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Racing 0 Current 2 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
The effort for Racing last night oscillated between indifferent and non-existent, so the result is hardly surprising. Kansas City never seemed too bothered by any of Racing’s counter punches and ultimately cruised to an easy victory.
There was a huge Taylor Flint-sized hole in the midfield last night, but I am not sure how much difference it would have made. Racing’s back line without Flint in front of it looks labored and slow. Temwa Chawinga scored so early and easily that I felt like she powered down into 2nd gear after the first few minutes in order to save her energy for a tougher opponent. Truth be told, I think she could have scored 2 or 3 more if she was in the mood to do so. Wright was no match for her pace, so when it was Chawinga vs. Wright instead of Chawinga vs. Milliet I thought a goal was inevitable. Thankfully Chawinga didn’t score but the one.
The defense needs some upgrades in the offseason. Wright is not quick enough for the league’s speedier attackers, and Erceg has lost enough of her fastball that she needs a quicker partner. Petersen was off of her game last night, so I won’t judge her too harshly, but it was definitely her worst performance in a Racing kit that I have witnessed. The back line as a whole misplaced too many passes in their own half, especially early, to build any real momentum after the early Current goal.
One of the reasons that I do player ratings is that I believe that stats-based models that sites like Fotmob uses miss quite a few nuances and reward mediocrity. However, last night I think Fotmob kind of encapsulated the effort. The entire team hovered in the “average range” between 5.9 and 6.9. In essence, no player last night did much to distinguish themselves. Milliet ran after a few lost causes, but they were just that, lost causes. Sears’ physical gifts means that sometimes she looks like she isn’t exerting maximum effort when she is. However, last night she quit on some balls and lost focus multiple times. Racing is in trouble when she is expected to play 90 minutes of defense because I don’t think she is fully engaged on that side of the ball yet. DeMelo looked so out of place in what I think a lot of us assume to be her best position, that I bet quite a few of us are rethinking her impact through the middle. Personally, I don’t think Wright should be playing 90 minutes against the league’s top opponents.
The glass half full view is that due to the other league results Racing did not really lose any ground. If the team can get something positive in Washinton, they still have a shot. The glass half empty view, which I tend to frequently hold with this team is that regardless of if Racing squeaks into the playoffs, they don’t have much shot of winning a match against a top opponent.
Racing 0 Current 2 Player Ratings
Courtesy Elizabeth Shaw
Racing got off to the worse possible start and never quite recovered. There isn't much to takeaway other than the better team won.
Lund-6: She was fine.
Petersen-5: Her worst match for Racing.
Erceg-6: Decent enough.
Wright-5: Got beaten for pace multiple times.
Milliet-7: Hustled her tail off, along with Fischer. Racing needs Milliet-like efforts from more players.
DiGrande-6: I thought she was fairly effective in the midfield.
Borges-6: Better than she has been recently.
DeMelo-5: Caught on the ball too many times and disappeared a few times.
Sears-5: Sometimes her best attributes overshadow her mistakes, which were frequent tonight.
Beckie-6: Needs better delivery from Petersen to be more effective.
Balcer-6: Needs better service in general.
Racing v Current Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
The playoffs haven’t started yet, but Racing has to be in “play-in” mode in the next 4 matches to have a realistic shot at making the post-season for the first time. The club is also pulling out every trick in the bag to try to get more fans in the stadium, but that may also be too little to late.
I posted on Twitter (never X) that I was not going to watch or comment on the Utah loss, and I stood by that this week. I listened to BTRD to get a sense of the match, and I think that listen combined with a quick look at the stat sheet gave me enough context to avoid a dreadful watching experience. It appeared to be another in long line of momentum-killing matches. Racing just cannot seem to win 3 matches in a row.
Bev Yanez took The Courier Journal to plead with fans to attends these next couple of matches. The irony was not lost on me that the club decided that the local newspaper was the right avenue for this. I feel fairly confident that The Courier Journal won’t be here in 50 years (and I probably won’t either so nobody should be able to call me on it if I am wrong), but Racing’s lifetime in Louisville appears to be in so much jeopardy that I would count 5 years as a blessing. I would not fault Soccer Holdings if the team wasn’t here in 5 months. Other (mostly significantly larger) cities have figured out how to make their teams sustainable, if not quite profitable. Profitability should not be a major concern for owners of sports franchises, but the teams have to be somewhat sustainable (and sustainable within the rules…I am looking at you Angel City). It would be a local tragedy if Racing didn’t make it in Louisville, but it wouldn’t be a league tragedy. I would argue that it wouldn’t even be a league failure. I am sure the league would much rather have a team in Miami pull 6,000 fans over one in Louisville. Louisville was very, very fortunate to get a team in the first place. I would hate to see Racing leave, but at this point I blame the populace. The last I heard, the USWNT had not sold out Lynn Family Stadium for its match. I think that likely says all that needs to be said about this city. The appetite isn’t there. I enjoy Racing win or lose. However, I am part of a minute minority. If you are reading this, you are part of a miniscule one.
While the club is still hear and has something to play for, I guess I should move on to the soccer. Racing has a decent history against Kansas City, so I give them a fighting chance on Saturday. I will not have too much harsh criticism for the match in Utah, but based on what I heard on BTRD it seemed like Racing had very little control of the match. One should never strictly equate control with possession. Racing was in control of large sections of the match against North Carolina whether they had the ball or not. They were fine with North Carolina possessing the ball on certain spots of the pitch. That is control as well. In the first match against Kansas City, there were several times where the Current seems to have the match put away and were dominating. However, Racing pulled out a point in the end by staying close and Kansas City shutting off a bit. Kansas City is firmly a top 4 side this season, but they are not a team that you count yourself out against if you go behind (where they are about league average). On the other hand, they are never put away if they go behind first (they lead the league at 1.83 pts/match when the other team scores first). Basically, the team scores goals and plenty of them. If Racing are to win, the safe bet is on winning a shootout.
Royals v Racing Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Racing looks to extend its winning streak to 3 in a row on Saturday in Salt Lake City. The simplest formula to make the playoffs is to continue to get 3 points every week, so that will be the focus.
Frequent visitors to this space will know that I tend to put quite a bit of stock into scoring first. It is very clear that scoring first gives you the best chance to win. I know that statement isn’t particularly insightful or earth-shattering news, but it is something that I monitor because it is very important. I think sometimes people sometimes spend too much time looking for deep insights, when the plain as day, blatantly obvious thing is the most useful. Here is why I bring it up now. Racing has fallen behind in consecutive matches. In general, doing such a thing is a bad proposition. This season, when a team does not score the first goal, their chances of getting all 3 points is around 14%. That also means that pulling off a sequence where you don’t score first in three matches in a row and winning all 3 of those matches is around .3% (3 times out of 1000). I won’t bore you with probability theory, but since the two preceding matches are known results, the probability of winning on Saturday if they fall behind is still around 14% based solely this year’s scoring first results. All I am really trying to point out here is that the numbers say a quick start in this match is prudent. It is one thing to fall behind at home (when the road team scores first, the home team averages .69 points), but a worse proposition on the road (when the home team score’s first, the road team averages .43 points). In the last match against North Carolina, Racing let the match come to them, and it worked out well. In Utah, I am torn about what the most effective scenario might be. I like Racing’s prospects much better in a 2-1 match over a 1-0 match. Racing only has 4 clean sheets in the league this season and none since early June. Utah concedes 1.6 goals per match, and only scores .7 per match, so jumping on them early seems to be the way to go. I will feel much better if Racing concedes the inevitable goal with a 3 goal or more lead. Just don’t concede the first one.
As of this moment, I won’t be able to watch the Utah match live. Depending on when I do finally get to see it, I may combine my player ratings post with my post-match thoughts. Either way, don’t look for my ratings immediately after the match.
Racing 2 Courage 1 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Racing fought hard and came away with all 3 points on a humid night at Lynn. By keeping their composure and maintaining their belief, they took full advantage of some costly errors by the Courage.
The outcome dictates the narrative. It is pure and simple. What in the moment might look like a lack of urgency, with a favorable outcome can be later explained as level-headed composure. Conversely, constant pressing may look like brave ambition in real time but turn out to be foolish risk-taking when you end up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. With Racing on the right side of the scoreline on Saturday, I will take my analysis where the outcome dictates. However, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t at least point out that this match could very easily have yielded no points but for a couple of Courage errors.
Last’s night’s match was a reminder that the aggressors don’t always win. In fact, I personally found it deeply, deeply rewarding to find that Racing’s composure is what won them the match especially when it had failed them so many times before. As I said with last week performance, I don’t think this is Racing’s magic recipe for 3 points, but in reality, there is no magic recipe. What is apparent is that the experience that Racing added recently has had a calming effect on some of their nervier moments. Two short matches ago against Bay, Racing seemed unable to stem the momentum of an opponent in the ascendancy. Last night, Racing held the Courage at bay for just about the entire match. One of the biggest differences in this Racing performance against Courage is that while Racing conceded possession they didn’t concede control. Several times in the match Racing won possession in their own half, but calmly strung some passes together instead of just kicking it away. This is what I refer to as counter possession, and that aspect of the match was really good for Racing. Racing outshot the Courage, and the Courage only had 2 shots on target. It was the quintessential example of possessing the ball without doing much with it for the Courage. Racing was able to stay in the match because while they defended for large parts of it, only the last few minutes of stoppage had anything remotely close to the kind of energy-draining “desperate defending” that had plagued them in matches earlier in the season. This may be the best game management result of the season.
There will be errors in every match, so the best thing that Racing did last night was to make sure that they capitalized on them. The terrible back pass by Rauch would have been egregious enough for me to give her a 4 rating if I rated the opposition players in my player ratings posts. Weatherholt probably gets away with a handball offense if it hits her right arm and not her left. However, Racing still had to finish off both errors. With Sears on the right side, she had the composure to take the ball past the keeper with her right foot and finish with her left into an empty net. It’s maybe not the same level of composure if it happens with her on the left. Strikers should be your penalty takers and now that Racing has a pure and experienced striker, Balcer confidently finished off the penalty. I think Racing was somewhat fortunate to have a player that wasn’t carrying the burden of Racing’s history with North Carolina take the penalty. Nadia Nadim has been on the only other penalty taker for Racing that made me feel as confident when she stepped up to the spot.
For the first-time in Racing’s history, I feel like I would define them as a “well coached” team. It took time for this coaching staff to gel completely with the players, but I feel like plans are being executed better than they ever have before. I may not always agree with them, but that isn’t important. Give me a well-executed plan I don’t fully believe in over a poorly executed one I agree with any day. Bev admitted that there are still some things that aren’t being fully executed, but I think that is more of a when vs. if scenario now. Execution is a shared burden, so all sides deserve the credit. The team needs to finish the job, so my opinion could shift again with more evidence, but as of now this looks like a playoff team.
Racing 2 Courage 1 Player Ratings
You will remember the 21st night of September. Racing finally got the Courage monkey off of their back.
Lund-7: Excellent once again.
Petersen-7: Does different stuff than Pickett but has been so good so far.
Erceg-6: A late start and a little slip hurt Racing on the Courage goal, but good otherwise.
Wright-7: I like her so much more centrally.
Milliet-6: Got knocked over more times than usual, but kept getting back up.
Flint-7: Had a couple of loose passes but these type of matches are made for her.
Borges-6: Got muscled off the ball a few times and needs to be physically stronger in matches like this.
DiGrande-7: Interchanged with DeMelo to give Racing some different looks.
Beckie-6: Solid on both sides.
DeMelo-7: Won some important fouls for Racing.
Balcer-7: Missed a header that she will want back but buried the penalty.
Sears-8: Scored a hustle goal that you love to see.
The Swashbuckling Racers versus the Scurvy Dogs of Cary
Ahoy!
I am commanderin' dis space today t' give me take on the epic battle on Saturday at the Colosseum o’ the Eye. Me name be Cap'n Albatross Blades, but ye can call me the Lavender Scourge. I will be givin' me opinion on the state o' affairs in Kentucky afore headin' back out the sea.
First, let me give ye me unvarnished opinion on the bilgewater burg o' Cary. Thar has ne'er been a town more full o' worthless landlubbers than Cary. I spent a month thar one week. It made me wants t' walk the plank straight into the sea 'n become shark bait. The “research triangle” be full o' egg heads dat wouldna know a mizzen from a killick. I'd run 'em straight through wit' me cutlass as soon as look at 'em.
While me buckos enjoy the devil's rum, I am fond o' the fermented corn produced in the bluegrass state. Louisville has a place in dis ole sea dog’s heart. The ladies in lavender do thar city proud. On t’ the match!
The Racers will needs t' be like a cur aft a peg leg in dis here match. The Cary Curs 'ave hornswaggled poor Louisville in every match thus far. Dat must end now! T' pillage all o' the booty the crew will needs t' let Sav DeMelo off the leash 'n send her straight down the middle o' the pitch. The lily-livered curs will likely keep the ball, but the Racers must nah let 'em get t' comfortable. The Racers will needs t' be ready t' batten down the hatches 'n catch 'em by surprise. Louisville will use their seadogs t' weigh anchor 'n hoist the mizzen! The Lavender Legion should sing thar sea shanties loudly 'n proudly.
'Tis time t' head back out t' sea. Thar be treasure t' be found 'n doubloons t' be spent! I will be watchin' from me crow's nest 'n givin' the cat o nine tails t' any scallywag cheerin' fer the dread Courage.
GO RACING!
Racing 2 Angel City 1 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Connor Cunningham
Racing put in a hard-nosed performance against Angel City and got a much needed 3 points. They will need to keep the performance levels elevated to maintain momentum for the last matches of the season.
I imagine an Angel City beat writer composing the narrative for their article containing such familiar sentiments as “they controlled the match” and “didn’t take their opportunities” but it was “not a bad performance”. It again reminds us of the fine margins between getting 3 points and 0. Based strictly on the numbers it is hard to argue that this is Racing’s recipe for success. However, next week's match against North Carolina is very likely to look similar from a possession perspective. I don’t like percent possession as a measure generally. Taken with the pass completion percentage and the number of completed passes in this match, one could say that Angel City likely did enough to win the match. In addition, looking at cumulative xG (another stat that I personally find misleading as a match-indicative statistic) Angel City will feel hard done by. The good news for Racing is that in matches like this one, the stats are a mere curiosity. Racing made the most of their chances and ultimately that was the story of the match.
The reason that it became the story of the match was due to Katie Lund. Even on Angel City’s goal she did all that could be asked of her. I am highly critical of Katie Lund from time to time. It is because she is capable of performances like this that I am so critical. I believe that THERE IS NO OTHER KEEPER IN THE LEAGUE EVEN CLOSE TO HER WHEN SHE IS AT HER BEST. She was absolutely at her best tonight. There was definitely one but probably more than one shot that she is the only keeper in the league that makes the save. I have highlighted where she needs to be better, but I won't rehash that here. She seems to relish matches where she is engaged early and often. Racing will need her to be in top form to make the playoffs and this performance was a good sign.
Balcer's goal was fantastic for a few reasons. The post match media focused on Balcer's finish which was top class. It was daring and assured. It was the type of goal that Racing sorely needs. On the rewatch, I was just as pleased with the ball movement leading to the goal. The passes and Borges’ movement to create the space to make the assisting pass should not be overlooked. It was the classic quick, but not rushed movement that is not only eye-catching but incredibly effective. That movement looked like a team that had played together for years. It's a good sign that things can click so effectively with players who are relatively unfamiliar with each other.
Beckie's excellent goal was also one where the preceding action was just as important. It is hard to overstate how good Beckie's finish was. The angle was tight, but her power and accuracy rendered that tight angle irrelevant. Her finish seemed instinctual and it is the type of finish that you get with an experienced and decorated player. It was all started because Kayla Fischer chased a ball that she was never going to win. Of course winning the ball wasn't the point. She rushed Haracic into an embarrassingly poor pass, and Beckie pounced on it. After the match Beckie made a point to praise Fischer. Unfortunately Racing will be without her against North Carolina due to her picking up her 8th yellow card.
Racing 2 Angel City 1 Player Ratings
Courtesy Elizabeth Shaw
Racing put in a fine performance and finally got a much needed win. They did an excellent job managing the end of the match.
Lund-8: Excellent, excellent, excellent. Her best performance of the year.
Petersen-7: Very nice full debut.
Erceg-7: Great captian's performance tonight.
Wright-7: Looked comfortable back in the centerback role.
Milliet-7: Started off really high on the pitch, but defended well.
Flint-7: I felt like she turned her performance up a notch tonight.
Borges-7: Great assist on Balcer's equalizer.
DiGrande-7: Made me rethink moving DeMelo back to midfield.
DeMelo-7: Great to have her back.
Beckie-8: Scored the type of goal she was brought here for.
Balcer-8: Hit an absolutely thunderous goal.
Racing v Angel City Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy Elizabeth Shaw
Saturday is the annual “Pups at the Pitch” match for Racing and the team doesn’t have much room to “dog it” (audible howl). Every dog has its day (I’ll stop. I promise) and Racing needs to be a “lucky dog” (I lied) at this point to pull themselves back into the playoff race or find themselves in the doghouse with fans again.
That dog won’t hunt: Racing’s recent defensive efforts and structure while not bad might not be the way to go against Angel City. That team is full of one-on-one attacking specialists and Racing’s recent tendency (regardless of what the nominal formation is) has been to press the fullbacks into attack especially Milliet. Against Bay, Milliet found herself backpedaling to get into the right defensive position on the counter. Ultimately that didn’t result in a goal for Bay, but the opportunities were definitely there. Angel City likes to possess the ball, and Racing doesn’t typically fare well against the more possession-oriented teams. I expect Racing’s back line (including Milliet) to be a bit more reserved in their attacks. You definitely don’t want to be giving up too many counterattacking opportunities to Angel City.
New Dogs/Old Tricks: The recent additions to Racing’s roster brought immediate success, but not much afterwards. Arguably the performance against the Reign was good enough, but the Bay performance was pretty awful, especially in the second half. It’s an old refrain with me: I don’t necessarily think Racing isn’t good enough to win, but they aren’t really good enough to avoid the random nature of results in this league. I think Orlando completely changed their makeup and identity this season to shed some of the baggage that had been plaguing them since their inception. Racing swung big during the transfer window but after a few matches it still feels like the same old team. I warned that a Mal Swanson-less Red Stars would make pretty much any team look good. Since then, Racing played two matches where luck/randomness helped determine the outcome. The sun doesn’t shine on the same dog’s butt all the time, but Racing seems to have seen nary a sunbeam this season. However, it’s hard to justify consistently coming out on the wrong side of things as luck. I don’t know any other way to describe Racing’s circumstances other than they feel perpetually unlucky. Being who I am, I know that to be nonsense. Probabilities simply won’t allow such things. There has to be something causal that makes them feel so unlucky, but I can’t tell you what it is. The only thing I can point to is that maybe the players lack collective belief at this point, and I happen to think that such a lack of belief is contagious.
A bark worse than its bite: Listening to some of the Racing coaches’ and players’ soundbites this season, one would assume that Racing sits comfortably in the middle of the table. Even yesterday, there was a lack of urgency in their answers relating to this specific match. From the coaches’ and players’ perspective I am sure they mean to convey a lack of panic and honestly how gloomy can you be when you have spent the morning holding puppies. 840 WHAS’s Paul Miles asked both Yanez and Erceg about what it meant to play a team that is directly competing for a playoff spot. It was a question that I would have asked as well. The two-word phrase that I didn’t hear was “must-win”. I get why neither of them said it, but every match at this point could be an elimination match. You just might not know it until the end of the season. All season we have heard encouraging words from Bev and positive responses from the players. They talk a good game, but the play on the field has never quite matched it. I always recoiled at the tacit dismissal of lost points early in the season as part of some learning process, or “peaking at the right time” platitude. Racing has yet to consistently convert the confidence they convey off the pitch to results on it. I still think there is enough talent on this team to make the playoffs, but there is no longer time for patience. A switch must be flipped at this point. I hope this team has it in them.
Bay 1 Racing 0 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Racing couldn’t figure out how to stitch enough positive possession together to find a breakthrough against Bay on Saturday evening. Without DeMelo, the team looked lost (not for the first time) and the second half was far too similar to road efforts from the past.
Racing was never near finding the back of the net. Their best chance was probably the corner that Borges headed similarly to last week against the Reign. This time, the power and direction were not as good, and it fell harmlessly in the box to be cleared away. The frustrating thing there and also at other points in the match was the lack of any other Racing player being ready for a second chance opportunity. Several times Sears made attacking runs to find that Bay had defenders there that outnumbered the Racing attackers. I don’t think Sears is good as a distributor on the left side. One time when she found Balcer, the pass was not where Bethany wanted it and she skied the shot. Sears also isn’t as good at getting her shot off on the left side. I guess what I am saying is that I don’t like her over there. That is going to be the reality when Beckie is out there although they did switch sides for a time late in the second half.
The first part of the season is really going to come back and haunt Racing. Some of the growing pains that they are experiencing now are a direct result of not having an experienced attack early in the year. Racing needed attacking subs last night, but we all saw that Petersen was preferred to a presumably available Bahr or Goins. Racing whiffed on their forward signings this spring other than Sears and Turner who were drafted. I guess it is possible that Motlhalo or Bahr could have a second-year jump like Kanu, but I don’t see how they will get minutes to do so. Milly Clegg was obviously never going to get minutes this year, so maybe the hope next year is that she will get the minutes that Goins is playing. By being too speculative on non-NWSL proven talent, Racing ultimately dug themselves a hole that they are struggling to dig out of.
Flint and to some degree Borges were the big disappointments for me last night. I tend to think of the midfielders’ job as winning and maintaining possession. Flint has been excellent as a disruptive force for Racing and the numbers will show that she has had an excellent season in that role. However last night, Racing needed their midfield to win possession in their own half and keep it. Racing’s midfielders had ZERO, NADA, NIL interceptions last night. More than any other type of match, this was one that direly needed either Borges or Flint to step up and make a play when Racing was getting pinned back, and they were nowhere. When this season ends, someone from the Racing communications staff will surely post on social media the gaudy numbers that Flint will almost definitely have amassed at the end of the season. When they do, remember this match too because when they needed her to take control she didn’t, and the pressure built to a point where Bay couldn’t be denied. This match feels like the beginning of the end for this iteration of Racing, and it was because the midfield wasn’t good enough.
Bay 1 Racing 0 Player Ratings
Racing can have no complaints about this result. The attack was toothless and they conceded way too much possession in the 2nd half. Once again they found themselves short in attacking options from the bench.
Lund-6: As usual, good in stopping shots, but I think she can do better coming for balls and making better passes.
Wright-6: It’s time for her to slide back to the middle.
Erceg-7: Bailed out Lund when she didn't break soon enough on the ball in the first half.
Jean-5: Had several misplaced passes, and I think Wright is the better CB option for now.
Milliet-6: Got beaten a few times defensively, but it wasn't damaging.
Flint-6: When teams pin Racing in like Bay did, she needs to step up and win and control balls in her own half.
Borges-6: Was much better in the first half compared to the second.
DiGrande-6: Had a decent look at goal but couldn't put it on target.
Sears-6: Needs to improve her final touch.
Beckie-6: Was decent in her first start.
Balcer-6: Needs to step up and do more.
Bay v Racing Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Racing continues a streak of matches against teams competing for a playoff spot. At this point that list includes just about every team from Chicago to Utah in the table. Houston seems to be imploding/exploding depending on your perspective.
I think we need to say at this point in the season that only a 2-goal or more lead in a match for Racing is one that should be considered somewhat comfortable. It definitely isn’t safe, but it would be a start. All of the leads given up earlier in the season loom large over these last eight matches. Sometimes the officiating is going to be abysmal, and it is very possible that you will lose in those situations. Leaving things to chance never seems to work out in Racing’s favor. There could be hundreds of reasons for that as well as absolutely no reasons other than the randomness of the league. Racing has not kept a clean sheet against NWSL competition since June 7th and since that was the Dash they only technically qualify. To win any of these matches, Racing will likely need to score multiple goals and a minimum of 3 should probably be the target. That need should dictate style, Kaitlyn Whiteside mentioned on the most recent BTRD podcast something that I noticed too. Racing deep in its own half early in matches lacks a sense of urgency. That wouldn’t be such an issue if Racing was built to win 1-0. It wasn’t built that way to start the season, and it definitely isn’t now.
I am still bullish on Racing’s chances, but I am less bullish if they don’t get it done with a match or two to spare. The team needs momentum after a tough loss, and if they don’t start to build it soon, I am afraid that they will run out of runway. Marissa DiGrande has done nothing to lose her position, but she isn’t DeMelo and Sav needs to drop back to the midfield to let a more natural forward play on the wing once she returns from suspension. If the front line isn’t Kanu/Balcer/Beckie to start in after Sav returns, I wonder what is preventing that from happening. Racing rolled the dice during the window, so I don’t know why there should be any more hesitation to use all of the ammunition that they acquired. Your 4 best proven attackers should be on the pitch if at all possible and as of this moment they are Kanu, Balcer, Beckie and DeMelo. Racing needs goals. They need them early and this is the best way to do it in my opinion. Sears and Fischer both work off of the bench.
Racing 2 Reign 3 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy NWSL LLC
Racing wasted too many good chances to put the match away and ultimately paid for it on Saturday evening against the Reign. Several old issues popped up, but it is hard to say that Racing did not have some good moments.
Let’s get the officiating out of the way first. I thought it was terrible, but not always one-sided. In real time, I thought the decisions leading to the free kick on the Reign’s second and the corner on the Reign’s third were incorrect. Since a full match replay isn’t available yet, I can’t go back and reassess. I will say that I don’t recall a Racing crowd ever being more upset with the calls during a match. There have been other matches where it was probably equal or close to it, but this was a very poor officiating performance. I think the thing that bothers me most is that there never seems to be any real consequences for poor officiating performances, or if there are the transparency is lacking. In every sport, I just want to know that there are consequences when the officials have a poor match. It wasn’t completely one-sided. Personally, I am not sure Jae Howell’s goal should have been ruled out. You have to think that VAR took a look and there was some contact, but I don’t think it was enough to rule the goal out. Again, since the full match is not available yet, I can’t challenge my initial view.
In full context of what was said above, Racing’s players still have got to stop putting themselves in situations where officiating becomes part of the narrative. Jean gave up a stone-cold penalty. Ji’s free kick goal was a stunner, but Racing had done such a good job in the first half keeping the Reign from getting into decent spots that letting the Reign get back into the match was an unforced error. I am not sure what Beckie is doing on the near post on the Reign’s third. Her presence ultimately meant that Lund had no time to react to the ball. It is difficult to say that any of the Reign’s goal were unfair in their execution, so the play leading up to them must shoulder the blame. All 5 goals in this match started from a dead ball. When you don’t score from open play, you really are stuck with the result.
The good news which may seem counterintuitive is that Racing has experienced so many painful losses, that they should be pretty good at shaking them off by now. The bad news is that I cannot remember a home match where the players looked so defeated afterwards. Many of them sat wordlessly on the pitch while the fireworks when off. I believe that they will recover to fight another day, but if they do start to slide out of playoff contention you would have to identify this match as the starting point.
I may come back to this match at some point once the full replay is available. For now, I think it is best to be brief and move on.
Racing 2 Reign 3 Player Ratings
My name is Laura Rodriguez and I am terrible at my job.
Racing will rue the chances they missed at the beginning of the second half. The officiating didn't look great but I will need to go back and see how egregious it was.
Lund-5: I will need to go back and watch the 3rd goal, but she looked pretty flat footed.
Wright-6: Decent.
Erceg-6: Alright.
Jean-5: Her first real mistake in a Racing jersey cost a goal.
Milliet-6: Came close to scoring.
Flint-7: Scored and was good elsewhere.
Borges-7: Opened the scoring, and makes Racing so much better when she is in.
DiGrande-6: Decent
Kanu-6: Decent and subbed at half.
DeMelo-8: Delivered 2 great corners.
Balcer-6: Had a couple of half chances.
Sears-6: Missed a chance that she would like to have back.
Racing v Reign Pre Match Thoughts
Courtesy NWSL LLC
Racing looks to keep up their post summer break form against Seattle on Saturday. Jae Howell returns to Louisville, but other storylines are likely to be more important on the pitch.
With all of the newly acquired players having a few more practices under their belts, we could see another new Starting XI. However, with the squad now composed of more NWSL-proven talent the starters become less important as Racing now has the ability to bring proven scorers from the bench. What is less certain is how they might look if they have to make any defensive substitutes if they find themselves with a narrow lead late in the second half of a match.
With the new CBA meaning there is no draft next season, you would have to assume that Racing’s wish list of defensive free agents is starting to take shape. Wright and Erceg could sign new contracts but that is hardly guaranteed. A good lesson to remember from the first few Racing seasons is that weakness at CB is a recipe for disaster. It will be difficult to replace Erceg's leadership, but I personally think they need to get at least one more experienced CB under 30 and ditto for LB. A playoff appearance and a good showing might convince Erceg to stay for another year or two, but then again maybe not. Wright has a little more incentive to stick around, but Lauren Milliet plays in her favored position and a switch there isn't likely. Racing is an Erceg, Wright, or Jean absence away from things becoming very dicey this season because we really don't have a sense of how Barón would fare in an NWSL match. If Racing were to get a decent lead at some point, I would like to see what she can offer before it becomes an absolute necessity.
Kanu, Pikkujämsä, and Baggett all had their 2025 options exercised. I believe Elli’s was a mutual option, but I am not 100% sure. I have run into Elli at practice and on the concourse at matches and the last few times I have, she hasn’t been wearing any visible tape or braces which is a good sign. The Kanu extension for me was kind of a toss-up. I heard that she might be on a relatively high salary, but that may not be true. She has delivered enough goals to stick around in my opinion, but she will have to fight for minutes going forward. I would have been truly baffled if Racing would have exercised Baggett’s option if Howell was still on the team. She is obviously the last option in the midfield. I could see her fighting for a roster spot next season but in my opinion, she only still here based on reputation over performance.
Racing 3 Red Stars 1 Post Match Thoughts
Courtesy Elizabeth Shaw
Racing put it its most complete performance of the season and ultimately cruised to a 3-1 win. I wish a Mallory Swanson-less Red Stars was Racing’s opponent every week, but tougher challenges are eventually ahead.
I don’t think there would be much debate that this was the best and most eye-pleasing performance of the season for Racing. Lavender Legion Board Member Peter Brown already tagged me in a Twitter (never X) post from Opta Jack lauding Racing’s 19-pass build up in the goal for Kanu. It was the type of play that I have been yearning for since the club started. However, let’s not forget that we have seem glimpses of it in the past, especially when teams sit back as the Red Stars do. I think the performance had something to do with the level of the opposition, but on balance probably more to do with Racing and its new additions. If there is one thing that I hope is clear to some of the people that follow this team, it is that there is a difference between adding players and adding NWSL-proven players. Balcer and Beckie immediately slotted in and showed their quality. Beckie didn’t have a ton of minutes and Balcer had less than 60, but you saw the impact they had by simply being on the pitch.
Some of the graphics I saw had Racing in a 4-4-2, but I think that was a rather lazy effort at stating the formation because Racing started only 2 nominal forwards. Racing played in its typical 3 forward system with DeMelo as the wide right forward. The straight swap for Beckie in the second half was pretty good evidence for that. However, they did give some 4-4-2 looks when both Kanu and Balcer were in the match, which I found refreshing. Lo Milliet looked reenergized (not that she really needed it but was off the chart good in the first 25 minutes) with DeMelo close to her on the right. The Beckie combo on the right will also be something I look forward to. I thought Wright and Kanu (and then Sears) did well too. I don’t think Wright is the answer defensively on the left, but she was good in attack. Racing still needs a more natural left back, and one might be coming. I think we are going to have to live with Sears on the left for now, and that looks to be in a substitute role. I think she hesitates more when going down the left side, but I am willing to give her some more time to adjust.
Let’s talk about the sacrifice that the team has made defensively. I am 100% on board with it, but shifting from a Flint, Howell, DiGrande midfield to a Flint, Borges, DiGrande midfield is going to make Racing weaker defensively in the short term at least. Last night it didn’t matter. Against teams that are more attack oriented we will likely have to wait and see how much they are sacrificing. The ball moved quickly through the midfield, which I liked, and Borges and Flint ended up playing fairly close to each other. That likely bodes well for the future, but let’s bookmark September 21st as maybe the first true test of the midfield when Racing faces North Carolina. I am not automatically penciling in wins against Seattle, Bay, and Angel City, but I can envision things going Racing’s way in those matches without too much imagination. We all know that North Carolina is a completely different proposition.
Racing’s roster now seems full of players that can come on as substitutes and make a difference which is something that I for one would have never said before. Sears, Fischer, and Kanu are all starter-level, but they may be the odd ones out when Racing takes the pitch next time. All three of them are perfectly capable of changing a match. I never felt that Bahr or Motlhalo offered much as a sub so their chances going foward will probably be limited. Goins has some history of scoring from the bench, but that was usually in secondary competitions or against lesser opponents. Clegg will likely get a look next year, but we haven’t seen her yet. Long story short, this is a roster that seems capable of winning matches AND capable of implementing a plan B (which I think is really important).
I was maybe a bit harsh on Lund when I said in my player ratings that she could have positioned herself better on the Chicago goal. After rewatching the goal several times, I have to say that Joseph’s finish was so good that no keeper would have stopped it. Perhaps she could have been closer to the post, but that would have opened her up to the cross more. It was probably the right positioning, and you just have to tip your cap to Joseph. I still wouldn’t have changed my rating for Katie to anything other than a 6, which is average. There was one time later in the match where she punched when I thought she easily could have caught. There was a point in the first half when she could have picked up the ball but cleared it with her feet. We all saw a couple of pretty good performances from Bloomer recently, but she is once again injured. I think Racing might be better served in the long term (starting next season) bringing in another keeper to challenge Katie and Jordyn. Sekany and White are probably just insurance. I think they need another keeper at their level to really challenge them. Maybe the club feels like they have that in Sekany, but I think I have seen enough to assert that there should be more competition in goal.
Racing 3 Red Stars 1 Player Ratings
Courtesy Elizabeth Shaw
Racing looked like a completely different team especially in attack. They don't look like they will keep many clean sheets but they might be good enough to outscore many teams.
Lund-6: Probably could have positioned herself better on the Red Star goal. Wasn't troubled much otherwise, but still looks a little unsure of herself to me.
Wright-6: Very good in attack at left back, but probably isn't the solution defensively.
Erceg-7: Had another nice composed performance.
Jean-7: I'm not sure she loses her starting spot if Racing find a left back in this window. She has been fantastic.
Milliet-8: An absolute menace on the right tonight.
Flint-8: Near perfect.
Borges-7: Offers everything you need at the 8.
DiGrande-8: It was great to see her consistency rewarded with a goal.
DeMelo-7: Really involved and almost scored on a free kick.
Kanu-8: Scored a fine goal and had several more chances.
Balcer-7: Got a fine assist in her Racing debut.
Fischer-8: Has really taken to the number 9 role.
Racing v Red Stars Pre Match Thoughts
A new look Racing takes the pitch on Saturday at home against the Red Stars. With all of the departures and incoming players, the line up we get on Saturday is unlikely to be the same one we get as players further integrate, but it will give us some clue as to how Racing might finish out the season.
I think the new CBA that was announced was likely good for the players and ultimately good for the league, but since the full terms haven’t been released as of yet, it is difficult to say too much about it. The player press release is obviously going to highlight the benefits to the players, but the devil is in the details on these types of things. One thing is clear to me at least and that is if Racing is going to have to ultimately support a higher payroll, then they are going to have to expand their revenue streams. I don’t think an average attendance of 6000 or so, can support a 2030-sized payroll. That is pure conjecture on my part, but it is something that worries me. The ownership group and the city of Louisville got a sweetheart deal on their franchise rights, but that won’t sustain an operating model and the current revenue stream forever. Again, I don’t have any real evidence here other than my experience, but I think that Soccer Holdings is probably not making any real money on Racing and are probably operating at a loss. Compounding the expenses without increasing the revenue is not really sustainable for anybody other than an owner with deep, deep pockets. Because there is next to no transparency here, I would be delighted for someone to open the books on the NWSL and its franchises and prove me wrong. I am not going to hold my breath.
However, that worry is not an immediate concern (I hope) but making the playoffs and getting an attendance bump that will need to go with it is likely the impetus for the wave of player movement we have experienced. Racing might be slightly worse on defense but should be noticeably better in attack. Balcer should slot in right away but let me remind everyone of a few things. (1) Balcer has only ever played for a single NWSL team that (2) was a pretty consistent winner with (3) multiple pretty reliable goal-scoring options. The environment matters, so hopefully it translates but we shouldn’t hit the panic button if it doesn’t happen immediately. Beckie arrived probably too late (her first practice was this morning) to do anything other than make the squad on Saturday. Barón is likely here for depth initially, so I think we see a similar back line to what we saw against Palmeiras. The good news is that Racing probably has enough to beat the Red Stars at home anyway, so I expect them to get off on the right foot in their playoff chase.
In the things that I have read here and there, I have to hand it to Racing fans in that for the most part they seem to be having a fairly level-headed response to losing some beloved and well-liked players. Some of that is due to humanity’s propensity to rationalize pretty much anything that happens, and some is due to getting in some reps in the previous seasons losing players. If you put those two things to the side, I still believe that Racing is better for the moves and I do feel like that is the consensus view among reasonable fans (I blocked out the unreasonable ones long ago, so your experience may vary). By all accounts Racing could add more players too, so you have to say that the club had a very good transfer window on paper at least. Now they just have to follow through on things.
This may be one of the more obvious sentences I have ever written on this space, but Racing needs wins and not draws. At this point in the season, a draw and a loss are basically equivalent due to the teams around Racing in the table. I tend to think there will be six teams fighting for the final two spots. Racing should not settle for anything less than wins in the six home matches they have remaining. I think 15 points from 10 would probably get things done.
Summer Transfer Window (so far) Recap
There have been quite a few squad changes prior to Racing’s return to NWSL action on Saturday at home against the Red Stars (and still time for more). Overall, one would have to say that this points to Racing going all in on a playoff run, so that outcome will ultimately be used to evaluate the moves.
I am not going to insult anyone's intelligence by pretending we all don't know exactly what was going on with the Pickett trade. If you don’t know and still care to know, a little bit of research into the NWSL fan sphere should do the trick. Regardless, this trade weakens the team on paper, but is probably for the best all things considered. Wright is a downgrade on the left side of defense, but not an insurmountable one. The club still needs to find a different solution there, but Wright can hold down the fort temporarily.
The big surprise (timing wise, but probably not so much from a roster building perspective) was the Howell/Balcer swap. Simply put, Howell hasn't been as defensively reliable as Flint (although personally I think Taylor's form has dropped recently) or offensively productive as Borges so she was always going to be the odd player out in midfield. Balcer theoretically should provide exactly what Racing needs, but she will have to do it in a new system with new teammates. It's a deal that you have to roll the dice with, but as in all things the proof is in the pudding. Balcer (a frankly delusional Spurs fan) was a name that I heard connected with Racing back at the start of the season, and one would assume that the projected at-the-time short-term absence of Kirsten Wright probably played into the deal not making it through in the spring window. If she brings goals, it will be a fine signing.
One thing leads to another, and you have to think that the addition of Balcer led directly to the Turner/Beckie swap. This means that yet another first-round pick doesn't see out their original contact with Racing. I prefer Sears to Turner because I think her ceiling is higher and she has more range. In my opinion, this is more of an endorsement of Sears rather than anything Turner did not do. I think every team in the league expected Sears to be less polished than she actually is. I believe the narrative on Turner was that she was a nearly finished product that would be ready to start day one. She remains that, but Racing obviously felt that Balcer was the better option at this particular moment in time. I can't imagine that Turner relished dropping down the depth chart on Racing, but she will have a similar issue to try to earn every minute she can in Portland. Beckie isn't a tremendous goal scorer, but does give excellent service from the right and paired with Milliet could be a very different look for opponents. This probably shifts Sears to the left on a more semi-permanent basis, which I don't necessarily love, but her left foot isn't bad. If she can learn to cut in on her right from the left side that could be a good thing, but I think her natural right footed shot fades to the right as much as it curves to the left, so that might be something to work on.
Ángela Barón has been with the team for a while but because the NWSL seems pathologically and comically poor when it comes to handing paperwork or announcing transfers it was finally presented on Tuesday, thus having much less fanfare than the Howell/Balcer swap. She probably doesn't slot it immediately, but as I keep pointing out, the back line will need a rebuild sooner rather than later, so this will be a good first step if she can prove herself.
The front office/ ownership/ coaching staff has taken some pretty big swings during this transfer window. As always, now isn't the time to pass judgment, but that time is coming soon. If these moves facilitate a playoff appearance or better, then I will lead the charge on showering the club with praise. I honestly believe at this moment that they may have done enough to move into 7th or 8th. Obviously we will know more after a few matches. However, let me also say that if this doesn't work I expect some consequences for ownership/front office/coaches. For ownership, another season without a playoff appearance will surely result in an attendance drop, and for ownership I have exactly zero sympathy. I made a mental note when Kaitlyn mentioned “this is a business” on the most recent episode of BTRD, with “this” being owning a football club. In one sense, of course it is. In a greater sense, it is also a social contract, albeit a precious and non-binding one. Anyone who owns an NWSL franchise at this point for any reason other than as a public service AND/OR for their own vanity is kidding themselves. Expect to lose money, because you absolutely are doing so at this point. Any bellyaching about it seems naive at best or disingenuous at worse. On the other hand, if this team does make the playoffs and heaven forbid actually win a playoff match I think the ownership is well within its right to expect better from the city. If the city doesn't oblige, it will be city who has broken the social contract.
For Ryan Dell, I think he had to swing big and try to get this window right. If it works and I hope it does, good for him. If it doesn't, I think he should be concerned for the long term prospects for keeping his job. Since I am not in charge, the results of his moves may not matter when it comes to his performance evaluation, but it absolutely should.
As for the coaches, I assume that Bev is safe regardless, but then that also might depend on Dell. I don't like it when coaches change too much, so I would never advocate for only giving a relatively inexperienced coach a single year. What I will say is that the next time Racing gets a new head coach, they need to wipe the slate clean. There has always been a hesitation to introduce too much change in the coaching staff, but all that has been achieved by doing that here is that you have coaches that have been around for a lot of losing.
I really don't expect things to go so poorly that Racing misses the playoffs, but it is something that if it happens should be addressed swiftly.