it back. For a large portion of the first half, Gotham had a near 75% to 25% possession advantage. Coach Yanez clearly has a plan, but I would rethink any plan that concedes that much of the possession. If you only take away one thing from this post, let it be this: Gotham is what a “good” team is supposed to look like. They made the match look so, so easy and frankly for them, it was. They play admirable, eye-catching football and you will never hear me complain when a team like that wins. The beautiful game is at its best when it is beautifully constructed and controlled. It was 3 points won and earned by the superior team.

• Now, I don’t necessarily think that Racing set up incorrectly in this match. Gotham was always going to have more of the ball. Personally, I only ever felt like Racing had a chance to break through on the counter or through a mistake. Racing didn’t apply enough pressure at any point on the pitch in the first half. I don’t know whether to chalk that up to design, preparation, or effort, but Racing looked content to concede possession even after falling behind. In the second half, Racing had a slight chance to get back in the match as I thought Gotham came out flat. However, Milliet lost Stevens at the back post in the 53rd minute and Gotham hadn’t really even done anything in the second half that I would consider even mildly threatening. Good teams kind of get goals like this from time to time.

• Racing gets to move on quickly, but I can’t stress enough that no trip to the west coast should be deemed “easy” no matter what your opponents’ records say. It will be a chance for them to respond and neither Angel City nor Seattle is near Gotham’s class. I believe Racing can take the match to both of those teams and get some points, but it won’t change my assessment of them at this point. Racing is not quite ready to control the match against the best of the best, but that isn’t really too concerning at this point in their development. I think they are about where they should be at this point, and I think if the coaches and players are honest with themselves this should be a pretty easy loss to shake off and move on from.

Racing 0 Gotham 2 Player Ratings

Gotham played well enough in the first 60 minutes to make the rest of the match redundant. The gulf in class was fairly evident so Racing now know where they stand.

Lund-6: Nothing really to do on either goal, but her distribution wasn't great again.

Pickett-6: Her delivery wasn't as good as it has been.

Erceg-6: Decent if unspectacular.

Wright-6: Ventured forward a few times but ultimately found herself out of position when she did.

Milliet-5: Lost Steven’s at the back post for Gotham's 2nd.

Flint-6: Picked up an early yellow but managed it well.

DiGrande-5: Gotham controlled the midfield too much for her to be rated any higher.

DeMelo-6: Fought hard, but few fought with her.

Fischer-5: Had too many giveaways especially in the first half.

Turner-5: Wasted a good attacking opportunity early in the second half with a poor pass toward Sears.

Sears-6: Produced a decent save from Berger on a good effort.

Racing v Gotham Pre Match Thoughts

Racing has never won three league matches in a row. Three times in its history, Racing has won two league matches in a row. Twice they followed it with a loss and the other time was at the end of the 2022 season. Breaking that streak will be a tall order tomorrow on Ali day at Lynn Family Stadium. The match is at noon on ESPN and is a good opportunity to showcase Racing and the city. However, Gotham are a good and physical team full of recognizable names.

On paper, the schedule lightens up a bit for Racing after this match, but I think any team relaxes at their own peril in this league. Regardless of Angel City’s and Reign’s current placement in the table, a trip to the west coast to play in LA on Wednesday and then Seattle on Sunday is a tall order. Any kind of result against Gotham would likely be a positive one.

Gotham poses nightmare matchups across the pitch, not only through their talent, but also through their willingness to switch things up between and during matches. Gotham rarely falls into a predictable pattern even if they do play in a recognizable style. They started slowly this season but have strung together some results against teams in the bottom half of the league. No apologies are necessary as the schedule is what it is.

Racing is ever so slowly getting back healthy, but I think they will go with the lineup they used in Chicago with Fischer being available after her suspension. Howell will surely be eager to get minutes, but I imagine the scoreline will dictate how many minutes she gets. Kirsten Wright could make the bench, but she will likely need some extended time during the summer break to find some form and some minutes.

Gotham got “Searsed” in New Jersey, so they might decide to pay a little extra attention to her in this match. If Bahr starts, this would be a good match for her to get a second goal. DeMelo is in fine form, so expect the physical Gotham players to foul her plenty. Racing has done a decent job of spreading the goals around, but if they are to pull this one out, someone other than a usual suspect may have to step up.