Racing 1 Dash 1 Player Ratings

Photo by Elizabeth Shaw

Frustrating draw. Embarrassing performance by the officials.

Bloomer-7: Made some good stops, but couldn't keep out a late roller.

Morris-7: Really good in her first appearance.

Petersen-7: Mostly solid. Her delivery on corners was terrific.

Jean-7: Commanding much of the time.

Sonis-7: Just so good at what she does.

Flint-7: Outside of the goal it was a quieter night. Suspended for next match with a late yellow.

Borges-7: More good things than bad things tonight.

DeMelo-7: Not her best match but made some great passes.

Hase-7: Really sharp later in the match.

Fischer-6: An early yellow and a last warning late in first half meant she was subbed at half.

Sears-7: Ran hard at the defenders. Had a foul called on her because keepers are delicate flowers made of angel's wings and gossamer web.

Weber-7: A nuisance while on.

RLFC v Houston -1

The big news today was the introduction of new acquired Mckenna Morris. She was available to media and excited about joining the club. She can be deployed in multiple spots but Bev has a spot in mind for her. We will see if she takes the pitch at some point on Friday, but my feeling is that we will.

Swebs was available as well and talked about her tiny bit of frustration at not scoring goals but more pleased with her contribution to Racing’s press. She was especially good in San Diego. She has also been good enough to supplant Fischer as the starting 9 recently, but we will see if that holds on Friday. Fischer was so vital in the match in Houston earlier this season, that it would be hard to drop her again for the return match.

Racing has reached the point of the season where taking care of business is the one and only job. There needs to be no looking ahead nor looking back. Houston is the toughest opponent they will face this week, so the only focus needs to be on getting 3 points at home. It's a cliche, but Racing is on a “one match schedule” from here on out. Win the week and move to the next.

“…And All the Pieces Matter”

Courtesy of the NWSL

Stolen The Wire Epigraph

“…and all the pieces matter.”

For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is a show much like Love Island except the choice is to “re-couple“ with cocaine or stick with heroin.

For me this match with always exist in delicious dichotomy. The epigraph points to a pure team effort, yet for me, this will always be “The Ella Hase Match”. Some matches are like that. If you are lucky enough to see an individual performance that rates10/10, or a rookie make her breakthrough, you tend to remember those matches associated with that particular player. This is the match where I realized that Hase has “late pace”. What I mean by that is that her speed is evident late in the match as much as the first minute. I am sure that there are biometrics to either prove or refute what I saw, but what I experienced was a player that looks to be a real danger now.

Dichotomy part two…Sears still drives me absolutely crazy and yet delights me. There is something so aesthetically pleasing about seeing a left-footed right winger cut inside and shoot on goal. Emma is not that. It is almost equally infuriating to watch the natural curve of a right-footed shot take it outside of the goal frame, which happened a few times to Emma in this match. Curse your right foot, Emma! I was begging Sears to take a left-footed shot until I wasn’t. Her right foot did the trick on the lone goal of the match. Bless your right foot, Emma!

Dichotomy part three…possession is “the way” until it isn’t. I will take “winning ugly” over “losing beautifully” any day. San Diego completed 89% of its passes having 513 accurate ones. At times they played the beautiful game. It left them with a giant “L”. The expected goals (if you believe in such nonsense) paint another lopsided picture. Almost all of the stats lied in this match. San Diego played exactly the way they wanted to play. We (okay, I) have accused Racing of being stubborn in the past. Stubbornness is easier to discern on a “blue-collar” team like Racing than it is on a well-oiled machine like the Wave, but San Diego mostly looked dangerous when in transition, and yet they refused to let Racing have the ball. That left most of the transition opportunities (but not all because the Wave were definitely dangerous with theirs) to Racing. San Diego loves to construct goals into works of art. When that doesn’t work, the emperor has no clothes.

Dichotomy part four…I almost dare not type these words…let me circle the edge of it…circumstances have dictated that Sonis and Hase now find themselves on the pitch at the same time. It’s something nobody wanted, especially in the way that it happened, but that diagonal combo provides a different look to what Racing offered before it was necessarily enforced. Would we have ever known this was an option without the cruelty of an injury? Maybe or maybe not. However, it is working in the interim and is a viable option now even when the team is at full strength. Lo when healthy goes straight back into the team, but maybe she doesn’t have to do 90 minutes every time and can be substituted for tactical reasons too.

The above quote is the signature epigraph/quote of The Wire. I would never use it lightly. The culture that Bev has built could be summed up as “all the pieces matter” but so could just about every other thing that exists. That phrase is a personal mantra, so I am going to see it manifest in more situations that most. It is a special quote to me. In its context it means one thing, but I like to read it to myself with three different emphases. ALL the pieces matter, all the PIECES matter, and all the pieces MATTER. Is the Racing context: ALL: togetherness; PIECES: uniqueness: MATTER: importance. This is a special, special team now in possession of its signature win. If things keep going this way, it will be their signature win…so far.

Post Match Moment of the Match

Ella Hase was frustratingly humble in her assessment of her performance. She deferred the credit to her teammates, as per usual. I don’t get to talk to Ella very often, but it was twice in a few days this week. She started off talking about her assist with an apology for losing the initial ball. If this team is going to have an Ali Night every year, it would be nice to have a player every once in a while come out and give an Ali-esque interview. Since Hase didn’t do that, I will do it for her. “EVERY DEFENDER IN THE LEAGUE WILL SEE “6” ON MY SHORTS BEFORE THEY SOON SEE “6” ON MY BACK AND THE BALL IN NET.” A guy can dream, can’t he? Regardless she did give the solid quote “We are not a very fun team to play.” I still like my made up one better.

Sears talked to multiple outlets last night, but the best bit was Joe Havelda trying to create a “who’s quicker” debate between Sears and Hase. The demure Hase said it was Emma. The more assured Sears seemed to be at least mildly interested in proving it in practice while not immediately confirming herself as the fastest player on the team.

Everyone loves Bev, so happy Bev is much preferred to sad Bev. She shared that the tweak to the press at halftime was needed and effective. Personally, I think Bev wanted this win really badly. She wants to win every match, but I think she knew that 3 points here in these circumstances would likely be season changing. If Racing doesn’t quite have a target on their backs now, they surely have a “Beware of Dog” sign on their fence. I asked Bev if the burden of expectations would change anything. Essentially…no. Bev will always be Bev and that works.

Were the Announcers Good?

Maura Sheridan was on the call and Jordan Angeli was on the color. They were very good. If we can just get JP to retire, we might actually start to have a decent roster of announcers for this league.

Subsection: How was their “Louisville”?

Louisvillians are persnickety on the pronunciation of their beloved hometown. I will be monitoring the broadcaster’s commitment to getting it right.

Sheridan: A virtual cornucopia of pronunciations. Always 3 syllables with the middle one varying among “uh”, “ih”, “ee” and “wuh”. Still…not distracting.

Angeli: Vacillating between 2 and 3 but always close enough.

There was a misattributed “Savannah” a couple of times between McCaskill and DeMelo. That seems to happen with that name for some reason. They caught one of them. I liked a couple of phrases like “hospital balls” and “flat tire” by Angeli. The announcers across the league are now starting to credit Racing more in broadcasts and this was a good example.

TV Kit Rating

From my kit commentary where we had them ranked last.

“There is definitely a nursing scrubs theme to some of the jerseys this year. The absolute worst offender is the Wave’s kit. It looks like water, which is on brand, but it is such a downgrade from my favorite kit from last year, the Wave Primary. The swoosh is pink which is sort of cool. Maybe when these jerseys don’t sell, Kaiser can hand them out to their nursing staff. Then again, that may be enough to make them strike again.”

No real change in that assessment. Those jerseys look bad, and they should feel bad. 1/10

The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Ary Borges picked up a nice and crunchy Fischer-esque card in the 22nd minute. I didn’t mind it at all. Sears picked up another for what I assume was a bit of time-wasting, or time-wasting AND arguing about time-wasting. Either way, the card issuance itself wasted time. The irony!

“Are they happy to see you? No, you always bring trouble.”

“Don’t Sing”/Swoon/1984

The late Carl Weathers did one of my favorite ever pieces of wordless acting in the original Rocky movie. As the music swells and Rocky beats the ten count and gestures to Apollo to keep fighting, he conveys so much with a drop of the head and slump of the shoulders.

What he clearly conveys is “I don’t want to keep fighting this dude.” He then immediately gets his ribs broken.

At this point that much be what it is like to see Racing on the schedule. It is a nightmare for opponents, and it is my dream come true.

Racing is never going to be a club that is going to beat teams on paper. Matches aren’t won there. As with the aforementioned Rocky they might not always win, but their opponents will know they have been in a fight. In Rocky, Apollo Creed, at least in the original, functioned as a proxy for Ali. There is dichotomy rearing its head again. Be Ali, or be Rocky? Who’s to say one is more fun to root for than the other. The city of Louisville may have produced Ali, but it is always going to be in the Rocky role in this league.

“The burden of love is so strange” - My expectations for this season were so low that they were underground. I expressed them without remorse or fear. That didn’t mean for one second that I didn’t love this team. I have loved them from the beginning when they were lovable in a way a new puppy is. They were a bit tougher to love in their adolescent and teenage years, so frustratingly and predictably unpredictable but I still did this and wrote when frankly, the less said about things the better. The soccer was passable but uninspiring. You get used to disappointment pretty quickly. In fact, it fit like a glove. For a while, the only way I knew how to write about this team was from the perspective of disappointment. I know that there will inevitably be more of that at some point.

However, at this point and hopefully for the majority of the future, this team is fun, gritty, joyful, and easy to love. Today, there is nothing but joy and hope and excitement for what comes next. It will surely be the playoffs in the short-term future. Past that, maybe even greater things.

San Diego 0 Racing 1 Player Ratings

Racing gets their signature win of the season in my opinion. In a match where they only had 30% possession things couldn't have gone much more to plan.

Bloomer-8: Critical save in 33rd minute.

Petersen-7: As with the rest of the back line, worked tirelessly.

Jean-8: Rock solid in the best way. Looked untroubled by anything the Wave attackers threw at her.

Wright-6: A real captain's performance.

Sonis-7: Growing into her role but still dangerous in attack.

Flint-7: The most critical part of her game was slowing down San Diego's progression through the midfield.

Borges-6: Good in possession, mediocre without it.

DeMelo-7: Not a signature match for her, but still created 3 chances.

Hase-8: A towering performance. Player of the match.

Weber-7: Pressed really well in her time in the match.

Sears-8: Drives me absolutely batty with her refusal to shoot left-footed but when she is in the goal mouth, her right foot is golden.

San Diego v RLFC -1

Racing will look to get some semblance of revenge against the Wave on Sunday evening in San Diego. The match between Racing and San Diego earlier this year was easily Racing’s worst performance of the season. After that loss the team started to play much better. Much of that improvement is down to Racing finding form and identity.

Everyone is on the Wave bandwagon now, but I was on it early. More than any other team in the league, San Diego likes to play with the ball. Their average possession on the season is near 60%. This team is unlike any other that Racing will face. It will be a challenge to bait them into a frenetic match that flatters Racing’s strengths.

The collective psyche of the team seems to have recovered from letting 3 points slip away late in DC. In the interviews on Thursday there seemed to be the right amount of disappointment without wallowing in it. The team is fully aware of the unique challenges that San Diego presents.

The match will come down to how disciplined Racing can be without the ball and how clinical they can be when the do get their opportunities. As with the last 2 matches, a point here is a good result. Three points would be a dream.

“They can chew you up, but they gotta spit you out.”

Courtesy of the NWSL

Stolen The Wire Epigraph

"They can chew you up, but they gotta spit you out."

This was another painful point for Racing. It stung tremendously at the moment three points turned into one. How do you put something like that behind you?

Quickly, is the only correct answer.

With some distance and perspective, I think that everyone will look back at this as a good point won on the road against a top team. Some of the things that have always plagued Racing came back to plague them again on the evening, but I have a sense that this time things might actually be different. If there is one lesson that I hope is taken to heart it is this one: late in matches don’t be selfish, be self-aware.

For the second match in a row Ary Borges needed consoling at the end. The own goal wasn’t her fault. Giving away possession under those specific circumstances to lead to the equalizing goal absolutely is. Wright had an equally daft moment to lead to the first goal. On Ary’s play, she has to make the decision to dribble forward and do it quickly if she is going to go “on her own”. I don’t think I have been more infuriated with a seemingly innocuous decision in a match this year. She has absolutely no excuse to have that much space and to be caught on the ball in that situation. Borges had an eventful substitute appearance. She does many things well, but my biggest pet peeve with any player is to get caught in possession in the middle of the pitch in your own half when a pass gets you out of trouble. You absolutely cannot be that selfish/unaware.

However, you take the bad with the good and the rest of her performance was mostly good. She won a penalty by showing a desire to be in the box, which is something that Racing lacked on a few golden opportunities early in the match. Too many times, Racing was one attacker short on promising runs. If Balcer can get back to 100% match fitness, she would probably find herself in prime poaching areas.

Racing didn’t convert on their best chances in open play, so they could have had a goal or two more. All in all, the result was probably fair. It must have been an interesting experience for Racing to be on the beneficial side of a questionable officiating performance. The Audi Field crowd was rightfully upset with plenty of missed calls from the officiating crew. Almost all of them seemed to benefit Racing. I don’t think any of them were game-changing, but it is still frustrating as a fan to see missed calls.

Post Match Moment of the Match

The post-match presser got started fairly late. I am sure nobody felt like talking after the match. I hung around and asked Bev, Janine, and Taylor a few questions. Bev looked as down as I have even seen her. I felt really bad for her because I think that she felt and said that the team “deserved” all three points. If you read this space, you know my disdain for the word “deserved”, but I will let it slide here. They were close to three points and let’s leave it at that. I asked all of them how they would move on quickly, because that is what you have to do. I thought Bev said something noteworthy about how to move forward. On the draw, she said that the team should “sit in it and remember the feeling.” That works if you learn, and sitting is okay, you just can’t dwell in it.

I asked Sonis if the feeling among the group was one of disappointment or heartbreak. She surprised me a little saying that it was closer to heartbreaking. On how to be better at the end of the match, she suggested that they “don’t cause their own chaos” which is a sentiment that I fully agree with. “We’ll digest it” was her parting comment on the match.

Flint talked about her propensity to be brave and take on hopeful shots. I like this quality in her. She echoed Bev’s and Janine’s sentiments on disappointment.

Were the Announcers Good?

Mike Watts and Lianne Sanderson were on the call. Hooray! The A team.

Subsection: How was their “Louisville”?

Louisvillians are persnickety on the pronunciation of their beloved hometown. I will be monitoring the broadcaster’s commitment to getting it right.

Watts: Mike calls enough Lou City games that he effortlessly gets it right.

Lianne: French, but in that anglicized French way. Charmingly 3 syllables. I love Lianne. I can’t be objective when it comes to her.

They were great. We had friends over, so I didn’t pick up all of the commentary, but I did pick up a few things. Mike Watts said “alas” at some point, which was hilarious. He also playfully commented on something being “risqué” when he obviously meant “risky”. That was a little too cutesy for me, but Watts is confident play-by-play guy so I give him some leeway. His goal calls can’t be beat. He was properly excited on both of the Spirit goals.

Like I said, if you are an expecting objective breakdown on Lianne you have come to the wrong place. Regardless, she was excellent. She always is on her game. Part of my particular enjoyment in hearing her commentary is that we are often thinking the same thing. It’s probably our “Arsenal Way” of watching the game.

TV Kit Rating

There was a halftime feature on the Spirit’s Player of the Match award. I love the ghost shape and that the award for this season is painted to match the highlighter yellow jersey with its green accents. However, on the evening they opted for their piece of crap black/grey number. It reads as black on the screen. I hate black kits. They are so boring. 1/10

The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Fisher now finds herself on the bench behind Weber (not sure about this move) so other players have to step up and pick up the silly yellows. On the evening it was Ella Hase with the silliest card of the bunch. Her “momentum” carried her into Kingsbury late in the match which delayed the keeper in making a throw. In a match where the center official has already issued a card for delaying the restart, this one seemed avoidable. Ary’s tactical yellow on Kouassi turned out to be a good one.

“Time is the healer. Time was on my hands”

“Tiffanys”/Protest Songs/1989

With more distance, this draw will sting less…if Racing makes the playoffs. I am still on the playoff bandwagon. I think it is inevitable now. It would be grossly unfair for Racing to miss the playoffs based on their performances so far this year. You have to believe that they will start to accumulate the necessary points soon to have things wrapped up enough not to worry too much on the last day. I know that is a bold prediction, but the evidence is pointing in that direction. The real test will come later when they need to take care of business against the also-rans, but I think these painful draws might actually help in that regard.

Still, you would rather have the three points here. In fact, “Time is no healer. In truth, she plays no part.”  Only if Racing actually carries this sting with them and uses the pain to be better will there be any healing. They have repeatedly found themselves giving up late goals, so one could argue that they still lack something vital. I like to draw the line there. The teams that Racing has faced in the last two matches are among the best. To expect them not to fight to the end is to disrespect them. To be in a position to win is a good achievement. I don’t know what else to say other than things “feel” different this time around.

Spirit 2 Racing 2 Player Ratings

A point here is good. Don't sleep on that. A little better decision making late and Racing could have gotten all 3 points.

Bloomer-6: Maybe could have done better on the second, but otherwise really good.

Petersen-6: Caught out of position a few times causing teammates to have to cover.

Jean-7: Another solid performance.

Wright-6: Lost possession too easily on the first goal.

Sonis-7: Looked lively all night.

Flint-8: Pretty great all evening.

DiGrande-6: Not really involved much.

DeMelo-8: Great match and a solid penalty gave Racing a lead.

Hase-6: Had her ups and downs but overall was solid.

Sears-7: A bit unlucky not to finish off one of her chances.

Weber-6: Solid run out for her.

Borges-6: Won a penalty, but her late refusal to pass the ball led to the late equalizer.

Spirit v RLFC -1

Spirits are still high after a 1-1 draw in Orlando with the schedule not quite ready to be forgiving just yet. If there is anyone better equipped to handle the attention that Jordyn Bloomer is deservedly getting for her performance on Saturday, I haven't met her. At the media availability, she said all of the right things but did confess that she doesn't do a ton of homework on potential penalty takers in upcoming matches. I think tendencies can be a bit over analyzed, and Jordyn's swagger is always going to be her biggest quality when it comes to those types of situations anyway. Believing is half the battle. Let's hope Racing avoids conceding any more penalties in the immediate future, so that we don't have to test my theory.

Ellie Jean has signed a new contract through 2028, and I think that is a great bit of business for her and the club. Solidity and consistency at the back is always a good thing. Ellie has made the starting CB role hers and has played her way into the team based on her match performances. I like when that happens because then nobody questions why a certain player is or isn't starting. The first half of this season has made me a full believer in Jean.

Washington, like Racing, feels like a teams that can get goals from anywhere so it's difficult to hone in on a specific threat. Rodman is always a name on everyone's lips but the actual goals this year are coming from Monday and Hatch (absent now due to her pregnancy). Hatch historically scores frequently against Racing, so she will definitely be missed by the Spirit. The Spirit didn't look great in a 0-0 snoozefest at Gotham last Saturday, so will be looking to rebound. If Racing can sneak a win here, it might shift the narrative for the rest of the season. More likely, Racing will be satisfied with a point here and in San Diego next week.

“No One Wins…”

Courtesy of the NWSL

Stolen The Wire Epigraph

“No one wins. One side just loses more slowly.”

For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, the 4th season is basically just Abbott Elementary, but with 8th graders.

I was so close to handing out my first ever “10” player rating to Jordyn Bloomer, but I could not bring myself to do it in a match that Racing didn’t win. Prior to the match, I said that any points here would be good, and I stand by that. Play that match again 100 times and there is no way Bloomer saves two penalties and likely doesn’t even get the chance to do so. As this season marches on I do believe that the above epigraph (which actually might be my least favorite in the entire series as it seems overly pessimistic, even for David Simon) probably does apply to every team that isn’t Kansas City. They look to be clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the league at this point. All of the other teams, including Orlando, are in a race to lose more slowly. A win has me writing other things here, but one thing stuck with me that I will go ahead and propose. “Are we sure that Racing isn’t at least the second or third best team in the league at this point?” Now I know that sounds overly optimistic for me but after watching some of the other teams recently, I really don’t think any of them are better than Racing other than Kansas City and maybe San Diego.

Racing handled Orlando for much of the match. The first penalty was unnecessary but soft. The second was a joke and softer than the first. That Bloomer saved both of them is a little bit “ball don’t lie” but the same could be said for the own goal. Part of me does wonder if the late subs of Fischer for Weber and Ary for DeMelo were the right moves, but hindsight is always 20/20. All of the players worked hard and all had good moments, so I won’t worry too much about what might have been. At the end of the season there will be only one winner, but this match will always be memorable even if no one won.

Post Match Moment of the Match

Once again, I skived off my usual post-match duties for Racing to catch the last few minutes of the Lou City match as I was watching the match from the LFS press box. Bev was still rightfully pumped after the match, dropping 3 f-bombs during the 7-minute video. She called Bloomer “F-ing amazing” (we all agree). Bloomer shared that she enjoyed engaging with the Orlando fans in each end after she made the saves. (Bloomer F-bomb count during the press conference: 1). She signed off with “90 plus nine…I need to go lay down now.” Marissa eschewed the f-bombs and said she was “proud of the group”, a sentiment we can all get behind.

Were the Announcers Good?

JP Dellacamera and Jill Loyden were on the call. Once again, I was not in my normal friendly confines at home for this match. I watched the Racing match in the Lynn Family Stadium press box as Lou City battered Charleston 4-1 in front of 13,611 fans.

Subsection: How was their “Louisville”?

Louisvillians are persnickety on the pronunciation of their beloved hometown. I will be monitoring the broadcaster’s commitment to getting it right.

Jill: Always spot on. Two syllables. Honorary Louisvillian.

JP: When will this dude just retire? The one I caught was French…again. JP pronounced Sonis wrong…again but got nearer to the correct pronunciation as the match went on.

JP and Jill are remote when calling the match. JP seemed to not understand that the first penalty was given until at least a minute had passed. He seems generally ill-prepared for the matches he calls. Get Jill a better partner please. Close personal friend, Lianne Sanderson (alright we’ve met once, and she once liked a tweet I made about our meeting) made the snoozefest at Gotham earlier in the day much more palatable from a broadcast perspective. More like her please, NWSL.

TV Kit Rating

I said nice things about this kit in the kit rating piece earlier in the season, but Elizabeth didn’t care for it, so it ended up 11th. I think she had the better take in retrospect. On some screens, the kit reads as dark periwinkle more than a pure purple. I don’t like it. The pattern doesn’t read either (although to be fair neither does the pattern on Racing’s kit.) It was a bit confusing to watch two matches at once where Louisville is in a dark purple kit in one and essentially a white kit in the other and their opponents basically wore the opposites. Anyway, the Orlando kits are fairly meh. 5/10

The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Sav DeMelo picked up a good tactical yellow in the 55th minute stopping a promising attack by Banda. It was a nice, firm tug back that stopped her in her tracks. It was a “clean” yellow in that it didn’t endanger anyone. Good job Sav!

“Some of us shout ‘Cheats’ for cheating on the deal.”

“When the Angels”/Steve McQueen/1985

Technically, there is nothing stopping me from giving Jordyn Bloomer a “10” ratings other than some self-imposed rule about saving a “10” for something truly special in a win. Bloomer saved two penalties in an NWSL match and that has never been done before. Why couldn’t the soccer gods let us have this one? As the great poet once said, “if they can dance of the head of a pin, don't that tell you something about their skin?”

The soccer gods are really “heart-faced little bastards.”

I will forgo the angel imagery now and say that it was an encouraging and uplifting performance. I feel better about Racing’s chances for the playoffs now more than ever. They can do it. They are going to do it (reminder: whenever I get too up on this team bad things happen, but I am the least superstitious person I know so I said it anyway).

I really did mean that Racing is in the second tier of teams in the league. In a league with a one-team first tier, that isn’t a terrible place to be. The next two matches will show if my declaration is correct or too hasty.

Orlando 1 Racing 1 Player Ratings

Racing was just a few minutes of stoppage time away from getting an amazing result, but on balance a point is more than fair.

Bloomer-9: A clean sheet would have given her a 10. Amazing.

Petersen-7: Continues her solid run.

Jean-5: Conceded an unnecessary penalty.

Wright-6: Captained the side well on a challenging night.

Sonis-7: Great assist on DiGrande's goal.

Flint-7: Not as disruptive, but had a lot of recoveries.

DiGrande-8: Great goal and made the case for more minutes.

DeMelo-6: Good tactical yellow card on Banda was her best contribution.

Hase-7: Had a really good chance to put Racing up 2.

Sears-7: Looked sharper in this match than she has recently.

Weber-7: Had a really good effort in the first half.

Orlando v RLFC -1

On the news front, Katie Scott was loaned in from the KC Current as defensive cover (likely for Lo Milliet, but no update yet on her SEI status). This will likely be the chance for her to audition for a role next season as she only signed a one-year contract with the Current. Allie George’s loan is still not yet official, but when it is it will allow Racing to add Lo to the SEI list and still have 22 active players rostered.

Orlando will surely be looking for revenge against Racing, but they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home against Utah, so they might be doubly motivated for this match. Racing’s attack wasn’t great during the friendly season and looked toothless against Kansas City. They will likely need goals in Orlando to stand much of a chance at getting any kind of result. I think part of Orlando’s problem is that they get compared to the Current and themselves from last season. They aren’t as good as either of those teams, but that doesn’t mean that they still aren’t very, very good.

Racing starts a 3-game road trip with this match. Trinity Rodman returning and scoring is good news for the NWSL and bad news for Racing. A weakened Spirit might have been the best chance to grab points, but even a weakened Washington team with Trinity Rodman is daunting. I think San Diego is a terrible matchup for Racing. Points of any variety in Orlando would be a good enough result.

It stinks when Lou City and Racing play at the same time, but that is the circumstance we are up against on Saturday. I will be in the press box at Lynn with two eyes on the Racing match. Elizabeth will be on picture/commentary duty for Lou City this weekend.

"Come at the king, you best not miss."

Photo by Elizabeth Shaw

Stolen The Wire Epigraph

"Come at the king, you best not miss."

For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is a show based on Shakespeare’s penultimate play, “The Listener” about a Danish prince who sells his “white horse” to some forest nymphs or something…

All in all, that went about as expected.

Racing hung tough for a while but couldn’t convert when they were in the ascendency, and Kansas City ultimately cruised to a 2-goal victory. Like last year when I thought Orlando’s dominant run was good for the league, I thnk having a clear powerhouse is a good thing. One difference between this season’s Kansas City and last year’s Orlando is that this year’s Current team is just intuitively unlikeable (at least Kaitlyn Whiteside and I don’t like them). Kansas City’s sports landscape had been downtrodden for so long, that now that they have some success, even more seems cruel and smug. It looks like they are enjoying themselves being the “villains” so no hard feelings really. It’s good for narrative to have bad guys.

My big takeaway is that Kansas City is a patient team when they need to be. Ultimately that could be their downfall. If by some small chance Kansas City and Racing find each other matched up in the playoffs, Racing has a blueprint to beat them. In this match however, Racing didn’t really have too many opportunities that turned into shots. Their real opportunities came from times that if they had just been a little sharper or a little quicker, a dangerous chance might have presented itself. It takes a valiant effort and a little luck to beat the best of the best. Racing wasn’t quite ready for the challenge on the night.

Post Match Moment of the Match

After the match, Sonis, Jean (who now must be at the top of two lists: my favorite players to interview and Racing’s Free Agent extension list) and Bev were all disappointed but upbeat. This didn’t seem like a momentum killing loss, just a blip in the journey. Bev concurred saying, “I think we’re different, we’re just different.” Many times, in earlier seasons a decent performance in a loss was explained away as “almost there”. That felt optimistic and not really genuine. This time there was disappointment but not dread, which seems much more believable, and I think you can use it to fuel improvement. When Bev took off her mic from the Amazon Prime coverage, I joked with her to see if she wanted to wear it a bit longer so Amazon could follow her around during the rest of her week. Of course, they didn’t. It’s a shame because unknown to her I caught a sweet moment between her and her daughter as they were walking on the concourse. Bev the coach is great, but Bev the human being is even better. I am thrilled to have her around for another year.

Did the stadium have good food?

It was andouille night at the club. There were the sausages themselves as an option for the rotating hot dog/sausage on a bun offering. There was also jambalaya with and without meat, and the veggie option was just as good as the meat option. Two-thirds of BTRD were my guests at the club, but I believe Tom may have also had Bekki bring him a beer. The club was busier than usual, which is a good thing.

The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Last night Fischer picked up a what I thought at the time was a harsh yellow card on a play that a) was really rough b) probably could have been avoided. On the replay it looks like Fischer probably could have pulled out of the challenge, but that isn’t her. It was one where she definitely initiated the contact. Kayla and former Racing captain Jaelin Howell are leading the league in (lack of) discipline with 4 yellows and a red apiece.

“New broom, this room, sweep it clean”

“The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”/From Langley Park to Memphis/1988

First things first. Racing attracted a good crowd on the night. The fans were there early, and I think you have to applaud Soccer Holdings for pulling out most of the stops to get a crowd of over 8,000. The pre-match activities were done well from what I saw, and the atmosphere was good. It’s really a shame that the result wasn’t better. The club needed a big crowd for the showcase match, but I also wonder if the performance convinced any newbies. That is always the danger when you put the focus on getting people to the stadium for a high-quality opponent, but it surely was a "no regrets” move by the team. You have to shoot your shot.

You also have to move on quickly. In truth, there isn’t much interesting football to discuss in this match on the Racing side. They gave up two goals that were well executed by a good team. The regret should come from allowing the amount of sustained possession that led to the goals and likely not the goals themselves.

In the highlights were:

• Plenty of solid defending stepping in front of shots

• Sonis’ speed on defensive recovery runs

• Jean’s assuredness in defense

There just weren’t enough attacking highlights. Even though the Current is a great team, Racing has always seemed to be able to get goals against them. The Current’s defending on the night was excellent, which probably bolsters their confidence even more. I thought Hase may have turned a corner last night as an attacker, but you would like to her get off a shot with 5 touches in the box. Sears touched the ball 14 times. That is definitely not the recipe for success. Fischer didn’t have much luck either. If there is a worrying trend, it does seem like the attack is now the weak link. Kanu always looks lively when she comes on. Balcer didn’t make an appearance. It might be time to mix things up a bit up front.

Anyway, it’s time to move on and Racing must do it quickly against an Orlando team that is likely looking for revenge and Racing has never won in Orlando (I don’t count the Liga MX cup penalty shoot-out thing from last season). Racing shouldn’t be intimidated however, so I give them a decent shot for points.

Racing 0 Current 2 Player Ratings

Photo by Elizabeth Shaw

The Current scored on two really fine pieces of play. Racing hung in for as long as they could.

Bloomer-6: Decent…not at fault for either goal.

Petersen-6: Solid, but possibly caught out of position on the first goal.

Jean-7: Defended her side well.

Wright-6: Really good in the first half.

Sonis-6: Ditto…thought she was great in the first 45 but fell off.

Flint-7: Kept Racing in it early.

O'Kane-7: Back up to her previous level after a brief dip over the break.

DeMelo-7: Needed an 8 or 9 performance from her to have a chance.

Hase-7: Again…a really good first half.

Sears-6: Pedestrian effort.

Fischer-6: Her yellow was harsh, but only really troubled the Current keeper once.

Entr’acte

Photo by Elizabeth Shaw

Act I is over.

The interlude is complete as well.

On the interlude…

Interruptions to the seasons are a bit like the weather. There are many things that can be said about them, but little to be done about it. Racing ended its first act as well as a team could (or as well as this team ever has). It hopes to carry of the momentum it built and well…things aren’t looking as good as they could.

I am always going to temper my enthusiasm. It’s in my nature. Here is what I saw during the break:

• Three subpar performances that may or may not be worrisome: There are plenty of reasons not to be too concerned about the results against Lexington, São Paulo, and Palmeiras. First of all, nothing was really at stake (The Women’s Cup is nice to win, but it isn’t on the to-do list for the season). There was much rotation in the matches (except where they absolutely needed it as it turned out). Unfamiliar foes can make for tough opponents. All fair points. On the other side, at times Racing’s players looked as if they hadn’t played together in months, not weeks. I think all three of Racing’s opponents started slowly in the matches which lead to some over dribbling and trying to beat opponents one on one or one on two in some cases. Racing is not going to dribble its way through many NWSL teams. The resulting passing and connections seemed to lack cohesion. Several times simple passes just didn’t come off. That isn’t something you want to see heading into your 14th match of the season. The mid-summer break is a reality, so the teams that manage it best will get a short-term boost. Racing didn’t give me a warm and fuzzy feeling here.

• Racing’s plan A has improved, but their plan B hasn’t: Bev in Bev style stated that Lo Milliet will be out “tomorrow”, but we all know that she is out for a while. Allie George self-reported on TikTok that she is going out on loan. I now count 21 players on the active roster and 2 of them, Barón and Borges, are definitely still in South America for the Copa América final. Racing has to have 22 “active” players on its roster, so I can guarantee you that either Lo will not be listed as SEI or George’s move will not be announced, or both. Regardless of any roster shenanigans to stay in the good graces of the rules, Racing is short especially on defense. They are also short in the technical staff department with Carmelina Moscato leaving for a head coaching in Saudi Arabia. Soccer Holdings, if you remember, is an organization that thought it was a good idea to not have a nominal head coach for decent stretch of the season. In my opinion, they were very fortunate to have that decision work out well and have been acting like “anyone can fill in” is a legitimate type of plan since then.

  Racing runs lean. They are allowed to run lean. I am also allowed to absolutely blast them when I think it’s going to backfire on them. Losing Lo weakens both the attack and defense. That they don’t have a nominal right back available to fill in seems like a very “Racing” thing to me. They may get one quickly and Sonis may fill in fine (I hope she does). However, this loss and the loss of Moscato expose the fine lines. My opinion: since Racing employs a small coaching staff, part of the reason that the staff if hyper-focused on playing a certain way and sticking to it is that they aren’t staffed to design, teach and practice a counter strategy. For example: something I like to call the big club strategy, where teams consistently play and set up differently when they play the best of the best. It takes resources to focus on a multiweek strategy. Maybe Racing has spent the last 3 weeks preparing for KC and that is why they looked poor in the interim. I doubt that. I don’t think much foresight exists in the club’s DNA, yet. I think they will roll out Plan A against KC on Friday and will take the result that it gives them.

• Things are improving, just maybe not at the rate they need to: Racing signed Taylor Flint long-term (A plus) and have been marketing the heck out of this weekend’s match (the numbers will dictate that grade). Those are both great things and what they need to be doing. One match will not decide a season, but it might define it. The expectations are both low and high for the match against the Current on Friday evening. Any points would be a good result. The spotlight is shining on Racing. I wish they were just a little more prepared for their close-up. For all kinds of reasons, the crowds haven’t been very big for Racing (they have still been “good” from an atmosphere perspective from time to time). They need a good and big crowd on Friday. Soccer Holdings is throwing everything at this one. I would feel better if they had a reliable history of mobilizing support. The big attendance matches have been planned way in advance or have other appeal or both. This is a test for the organization off the pitch as much as it is on the pitch.

Act II gets off to a start on Friday and I hope it is an entertaining as Act I. The new back line will have to gel quickly. Bathany Balcer will need to find her form out of the gate. Kayla Fischer will need to do the good Kayla things and ditch the bad Kayla ones. I still think Racing needs another reliable defender. O’Kane will need to keep up her form for the second half of the season. I guess what I am saying is that a bunch of things need to go right…right now. The sense of urgency will be the thing to watch for me on Friday. Racing needs to carry forward momentum that I fear it has lost. If they have, they will need to rebuild it quickly.

Racing 1 (3) Palmeiras 1 (2) Player Ratings

Racing still looks a little rusty coming out of the summer break. They will definitely need to connect with each other better when the season restarts next week.

Bloomer-7: Made a key save on a one on one to keep Racing in the match.

Petersen-6: Went down for a minute but looked to be okay.

Wright-7: Great ball into Sears for an assist.

Jean-7: Now pretty consistently the best defender on the pitch for Racing

Sonis-6: Deputized well in defense.

Flint-6: Gave the ball away more than usual.

DiGrande-6: Didn't create much.

O'Kane-6: Might be hitting the rookie wall.

Sears-8: Fantastic finish for the goal.

Weber-6: Not sure she gave much production in this match.

Fischer-7: Pressed hard but lacked any finishing touch.

Made penalties: Sonis, Flint, DeMelo

Bloomer: 2 saves

Racing 1 (4) São Paulo 1 (2) FC Player Ratings

Racing started fast but ended sloppy as they got outplayed for the last 50-60 minutes. They will need to cut down on the over dribbling and connect better in the final third when the season starts back in August.

Bloomer-6: After not being called into action much in the first 30 she made some decent saves. In hindsight she possibly could have done better on the goal.

Petersen-6: Wasn't used as much on set pieces as usual.

Jean-7: Best defender in the match by far.

Wright-6: Interchanged nicely when Milliet has to come off.

Milliet-6: Her injury looks worrying.

Flint-6: Spent a lot of time on the floor.

O'Kane-6: Not as sharp as she has been.

DeMelo-7: The announcers were crushing hard on her.

Hase-6: I remain unconvinced that she is the best option as an attacking winger.

Sears-6: Not quite back up to speed yet.

Fischer-7: Was a nuisance but needed more from her teammates in the press.

Sonis-7: Brightest spot in the second half.

Successful spot kicks: Sonis, Jean, DiGrande, Petersen

Racing 1 Lexington SC 1 Player Ratings

It looked like two teams getting in the swing of things. 1-1 seemed fair.

Roque-6: Touched the ball twice, maybe (45 out)

Petersen-6: Delivered a few good corners (61 out)

George-7: Showed good recovery speed and poise (45 out)

Wright-7: Solid (45 out) for the captain

Milliet-7: Must have a pact with the coaching staff to play every second of every match.

Kalitta-7: Won the ball effectively and fairly several times. (32 out)

O'Kane-8: A menace (45 out)

DeMelo-8: All over the place and full of energy (45 out)

Hase-7: Looks like winger is her position now.

Kanu-6: Had a couple of decent looks but couldn't find the back of the net (32 out)

Fischer-8: Showed good composure on the goal and had a few other good chances (72 out)

Flint-7: Solid as usual (32 in)

Weber-6: Not super involved (32)

Baggett-6: As expected (45 in)

DiGrande-7: Heavily involved (45 in)

Pikkujämsä-6: Still looks a little rusty (45 in)

Jean-7: Nice and calm in defense (45 in)

White-6: Couldn't do anything on the goal (45 in)

Balcer-7: Looked dangerous in her cameo (61 in)

RLFC v Lexington Sporting Club -1

Sunday's friendly against Lexington will be a good opportunity for Racing to get back into the swing of things since the majority of the players are back from their summer breaks. It may also be a chance for a few players to get some actions who we haven't seen so far this season. At the top of my list is Allie George.

Of all of the rookies, she is the one who I expected to make a push for real minutes prior to the start of the season. That wasn't based on anything other than her familiarity with the club and its style, so I would like to see her get some game time soon. It is impossible for fans to know much about a player's ability until they see them up against real competition.

I am hoping we also get to see some minutes for Bethany Balcer. The limited amount I have seen from her in practice lets me know that she hasn't lost her touch, but match fitness is another thing. It might be nice to get a look at Avery Kalitta as well.

Caitlyn Milby spoke to he media on Friday and briefly discussed the transfer window. There was not much firm news on specific players, but it sounded like things are in the works. For a club like Racing, the key thing will be to manage its core talent, so I wouldn't expect any flashy signings. This specific iteration of the club prides itself on togetherness, so personally I think money is best spent keeping your best and most important players around to spread the culture. I get the sense that is how the club leadership sees things as well. I believe good news is around the corner.

I hope Lexington ends up being a good sparring partner for Racing. It would be handy to have a team just down the road to test yourself against during each other's off seasons. However, it will probably line up better for summer due to the USL Super League's current format.

“We ain’t gotta dream no more, man.”

Photo: Elizabeth Shaw

Link to Elizabeth’s gallery of the match

Racing 2-Orlando-0 — Fleur-de-lis FC

Stolen The Wire Epigraph

“We ain’t gotta dream no more, man.”

For those of you who haven’t seen The Wire, it is a show about 4 retired women living under one roof, proving that life goes on after 50 and that friendship is the true currency for which we should all strive…that and heroin.

Racing might not have a more satisfying win all season. Before the match, everyone I spoke to would have taken a draw. After the match, anything seems possible for this team. Racing has now taken us, well me at least, to the point of where heartache is possible. I started the season with such low expectations, that well…if you are consistent visitor to this space, you can see that I didn’t take them seriously. This goofy format (which will remained unchanged for this season at least) was a hedge against this team being awful and not very fun to write about. At the midway point, nothing could be further from the truth.

I will not type the words all of the words that I want to type because any time I write something positive I am immediately punished by the soccer gods for being hopeful. Maybe I will say it this way: we have enough evidence now that this team has a real shot to make the playoffs. And I don’t mean in the “monitoring the table after every result” way. I mean in the “this team is capable of not needing results to fall just right” way. I am fairly confident that people are going to continue to talk about the table from now until the end of the season. I think that is fun for most people, but I wouldn’t really get bent out of shape about it until 20 matches are in the books. If you are sweating the table, it means you haven’t taken care of business. Racing seems capable of doing that on a regular basis now.

The fact that they have done it by not adding a bunch of high-priced free agents may be the most impressive thing. I am not a big believer in togetherness and cohesion as the absolute key to success, but we really don’t have anything else to go on here. Something is working. I think the commitment to an identity probably helps greatly as well. Racing is still far too stubborn at times for my taste, but if that formula gets you 20 points from 13 matches, I think you have to take the good with the bad.

Last night was almost all good in spite of the opponent, which might be the most encouraging thing of all. Maybe you can count Racing a bit fortunate in that they seemed to catch Orlando on an off night and switching to back to a back four (followed by a back three at half). Regardless, Racing didn’t really give Orlando anything offensively, and their frustration mounted.

Out of context, the epigraph above may seem overly hopeful for me. If you know The Wire well, then the context will seem overly ominous. I mean to split the difference and instruct you take it at face value. The reality is that as of this moment, the playoffs seem not to be a dream, but a destination.

Bonus The Wire Video

There aren’t characters named “Gotham”, “Dash” or “Angel City” on The Wire. However, there is one named Orlando. Here is his death scene in honor of Racing beating the life out of Orlando.

Post Match Moment of the Match

Prompted by me, Arin Wright confirmed that this was the best “collective back four performance” in her tenure here. It is the type of performance that was lacking in Kansas City. If Racing can channel more like the one against Orlando, then things will continue to look up. I don’t think any defender would say that they had a stellar performance, but they all covered for each other. Wright admitted to thinking more about one of her rare mistakes on the night instead of her excellent header. Coach Bev, once again focused on the quality of the opponent (more believable on this occasion) and how the team didn’t get rattled by the different looks thrown at them by Orlando. Coaches often remind us that tactics are for practice and effort and commitment are for the match. Bev was highly complementary of how all of the players worked to get this effort right.

Did the stadium have good food?

I was particularly fond of the “Marinated Skirt Steak w/ Red Wine Demi”. There was a potato-y theme on the night with perogies and mashed potatoes both available. The fruit option was a little disappointing due to an overabundance what I call “trash fruit” (cantaloupe and honeydew) with only a single blackberry available when I went through the line. I am sure they replenished it, but I was too lazy to go back through the line.

Lightning-in-a-Bottle-O-Meter

Whenever Racing wins a match, I will rate how much of it was down to catching lightning in a bottle versus Racing just doing the things they do well.

This is a tough one. Racing earned its clean sheet without too much bother. Orlando had 16 shots and 7 on target, but I can’t remember a single one of them being dangerous and when I looked at the xG shot chart, their best chance was off target. Racing frustrated Orlando and that is to their credit. On the other hand, Orlando played poorly, and both Marta (special section) and Sams lost their cool. I saw nothing that would make me think Racing did anything above and beyond to seem extra irritating, so I have to chalk up their frustration to disappointment in their own performance. Sams’ penalty concession was needless and while Racing score from set pieces often enough, you hate to concede from one if you are Orlando. Racing played well, but they definitely got a poor performance from the Pride. 3/5

What do I miss?

Oh “Sav-acado” banner, you make me so happy. Why do you haunt me with your absence? Wind and rain and rescheduled matches meant that I have not been able to gaze at your glorious beauty for what feels like an eternity. I was crestfallen when the Legion decided not to hang you for this match. I asked the sage, Bekki Morgan, why they keep you locked away. She pondered that perhaps they only bring you out when the home team is draped in green.

Okay, fair enough. If that is the deal, stay in your prison “Sav-acado” banner. I will remember you fondly.

The Kayla Fischer Honorary Yellow Card of the Match

Kayla Fischer will soon be returning to have reckless yellow cards doled out to her, but in the meantime, Taylor Flint has picked up the slack with 2 yellows in the last two matches. This one seemed to be for a flying hip check to the face of a Pride player. You read that correctly. She hip checked player in the face.

Just maybe don’t give Fischer any ideas.

Tantrum of the Match

OOOOOH! Marta’s mad!!!

The TV broadcast made it a point to cut to a frustrated Marta after she was subbed out. Maybe she was mad at her 6.1 Fotmob rating for the match. Or maybe it was her 1 for 7 in ground duels won (on a season average of around 50%). Maybe she was mad that she had to wear that ridiculous orange kit. Could be a number of things. Take the international break to cool down.

“One gorgeous night”

“We Let the Stars Go”/Jordan: The Comeback/1990

The stars finally aligned for Racing to have a beautiful night for soccer. The crowd was reported at only around 5600, but those fans will remember this one. Like I said, I didn’t give Racing much of a shot in this one but was delightfully proven wrong. You hate to go into a long break on a loss, and you also hate to go on a long break with momentum. I think Racing heads into this break with a no regrets feeling for the first half of the season. I am sure individual players will look back on things and wish they had done them differently, but the results are pleasantly solid with half a season to play.

“Fan the embers long enough”

Racing haven’t exactly caught fire, but this sustained run makes one think that a continued run after the break isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. The opening four matches are still brutal with 3 road matches against Orlando, Washington, and San Diego following a home rematch against the league leaders in Kansas City. Racing has proven that they have a home formula for beating good teams and Washington doesn’t seem quite as formidable. Then again, I could see no points from four. The difference is that I don’t expect it. Racing has played well enough recently to make me believe that there are points to be had in those matches.

“Other music fills my ears”

On the other hand, it is entirely possible that Racing and every opponent they face will look a bit different upon the return from break. With the transfer window opening on July 1st, all kinds of things could happen. The silly international tournaments during the window could make for slower player movement this summer and with free agency, teams have to operate differently than they did in the past. For Racing, one would expect that Fischer will be back in starting lineup with possibly Balcer pushing for her place when we get to August. Other teams will also look to regroup. Washington needs a few more healthy players in my opinion. Portland and Seattle could look at their accelerated rebuilds and think going into the market is worth it. Gotham continues to rely somewhat on the health of Rose Lavelle, so they could look to bolster their roster too. Several teams could be playing from a different song book when we return to NWSL action.

“The light is gone and it is dark”

I don’t expect that you will be hearing from me for a while in this space. I will cover The Women’s Cup and the friendly against Lexington SC but will probably forgo this format and stick to the basics.

All of us have homework during the summer break.

Somehow, we all have to figure out a way to get people to come see this team. I wish I had the magic formula, but nobody does. The one thing working for all of us that we have never had before is that we can demonstrate that this team is a winner and legitimately has something to play for. The last question asked of Arin Wright last night, was basically “How do you get people to come see this team?” I think Arin was correct in saying that it starts with winning. I find baseball incredibly dull, but I watched U of L in the NCAA tournament and College World Series. There are casual fans out there to be convinced. Let’s go convince them.

Racing 2 Pride 0 Player Ratings

Racing played easily its best match at home all season. Orlando was not at their best, but nobody will care

Bloomer-7: The back 4 was so good in front of her that she didn't have much to do, but her positioning was good.

Petersen-8: Excellent delivery on Wright's goal and great defensely too.

Jean-8: Had a few nervy moments but kept Banda at bay.

Wright-9: So crucial on defense with the goal making her one step above the other defenders.

Milliet-7: Got beaten here and there but always recovered.

Flint-8: Excellent once again and took her penalty coldly.

Borges-7: Missed a golden opportunity to put Racing up 2-0.

DeMelo-8: Really good as Racing killed off the match.

Sears-7: Couple of matches without a goal but did well in her other duties.

Sonis-7: Solid once again.

Weber-7: Tired at the end, but worked hard.