Gut Check: Racing Louisville Falls 2-0 to Gotham
A tough loss at home ends Louisville's three-game unbeaten streak.
“See where our hearts are”
Racing Louisville ended their rematch with Gotham FC in disappointing fashion with a 2-0 loss to the reigning champs at home on Saturday. Racing had been on a promising of run of three unbeaten and two straight wins but the New Jersey side proved too much to overcome.
“I just don't think it was a match that was up to our standard,” midfielder Marisa DiGrande said. While she acknowledged some bright spots in the performance, she said that any lack of performance wasn’t on Gotham, it was on Racing not meeting their potential. “We just have to be better, and we have to put out complete 90-plus-minute performances.”
Midfielder Jaelin Howell said they got off on the back foot which swung momentum out of their favor. “When you go down two goals against a quality team like that, it's a struggle to get back, but I thought we still could have done more. I think [Gotham’s] a very good team, and if we want to be a playoff team or a top team, we’ve got to be able to beat teams like that — especially at home.”
In the first half, in particular, Racing had no answer for their opponent’s pressure. The first goal from Gotham attacker Yazmeen Ryan came even as she was completely closed down by Racing forward Emma Sears and a rolling shot managed to slip past the hands of a poorly positioned Katie Lund. In many ways, this goal personified the whole match for Racing: Always a step behind and unable to slow down Gotham’s momentum even when literally standing in their way.
The second half was somewhat better, but not enough to find the back of the net. As a result, Racing heads into a tough stretch of West Coast travel with games on Wednesday and Sunday on the back of their worst performance all season. Howell said this will be a hard test, but a necessary one.
“Coming off a couple of wins and now a loss at home, it's a gut check and we’re gonna have to see where our hearts are. We’ve got to dig deep because it's a short turnaround and it's two quality opponents. Part of being a top team also is finding a way and that's what we're gonna have to do on the road and yeah just dig deep and find out what the team's made of and at this point in season you know you have to.”
Racing will end the week hanging onto the eighth-place playoff berth with 15 points and a 3-3-6 record.
By the numbers
The first half was Racing’s most unproductive half ever. It is unfortunately also likely one of the most unproductive halves in National Women’s Soccer League history.
Racing generated 0 xG to Gotham’s 0.59 because they failed to take even a single shot all half. Not shots on goal, mind you. They didn’t register a single shot. This is because they barely had enough control of the ball to do anything with it. For a large percentage of the first half they only registered 25% possession, although this improved to 34% by the end of the half.
Things improved somewhat in the second half with Racing getting 0.39 xG overall off of five shots with two on target. They also had a comparatively better 42% possession which improved overall possession to 38%.
It is worth noting that Gotham didn’t generate much firepower either. They utterly controlled the match and got what they needed to put it away, but Racing’s defense still managed to keep them from developing too many chances. Keeper Katie Lund only made two saves on four total shots on target.
Racing has now failed to score in four out of 12 games or a third of their matches. Only the Utah Royals and Houston Dash have scored in fewer games this season.
Key Takeaways
Issues up top
Racing has some clear issues in the attack. If it’s not Savannah DeMelo, Emma Sears, or Uchenna Kanu producing, they’re not getting on the board. Unfortunately, Kanu was injured so she couldn’t inject the same dynamism as last week when she came in at the half against Houston. DeMelo and Sears continue to put in decent shifts with each splitting Racing’s only shots on target all match, but they can’t be the only answers for the attack.
It’s clear head coach Bev Yanez is trying to find solutions because she shuffled the starting line with Elexa Bahr starting on the bench in favor of Kayla Fischer on the left wing and Reilyn Turner up top. This is Fischer’s first game back after earning a suspension for accumulation and Turner’s second consecutive start as the No. 9.
It’s understandable why Yanez went this route. Historically, matches between Gotham and Racing are extremely chippy and both teams often rank as the league’s highest-fouling teams. Fischer is a physical player so possibly better suited for that chippy play. Turner had a slow start against Houston so giving her another chance to settle against a team she did well against earlier in the season might help her find her stride.
Unfortunately, neither switch worked out that well. Turner remained mostly invisible and only got 15 touches in 66 minutes. Her teammates just couldn’t seem to find her for the second match in a row. Fischer, meanwhile, only got 24 touches in the same number of minutes and had to switch sides with Sears after she struggled with managing Gotham’s speed down the left flank. While Fischer’s physicality can be a boon it can also be a liability. She got five yellow cards in just over 500 minutes and has already had bad tackles that have given up penalties this season. In this match, she came close to receiving a yellow when she tangled with defender Mandy Freeman in a dangerous area giving Gotham a great set-piece opportunity.
This loss is hardly on the back of these two players because the bottom line is that no one had a good game for Racing. This is simply illustrating that what is currently happening isn’t working. Both Fischer and Turner have a ton of potential but are clearly works in progress. Fischer still needs to learn more control and Turner needs to get her confidence back while learning to play in a demanding pressing style.
So who is the answer? The injuries to Kanu, Ary Borges, and Kirsten Wright definitely exacerbate this issue and put more pressure on these young players to carry the load for the team. Parker Goins and Bahr added a nice spark of energy as subs, but they don’t feel like answers on their own. Goins is well-suited as a super sub which isn’t a knock on her talents. She’s fast and a smart player who can punish opponents off the bench. Teams need players like her as subs and she’s taken to that role with ease, so why change it? Bahr started off hot with a great goal in the first game, but after starting most games this season has yet to produce a second. Young New Zealander Milly Clegg doesn’t seem to be ready for prime time yet and South African attack Linda Motlhalo hasn’t been able to earn minutes either.
The return of Borges, Kanu, and Wright will certainly offer a veteran boost, but Racing still seems to be missing a true, bona fide goal scorer up top. Even one goal against the run of play might have changed the momentum of this game, but they couldn’t piece anything together. Having a bigger threat to draw defenders also opens up pockets to exploit elsewhere and, right now, Racing doesn’t have enough players with that pull. Without those missing pieces filled, they will likely struggle to evolve into a better team than they are now.
Tactics and execution
One of the most confusing aspects of this match was the way Racing sat back and just cleared balls into empty space through much of the first half. This is what led to zero possession on Racing’s behalf and no shots at all. If you spend the whole half clearing, you’re not going to create anything and get momentum back.
It’s hard to imagine that this was a tactical decision unless it was figured that Gotham was going to press hard through the first thirty minutes and maybe it would be best just to sit back and absorb them. That seems like the antithesis of Racing’s proclaimed ethos, however.
Instead, it seems more likely that they panicked as they lost control under pressure until they sat back and crushed the team’s ability to move the ball forward. At least along the left flank, this improved somewhat when Sears and Fischer switched. Sears’ speed was able to both keep up with Gotham’s Crystal Dunn and Freeman more and get back into position so Carson Pickett wasn’t just sending balls into space, she had more of a target in Sears.
It is hopeful that Racing was able to improve somewhat in the second half. They moved the ball a bit better, but Gotham also allowed them to as the game went on. As Howell said, this is a real gut-check moment for both the players and the coaches to review where the team is and what progress they’ve made against harder opponents.
The big picture
There’s no way around it. This was not a pleasant game for Racing. They were outmatched from beginning to end.
However, Gotham is a championship-winning super team. They’re on an eight-game unbeaten streak and have won six of those eight matches. Howell is right that for Racing to be a top club they need to beat teams like Gotham. This match shows they’re not there yet and that’s okay — for now.
Of Racing’s five games in June, Gotham is the only one that features a team above them in the standings. If they’re going to lose a game this month, this is the most forgivable one. Racing has already beaten Houston. If they can win against at least two of Angel City, Seattle Reign, and Bay FC, they’ll be in very good shape and almost certainly still in a playoff berth.
Before Louisville can be a top team, they must be a consistent team. They need to be one that can regularly beat the teams below them and maintain a relatively steady position in the standings. Racing has never been that team. They’re showing signs they might be that now and that’s progress to be proud of. Let this game be a jolt and a reminder not to fall into complacency. Now, they need to show that they can put aside a humiliating loss and get back on track against vulnerable but still dangerous teams like Angel City and the Reign.
Looking ahead
Racing has almost no time to dwell on this loss, which is a good thing according to Howell and DiGrande. They will almost immediately leave for the West Coast to take on Angel City in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening.
Angel City is currently on a five-game winless streak with a 3-3-6 record that puts them in 11th place with 12 points. They also have a negative six-goal difference. This tough string of games doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. In their most recent match in Houston (a 0-0 draw) they generated 1.73 xG to Houston’s 0.43. Houston keeper Jane Campbell’s heroic saves are what kept them off the board (plus a very questionable no-goal call on a ball that may have gone over the line in the last minute of stoppage time).
On Sunday, Racing will head to Seattle to play the Reign who are in an even deeper pit with a 2-9-1 that puts them in 13th place with seven points. (Note: This was written ahead of their match with the Portland Thorns on Sunday night.) For a team that made it to the championship last year, the Reign have been on a horrific slide and are almost unrecognizable. They’ve given up 25 goals in 12 games and only scored 13 for a -12 goal differential. Racing, in comparison, has scored 17 and given up 14 for a positive three-goal difference.
There’s no question that Racing is performing better than both of these teams. If they are truly a solid, improved playoff team, they should get at least four to six points from these next two games. It’ll be tough traveling across the country to play in Angel City’s loud raucous environment especially when the Angels are hot after feeling like they were denied a game-winning goal. It’ll be even harder to turn around and travel again to play on turf a few days later. But as Howell said, it’s time for the team to find out where their hearts are. This is the opportunity to show they have the mentality and toughness to hold onto the playoffs and peak at the right time. The Gotham loss was tough, but if you’re a winning team, it’s time to dig deep and show the league what you’re made of.
Thanks again! It seems like Racing's positioning was too often aligned with one player covering two passing lanes giving Gotham easy ball movement.
Great article Becky!! Hopefully they’ll come back on fire!!